Saved you $600 but you only get 3 shots (assuming you already own a bow and arrows)

I have to try this myself in our backyard

Skip the bow.  Just my opinion.

If an impaired person wants to break down your door, maybe consider a shotgun with rubber slugs as a backup  to your pepper gel….if your an old/weak guy

But if those impaired persons aren’t too big and your in decent shape, I would think the flat or back of a machete or a pick handle or a youth bat would be adequate - if they were already blinded by the pepper spray - to give them a love tap to discourage escalation

I assume you haven’t really considered what could possibly follow using a bow on an unstable person - criminal court, civil lawsuit, physical retaliation to you and/or your family, needing to relocate and losing a lot of assets including your home and retirement savings if you lose the civil case.

Have you told your wife about the bow in case a mentally impaired person tries to invade your home?  Was she ok with that?

Has anyone been attacked or any homes been invaded?

We have lots of mentally impaired and homeless at parks and under bridges in Pearl City.  Our yard is fenced with a dog in the yard. 

If you put up a fence and get a dog that may resolve your worries about an impaired person invading your home

Edited to cut out fluff

Begle
I’m not keen on fixed 6x scope.  The 2a member that sold me the 243 rifle mentioned he was going to a scope that had low magnification based on how he (or his kids) couldn’t “find” close deer with his scope.  I think he had a 4-12.  A while back, I picked up a 2-7 Pentax so that is what I might also use.  It isn’t durable like NF or Trijicon or have illumination….but I already have it….and I don’t plan to do much walking….so durability isn’t as critical would be a nice thing to have.  Too old, too fat and too high BP to do much walking.

I’ve been using my binoculars, an unmounted 1-4 Nikon and a rangefinder to see how they do after sunset looking at stuff about 180yards down the street. 

This weekend I’ll try to compare the 1-4 to a 3-9 at some park or area that doesn’t have a lot of ambient light after sunset.

I think the 1-4x24 might work for me out to 200 even at dawn/dusk.

Regarding the NF.  If you only plan to use it for paper 100%, durability isn’t as much of an issue.  Couldn’t a Viper do the job for $600 and leave $400 for ammo or reloading components?   Or would the NF be a 90% range and 10% hunting scope?

The used SWFA has set sail.  The seller hasn’t contacted me in about 2 weeks.

That electric crossbow looks interesting!!

OP
I did a quick google search and Benjamin Bulldog 457 came up.  About $1000

For me, I would rather go thru the “red tape” and spend the $1000 on a 9mm pistol or carbine ……and ammo

A long barreled shotgun is nice.  Home, fun at the range (trap/skeet) and hunting

A rifle is good too…..but putting holes thru paper for recreation isn’t as fun as doing trap or skeet with a bunch of your friends

The biggest pita of getting a firearm is making the 3 trips to HPD

If you don’t already do archery for recreation, that repeater bow is basically going to just sit.  It will likely depreciate in value really fast too.  If you already do archery, then I could see getting that bow.

If you’re not into archery and you don’t want to go through the red tape, have you considered a black powder revolver?  They can stay loaded for a while…like up to a year.  They are like $300 and have a 6 round capacity.  So for $600 you have 12 rounds.  If the 12 rounds of lead don’t do the job, the smoke might…..if they have asthma.

https://muzzle-loaders.com/collections/black-powder-revolver-pistols/products/pietta-1858-steel-remington-texas-black-powder-target-revolver-44-caliber-5-5-barrel-brass-frame-w-blued-barrel-rgbt44
 
Honestly, I think you should get a firearm over a repeater bow, airgun or a BP revolver.  The red tape isn’t that bad.  I know this because if it was really bad, there would be a lot less gun hoes on this forum.

Those things cost about $600. 

If I was really expecting to shoot an intruder, I think it would be better to go thru the red tape and get semi auto rifle or shotgun.   I recently picked up a used Springfield Victor AR with Holosun red dot and Holosun magnifier for $400 and a used semi auto shotgun for $150

If 4 full mags are kept with the AR that is 120 rds.  The shotgun is 6+1 of 12 ga.

So for $50 less than a 6 shot compound bow….. the AR and shotgun can spew out 21x more projectiles at about 10rds/second

Besides the HD aspect, the ar and shotgun make for a lot of fun at the range …..and could also be used for pig hunting

That said, if the 6 shot compound bow will also be used for recreation….or you just like/want it, go get it.  YOLO!

If you don’t want to deal with the red tape, I think you could get a semi auto airgun that is used for pig hunting

For less lethal, a semi auto paintball gun shooting rubber/plastic covered steel balls.  Or Get those pepper balls.  Or those pepper bang stick thingies.

My wife and I used to do recurve and compound archery before we went all in with tennis.  A compound bow is a lot more bulkier than a firearm so it is harder to shoot from cover. 

Adding another fun option -
9 cheap all steel tomahawks!  Imagine the expression on the face of the 1st guy as he looks down to see what hit his chest….

I’m getting carried away…a firearm is the best choice for lethal HD.  A lot of the people on this forum have a bunch of toys….so the red tape isn’t that bad.

Hi Hunta808,
FFP is good….I just don’t have the skill to justify the added $$.

Hi Z,
Me too.  I’m not really a hunter.  But buck fever kicked in when I did see a deer.  And it leaves as soon as we had to haul the deer back to the truck.

Btw.  Did you mention to your friends that hunt what scope you were planning to use?

The rifle cases can get banged around and affect zero on expensive scopes.  I wonder if it could damage the mechanism in a lower cost scope.

It costs a lot to go hunting and it would be frustrating if a scope was the reason for a miss.

Hi Begle,
I’ve collected an AR in 6.5 Grendel, 243 Savage, 7mm-08 Marlin, 30-06 Marlin and 30-06 Ruger

I’ll likely use the Grendel because I’m a recoil wimp and it shoots sub moa with factory Hornady Amax ammo.  Plan to only shoot < 200 yards. 

The maximum point blank range (MPBR) for Grendel is about 250 yards with about 1200 ft/lbs.  So < 200, I won’t need to do any hold over or adjust any turrets

The Grendel might be the heaviest rifle….but that shouldn’t be a major issue since I don’t plan to do a lot of walking

I might use the bolt action rifles but I still have to find the ammo that they can shoot best. 
Savage 243 - I think it shoots about 1-2 moa per the prior owner with the ammo I bought from him….his kids were able to get 3 deer.
Marlin 7mm-08, Marlin 30-06 and Ruger 30-06 - I have to message the prior owners about what hunting ammo the rifles liked and what moa it could be shot with that ammo

I’ve only used my dad’s rifles to hunt deer decades ago…..when I was a kid.  I think they all had fixed magnification scopes.  Because I am a dummy….sometimes it was a pita to “find” the deer with the scope when the deer were close.  I know some people use fixed magnification scopes  but I think a 2-7, 2-10 or 3-9 is more user friendly for a beginner.

I can see using 2x or 3x to “find” the deer and then zooming in closer for the shot.

I also don't see much benefit in using a FFP scope for hunting when shooting < 200

The reason I’m asking about FFP is because I have an opportunity to buy a good condition used gen 1 SWFA SS 3-15 FFP for $300

FFP isn’t ideal for hunting but SWFA’s are durable for hunting….and it could also be used for medium range shooting if I were to ever join that shooting club/group at Schofield

I am an older guy and my balance ain’t what it used to be ……I could see myself taking a spill….and the SWFA is durable.

I still have to hear about the turrets on SWFA…if they are capped…or at least lockable.  At worse, it  could be used just for target shooting if the turrets are not capped or lockable.  That said, some people do use SWFA’s for hunting…..just have to check that nothing has moved or improvise (electric tape, rubber cap, etc) to keep the turrets from moving.

Hi Notmygun,
I was watching a C-Does review of a SWFA scope and he mentioned the Helos

Begle
I have a 1-4x24 Nikon Black Force 1000 on a 7.62x39 AR for the day when my friends want to go pig hunting (camping)

You are right about the 3-9x40 being good for sitting in one place.  I’ll likely get the 3-9x40 Trijicon Credo.  The 2.5-10x56 is a possibility too …..but there is an 8oz penalty.  Which may not be that bad since I don’t plan to do a lot of walking…. I’m more of a park and shoot from the road type since I’m old and fat.

That scope and red dot combo is a good idea too!!
I might throw on a red dot or an occluded sight

Nothing wrong with 3 rifles.  They are just tools and some tools are better suited to certain jobs  :-)

Hi Z,
I was going to just get a 2-7, 2-10 or 3-9 vortex with an illuminated reticle but after Bojangles input, I could  see the point of a durable scope.

It costs a lot, takes time to plan and uses up your vacation time when going hunting…..so I can see the point of minimizing the number of things that you can control from going sideways.

So the big $$ is about both the durability and seeing in low light.  Would be a bummer to spend all that money and do all that planning….to miss a chance because the scope wasn’t working or it was too dim in low light

I sort of wonder if it’s also because of people trying to keep up with the “Jones” due to all the stuff people/friends post on their social media.

I see people posting on which nice restaurant they are at, their trips, their cars, their parties, their nails, their house, etc

Outside of my family, I only irritate Lyle with texts of new to me (pre-owned) toys.  He’s way better off than me and he’s a Maui HS grad so irritating him is recommended…….