My mother sent this to me and told me I should make these for the kids to play with:

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2012/07/24/diy-pvc-bow-and-arrow/

Wasn't there a prepper show with a guy sneaking around in the bushes with one of these?

Are they remotely useful?

Yes, remotely useful.

Either for entertaining kids, or as a last resort for arrowing slow-moving, stupid animals (remove foam arrowheads, first) if you don't have another solution for game-getting.

...But there is never an "open season" on liberals.  












Thanks for posting this OP!
...forwarded it to my sister for her kids.  

Fine.

I'll drop by Lowes on the way home.

Good little project!

I picked up some PVC this week for that very purpose, fall project though, too damn hot for now..

one will be 1'1/2 6' bow thats should be near 80lb draw the other a 3/4' 5' bow in the45 lb range

we shall see..

Real PVC bow

plenty useful, I've taken several deer with recurves in the 40 to 60 pound range.  

Well, I guess it was a little ambitious for my 4.5 year old, but we had fun.
His dexterity isn't quite there. He can get sight alignment on a bb gun vs. soda can, but the mechanics of the bow will take time.

BTW, there is no such thing as a straight dowel rod. Still trying to figure out flights that little people won't destroy.
In any event, I simply used the pipe sleeve as a tip. At the prototype tension, we went with a 32" arrow, but flights would make a world a difference.

With arrows from my 80's PSE with an overdraw, the thing is actually impressive. Not 300+ fps, but I think we're in Roger Clemens country.

iirc, the bow made on doomsday preppers had three fiberglass driveway markers forced down the length of the pvc pipe. reckon that gave it a heavier draw than these here kids toys.