Being resourceful in a survival situation is critical and could make the difference between surviving – or not.

This bow, made from an old bike tire rim, inner-tube and catapult rubber, is easy to make, very effective and would be very useful for hunting small game and even in some instances of self defense.

Materials

Saw to cut the bike rim – scissors – Snips or some way to remove the spokes from the wheel – file to tidy cuts – pliers to bend.

Bike wheel – eyelets of some description – inner tube from wheel – catapult rubber (or you can use cut down inner tube but it is not as powerful) – retainers for the threaded end of the eyelets (plasterboard expanding grommets in this case) – a spoke for the sight

Lets go

Take a saw and cut the rim/wheel in half between two holes. Clean up the corners and round off any sharp edges.

This rim is a 29inch so for position of the eyelets I will assume you are using the same size.

And on

Find four full circle eyelets with threaded ends this stops the thrust material from getting caught in the end of the eye where it bends round and meets.

Take two eyes and push them into the last holes of the frame – with the threaded end sticking outwards and put a nut or in my case plasterboard fixings on the thread to stop the eyelet from falling into the center of the frame when the bow is drawn. Now count inwards five holes and put the other two eyelets into the frame, as seen in the photo.

Boing

Take your catapult rubber (I used a meter) – cut it in half and tie the ends to make two rubber bands.

Take your old inner tube and cut a strip eight inches long and one inch wide tie it between your two bands.

Feeding time

Go back to your old inner tube and cut off a section one and a half inches long (keep it as a tube – you'll see why).Push the tube over the frame till it is in the middle, like a small black hand grip.

Feed the rubber bowstring through the inner eyelets so that they move freely – take the ends out to the second set, pass the rubber through the hoop but before ya do undo the nut slip out the eyelet, pass the rubber under it so it comes back on itself then re insert the eyelet. this will ensure the rubber can never pop off when you draw.

A Sight For Sore Eyes

Take your old spoke.

At one end make a one inch 90 degree bend.

Feed the spoke through the spindle from top to bottom and holding it in place pull outwards to make another bend but 90 degrees to the first.

To lock the sight in place, pull the sprocket away from the frame a little and tuck the short bend into the frame.

Let's Fly

Drop your arrow in the channel of the rubber – rest the front on the spindle – aim – draw like any other bow and SHOOT!

With a rough range of about 60 feet, this DIY bow would be a powerful tool in the event of a survival or SHTF moment.

it is so easy to make, almost anyone could do it.

To see this and other projects like it, visit Instructables.