Firearms are not the only projectile weapons and self-defense products. There are an amazing variety of other projectile weapons which can be useful both for self-defense and hunting purposes.

Even if you have firearms, firearms are not always the answer. First of all they create lots of noise (unless you have a suppressor or silencer which are illegal to purchase in many jurisdictions). You might be able to stock pile a lot of ammunition, but these will always be limited in supply. This will make you want to consider non-firearm projectile weapons. Take a look at the different ones you have.

Bows and crossbows

Mankind for millennia has been using bows for hunting and warfare. And after the collapse of civilization, and after the last steel foundries stop functioning, we might just got back to our ancient art of archery as our primary means of extending deadly force beyond our reach.

Today, bows and crossbow continue to be the most practical and effective of the projectile weapons. For those interested in the art of archery, there are many forms of bows and crossbows to choose from, from the ultramodern deadly crossbows that can take down a moose, to the fancy archery sets used in Olympic archery, to the replicas of the longbows Mongolian horse archers used.

Slingshots

Many a youth has grown up with a slingshot tucked into the back pocket. Slingshots still will be useful. You never run out pebbles to shoot, and lots of small game is well within killing range of a sling shot, such as birds, rodents, and snakes. The could provide tasty treats while on the trail, without using precious ammunition or arrows.

Slings

A sling will fit nicely into your pocket and pebbles can always be found underfoot. It’s not always a good idea to shoot at bands of hungry youths looking for something to eat at the edge of your homestead. But a few pebbles lodged in their midst will let them know you are serious.

Throwing spears

Some spears are designed to be thrown. Throwing spears will be good for catching fast moving boar or deer, whether you throw the to try catch them as they try bolt away… or clutch them tight as they turn and charge!

Spear throwers or Atlatls

Spear throwers were one of the technological advancements ancestors our primitive ancestors used to exponentially up their hunting game. With a spear throwing, the power of a man’s (or woman’s) throw is multiplied many times, dramatically increasing the range and impact of a large dart or small spear.

Blowguns

Perhaps the stealthiest of all projectile weapons is the blowgun. While many of use are aware that the natives of Amazon rainforest use deadly blowguns which can take down large monkeys, the modern versions of the blowguns are highly-effective weapons that can also be used to deliver darts to unsuspecting foes from a concealed location

Thrown bladed or pointed projectiles: darts, throwing axes, throwing knives, throwing stars (shurikens)

Throwing axes, throwing knives, shurikens, darts – they take a lot of practice to use effectively, but in trained hands they can be extremely useful. It’s not always wise to fire a shot that will announce your presence to everyone (and wildlife) for miles around. Sometimes, a well-placed dart or shuriken to the neck might just do the trick.

Other projectile weapons (e.g. throwing nets, boomerangs)

The list of inventive and useful throwing weapons is an extremely interesting one. Boomerangs, gladiatorial throwing nets, and many other fun stuff await those willing to venture into the world of thrown weapons for the apocalyptic wasteland.