Opinions please, A new air rifle or a new compound bow or a flat bow

[Tartar Horde]

I've been an Archer for a long time now, and have made a few Bows and continue to make my own Arrows, I'm also capable of making a variety of Pre historic points to fit both Atlatl darts and Arrows. I consider myself more than capable as an Archer and have taken a large variety of game with the Bow (not saying where) and perhaps my answer may surprise you all when I say the humble air rifle will put more food on your table than any bow ever will. Let me explain; to hit that target with a bow is not easy at all and it takes a lot of practice to get proficient with one. Arrows are not cheap, nor are they easy to make without the knowledge and you will run out of them very quickly if you start shooting at everything that moves. An air rifle is capable of taking a large variety of small birds and animals that will get you a feed far more efficiently than wasting your arrows on them. As experienced as I am, if you put a guy with an air rifle in a wood, and myself with a bow I would put my money on the guy with the air rifle getting more food, simply because it is easier to hit that small target with a Rifle than a Bow. Most of you will be hunting and trapping small game and you don't need a bow for that. Where a bow really scores is its ability to kill large animals silently (notice I did not say quickly) they are the supreme stealth weapon, ask any Gamekeeper!! if you live in an area with a good head of Deer then they are the obvious choice Bow/crossbow for those people who can't get firearms, also consider roaming livestock after an event, there are no animals in the UK including cattle steer that can not be killed by a Bow. They require serious practice, and for what its worth I would say a compound is the absolute worst type of Bow to rely on post SHTF, but if that's what you have and like, then good on yer.