This is probably more personal preference, but;

what would you choose to hunt with relative stealth, a compound bow, a cross bow, or a standard bow.

I don't have any real experience with any, but would like to get one, and would only like to spend the cash once.

Bows are not as stealthy as most people think. A cross bow, in particular, has about the same decibels as a .22 rifle. I would suppose a standard bow would be the quietest but, if stealth is your major concern, I would look at trapping rather than hunting.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Not what you were looking for but .22 CB or something is real quiet, can't even identify it as a gunshot if you are a few yards away.

I have a compound bow , I think anyone who is looking at long term survival should own one with a bunch of arrows and a spare set of strings and cables.
You aren't going to master the bow in a day , it takes alot of practice to become proficient enough to hunt.

A standard longbow is nice because you can make your own arrows.Homemade arrows don't have enough spine generally for a compound bow to be safe.

If your somewhere snowed in for the winter,building a bow would be a worthy hobby to pass the time.And the info is all out there on how to do it.

Historically , in Turkey , there have been composite bows capable of launching an arrow out to ranges approaching 900 yards.

.22 CB we refer to as "Cat Bullets" for a reason. And all you get with that will be cats.

I have seen air rifles that were used to hunt hogs. These are not the .17 cal Daisy rifles.

A Swiss book on resisting occupation even recommends using these rifles to take out drivers of enemy supply trucks.

These are the ones that look like they have a SCUBA pony bottle for a stock.
Anyone seen them lately?

I used to use CB caps on my trapline, for dispatching trapped critters. They worked quite well, but I eventually switched to air rifles for this task because the ammo was considerably cheaper. I have two RWS air rifles in .22 and .177, and both work well for what I ask them to do. They will dispatch any trapped critter, or take a rabbit or squirrel at better than 30 yards.

I haven't seen those SCUBA air rifles lately, but I haven't been particularly looking for them. A few years ago I met a fellow at the range who was using a custom SCUBA rifle to fire .54 slugs at a 100-yard target. I was impressed, but i don't know how practical it really is. I really can't see myself lugging around a tank and a foot pump while I'm out hunting.

If memory serves me right, Lewis and Clark took an air rifle with them on their expedition. The trouble is, these pneumatic rifles were pretty much a mature technology two hundred years ago. Different materials are used obviously, but their power, accuracy, and weight really hasn't improved.

So, yes, I've seen the cool-looking pneumatic air rifles, but I'll stick with the break-barrel spring air rifles. They're powerful enough for want I want them to do, and there's less things that can go wrong with them.

Onward and upward,
airforce

"Silence"
Using a silencer on a larger caliber weapon is obviously best,(but then there's generally the "laws" to think about).
Using subsonic .22lr rounds are certainly a very good way to go,(on most smaller game). I have many types of this, but smaller rounds such as the .22lr do require some practice as the shot placement can be critical.

I have hunted with crossbows, compound bows, and recurves,(composite and soild-carved), and I find these have a very good use and overall applications for most game, big, small, and even foul/birds. Probibly the most versitle would be the crossbow or compound bows due to the power.

Trapping is excellent, but it can be far from "silent" unless you know how and plan this as the goal.

As with all the above, silent hunting is an "Art" that requires much thought and planning. Nothing is perfect, but all the above can be done with very good results. As with all "Arts", they require much practice, thought, and planning.

IMHO, IHTH.

Michael

.22 WMR is used to poach deer because it's pretty quiet.
Definitely sounds like a gunshot, as opposed to .22 CB which might not even go through a deer's skull.

Oh, and here's an idea my dad came up with. Shoot a pigeon through a partially opened window with a .22 CB. You could put some birdseed or something out if there aren't a lot of birds around normally or just be patient.

A good compound bow would probably attract less attention than a crossbow if you were spotted.

If you're in a pretty rural area a stray shot from a .22lr would probably be hardly noticed.

With either of these items, shot placement is important.

I have done some "reading" on silencers and found references to shotgun silencers (believe it or not). I takes alot of paperwork to own a silencer but it is still legal to know how a silencer works and how to build it. As found quite: A good spear would work but most of us are not strong enough nor practiced enough to use it. There is also an atlatl. If you are serious about quiet hunting search the internet for primitive skills and follow the links to the hunting section.

Thanks,

I'll get some of the .22cb to start (cheaper), and work on getting the bow in time.

Use snares and deadfall. They are quiet and you don't have to actively work them.

Picked up some of the 22cb to try. very cool. the hammer makes more noise.

Just don't expect too much from the CB caps. They're good for treed squirrels and coons, and for dispatching trapped critters but, for most hunting purposes, they don't replace a regular .22. Also, if you use an semiauto, the CB caps will cycle the action about half the time. I used them in my bolt action .22 on my trapline for years, dispatching critters as large as coyotes.

Onward and upward,
airforce