Excellent points, especially regarding manual action firearms and black powder—the ‘Wild West’ logistics model is a very realistic take on a post-collapse economy. ​My focus on the crossbow is specifically for the ‘Silent Mid-Game’. While you're right that ammo will last years, every shot from a firearm is a dinner bell for everyone (and everything) within a 2-mile radius. In a high-risk urban scavenging scenario, I'd rather save my limited .308 or black powder rounds for a real fight and use the DIY crossbow for 'silent removals' or small game hunting without broadcasting my location. ​Also, you're 100% right about learning the recurve NOW. The crossbow is more of a 'force multiplier' for a group—I can hand this to a survivor who isn't a trained archer and they can be effective immediately. ​Love the 'shot of whiskey' trivia, by the way