archery

[David Mann]

Greetings,
The shot was from a crossbow at a range of 15-20 ft. One thing is
that a sword hit normally covers a larger area (excluding tip 'ouch' shots)
than the point on the thistle missile. Several others had said the shots 
from the crossbows felt harder than the longbows. That difference might be
due to the acceleration difference between the draw length of the longbow
and the crossbow. A good test would be to set up a crossbow and a longbow,
of legal weights, with thistle missiles, and fire them at the same time. The
arrow that arrives at the target first would have the highest acceleration,
and potentially higher impact.
                                            Marke

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: archery
Author:  PTM2792 at UTARLG.UTA.EDU at SMTP
Date:    3/21/95 8:41 PM


Still catching up from my spring break absence:
     
Savian raised this point:
     
"On Wed, 15 Mar 1995, David Mann wrote:
     
"To Maire and All, Greetings.
"As of a conversation in the last couple of weeks between Sir Barn, 
myself and others. Sir Barn expressed an opinion (not official) that the 
thistle tips are okay on long bows, but was intending on examining them 
shot from crossbows because at the northern region event last Feb. he 
was hit by one from a crossbow and it was a fairly hard shot. I 
                                               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
think Sir Barn is intending on bringing the subject up at the Goofs 
meeting @ Gulf Wars. I shall remind him tonight.
                                                       Marke"
     
Savian responded:
"Is that to say, a harder shot than he is use to taking from a sword? If 
so, it would be very interesting to know the poundage of the bow and the 
range.  If the TMs are hitting harder than swords and polearms I guess they are 
in danger of crushing helms and shattering bones.<g>"
     
And Galen comments:
I saw the same thing when I read that note, as well.  Although I am loathe to 
fault someone's words when reported secondhand, _if this is an accurate account 
of the Earl Marshal's feelings_, then perhaps my brother in chivalry has fallen 
prey to that fallacy that arrows shouldn't hit hard.  As I've long said, 
Inman's spear hits much harder than Leon's arrows.
     
- Viscount Galen of Bristol
  "noblesse oblige"