excerpt from a competitive mongolian archers web site:

From the time of Chinggis Khan and the Mongolian nation proper, there are many accounts of great feats of archery. In the ‘Blue History’, there is a story of Chuu Mergen who his a target from on horseback at about 130 meters. There are accounts of a national competition in which renowned archers such as Tsülegtii, Gölgön Baataar, Sübgetei Baataar, Toghtong Baataar and Khüldar all competed over a distance of about 600 meters, shooting at a cap of deer leather placed on the ground. All could hit the target with one of three shots.

-- so a best case scenario long distance shoot has been at 600 yards (more or less - too lazy to do the literal conversion) ;-)

the web link is http://www.atarn.org/mongolian/mn_na...n_nat_arch.htm

well worth the read

in addition refer to: http://www.aafla.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1997/oreXXVI13/oreXXVI13j .pdf

these little suckers knew how to shoot - long range and under combat conditions - far better than any other bowmen before or since. Have a look at the international historical sites on archery and you'll see consistent long distance strikes beyond 520 meteres. They were literally the longbowmen of their time. It would be interesting to see how the French would have faired at Agincourt against the Khans best - a fair bit worse than the flogging that the British longbow archers dished out with their yew bows.

Japanese archers were no match for mongolians, they were pretty lucky that they had a taifun on their side. Otherwise japanese history might have included more than copying calligraphy and the art of "iga" off their neighbours.. ;-)

[This message has been edited by Kabuki-San (edited 10-07-2001).]