Longbows are no good

**Orda Khan** · 01-23-2007, 17:43

Originally Posted by gardibolt

Okay, so the only people whom the medieval English conquered were the Welsh....who were using the longbow.

So explain to me why I should be so impressed by the longbow?

Maybe because it took them 200 years to do so? Or that in order to do so required calling upon English interests in France to bolster their army? Even then they relied heavily upon loyal Welsh troops from mid Wales. And finally more castles than any other country in order to keep the Welsh in place. All this for a nation of fairly easy going people.

The cast of an arrow depends on how the bow is being used. It is true that the cast follows a parabolic but the arrow can also be aimed higher so that it falls downwards. Obviously the range is affected but 100m plus is easily achieved even with a fairly light bow

........Orda

**Doug-Thompson** · 01-23-2007, 17:58

Re: Conquering Wales and why we should be impressed with the longbow.

Edward I was very impressed with the longbow after his Welsh campaigning. So impressed, he started using and training them in mass.

**CBR** · 01-23-2007, 18:08

Heavy war arrows would be 90-110 grams. The velocity would be 50-55 m/s for such heavy arrows and using 150+ pound draw weight bows.

At 100 meters range such arrows would have a drop of around 16 cm per meter.

CBR

**pike master** · 01-23-2007, 18:39

55 ms would translate out to 181 fps. 110 grams would translate out to 1707 grains so 181*181*1707/450240=124ft lbs

**Lord Fluffy** · 01-23-2007, 19:23

I find it hard to believe longbows can shoot arrows at 280fps. The fastest recurve today using lightweight carbon arrows(spined for the bow of course) maxes out at around 230fps. Compound bows can reach around 280fps and beyond.

Now that other figure of 181fps sounds more like it. The flight of those heavy arrows would probably approximate heavy weight aluminum arrows, I've seen those shot at tournaments. At 90m those will parachute down at quite a steep angle. Specially since they won't have mylar vanes back then, I would think these war arrows used feathers.

The flatest flight I've seen is of a carbon arrow shot from a 65 lb bow. This guy was just going for speed, initial velocity of the arrow was 227fps. Shot from 70m the arrow dropped about 2 bale thickness in the last 35m, that would translate to about 3cm per m. Now keep in mind these are super light weight arrows with mylar fletching. Put feather on it and it will parachute.

**CBR** · 01-23-2007, 19:38

In "The great warbow" some tests are described using a 150 pound bow with authentic arrows. 95 grams arrows did on average 53 m/s and had a max range of 235 meters. Drawlength was 30 inches.

edit: impact velocity was 43 m/s

CBR

**Von Nanega** · 01-23-2007, 18:58

Originally Posted by Doug-Thompson

Re: Conquering Wales and why we should be impressed with the longbow.

Edward I was very impressed with the longbow after his Welsh campaigning. So impressed, he started using and training them in mass.

Originally Posted by Orda Khan

Maybe because it took them 200 years to do so? Or that in order to do so required calling upon English interests in France to bolster their army? Even then they relied heavily upon loyal Welsh troops from mid Wales. And finally more castles than any other country in order to keep the Welsh in place. All this for a nation of fairly easy going people.

The cast of an arrow depends on how the bow is being used. It is true that the cast follows a parabolic but the arrow can also be aimed higher so that it falls downwards. Obviously the range is affected but 100m plus is easily achieved even with a fairly light bow

........Orda

Sense and thought from these two gentlemen! Hear hear!!!