Quote:
Originally Posted by Tab
The long bow had a far greater range and hitting power than a crossbow. A medieval long bowman would fire 6 aimed shafts a minute. The English bowman would cut down the cross bowmen before they even managed to get in to range for their cross bows.
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Hi folks. I realize this is an old thread, but I just got on the site thanks to Dave. I'd like to interject something about long bows v. crossbows. While I am an avid fan of said long bow, and what Tab said is generally true there came a time when it wasn't. The English War Bow had a draw ca. 150 pounds and ranged to about 300 some yards. Yes there were some indiviual archers who had heavier bows and could hit targets at greater range, but 300 was about the limit. And they did decimate crossbowmen and others with their rain of arrows. Imagine if you would 1000 archers getting four arrows in the air before the first strikes the ground, and if your shooting at an area target (massed troops v individuals) all you need to do is really get the range. As time progressed however to about the late 14c - early 15c the crossbow was made heavier, in part to get range to take on the archers, as well as penetrate the ever increasing heavier armor of knights and men-at-arms. These weapons had ranges in excess of 400 yards. A crossbowman could be trained in weeks, while it took years of practice,as has been pointed out, to get a longbow archer trained.
There was an even more poweful bow than the long bow however. The compound bow used by the Mongols, Huns and Turks, as well as other middle eastern and far eastern armies, were capable of ranges reported to be in excess of 500 yards with a bow smaller in size than the longbow and capable of being fired from the back of a horse.
But all in all, I still prefer the longbow. It's rate of fire, compared to the crossbow I feel made it the better overall weapon, and the person's using them in war were by far the superior soldiers. It wasn't until the advent of the firearms that the longbow was put aside, but even after that it still was kept alive as traditions were hard to just give up.
my two cents of ramble,
Fred
aka graebarde