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  #11  
Old 12-20-2003, 01:58 AM
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Stick Stick is offline
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ChaRang Valley VN, 1968. More tower guards were killed by arrows than bullets. Whoever fired those arrows were never heard and were not detected. It was only when the guard was to be relieved that it was discovered that he was dead.
We sold crossbows in the PX in QuiNhon in early '68.
You know. The PX that was walking distance, just accross the street from the Red Beach R and R center on the South China Sea. ChaRang was nine miles away from Red Beach.
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  #12  
Old 12-20-2003, 07:08 AM
Dragon Lady Dragon Lady is offline
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When I lived in Seattle I used a small hand drawn cross bow for home protection. I didn't need a permit to use/own it so it worked great for little ol'me. It had a 30 lb draw and all I needed was a small hand hook to pull the string back. I set up a refrigerator box in my apartment, we're talking the thick heavy cardboard. I put a practice bolt through the box and stuck into the cinderblock wall.

After that I felt confident that this baby would protect me...no worries. And since it is a one time shoot per pull the chances that I would be killed with my own weapon were negligible.

Now the majority of my money goes to purchasing medieval weapons. I never worry that I will run out of ammo.

And you guys thought I was just another pretty face. Hehehhe

DL
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  #13  
Old 12-20-2003, 07:10 AM
Andy Andy is offline
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A cross bow wouldn?t be bad however I?ve seen an arrangement that is totally awesome. It?s a bolt action .22, Rugar I think. It?s mostly plastic, very light. The one I saw has a silencer on it that really works, a Russian version of a starlight. Also has an IR red dot scope that you can place on a target at about 150 feet (in the dark or at least dusk). Fire subsonic ammo and there is virtually no noise. At 100 feet your center mass might be (for example) a person?s left ear. Ear and temple shots are very effective.

Keith: Actually I think the long bow men of the middle ages had a weapon more powerful that you suggest. Check out some of the battles fought by the English kings Edward III or Henry V. They seem to have killed an awful lot of French Knights with Long bows.

Stick: A good friend who I'm still in touch with SSgt Duffy got wounded in the 25th Division. Once out of the hospital he was re-assigned to be an advisor in IV Corps. He says that his RTO a Ruff & Puff was killed by an arrow while taking a leak on the wire one night in a full moon. So much for high teck.

Stay healthy,
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Old 02-03-2004, 12:44 AM
Desdichado Desdichado is offline
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Originally posted by Stick

ChaRang Valley VN, 1968. More tower guards were killed by arrows than bullets. Whoever fired those arrows were never heard and were not detected. It was only when the guard was to be relieved that it was discovered that he was dead.
Argh. Yer killin me. There was a place people were calling "Fort Apache" on account of the quantity of crossbow bolts found after any firefight. That was in late '69. I think it was in the Que Son Valley, but my memory might be be playing tricks on me.

What's the difference between a bolt and a quarrell anyway?
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Old 08-21-2004, 09:40 AM
Tab Tab is offline
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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.
There was a wide range of tips for the arrows of a long bow from a short twisted head to cut through mail and armour plate to a huge curved blade head to cut the horses to pieces. At one time all English men had to practice with bow so many hours each week and had show their skills after church on a Sunday in the Butts. The English bowmen where so feared that the French would cut of the first two fingers on an Englishmen hand to stop them from using a long bow. This why even today you will see British people sticking two fingers up at the oppopsition. The Archers used to do this to French to taunt them as much to say if want them come and get them.
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Old 08-23-2004, 07:14 AM
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Default speaking of crossbows...

http://www.visi.com/~bluff//crossbow/gallery.htm

Check out the story on this site!
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  #17  
Old 11-05-2007, 04:24 PM
graebarde graebarde is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tab View Post
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.
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
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