Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
250 pounder attempt
adb:
--- Quote from: nickf on February 24, 2010, 09:01:56 pm ---craig, thank you for noticing, I looked at the wrong post; at adb's. Clearly saw 3 fingers ;) didn't even notice ryoons pictures !
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??? ??? ???
CraigMBeckett:
Adb,
You would have to go back quite a number of posts to post No. 64 :), Nickf thought Rod had said something he didn't to do with the 4 finger draw. Nickf is explaining he looked at the wrong photo etc.
Craig.
bow-toxo:
--- Quote from: Davepim on December 15, 2009, 05:42:56 am ---[]
Noone knows what bows were used for hunting in England during the middle ages as no bows exist anymore. However the size of the sockets for big hunting broadheads show that the arrow shafts were thick, therefore the bows were heavy in draw-weight since its difficult to shoot arrows weighing more than 100g and with half-inch shafts from bows that draw less than 100lb.
Dave
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We have no way of knowing whether preserved ancient bows were used for hunting, war or practice but mediaeval books on hunting tell us that the hunting bow should be weaker so that it could be held half drawn while waiting for deer to be driven past by beaters, the usual hunting method for aristocrats in royal or baronial forests. How many hunting broadheads were tested ? A half inch shaft, even tapered, seems a lot for a weak bow.
Some posters suggest that mediaeval longbowmen drew with two fingers rather than the "modern three". The book of Roi Modus from before the Hundred Years War, Lartdarcherie from the 15th century, and Ascham's Toxophilus all clearly instruct a three finger draw.
CraigMBeckett:
Bow-toxo,
--- Quote ---.......mediaeval books on hunting tell us that the hunting bow should be weaker so that it could be held half drawn while waiting for deer to be driven past by beaters, the usual hunting method for aristocrats in royal or baronial forests.
--- End quote ---
It must be remembered those books were written for the wealthy, not for the majority, why would a peasant or even tradesman have 2 or more bows, they were not inexpensive in the real terms of that time. With the exception of Ascham, who was chosen to be a teacher of the bow to royals we have no idea as to the capability of the authors in the field about which they wrote, were they preeminent or just blowhards with an axe to grind?
Craig
bow-toxo:
--- Quote from: CraigMBeckett on February 27, 2010, 07:52:29 pm ---Bow-toxo,
It must be remembered those books were written for the wealthy, not for the majority, why would a peasant or even tradesman have 2 or more bows, they were not inexpensive in the real terms of that time. With the exception of Ascham, who was chosen to be a teacher of the bow to royals we have no idea as to the capability of the authors in the field about which they wrote, were they preeminent or just blowhards with an axe to grind?
Craig
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First, Ascham was not chosen to be a teacher of the bow to royals. He took up archery for health reasons and thought it was time someone wrote about an important subject as books had been written about medicine, hunting, aachitecture etc. People had more than one bow for example if they engaged in flight shooting competitions for money and needed a shorter bow that would be good for only a few shots. of course they needed a bow for the cumpulsory shooting practice, perhaps another one for clout shooting. As they had been shooting from an early age, they might also have bows that they had outgrown.
The authors of the books mentioned were describing archery that they participated in when they lived. In a word they were eyewitnesses. Some people today apparently prefer to rely on urban myths like the two finger salute or uninformed guesswork. I don't. Of course we always have to recognize blowhards with an axe to grind. They are everywhere.
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