Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
Medival iron point question (Re post)
WillS:
The Tudor bodkin is pretty useless against plate. It was developed as a super-cheap head for piercing textile armour such as a gambeson, and was obviously one of the very last head types created, as gunpowder soon ruined everything.
I don't think the swept broadheads were used at all. I'd chalk that up as artistic license, to look more impressive in paintings. If you were painting a field of archers, by the time you got to the arrowhead and tried accurately portraying a Type 10 bodkin nobody would be able to see it. A massive, cartoon style swallowtail is far better for artwork, and totally impractical on the battlefield, but as they existed as hunting heads I imagine the artists had no qualms about depicting them.
A good solid bodkin or lozenge plate cutter will kill or drop a horse just as easily as a silly broadhead point, plus they actually go through plate. The minute you start giving different heads for different jobs in the same battle, you're getting into Hollywood-style myths.
One head, designed for maximum use in the period is all you need. Otherwise you're either asking each archer to have numerous types (impractical for many reasons) or dividing groups of archers to do specific jobs (also impractical). You're also saying that they are being handed sheaves of huge swept swallowtail-tipped arrows - where are they being stored? You can't use them with arrowbags...
Del the cat:
--- Quote from: WillS on July 21, 2015, 06:01:55 am ---...
A good solid bodkin or lozenge plate cutter will kill or drop a horse just as easily as a silly broadhead point...
--- End quote ---
Not sure how you justify that?
I was under the impression that an arrow kills a big mammal by haemorrhage and isn't that why broadheads are used for hunting?
In contrast:-
I like your point about not being able to keep swallowtails in an arrow bag.
I have no opinion of my own to offer I'm happy to admit I don't know...
Del
WillS:
Surely if any animal gets punched through the lung, heart, brain or any major organs / arteries etc by a half inch wide 4" long hunk of iron, sent from a 150# bow it's not gonna feel very happy about it...?
Aren't hunting specific heads such as broadheads or swallowtails for use with much smaller arrows and much lighter bows? You don't need such a specialised head with all that weight and brute strength behind it - at least that's what makes sense to me. Certainly don't know for sure!
Del the cat:
No... but it won't "drop a horse".
Read up some hunting stories to get an idea of the effect of arrows on mammals.
I don't s'pose anyone is going to conduct field trials...
Del
meanewood:
I just love 21st century opinions.
That's why I don't take mine very seriously.
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