Ask me about archery, longbows especially.

[Lightryu68]

Awesome thanks for both of those posts. Also with that comes the next questions. What are the pros and cons of long bows vs. recurve bows? What wood is best to use in getting more power from the bow? I would imagine that a wood that is more flexible but still more stiff would have a higher draw weight because it would take more strength to bend it which would increase the power.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

Awesome thanks for both of those posts. Also with that comes the next questions. What are the pros and cons of long bows vs. recurve bows? What wood is best to use in getting more power from the bow? I would imagine that a wood that is more flexible but still more stiff would have a higher draw weight because it would take more strength to bend it which would increase the power.

Typically English long bows were made with yew. I do know that there are other woods that you can make a long bow from that can outperform yew, like Osage Orange.

The advantage to a recurve is that it isn't as diminished in power as a short bow would be. This is primarily due to the re-curve on the bow limbs. Modern recurves are lined with glass (fiber glass I think). Old style recurves used natural materials like sinew, skins, and bone. Some might called these composite bows.

 

[Caged Maiden]

Also, more power comes from an archer pulling back a higher pound bow, so keep that in mind. Flexibility is good (my fiberglass bow is flexible) but it isn't rigid enough to have a high draw weight, and therefore at 40 feet, my arrows sometimes bounce off the target.

 

[SeverinR]

Can't find a picture of my quiver. Will have to take another.

 

[Mindfire]

What's the top range of, say, an Apache longbow? (The actual bow, not the attack helicopter.) What about other Native American groups?

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

What's the top range of, say, an Apache longbow? (The actual bow, not the attack helicopter.) What about other Native American groups?

Wish I could help you here but I don't know very much about native American longbows. I know that some tribes used them including the Apaches but I don't think they commonly used longbows.
If I remember correctly, the preferred bow of the Apache was what came to be called the D bow. It's shorter form aided use on horseback.

Sorry, that's all I have on this one.

 

[RebekahAimee]

People, for the love of kittens: please don't gloss over stringing up your characters' bow! If they're shooting a recurve bow, it needs to be strung. You can keep the bow pre-strung in a dangerous city if nobody there has any objections. Trying to string a bow without a stringer can be a difficult task for someone who's just learned to shoot, unless s/he's also a mage and can string it by magic. Similarly, trying to string a bow in a tight pinch can be a convenient way to create suspense in an ambush and so on.

 

[Caged Maiden]

I don't know about recurve bows, but my 35 pound long bow strings in about 10 seconds (without a stringer, ankle and knee method). HOWEVER I tried to cock a 150 pound crossbow last Saturday... and FAILED (almost made it though, but the string was pretty narrow and even with gloves it was really hard). Oh man, any idiot cannot just pick up one of those and use it. HA! I just wrote that crossbow into my WIP because it left quite an impression on me.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

Most crossbows with that heavy of a draw weight used a crank system to cock the string.

If you were able to almost cock a 150lb draw weight thats actually pretty impressive. Might wanna think about upping that 35 pounder to 45. Lol

 

[Mindfire]

People, for the love of kittens: please don't gloss over stringing up your characters' bow! If they're shooting a recurve bow, it needs to be strung. You can keep the bow pre-strung in a dangerous city if nobody there has any objections. Trying to string a bow without a stringer can be a difficult task for someone who's just learned to shoot, unless s/he's also a mage and can string it by magic. Similarly, trying to string a bow in a tight pinch can be a convenient way to create suspense in an ambush and so on.

Wouldn't you just keep it always stringed (strung?)? If I had a bow and were in a situation where I'd need it readily, I'd not want to waste even 10 seconds stringing the thing. Of course, I have a very slight build so it'd likely take me longer than that. Even more reason to keep it strung (stringed?) constantly.

 

[Caged Maiden]

I dunno, I'm 125 pounds and 5'3" so I'm certainly not big. The problem with leaving a bow strung is that it weakens the wood. So in imminent danger, yes, while traveling, no. Mine is strung for about two hours every Saturday, and certainly, I wouldn't consider unstringing it while I was still shooting, but the idea that like LOTR, where Legolas travels with his bow strung and carried over a shoulder... well that's just unrealistic.

@ T Allen: yeah I want one now, but I think I'd go for about 120 both arms ought to be able to pull that for most tournaments, but this one my friend has is kinda wonky. The stirrup is like hinged and it's sort of tricky. Hard to get a good grip on the string. So if I buy one, I'm making sure of two things; it isn't too heavy, and the stirrup isn't hinged. What stupid design. Surely there ought to be a pin of something.

 

[Mindfire]

I dunno, I'm 125 pounds and 5'3" so I'm certainly not big. The problem with leaving a bow strung is that it weakens the wood. So in imminent danger, yes, while traveling, no. Mine is strung for about two hours every Saturday, and certainly, I wouldn't consider unstringing it while I was still shooting, but the idea that like LOTR, where Legolas travels with his bow strung and carried over a shoulder... well that's just unrealistic.

But... it's an elven bow. They don't weaken because... magic.

 

[SeverinR]

I dunno, I'm 125 pounds and 5'3" so I'm certainly not big. The problem with leaving a bow strung is that it weakens the wood. So in imminent danger, yes, while traveling, no. Mine is strung for about two hours every Saturday, and certainly, I wouldn't consider unstringing it while I was still shooting, but the idea that like LOTR, where Legolas travels with his bow strung and carried over a shoulder... well that's just unrealistic.
.

I slid the bow over my shoulder while collecting arrows, it was not comfortable, Thin string wedged on the shoulder, feels like the string is cutting into skin.
I can't imagine traveling long distance like that. Also the tips tend to bump everything, snag everything. Running through waist high grass? The string bow-wedge would probably snag the grass, throw off movement, or wear out the string, not to mention the grass clump in the bow.
Unstrung you can secure the bow in the best position to move, with the least chance of hitting something with it, or the least chance to snag on passing obsticles.

 

[Mindfire]

I slid the bow over my shoulder while collecting arrows, it was not comfortable, Thin string wedged on the shoulder, feels like the string is cutting into skin.
I can't imagine traveling long distance like that. Also the tips tend to bump everything, snag everything. Running through waist high grass? The string bow-wedge would probably snag the grass, throw off movement, or wear out the string, not to mention the grass clump in the bow.
Unstrung you can secure the bow in the best position to move, with the least chance of hitting something with it, or the least chance to snag on passing obsticles.

But... it's an elven bow. They don't do that because... magic.


No, but seriously, didn't Legolas have some kind of bow sheath or something in the movie? I don't think he ever actually hung it on his shoulder by the string.

 

[Stuart John Evison]

The idea that English longbows would be carried strung and ready for action is I believe incorrect. Most archers would be as well trained with a quarter staff as they were with the bow and a bow stave could be used effectively as a staff in any close quarter combat. If anyone has ever handled an English longbow pulling 150lb ( which would have been low average at Agincourt ) they would know that such a length of Yew is a substantial chunk of wood and takes an extremely strong, fit and practiced archer to handle it. They don't break if you hit someone with them, they hurt.
Bowstrings for such a weapon would be as treasured as the bow stave itself for they were as difficult to manufacture.

 

[Caged Maiden]

Bow strings were made of linen mostly, we mentioned it earlier, and archers usually carried swords or axes too for close combat.

 

[Stuart John Evison]

At Agincourt after decimating the charge of the French knights the English archers discarded their bows and other light weapons and sallied forth and picked up the heavier weapons that the French had dropped in their confusion. Dirty and ragged they threw themselves on the men at arms and used these weapons with deadly force against the slower armour encumbered knights, hundreds died this way.
I've made several linen bowstrings in the traditional way, believe me it is a hard skill to master and when you've made a good one you look after it.

 

[Jabrosky]

What sort of bow or other ranged weapon would best suit a stealthy espionage-type female character? I'm guessing a relatively short bow because she could hide it better.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

What sort of bow or other ranged weapon would best suit a stealthy espionage-type female character? I'm guessing a relatively short bow because she could hide it better.

Does it have to be a bow type weapon?

If it were my spy character I'd be looking for concealment. Maybe darts or throwing knives would be better suited. Huge range difference but kinda hard to conceal a bow of any type.

 

[Stuart John Evison]

Recurved bows can be fairly short and are certainly easier to carry and quicker to "loose" when hunting. The Mongols (Genghis Khan and all that) certainly used composite recurves to devastating effect, firing when charging and over the horses rump when retreating. Thus I am sure that any competent fictional spy would have no problem.
The good thing about a traditional horse bow like the Mongols was that they had an ingenious double levered string release which makes it easy and quick to ready if you carry it unstrung.