Was it a compound bow? I haven’t seen any reports which identified the type of bow.Funny how everyone would be scathing about crossbows in the past ... but now it's a compound, no one cares what sort of bow it is?
Del
Was it a compound bow? I haven’t seen any reports which identified the type of bow.Funny how everyone would be scathing about crossbows in the past ... but now it's a compound, no one cares what sort of bow it is?
Del
A few members of our club have crossbows, for informal shooting. In fact the club is trialling a couple of different lowish poundage pistol crossbows as something else to offer, to keep people interested if injured or even just bored, or enable disabled people to shoot. However it’s interesting that one of the archers, although not objecting to them, refused to have a shot and seemed to have a visceral aversion to them. That is despite them having about a fifth of the power of their recurve bow.There's a great deal of prejudice against crossbows. Not normally expressed, but just wait until someone shows up with one...
What makes you think it is any of AGB’s business what we do?That's interesting. Has AGB changed it's rules on pistol crossbows, as when we looked at them, they were expressly forbidden?
Crossbows usually have a much shorter draw length (10"-20") than longbows so even though the draw weight is higher it's acting over a shorter distance so that higher draw weight doesn't necessarily result in more energy in the system.Trivia (apologies) re medieval crossbows: despite their enormous draw weight, their range was much the same as longbows? I guess this was due to the bolt’s weight. So why were they so prevalent in medieval times? Accuracy?
It's actually more like 6" or less in the big draw weight mediaeval European crossbows. The steel prods just couldn't be trusted bending any further and when you have (in some cases) half a ton of draw force pent up, it's not good if one lets go!Crossbows usually have a much shorter draw length (10"-20") than longbows so even though the draw weight is higher it's acting over a shorter distance so that higher draw weight doesn't necessarily result in more energy in the system.
But they have the advantage that a user can become competent much, much faster than with a longbow.
My club (which describes itself as an archery club) has recently started allowing crossbow shooters. Not a popular decision with a large minority of members.Because not many of us see arbalists as part of our sport.
Too late I reckon. The world thinks it was all bow related and I suspect laws will tighten.Yup. It is now being reported that tge deaths were stabbing, not arrows Norway attack victims stabbed not shot with arrows, say police
I believe that there has been around one death a year since 2017, through being shot with a crossbow in Scotland. So if nothing has been done to date, why would this incident change anything?Too late I reckon. The world thinks it was all bow related and I suspect laws will tighten.
I think I said before I use an air rifle a fair bit - it's within the 12lbs-ft limit and can take out a rabbit at about 30 yards. I have no interest in hunting but that's it.
My compound with the heavier XX75s? A bear or an elk. Around 120lbs-ft of energy at it leaves the bow. Still nowhere near that of some powder guns but it's still a lot.
I was amazed when I got it how little restrictions there were. Literally none. More restrictions buying a lumo orange plastic pellet firing BB gun!
I doubt anything will change in the UK. I think, for the most part, it's already been forgotten about.I believe that there has been around one death a year since 2017, through being shot with a crossbow in Scotland. So if nothing has been done to date, why would this incident change anything?
The crossbow was developed as a defensive weapon so you can shoot it from behind cover etc where maneouverability is an issue. It has alreday been mentioned that the mechanicla davanteges of stirrups etc to load means yu dont need skill or dtrengthIt's actually more like 6" or less in the big draw weight mediaeval European crossbows. The steel prods just couldn't be trusted bending any further and when you have (in some cases) half a ton of draw force pent up, it's not good if one lets go!
As said the main advantage is training; you can equip a decent force quite quickly. There was little use of crossbowmen in England for field armies but they were standard issue in castle armouries. For castle defence or repelling boarders on ship, you can have one crossbowman at a loophole, with several bows and people to span them, he can keep up a decent rate of "fire". Also, a longbowman needs a fair bit of space to shoot and often is fairly exposed at the moment of shooting. It wouldn't be easy to shoot well through those castle arrow slots.