bowshot

The bowshot has been a problematical measure. McLeod wrote an article on the ancient bowshot where he derived the most likely range of measurement that it covered. However, it was never an exact measure.

The Byzantines would have been able to shoot an arrow 350 metres with the bows we believe they used. Some would have shot farther and some not.

There is a maximum bow shot and a maximum effective bow shot. These are two different measures for the same bow and archer. The Emperor Maurice recommended that the second line of the cavalry be placed 4 bowshots behind the first line. Incidentally, the lines were fifteen ranks deep. He also put the less experienced archers at the back of the line.

Seems as though I have read about Wm. Shakespear making a statement about a bowshot. Doubt that he was an Asian, though.

175 yards?

Didn't McLeod say that a composite bow would shoot twice as far as a self bow? -j-

Jack,
To quote Shakespeare:

Dead! a' would have
clapped i' the clout at twelve score; and carried
you a forehand shaft a fourteen and fourteen and a
half, that it would have done a man's heart good to
see. How a score of ewes now?

A score of yards is 20. Shooting at clout at 12 score is 240 yards and shooting a forehand shaft or flight arrow 14 score is 280 yards and 14 and a half is 290 yards.

The quote is from Henry IV scene II.

I think I have a copy of the McLeod article somewhere. I will look for it tonight.

Bede,
I've got the McLeod article (if you want I can send it). In effect he quote
the Byzantine source I refer (Peri Strategikes), and he discuss also Maurice's figures. Just I pointed on the fact that 330 meters seems to me a bit exagered for a "medium bowshot".

Sorry, I'm the above Guest. I've forgot to loggin

Thanks for the offer. If I cannot find my copy, I will let you know.

I remember that McLeod was interested in composite bows in the Ancient and Classical world. He also corresponded with Edward McEwen and Charles Grayson who would have been able to supply information from replicas and more modern bows.

330 metres is a long way to shoot a war arrow, but it is within the performance of a well made composite. The Roman arrows from Dura Europus look well made and capable of standing up to the necessary acceleration.

I have a friend who built an efficient angular bow and we would one day like to look at its performance. Unfortunately we are several thousand kilometers apart at the moment (well out of range).

There is a section in Archery the Technical Side about angles that arrows can be shot and at extreme range, as in clout shooting, minor variations have little effect. That is to say the arrows fall closer together than you would think when comparing them to normal target ranges. I have done little clout shooting, but it sounds like it would be a good sport to investigate possible past military performance.

My wife quite easily shot 300gr arrows 120m from her 25# Hun. The conditions were far from favourable, given there was a strong head wind and since she draws around 26", she is not actually pulling 25#. The theory about minor adjustments in angulation of shot bears out, the arrows group in a certain spot before they eventually begin creeping backwards when angulation becomes too great.

That is an interesting result because the headwind would have had proportionately powerful effect on arrows moving slowly. The fact that they still grouped is a good argument that the theory is correct.

Yes it was very surprising but pleasantly surprising I must admit. I was expecting her arrows to die but the cast was still very good and given the conditions, she was placing them all within a five yard diameter.