Topic: could ancient bows out-kill modern handguns?

mmarsh · August 2nd, 2006

Nobody has mentioned the real reason the firearm replaced the bow, PENETRATING POWER. An arrow has difficulty pentrating steel plate and even if it did most Knights wore chain or ring mail shirts underneath the plate which are effective in deflecting arrow strikes.

During the Middle ages the only way an archer could fell a fully armored Knight was for the arrow to hit its target at a downward angle usually where the knight's armor was weakest (neck, groin, elbow, knee, or the horse). And you would have to fire the in enormous volleys to be effective which is why Armies such as the English Army was made 1/3 to 1/2 of archers. Needless to say calculating the intercept point between a volley of arrows and the arrival of enemy charging heavy cavalry took a great amount of skill.

The advantage of the first matchlock and fuse firearms was the velocity of the ball could easily penetrate steel plate and could do as a direct fire shot and not the plunging fire method used by traditional archers. This meant that although the rate of fire was much slower, hitting the target was a much easier affair.

August 2nd, 2006
mmarsh Tribunus Laticlavius Gear	Nobody has mentioned the real reason the firearm replaced the bow, PENETRATING POWER. An arrow has difficulty pentrating steel plate and even if it did most Knights wore chain or ring mail shirts underneath the plate which are effective in deflecting arrow strikes. During the Middle ages the only way an archer could fell a fully armored Knight was for the arrow to hit its target at a downward angle usually where the knight's armor was weakest (neck, groin, elbow, knee, or the horse). And you would have to fire the in enormous volleys to be effective which is why Armies such as the English Army was made 1/3 to 1/2 of archers. Needless to say calculating the intercept point between a volley of arrows and the arrival of enemy charging heavy cavalry took a great amount of skill. The advantage of the first matchlock and fuse firearms was the velocity of the ball could easily penetrate steel plate and could do as a direct fire shot and not the plunging fire method used by traditional archers. This meant that although the rate of fire was much slower, hitting the target was a much easier affair. __________________ "My center is giving way, my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack." -Foch I get this question a lot. I am from NYC. I fly a French flag because I work for the Paris Office of a International company. Last edited by mmarsh; August 2nd, 2006 at 21:23.