Longbows

[Brother Mark]

Common misconception. Recurving a bow doesn't make it more powerful. It does however make it faster, and means you're not holding so much weight at full draw.

OK. Being nit-picky here. But isn't faster more powerful by default? I am assuming you are talking about arrow speed.

So I'd have to say that a recurve is more accurate for that reason. Also, being shorter, its more flexible in use. The mongol archer did not need so much power because he had a horse (to get nearer) and he was shooting at people with much less developed armour. The longbow archer needed more range and more power to shoot a heavier warhead. An arrow half an inch (13mm) and up to 33 inches long, with a heavy metal head takes a lot of shooting. Put another way, at short range (10 metres) I can shoot a fibreglass arrow more accurately with a 15 - 20 lb bow than a 40 lb bow because its so much easier to draw and hold. At the same range with a heavy war arrow I need the heavier bow because the lighter one simply does not have the power to accelerate the arrow fast enough.

OK. I get you now.

So recurving, like compound bows, gives you more speed (not power) in a shorter bow with more controll.

Is this true for the same size bows? I know a long bow will be more powerful in that it can send a heavier arrow further. But if you had a recurve just as long, wouldn't it be more powerful?

Whereas a longbow of the same draw weight will shoot a heavier arrow further because it has more "torque".

OK. I know now why I was thinking different than you. I am not looking at draw weight but that is a good way to compare. I was instead thinking about bow length and what one could expect from each bow. I could still be wrong though.

[A Seeker]

So recurving, like compound bows, gives you more speed (not power) in a shorter bow with more controll.

Is this true for the same size bows? I know a long bow will be more powerful in that it can send a heavier arrow further. But if you had a recurve just as long, wouldn't it be more powerful?

If you had a longbow, and recurved it, then it would be faster, but not change the draw weight. The length does not matter much BTW, a shorter bow tends to be quicker and more powerful. The reason the medieval ones were up to six foot six inches long was so they could take the awesome amount of strain without breaking.

Imagine the arrow as a stationary car with the brake off, and the string as a vehicle driving into the back of it. Drive another car the same mass into it at 50kph , car 1 will accelerate, but not to 50kph because it will slow down car 2 by its inertia. Drive a 30 ton juggernaught into the back of it at the same speed, and Car 1 will accelerate much faster and top out at a faster speed. Drive a car the same mass into the back of it at 200kph and you'll get the same sort of effect as the juggernaught.

Does that sort of make sense?

So recurving it will make car 2 travel a bit quicker, but not increase the Mass of the car. We tend to talk power in terms of weight although I guess you could argue that the extra speed gives extra momentum and thus power.

And of course the war arrow means a much bigger stationary object.

I'll try to finish that buildalong when I get time.

[Theophilus]

Longbows: Should Christians Have Them?

[A Seeker]

PMSL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes. Infidels have crossbows.

[Brother Mark]

So recurving it will make car 2 travel a bit quicker, but not increase the Mass of the car. We tend to talk power in terms of weight although I guess you could argue that the extra speed gives extra momentum and thus power.

I was an engineer so I was thinking speed would increase power. I wasn't thinking about power as draw weight. Now that we are on the same page, please continue.

[ChristianCoffee]

I was an engineer so I was thinking speed would increase power. I wasn't thinking about power as draw weight. Now that we are on the same page, please continue.

I lost my page on this part hours ago: time for me to start over.

Since I am not a bow hunter (to speak of), I am gleaning all information here. And it is quite good: a little confusing for me, but good.

[Slug1]

I lost my page on this part hours ago: time for me to start over.

Since I am not a bow hunter (to speak of), I am gleaning all information here. And it is quite good: a little confusing for me, but good.

Start a thread concerning bowhunting and we'll all see how we can help you.

[ChristianCoffee]

Start a thread concerning bowhunting and we'll all see how we can help you.

I may have to do that: if someone is curious about using black powder (cap and ball) I could help there.

[Slug1]

Hey, I was looking through my cell phone photos I have on Facebook and I do have a pic of my Recurve bow. I posted the pic in my album here too:

[Clavicula_Nox]

Longbow?