This is a pretty silly pop history demonstration- just what one would expect from the History Channel- but still entertaining to see the power of a heavy matchlock musket. The narrator claims that his longbow can penetrate the final suit of armor at 60 yards, but we won't know, since he never actually hits any … Continue reading History Channel: Bows vs Crossbows vs Guns
Month: February 2015
Sir Roger William’s Briefe Discourse of VVarre: To prooue Bow-men the worst shot vsed in these days.
Sir Roger Williams was a celebrated veteran of the 16th century wars in the Low Countries. In his book Briefe Discourse of Warre, published 1590, one discourse is titled "To prooue Bow-men the worst shot vsed in these days." In an earlier discourse, Williams details why he considers the musket to be the best shot, … Continue reading Sir Roger William’s Briefe Discourse of VVarre: To prooue Bow-men the worst shot vsed in these days.
Baron Marbot’s Encounter with Mounted Archers at Dresden and Liepzig, 1813
Some people suppose that the only reason muskets replaced bows was the musket's superior ability to penetrate armor. It is often suggested on various history and video game boards that a line of Napoleonic musketeers, lacking armor, would be annihilated by an equal number of archers, were the two ever to encounter one another. The … Continue reading Baron Marbot’s Encounter with Mounted Archers at Dresden and Liepzig, 1813