https://archive.org/details/Book_of_the_Crossbow_The_by_Sir_Ralph_Payne-Galloway/ Ralph Payne-Gallwey claimed that his Book of the Crossbow, published 1903, was the first to examine the use of the medieval crossbow in detail. He is probably correct. He was able to examine a large number of extant medieval crossbows and provided diagrams along with descriptions of their context, construction, and point-blank and maximum … Continue reading The Book of the Crossbow by Ralph Payne-Gallwey; Crossbow, longbow ranges compared
Musketry
A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia – Thomas Harriot 1590
Thomas Harriot was a multi-talented associate of Sir Walter Raleigh, the founder of the Roanoke colony (known as the "lost colony" because all of the colonists mysteriously disappeared). Harriot learned the Algonquin language from a pair of Croatan who had been brought back to England by an earlier expedition. Harriot spent a short time attached … Continue reading A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia – Thomas Harriot 1590
Battle on the Ice – John Knight, 1606
The explorer John Knight was shipwrecked off the coast of Canada. Upon going to shore with three men, Knight and his party were killed by natives. A member of Knight's crew, Oliver Browne, took over composing Knight's journal for the remainder of the expedition. While in the process of salvaging supplies from the wrecked ship … Continue reading Battle on the Ice – John Knight, 1606
A stolen pillow causes a skirmish and slaughter – Henry Hudson, 1609
This account from the memoirs of Henry Hudson is one of the most vicious bow vs. musket battles I've found. The people of the Mountaynes came aboord us, wondring at our ship and weapons. We bought some small skinnes of them for Trifles. This after-noone, one Canoe kept hanging under our sterne with one man … Continue reading A stolen pillow causes a skirmish and slaughter – Henry Hudson, 1609
Thieves at Shamakhi, 1580
From the travels of the explorer Chrisopher Burrough, a small skirmish with thieves. Not a real battle, but bow vs. musket nonetheless. Robert Golding desirous to understand what might bee done at Shamaky, which is a dayes journey from Bachu, went thither, from whence returning, he was set on by theeves, and was shot into … Continue reading Thieves at Shamakhi, 1580
Range, Power, Penetration, Velocity of a Brown Bess – Roberts, Brown, Hammett and Kingston
A DETAILED STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS AND CAPABILITIES OF 18TH CENTURY MUSKETRY ON THE BATTLEFIELD N A ROBERTS, J W BROWN, B HAMMETT & P D F KINGSTON Abstract During the mid 18th century, the standard British Army issue weapon was the Brown Bess Musket. There are various accounts of the performance of this early … Continue reading Range, Power, Penetration, Velocity of a Brown Bess – Roberts, Brown, Hammett and Kingston
A battle against a prince and forty thieves – Anthony Jenkinson, 1558
Anthony Jenkinson, an English explorer, is known for the memoirs of his several expeditions to Russia. On his first expedition, Jenkinson sought to enter Russia by way of the Tatar lands north of the Caspian sea. He traveled in a caravan of mixed company, both Christian and Muslim. The caravan captured four suspicious men on … Continue reading A battle against a prince and forty thieves – Anthony Jenkinson, 1558
The naval weapons of Sir Richard Hawkins: musket arrows, slurbowes, fire arrows
Here's a very interesting passage from Sir Richard Hawkins' account of his 1594 expedition. Hawkins' ship was attacked by a larger Spanish vessel, and his only hope for escape was to shoot through its mast and sails. Hawkins lists the many weapons his ship carried for this purpose: [To] shoote downe his contraries Masts or … Continue reading The naval weapons of Sir Richard Hawkins: musket arrows, slurbowes, fire arrows
Shooting a 15th century crossbow
Today an archer at my local archery club gave me the opportunity to try his reconstruction of a 15th century crossbow. He reported that the weapon was 95#, and was loaded using a hip draw. I shot at a foxed-shaped target 22-25 yards away. The first shot struck the body of the fox exactly where … Continue reading Shooting a 15th century crossbow
Chinese general Qi Jiguang adopts musketry
A history book I read about a year ago said that Qi Jigaung, a 16th century general famous for defeating the pirate invasion of southern China, had mostly ignored musketry and focused on contact weapons. Since it didn't seem like there would be any bow/musket comparison I forgot about him until coming across the name … Continue reading Chinese general Qi Jiguang adopts musketry
Bow Vs. Musket 