The Book of the Crossbow by Ralph Payne-Gallwey; Crossbow, longbow ranges compared

May 6, 2021May 20, 2021 bowvsmusket Historians, Modern Test Accuracy, Archery, Crossbows, Musketry, Range, Training

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

Shooting a 15th century crossbow

July 29, 2018 bowvsmusket Modern Test Accuracy, Archery, Crossbows, Musketry, Training

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

June 2, 2017June 5, 2017 bowvsmusket Discourses, Historians Accuracy, Archery, China, Musketry, Range, Training

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

Musketeers Were Not Easier to Train than Archers

May 29, 2017June 20, 2020 bowvsmusket Conclusions Economics, England, Musketry, Training

Myth 2: Muskets replaced bows because musketeers are easy to train For the sake of clarifying my position and including new supporting research, this post was updated June 20th, 2020. Or, as internet commentators like to say, it took years, even decades, of training to make a decent archer, but any peasant could be trained … Continue reading Musketeers Were Not Easier to Train than Archers

Christine de Pizan, The Deeds of Arms and of Chivalry, 1410

May 1, 2016 bowvsmusket Discourses Accuracy, Archery, Range, Training

Christine de Pizan, a French noblewoman, is notable not only for her poetry, but for having written this book on the virtues of martial training. The work is largely based on Vegetius's De Re Militari, but Christine adds in plenty of commentary unique to the military situation of 15th century France. Most interesting is her … Continue reading Christine de Pizan, The Deeds of Arms and of Chivalry, 1410

Lindsay Boynton, The Elizabethan Militia, 1967

August 27, 2015 bowvsmusket Historians Archery, Musketry, Training

Boynton doesn't mince his words. Page 113: "One of the reasons that firearms superseded bows, it is suggested, is that they could be mastered in a shorter time. Such an argument runs wholly counter to the growing professionalisation of military affairs. Training, in particular, was becoming ever more comprehensive and the specious argument that firearms … Continue reading Lindsay Boynton, The Elizabethan Militia, 1967

John Bingham- The Tactiks of Aelian, 1616

July 30, 2015May 7, 2017 bowvsmusket Discourses Archery, Armor, Lethality, Musketry, Training

P24-27 http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A05855.0001.001 Archers haue alwayes beene of speciall esteeme for the field, and preferred before the other kindes of light-armed. Many nations haue beene commended for theire skill in shooting. Emongest the Graecians the Cretans were (of ancient time) sole archers, as Pausanias witnesseth. Yet was not theire service aequall with the service of the … Continue reading John Bingham- The Tactiks of Aelian, 1616

Barnabe Rich- A right exelent and pleasaunt dialogue, 1574

July 14, 2015May 6, 2016 bowvsmusket Discourses Accuracy, Archery, Lethality, Musketry, Range, Training

I was surprised to find that this one was published in 1574. The arguments are extremely similar to those of Roger Williams, whose Discourses were not published until 1590. The argument takes place in the form of a dialogue between Mercury and an English soldier. Since speaker tags have been forgotten in some places I've … Continue reading Barnabe Rich- A right exelent and pleasaunt dialogue, 1574

Robert Barret – The Theorike and Practike of Moderne VVarres, 1598

July 3, 2015 bowvsmusket Discourses Accuracy, Archery, Armor, Fear, Musketry, Range, Training

Barret is another military writer critical of "inueterate conceirers of bowes and blacke billes". Barret asserts the superiority of the firearm over the bow, the corselet over the jack, and the pike over the bill (halberd). I have skipped over the sections dealing with the bill and jack. Pages 2-3 Gent. You haue touched many … Continue reading Robert Barret – The Theorike and Practike of Moderne VVarres, 1598

Sir Roger William’s Briefe Discourse of VVarre: To prooue Bow-men the worst shot vsed in these days.

February 27, 2015February 28, 2015 bowvsmusket Discourses Archery, Range, Training

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.