Post by RedOak on Jul 10, 2004 10:51:42 GMT -5
I have never understood how some hunters disdain the methods used by others. With the gun guys there is the 'it has to be a bolt action' crowd. The bowhunters have their, we don't like guns' and the 'we don't like crossbows' crowds. I really liked mud's comment on the handgrenades.
I also wonder if alot of the stigma of the crossbow is not rooted in history. When crossbows were introduced in Europe, Knights reigned supreme on the battlefield. They were the tanks of their time, however they were difficult to produce and expensive to maintain. One excellent method of slaying them was arrowshot from range. With these archers we have warriors that are cheaper to maintain but still take many years of practice to produce. These were countered by skirmishers which were no-bodies with spears to chunk at the archers and then run.
With the crossbow this all changes. Here is a weapon with the distance power of the bow yet it does not take years of training to become proficent. Now common skirmishers can be up-armed and can defeat knights, who we will rember are the cream of the social structure
Rember that accuracy wasn't so much an issue as opposed to feilding troops and volleys of fire.
The English Longbow was the best fletched weapon of the time but it is a lifetime art. Fletched weapons of all types have improved drastically but the need for practice has not. And this is true with a riffle, bow, crowwbow, or even a rock. The same can be said for target recognition and saftey.
I also wonder if alot of the stigma of the crossbow is not rooted in history. When crossbows were introduced in Europe, Knights reigned supreme on the battlefield. They were the tanks of their time, however they were difficult to produce and expensive to maintain. One excellent method of slaying them was arrowshot from range. With these archers we have warriors that are cheaper to maintain but still take many years of practice to produce. These were countered by skirmishers which were no-bodies with spears to chunk at the archers and then run.
With the crossbow this all changes. Here is a weapon with the distance power of the bow yet it does not take years of training to become proficent. Now common skirmishers can be up-armed and can defeat knights, who we will rember are the cream of the social structure
Rember that accuracy wasn't so much an issue as opposed to feilding troops and volleys of fire.The English Longbow was the best fletched weapon of the time but it is a lifetime art. Fletched weapons of all types have improved drastically but the need for practice has not. And this is true with a riffle, bow, crowwbow, or even a rock. The same can be said for target recognition and saftey.
