Ancient archers were incredibly fast--but so are these two

Lars Anderson has been able to master some of the techniques that seemed impossible in history books---
Hiawatha could shoot 10 arrow into the air before the first hit the ground;
Saracens had to be able to shoot 3 arrows in 1.5 seconds
This guy can do it---He shoots 10 arrows in 4.9 seconds


whoops, it's already posted, but I can't link.

Here's a gal who shoots fast more traditionally

Looks like we need to ban rapid fire assault bows.




(sarcasm)

a reply to: Tusks

Looks like we need to ban rapid fire assault bows.

Nah. Just make everyone register their bows, and pay for the "privilege" of doing it.


On topic: Just goes to show. We don't know as much as we think we know about the past. It's not possible, until it is.

a reply to: Tusks


I would bet that he couldn't do that with an English Longbow

originally posted by: Klassified
a reply to: Tusks

Looks like we need to ban rapid fire assault bows.

Nah. Just make everyone register their bows, and pay for the "privilege" of doing it.

On topic: Just goes to show. We don't know as much as we think we know about the past. It's not possible, until it is.

When one's life depends on a skill, one can develop some mad skills!

Imagine the skill the Mongols had to rapid fire their bows from horseback.

Great link! Amazing stuff really, the incredible speed combined with accuracy!

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: Tusks


I would bet that he couldn't do that with an English Longbow






Yes, those guys trained every Sunday, and at Agencourt put twelve arrows into the air a minuet, slaughtered the French knights.

The guy fired 10 arrows in 4.9 seconds. He held ten arrows in the draw hand

The gal was firing 1 arrow/sec and taking them from her quiver one at a time. She was hitting that 3 inch target nearly every time at about 30 meters. That's as fast and accurate as most men would be with a 30/30.

The English longbowmen were required to practice for 2 hours every Sunday. They were accurate at long range, but were not fast.

It's a good thing the Mongols decided on their own to go back to Mongolia. I'm not sure any kingdom could have stopped them--but they would have been stopped by the English Channel.

a reply to: Tusks

They were accurate at long range, but were not fast.

Correct.

The reason for the lack of speed was down to the draw weight of the bow. Around 160 - 180 lbs

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: Tusks


I would bet that he couldn't do that with an English Longbow

I'm assuming you are trying to compare the two bows against one standard when the two bows and their intended uses are completely different. So to turn around your statement, I'll say that an English longbowman couldn't duplicate what Lars does with his bow.

He studied the techniques described in Saracen Archery and another I can't remember the name of. Just imagine thousands of archers with those abilities!

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: Tusks


I would bet that he couldn't do that with an English Longbow

Many french and english longbows had draw force of 90 to 110 pounds. but there has been some found with draw force of 150–160 lb
Most archers today have trouble with 65 pound bows.
en.wikipedia.org...
it would be almost imposable to speed shoot these high draw bows.

a reply to: Tusks

To add some fun facts,yes it does seemed that the ancients figured out rapid firing of arrows by carrying the arrows in hand when in battle mode,among the earliest and deadliest were the Ta-Nahasians,the group above are the Madjyai , Pharaoh's shock troops and police force , an earlier form of them had made the first state on the Nile before Egypt proper and possible the world, called Ta-Seti Land of the Bow note how they carried their arrows in hand just like your example showed , were necessary for rapid fire,these guys were so good and accurate that at a much later date when they were Christians, an attempt of an Arab Islamic invasion was stopped dead in it's tracts by these bow men,they were from that encounter nicknamed pupil smiters for their habit of putting out the eyes of the invaders,thus Christianity would last another 600yrs in the Sudan.