Damn @5:46 that casual bolt to ground chuck!

Also, in regards to "fire" the Online Etymology Dictionary says: Fire: Meaning "to discharge artillery or a firearm" (originally by application of fire) is from 1520s; extended sense of "to throw (as a missile)" is from 1580s. So it seems late 16th century individuals might have said "fire" in regards to bows or crossbows.

Also, with a crossbow, you can wait for somebody to pop out of cover. Try that with the one hundred forty pound bow...

@joshuaspector8182

6 жыл бұрын

What are you talking about? They do it in movies all the time. :D

@xthebumpx

6 жыл бұрын

Ygritte could do it. Haven't you seen Lindybeige's video?

@gunnar6674

6 жыл бұрын

Ygritte could have punched Thanos and the Anti-spiral through the moon and out of the Milky Way.

@Baum_Mann

5 жыл бұрын

@DerLaCroix1 why would you "pop out of cover" with a weapon that doesn´t need you to move??

I always have a dilemma when I see Tod's website. All of his work is amazing and I love the crossbows especially but they are just so expensive (not a criticism, the quality more than matches the price as far as I can say). I could afford to buy one or two crossbows but I feel like it would be really hard for me to justify such an expense (especially since I'd love something like that central European hunting crossbow which he's showing on his website and equip that with a cranequin...one of the most pricey options). Watching videos like this one, I don't know how much longer I will be able to resist the temptation though :D

That backwards held crossbow is EXACTLY like Sonny Puzikas's hold of an AK rifle for the "blooming death" technique; except a pistol (not reins) is held in the other hand and the operator is on foot (not horseback) and spinning in circles to shoot in all directions while displacing horizontally and or vertically because he is alone, surrounded, and without cover. The pistol is precisely used while the rifle suppresses. It came from a "lone survivor" story and is very cool to see Sonny demonstrate. I've shot my AK that way (no pistol!), its easy and accurate with a bit of practice at across the room distances.

I'm not simple and I'm hardly a man, but when I see Matt and Todd, I press like.

Thanks to you two, I have an unholy desire for a crossbow now, lol.

This Joe Gibbs character must be one strong guy. Years of practice and Muscular skeletal development. Tod's crossbows are things of beauty.

Looked up Joe Gibbs as recommended, returned to this video a humbled man.

Awesome insightful video and a great guest. one of the more educational vids in a long time

Fascinating stuff. I've read somewhere that the fastest way to shoot crossbows was perhaps for crossbowmen to team up in groups of two, and one man to be the shooter, while the second man loaded. They use two crossbows and pass them between one another. I think the evidence for this is images of crossbowmen operating in pairs behind pavisses, where only the man in front has a quiver of quarrels, suggesting that he is the only one doing the shooting.

What a thoroughly pleasant and knowledgeable chap.

I can't get enough of those Matt & Todd videos !

amazing content in this video, Matt. Tod is very eloquent and precise on his teachings. :)

@24:00 I never knew about the sights, thanks Todd! (Great video Matt!)

@ariochiv

6 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that bit is the gem of this episode.

Rounds per minute- c.1 or 2 at a push with the windlass & 7 or 8 with the goats foot. Great video guys. Thanks.

"Mastery of their weapons, especially the crossbow, was one of the reasons why the Genoese were so highly esteemed in war. Ramón Muntaner, a Catalan knight who fought against them earlier in the 14th century, records that the Genoese were well provided with sharp arrows and would shoot off many. They have a fashion of shooting ceaselessly and they shoot more quarrels in one battle than Catalans would shoot in ten." Part of the reason is that their muscle groups, like the longbowmen, were trained on the windlass and could wind faster with a higher gearing. They also had two man shields on a support where they and their loaders could shelter before pepperpotting forward.

These old style crossbow just look so fun to use. So much ritual in it! ;)

Very interesting video! Great that you discuss missile weapons as well on your channel.

Those are gorgeous crossbows!!!

That throw! 5:45

Tod seems like a really cool guy to hang with.

Thank you sirs for the excellent video.

one of my favourate armies in DBM is the granadine crossbow army (mass peasant crossbowmen supported by some knights, professional crossbowmen and mounted crossbows) it is said that in Granada nearly every peasant owned a war crossbow. so it would be interesting to know if they were like english longbows (in the sense they were trained regularly and thus were fairly elite, or if they were more closer to militia crossbowmen.

Loved this collaboration, very informative and interesting. Recently had the pleasure of ordering a mace from todcutler.com and I'm very pleased with the result. Thank you Matt for not only providing me with historical insights but also for bringing Tod's work to my attention!

got some really good info about crossbows that I didn't know about... but that mic cord...

Amazing video!

Very cool! I like that little one!

As a boater who frequently canoes down quiet country rivers... I question your safety views slightly... :P I wonder if a pavise can be made as a flotation device.

@twirlipofthemists3201

6 жыл бұрын

RealLuckless You need AEGIS.

@RealLuckless

6 жыл бұрын

... I wonder how many 15 foot canoes I would need.

Matt-Tod collabs are fantastic

Bullets always lift to! Your sights are level, your barrel is tilted slightly up (with proper alignment) so you "mini-mortar" all rounds into place. If you zero at 200 yards you are high before then and low after. Being a bit high helps close up, aim at belly/sternum and you can hit center mass or the chest or head/shoulders while a very low shot still gets the pelvis or legs. It also helps compensate for the drop.

I'd be interested in seeing crossbow (and longbow/warbow) power measured by chronograph and projectile weight, like one might do with a firearm. That should allow one to get down to newton-meters or foot-pounds regardless of efficiency, let-off, and any other complexities.

Hi Mat, great video as usual. Could you specify the approx. loading time for the two different crossbow types (to avoid the bad "rate of..." word ;-)?

9:44 unless there's _fire arrows_ involved!

@helojoe92

6 жыл бұрын

+fsmoura just be careful that you don't mention that in front of lindybeige

@Altrantis

6 жыл бұрын

French people shooting fire arrows from a spandau. Lindy's worst nightmare.

@fsmoura

6 жыл бұрын

Good thing they won't be able to aim at him, an individual target, only at a _general area._

@Aconitum_napellus

6 жыл бұрын

It is very difficult to aim at someone whilst running away.

@peterlynch1458

6 жыл бұрын

FIRE ARROWS!!!

Spin stabilized allows a more aerodynamic shape adding range as well as accuracy for bullets. Spinning bolts does increase accuracy.

in Ventimiglia in Liguria i saw a few times a crossbow competion, but the crossbow used were too big to be shoot from shoulder and their bolts were long as my forearm and at least two fingers thick

really interesting, cheers

Already saw Tod's video, but you deserve a view too.

I can't own one... In Poland it is much easier to get firearm license than crossbow license. Crossbows must be super deadly. In UK does it require any special license, or you just buy one?

@sb-ant6457

6 жыл бұрын

You have to be over 18 years old, that's the only restriction I'm aware of.

@ondrasvoboda4512

6 жыл бұрын

I am just guessing but I think that crossbows are often banned because they are quiet, so you can poach with them really easy.

@TheMiseriaCantare

6 жыл бұрын

So why pneumatic harpoons are fully legal? They seem to also be pretty quiet.

@ondrasvoboda4512

6 жыл бұрын

Agnar Selvik well compare hunting potential of crossbow with that of a harpoon... But yea, law-makers are not very clever as far as weapon laws go...

@poppywarner177

6 жыл бұрын

The reason the crossbow is perfectly legal is because they are crap after 40 yard the bolt drops like a stone & pretty inaccurate etc

In regards to the genoese crossbowmen, the pavise is the first thing that comes to mind that differentiates them from other crossbowmen, well, that and a servant to carry the pavise to the battlefield lol.

I had a replica crossbow bought from a european castle town gift shop back in 2nd grade and it was only about a foot long, but it functioned exactly like the hand-crank version shown here. And that thing was NOT just a toy. I remember bringing it in for show and tell and the first time we shot it out in the yard the teacher was like "ok then, class let's go inside and I'll hold on to that thing for the rest of the day).

Tod's a legand

Ok, I'm going to resubscribe :) Great video!

19:10 the technical way to see it is you're sacrificing/converting some linear momentum into angular momentum. This is why most main battle tanks today matches a saboted flechette round with a smoothboore gun to defeat armor, by maximising linear momentum.

I usually stick to RPM, either "rate per minute" or "repetitions per minute" as there's also a difference from rate of fire of a fully automatic firearm vs firing then reloading & firing a lower capacity firearm. I also shoot a recurve bow, so I've adapted it to that as well.

@matthiuskoenig3378

5 жыл бұрын

also rounds per minute

@mortenjacobsen5673

5 жыл бұрын

proper archeryb term is to loose , let loose , but launching is also acceptable

Love them Crossbows!

Well that was a lot of info and well... Neat.

It appears the stirrup also helps keep the bolt from tipping over when aiming low (?)

(Not to imply one is better than the other, but...) The advantage of a crossbow over a longbow is that you can train an effective crossbowman in just a few hours. It takes years of practice to be effective with a longbow, mainly due to the need to develop the strength to draw it, and to hold the draw long enough to aim.

Very informative ! I'm wondering how cavalry would operate in a battle using these cumbersome weapons ?

If you want to compare stored energy in bows and crossbows you basically need Hooke's law leeding to a stored energy E ~ kx² (with k beeing the spring constant of the bow), or more prcise the integral over the draw-weight ( F(x) ) from where you start drawing to the final draw-length. Differences in the efficiency factor may also play a role....

Hello Mat I was just wondering if you can make a video about Bolognese sidesword fencing

Can you please do a video on whether it would be practical to use daggers and knives with shields. I would like to know if it would be practical compared to a sword or an axe . Thanks a bunch!

I looked at Tod's site, the large crossbow in this video is GBP2,400. And worth every penny, I would say.

Isn't there a sort of stand for the windlass? I see them being put on the floor and it take time to pick them up.

Hey Matt Easton, I have a question for you about a potential future video on your channel. Is there any chance you could do a video or two where you have an interview, sparring session, whatever, with Mike Loades? He's become my personal idol as a military historian, and I'd really love to see the two of you discussing medieval military history together.

@scholagladiatoria

6 жыл бұрын

I have actually met and talked with Mike a few times. It's not impossible, though he lives in the USA now and I haven't seen him for a few years.

In storage a wooden bolt is likely to warp spinning reduces the effect of warp on accuracy.

I have never shot a crossbow of that era but I have owned modern crossbows. I also shoot regular archery but I shoot modern archery as well. So a compound bow with sights. I have messed around a bit with traditional recurves though. Honestly crossbows are not all people believe them to be. They are a bit fiddly in their own ways. They are also heavier and a bit more cumbersome to hold and lug around. Yes you could show someone now to load one and pull the trigger fairly quickly but there is a bit more to it than that. You still have to set the string correctly so it is centered or your shots will be off from shot to shot. Not so much of an issue with that lever you are using though. Seems like that does a decent job of centering it for you. However regardless of how easy it may be to cock, load and shoot it is still archery and you have to learn the weapon, how it shoots and what is capable of. It isn't a rifle that shoots laser flat out to 50 or 100 yards. You still have to be able to judge distance and learn how to aim appropriately or you will miss. I can teach someone to properly shoot a regular bow in about an hour or two. And most pick it up quicker. After that is just practice and getting your form and release down. Then learning where it shoots at different distances which you would have to do with the cross bow as well. It took me about two weeks to get pretty decent with a bow and about six months before it was second nature and muscle memory. Crossbows have a few advantages though. For one they will let a smaller, weaker or handicapped person shoot an arrow at the same speed or energy that an average or larger person can. For example someone that is little like me (5'3") simply can't shoot an arrow as fast as someone that is 6 foot tall and stronger. Lets say 300 fps for a lighter arrow. I only have a 26 inch draw length and can comfortably draw around 60 lbs. Where as a larger person might have a 30 inch draw and can pull 70 lbs or maybe more. It is just basic math, my arrow simply won't go as fast or have as much energy. Now if I take a 150 lb crossbow I can probably reach those speeds. So for a larger person the power advantage really isn't there. What a crossbow can do though is let you cock it and load an arrow and sit and wait. Or shoot from cover more easily. Me personally though I can shoot a bow as accurate (if not more) and faster than I can a crossbow. Like Tod said the reason they have such high draw weights is because they are just not that efficient. Especially ones like that with huge strings, 6 inch power strokes and heavy metal limbs. I would think that one with 800 to a 1,000 lb draw weight will probably throw a bolt with more energy than the average archer could with a long bow.

The way Tod toss those bolts into the ground looked very practised. They'd be all over the place if i'd done it. 5:43

Great video. By the way, I'm doing research for a novel that I'm writing, and I've been trying to find information about medieval Scottish warfare. I was wondering, what did they use when it came to ranged weapons like bows and crossbows?

@cwmyr

6 жыл бұрын

The Scottish were famous archers, using longbows, especially in the Highlands and Islands. In the Lowlands and border regions, crossbows were more common. The Borderers used a hand spanned light crossbow called Latch which could easily be used from horseback.

best crossover ever

And... btw... Could you, please, describe two other ways of working with crossbows: horsshoe foot realoading (I'm sorry if it sounds stupid and makes no sense) and horseshoe and hooks on the belt of the shooter. What was the fastest, the most usefull, the most powerfull setup? And was the steel bow the best in all situations? How about wooden bow, fast loaded (different wood type)? It would be great if you could make comparison - Bow lenght, bow strenght, steel and different wood types, windless, horseshoe, hand reloaded and so on. What do you think? Such "benchmark" whould be great adddition to any historical works on crossbows! All the best!

@lvd8122

6 жыл бұрын

Barry Kent tod already has videos on the loading methods

@barrykent9877

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, I saw them, but it's only few of them, that's why I'm asking for the rest.

Wow, those crossbow bolts lifted up like a plane taking off!

Hi! Which books/treatises do you guys recommend for understanding weapon fighting?

Did Tom every tried to recreate the crossbow that was described by Anna Comnena? A crossbow with a lock in the Middle ( thus longer draw back ) and the user had to law down on the ground with his feet on the bow and both hands on the string to draw it back to arm it.

Nothing like two bald Englishman holding long lengths of wood

@FingerAngle

6 жыл бұрын

Not really that long...

@lanasmith4795

6 жыл бұрын

FingerAngle it's not the length it's the girth and the power stroke

@hilbertsinn6886

6 жыл бұрын

Huh? I thought this guys live on Texas. There accent sound like Texas to me. (Sorry my English is no enough strong.)

@lanasmith4795

6 жыл бұрын

Hilbert's Inn nope neither of those accents are Texas those are both Englishmen

@hilbertsinn6886

6 жыл бұрын

Woa man, sorry maybe you'll want a doctor to check at your ears. Sure sound like Texas to me. I see lots of movies which happen in Texas and this sound really the same, or all most. Only thing missing is oxen and bent up hats. I admit though, maybe the actors they have to play in this movies are not real Texas citizens, and I haven't yet met any Texas citizens in my country.

In Germany crossbow and lance​ were seen as two valid choices (and thus the two most common) for non-men-at-arms cavalry, called "Ringerpferde", from "Geringere Pferde" (lesser horsemen).

I have been lead to believe spin stabilisation leads to longer range for bullets that have a length greater than the diameter due to reduced tumbling. IE the tumbling looses you more than the rifling does. Tumbling of course has a hideously detrimental effect on accuracy too.

Pherhaps rate of Volley, or Rate of Release, or something similar may be more fitting Then rate of fire?

Wouldn't it be possible to make a crossbow that would work with three-flighted bolts if you added a groove along the front of the stock for the third flight to slot into?

Can you talk more about the accuracy of medieval bows and crossbows? At what distance can you expect to hit a human size target 100% of the time?

I am super interested in how fast these bolts are going. You or Tod have chronograph?

@calamusgladiofortior2814

6 жыл бұрын

Tod did shoot one over a chrono, the video is here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/nXyivNFvda-rhpM.html

Those old guys weren't dum at all... I'm just imagining Genuese crossbow snipers. Horrifying.

@Hebdomad7

6 жыл бұрын

They existed. Welcome to the world of castle sieges and the term "sticking your head above the parapet"...

@Carl-ld5jy

4 жыл бұрын

You misspelled "dumb"

Joffrey would be impressed

Now that's a lot of celebrities for one video! ))

Should have had a Wilhelm Scream in the distance when the bolt flew over the target.

it´s the same as a rifle, most pepole can learn how to shoot one in a few hours. master it, that is where the work is.

@SonsOfLorgar

6 жыл бұрын

Exploatores and just like firearms, a long barreled rifle with sufficient amount of slow-burning powder will impart a higher velocity to the bullet than a short barreled pistol with the same ammount of a fast-burning powder.

I'd definitely like to own one, but I'm pretty much out of money at the moment so it'll have to wait.

Would the earlier introduction of muskets end the medieval age and knights earlier as well?

What is the typical rate of loose on one of those? Do they make extended quivers for combat assult situations?

@2bingtim

6 жыл бұрын

Rate of shooting is discussed in the video. The ancient Chinese invented a repeating crossbow(Lever operated) & into the early C20th most homes were supposed to have one.

For those who like a TL:DW :- 'Click', 'Twang!', 'ARGH!', 'Reload!'

That's a beautiful Bolt, Would it work with a six inch spring steel spike? Have you seen the Lithuanian Crossbows? Their Bolts look like big darts with long spikes

Are windlasses faster or slower than cranequins? And how do they compare to each other in general (price, ease of use,...). I would expect cranequins to be more expensive and more difficult to make using medieval technology.

It would seem, a bolt from a crossbow typically flies high. So where was William Tell aiming ? Apple or Adams apple ???

Rate of shot, could be a useful alternative to fire id think.

If you were to design a crossbow with modern knowledge, but with only period-appropriate materials, what would you change from the traditional design? I'm thinking to start, just from an ergonomics perspective, some better handles/triggers could be designed. I wonder if you could design a version of the windlass that wouldn't get tangled so easily...

Hi thanks a lot for your videos. Is it possible that the chinese uses crosbows back at the time of Confucius.i.e 5th B.C ?

In are 18th century small swords better than 17 century small swords video you said that Spanish were still using cup Hilted rapiers instead of small swords well in 1810 where they still using rapiers or were they already using small sword? I really need your help

@andywilson8698

6 жыл бұрын

Viter F yes

@viterf9227

6 жыл бұрын

Andy Wilson so they were still using cup hilted Rapier in 1810

@andywilson8698

6 жыл бұрын

Viter F maybe

@andywilson8698

6 жыл бұрын

I do the Spanish did use the rapier far later then most of Europe, I'm not 100% sure but I do believe it was still in use around that time , but dying out , I hope that answers ur question, but again I'm no expert but I recall hearing it

Not regarding crossbows but I have an interesting question that I would like to see a video for. Hypothetically speaking, what would be an ideal body type soldiers during the Middle Ages should have and how it differs or similar to other time periods, particularly ancient and Renaissance periods? I am asking this because of some fight manuals I have seen, have slightly different body types which makes me question if certain modern body types are more beneficial in training than others.

@Murtage33e

6 жыл бұрын

This reminds me of a video: kzread.info/dash/bejne/doeI2K56mK_Wl7Q.html But yeah: I think it is fair to say that medieval soldiers trained in ways specific for the sort of combat and travel which they anticipated doing, and this probably varies wildly from modern athletes. Consider that a medieval soldier might need to march for more than week with little rest and still be expected to fight; I doubt many strong men today could do that on a meager diet of dried meat, unfiltered water, and bread. That said, I have my doubts that there was some sort of special workout secrets from the past. Looking at Jean Boucicaut's biography (a late medieval Knight), his workout regime looks a bit like a mishmash of modern cross-fit. kzread.info/dash/bejne/o2GW0K9ug9i3m6w.html and he probably had the best sort of education available at the day. Not a bad workout by ANY means, but not radically different.

I wish crossbows weren't illegal where I live.

@scholagladiatoria

6 жыл бұрын

Crossbows are illegal? Like, totally? Can people own rifles?

@velazquezarmouries

6 жыл бұрын

Depends on the kind of crossbow

@IPostSwords

6 жыл бұрын

In NSW, Australia, yeah, totally illegal. Other states (QLD) they're not. I have a firearms license for a rifle, but there's no license that will let me get a crossbow.

@velazquezarmouries

6 жыл бұрын

IPostSwords that is effed up

@IPostSwords

6 жыл бұрын

What's more effed up is that normal bows (recurve, composite, whatever) are totally legal. So are spear guns. No license needed. Crossbows though? obviously too dangerous for the public

Can you use the word _cadence_ to mean rate of fire? In German _Kadenz_ has the same meaning as rate of fire.

Only 25 min? More please

If work =force x distance does that mean a 300 lb crossbow with a 1 foot power draw will deliver 300 ftlbs of force?

@dougsundseth2303

6 жыл бұрын

The short answer is, "no". The longer answer requires some expansion: First, work != force, so the question is flawed in its wording. (This is like asking someone how many light-years old he is.) Second, force x time (not distance) gives you "impulse", which is a measure of momentum.That would be in pound*seconds (imperial) or Newton*seconds (SI). Energy delivered to the target would be 1/2 * mass * velocity^2 (assuming that all the energy of the bolt were delivered.) Third, it's my understanding that draw weight refers to the peak force required to draw the bow (whether crossbow, or otherwise). Since the amount of force will tend to drop as the arms of the bow release their curve, impulse will be somewhere below (peak draw weight) * (time on the string). Finally, ft.*lbs or Nm is a measure of torque. To see this in action, look at the goat's foot used with the 180lb bow. Tod is using (WAG) somewhere in the range of 30 - 40# of force over a distance of 3/4' or so, which would be around 30 ft.*lbs of torque (around 40 Nm). ETA: Also, quite a lot of the energy in the system will go toward accelerating the arms of the bow rather than the bolt or arrow. This is one of the advantages of a short, high-draw steppe composite bow over a longbow. The shorter arms of a crossbow will be less of a problem here than a longbow as well. Note that I don't consider the question unreasonable (hence the effort of responding). Physics can be tricky, but it's interesting enough to be worth studying, I think.

@mortenjacobsen5673

5 жыл бұрын

no, a lot of energy is lost in sound , friction and heat , and moving the mass of the spring , the weight of the bolt and the rope used . dynamic efficiency equation at play

Funny, my internet browser protection blocked me from todsworkshop due to it being 'unsafe' webpage... why?

What are your thoughts on "inswinger" ballista?

@FingerAngle

6 жыл бұрын

I have a great big one. The largest ever built actually.

"Yes and No" - Todd... Good answer Todd. :-)

accuracy while leading a moving target? Maybe that's why not anyone used them ages ago?

What kind of game could the hunting cross bow take? How powerful is the little one? I assume the big crossbow can take just about any game.

@mortenjacobsen5673

5 жыл бұрын

normal poundage for hunting in the states is about 40 pounds, each state has different rules but most hunting comound are around 70 pounds enough for moose

I'm sorrry, it's me again... :) You know - we still have no idea if crossbow (there was so many different types) was actually more useful than bow. And again: longbow, recurved bow, steel bow and so on. One work on all these possibilities would be great... Fantastic addition to what we know about bows and crossbows.

@davidbriggs264

6 жыл бұрын

One BIG advantage that a crossbow has over a standard bow is time of aiming. In other words, with a crossbow you can load your bow, and wait sometime before shooting, whereas, for the most part, with a simple bow it's draw and loose. Another advantage is that to fire a high powered crossbow needs only a small amount of training, whereas with a bow, to draw a war power bow (135 plus pounds of draw weight) takes a LOT of training, as witness Matt and Todd, neither of which can use a bow much above 120 pounds. The advantage of the bow over the crossbow is rate of fire.

@barrykent9877

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, I knew all that. I'm sorry, I ment "crossbow bow" not crossbows at all or bows at all. What I would like to see are differences between wooden, recuved wooden, steel and recurver steel bows of the crossbows: power, speed, range and so on. Thank you anyway!

that dude is cool lol good info too!