Medieval Warbow vs Windlass Crossbow - Speed, Accuracy

Shooting a HEAVY 160lbs medieval longbow against a HEAVY 860lbs medieval crossbow to look at the speed of shooting and the level of accuracy each of these classic weapons can achieve.
How many shots will the longbow get off against the crossbow?
Which is more accurate?
These trials are very set around a chat between Joe Gibbs, longbow archer and Tod from Tods Workshop, crossbow maker; where we range through training regimes, tactics, power, effectiveness, uses etc.......
Joe Gibbs was shooting a 160lbs Swiss mountain yew longbow, 80g approximate arrow weight
Tod was shooting a 860lbs windlass crossbow, 80g approximate bolt weight
Distance was 25m
You can see Joe shooting this bow against a period accurate breastplate using period arrows here • ARROWS vs ARMOUR - Med...
Check out Joe in this film shooting 170lbs... • Warbow, Joe Gibbs, Eng...
Joe's channel / joe8gibbs
If you would like to support my work on this channel you can always buy my fantastic reproduction medieval weaponry available here todcutler.com
For medieval crossbows from Tods Workshop, check out todsworkshop.com/collections/...
For Joe's bows check out / hillbillybows
Filmed and Edited by Mike Chernett

Пікірлер: 3 000

  • @FeyTheBin
    @FeyTheBin4 жыл бұрын

    All the dislikes are from the French cavalry.

  • @ericdebord

    @ericdebord

    4 жыл бұрын

    Fey , thats a good one. lol .

  • @alexandres.7230

    @alexandres.7230

    4 жыл бұрын

    Je n'aime pas ton commentaire :P

  • @andrewbradford76

    @andrewbradford76

    4 жыл бұрын

    Historical burn!

  • @marc-antoinerave2572

    @marc-antoinerave2572

    4 жыл бұрын

    Ahahah your comment is on point, bien joué!

  • @erepsekahs

    @erepsekahs

    4 жыл бұрын

    Most appropriately amusing.

  • @Joseph_yy
    @Joseph_yy4 жыл бұрын

    game developers:Archers are fragile and weak in close combat. Joe Gibbs: Hold my longbow.

  • @MorbidEel

    @MorbidEel

    4 жыл бұрын

    a lot of that is just for game balance reasons

  • @benjaminabbott4705

    @benjaminabbott4705

    4 жыл бұрын

    English archers frequently fought in the melee, but they would have a been at a disadvantage against better-armored foes, all other things being equal.

  • @PrimordialNightmare

    @PrimordialNightmare

    4 жыл бұрын

    I'll have you know that my Crossbowmen almost outperform my Greatswords in Warhammer Fantasy. Well, that's due to my luck with rolling dice. But my Crossbowmen are always a surprise when it comes into melee. On a more serious Game design discussion topic: the Pen and Paper RPG Rulework Pathfinder (1. edition, a DnD 3.5 derivative) there are Bows that allow you to use your strength modifier on attack rolls, while they are way more costly they enable for strong Bowmen. You still need Dexterity to hit, but a Strength 20 Dex 20 Archer could be a Pain to deal with. I find that ruling prety cool because you're basically getting Bows with different drawstrength. Crossbows only come in the light and Heavy variants, so basically Hunting Crossbow and Windlass/Crannequin. Oh, I forgot the repeating Crossbow that is handled as a xotic weapons. Crossbow Builds generally tend to go into the direction of a Sniper kind of character while Builds for Bows can lean more into mobility and volume/rate of shooting. I just hope that in time more systems, both PnP and Video games, adapt to that.

  • @shaundouglas2057

    @shaundouglas2057

    4 жыл бұрын

    Historical reports tell otherwise the english archers were lethal and brutal in close quarter combat, normally armed with an arming sword and buckler they showed no mercy to their enemy, so much so even the english knights were a taken back at their brutality. When knights captured knights they were normally ransomed back to the enemy for a price or prisoner exchange but archers didn´t have that privlige, reports say an archer sitting on a fallen knights chest would drive a dagger through his visor. Most battles ended in close quarter combat and the archers played their part and off course were well trained in hand to hand combat, why wouldn´t they be its your life thats at stake it only common sense.

  • @bertholdb9037

    @bertholdb9037

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@federicoponchiroli3762 Agreed. It would be very weird if the people who mostly train archery and mostly carry archery gear would be superior in close combat to the people who mostly train close combat and carry mostly close combat gear. If that were the case, why would the close combat specialists not simply also train archery and carry a bow around, and thus become better at close combat. We need to differentiate between "archers are helpless in a melee" and "archers are worse at melee than the people who specialize in melee combat". I think the latter is almost certainly true if we do not assume the people involved to be absolute idiots.

  • @sigmascrub
    @sigmascrub4 жыл бұрын

    "he can shoot an impressive 200 lbs" Me: *solemnly puts away 32 lb. recurve*

  • @cdgonepotatoes4219

    @cdgonepotatoes4219

    4 жыл бұрын

    40lb and I can only pull back 40 times with a considerably worse aim. Admittedly I really haven't been practicing or using my arms for a couple years.

  • @DeuceGenius

    @DeuceGenius

    4 жыл бұрын

    if you been trining since you were old enough to walk like it was in those days, you had nothing else to do as a kid lol

  • @Daylon91

    @Daylon91

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@DeuceGenius plus it was the law to shoot a bow. Every man between the ages of 14 to 65 had to shoot every Sunday. The English army could draw on their archer supply literally lol

  • @ericdelgado5039

    @ericdelgado5039

    4 жыл бұрын

    Honestly, I'm only accurate at a pint.

  • @sgt.guardsman2221

    @sgt.guardsman2221

    4 жыл бұрын

    I made an 87# Osage Self bow about 8 years ago here in Michigan. I have shot quail, carp, and phesants with it. It does wear you down after a while of shooting it. I could not imagine drawing one that is 160#!!

  • @rudolfvalentine9152
    @rudolfvalentine91524 жыл бұрын

    He shoots the bow like in the 13th century paintings.

  • @portaccio

    @portaccio

    4 жыл бұрын

    I always thought those old artist were shit at painting/needlepointing. Turns out they were bang on.

  • @FoundWanting970

    @FoundWanting970

    4 жыл бұрын

    Except he puts the arrow on the left side instead of the right

  • @hughlowe2682

    @hughlowe2682

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@FoundWanting970 realistically knocking said arrow on the left side allows for more accurate and reliable shots rather than the rightt side while slightly tilting the bow. This stops any mishap of your arrow moving off the bow itself when tilting occurs and alot of smaller other factors such as technique, bow type and empire whatever you wanna go with

  • @Beuwen_The_Dragon

    @Beuwen_The_Dragon

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@hughlowe2682 a well practiced archer shoots how they shoot best. An archer who practiced shooting the arrow right side will be just as accurate as an practiced archer shooting arrow left.

  • @hughlowe2682

    @hughlowe2682

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@Beuwen_The_Dragon this is true, what matters most is how they're trained.

  • @MrGemHunter
    @MrGemHunter4 жыл бұрын

    Game devs: the crossbow is a silent weapon Crossbows: HEY KID WANT TO HEAR MY MUSKET IMPRESSION

  • @greenmario3011

    @greenmario3011

    4 жыл бұрын

    To be fair most crossbows in games aren't 800+ pound draw weight mini siege weapons

  • @edwardteach3000

    @edwardteach3000

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@greenmario3011I would imagine that a modern style crossbow would be much quieter. Edit, and according to several people who have experience in such matters I would imagine wrong.

  • @weirdscience8341

    @weirdscience8341

    4 жыл бұрын

    the mission xbows are very quiet i put fluffy velcro on my bow limbs and filled the inside of my riser on my recurve bow with cotton wool the string quietner its proply silent the impacts are louder than the shots

  • @ruy7164

    @ruy7164

    4 жыл бұрын

    Compared to a gun shot it might as well be silent.

  • @joerhodes2494

    @joerhodes2494

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@edwardteach3000 No, its not.

  • @nudl3Zz
    @nudl3Zz4 жыл бұрын

    man this channel has been pure gold in the past months

  • @bgl11

    @bgl11

    4 жыл бұрын

    For sure, glad the channel ended up in my feed.

  • @carlpolen7437

    @carlpolen7437

    4 жыл бұрын

    Agreed

  • @killerkraut9179

    @killerkraut9179

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@tods_workshop a Goat Foot Lever would be Faster .

  • @killerkraut9179

    @killerkraut9179

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@tods_workshop Know You some Thing about Mounted Cross bow Worriors ?

  • @sarpedonzeus1874

    @sarpedonzeus1874

    4 жыл бұрын

    Agreed..the videos have just been brilliant just like this one!

  • @BarackHObama
    @BarackHObama2 жыл бұрын

    One thing you have to remember about crossbow mercenaries is how they fought. They sallied out into the field in plate armor, set up their shields in a defensive ring and fired from there. They were like a mobile fortress that were able to withstand charges and other attempts to dislodge them. The ability to fire effectively in heavy armor, that as your channel demonstrated, that can deflect longbow arrows made them very very durable. That combined with the tacit understanding that engaging in melee was likely made them very useful and expensive. This is in contrast to the longbow man's gabison and mail, which again you've demonstrated, can be pierced at range. While they were certainly capable fighting in melee, their kit was not designed for it and using them in such a role would not be an ideal use of their skill set.

  • @ngauruhoezodiac3143

    @ngauruhoezodiac3143

    2 жыл бұрын

    The Genoese crossbow mercenaries ran in panic during the battle of Agincourt.

  • @pawebiaas1512

    @pawebiaas1512

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@ngauruhoezodiac3143 Crecsy not Azincourt. Only because they had no shields, that didnt make on time for the battle.

  • @ngauruhoezodiac3143

    @ngauruhoezodiac3143

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@pawebiaas1512 In Agincourt the French aristocracy was looking for a quick and glorious victory. The attack was poorly planned and the crossbowmen did not have targets. Then came an immature cavalry charge that really screwed things for the crossbow mercenaries.

  • @TwpsynMawr

    @TwpsynMawr

    Жыл бұрын

    @@ngauruhoezodiac3143 they were never going to win. Welsh longbowmen would cut them down any day of the week. Stakes set and more firepower. No brainer

  • @victorbressler7156

    @victorbressler7156

    Жыл бұрын

    @@TwpsynMawr crossbows are way more powerful

  • @conorfennell8475
    @conorfennell84753 жыл бұрын

    I love how the art of the time depicts archers leaning forward in the same way as Joe shoots

  • @JonCombo

    @JonCombo

    2 жыл бұрын

    Looks awkward, I think I'm too used to Hollywood / TV styles.

  • @wnchstrman

    @wnchstrman

    2 жыл бұрын

    It is a function of biomechanics and physics, instinctively learned through rigorous training.

  • @Gameprojordan

    @Gameprojordan

    2 жыл бұрын

    Makes sense. That's how guns are fired aswell. You lean forward to brace your body in place, and when holding the gun/crossbow/bow in that stance causes your view to perfectly go in line with the gun's sight, or down the shaft of the arrow/bolt, since for old bows and crossbows you'd need to use a point fire style aiming where you use the arrow/bolts shaft as a reference point to gauge where you're wanting to hit

  • @trolltalwar

    @trolltalwar

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Gameprojordan its also to engage all your back muscles to draw with maximum strength

  • @AverageAlien

    @AverageAlien

    Жыл бұрын

    @@JonCombo it's necessary for pulling high poundage bows. The bows actors use are toy bows

  • @IPostSwords
    @IPostSwords4 жыл бұрын

    It's so refreshing and inspiring to see accurate testing and reporting on medieval weaponry. The internet and the media at large have been plagued by flawed tests, repeated myths and misconceptions, and outright biased videos for too long, even in supposedly well made documentaries.

  • @johnwaters7328

    @johnwaters7328

    4 жыл бұрын

    @incinerator950 When the bows were recovered from the wreck of Mary Rose ( lost in the 1550s) the majority were 70 to 90 pounds. Likewise Tarter archers in the 18th and 19th century were using 70 pound bows. These dates are after the abandonment of armour so the need for the massive penetration had dropped off. To what extent were archers using heavier bows at earlier times beyond claims in historical records is unknown.

  • @johnwaters7328

    @johnwaters7328

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@tods_workshop Interesting, older estimates were much lower than that. Generally below 100 lbs.

  • @johnwaters7328

    @johnwaters7328

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Hammer 001 You didn't read the link you posted I see.

  • @glenbe4026

    @glenbe4026

    4 жыл бұрын

    Hammer 001. Someone was wrong on the internet. Big deal. Everyone is wrong sometimes. You do what Tod did, politely correct them and allow them to accept that correction or not (which John Waters seems to have accepted the correction). I think you went a tad overboard with your reply, but I will leave it at that.

  • @henkkamatikaine2808

    @henkkamatikaine2808

    4 жыл бұрын

    But this can't be true! Everyone who has been playing video games knows crossbows penetrate armor almost as well as katanas! And you need dexterity for bows not strength.

  • @SpiritOfTheLaw
    @SpiritOfTheLaw4 жыл бұрын

    11:51 "There's nothing in a gym that represents a bow." *Bowflex sobs quietly in the corner*

  • @aliensarebetterthen

    @aliensarebetterthen

    4 жыл бұрын

    Spirit Of The Law arbalests are still better tho elite crossbow tho

  • @sseltrek1a2b

    @sseltrek1a2b

    4 жыл бұрын

    so true...i did Tae Kwon Do for several years and thought i was in great physical condition...i went to a gym where they train for mixed martial arts, and i couldn't physically keep up with the training....clearly, doing the activity you're trying to develop strength for is the best way to develop that muscle memory and the appropriate groups of muscles needed for said activity...

  • @Daylon91

    @Daylon91

    4 жыл бұрын

    Whoa totally lol bowflex sounded epic until they think of this and they sob

  • @matsmoreau9295

    @matsmoreau9295

    4 жыл бұрын

    That statement is such bullshit. A dumbell row or seated one arm cable row almost perfectly mirrors the motion of drawing a bow

  • @TheLandOfThePain

    @TheLandOfThePain

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Alex Millroy Yes and no.. The bow engages the arms and the chest, but it is the back that does the bulk of the work to expand and pull.

  • @ericrobinson8078
    @ericrobinson80783 жыл бұрын

    Joe's technique and obvious complete upper body strength is incredible. Imagine 2000 medieval archers all loosing at the same time!

  • @imbluz

    @imbluz

    2 жыл бұрын

    The muscles you use when shooting a traditional bow are rarely used in the gym or in everyday life. Many weightlifters are surprised when they discover how hard it is to draw a heavy bow when they first attempt it.

  • @ngauruhoezodiac3143

    @ngauruhoezodiac3143

    2 жыл бұрын

    They made as many arrows as possible while on the march and kept shooting until they ran out of arrows when in battle. One archer might shoot over a hundred arrows.

  • @ngauruhoezodiac3143

    @ngauruhoezodiac3143

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@imbluz It is a matter of technique more than strength. And those archers had compulsory training since the age of eight. Look at the forensic science of their bones. Shooting a longbow that requires 150 - 200lb to draw is not normal human strength.

  • @tusk3260

    @tusk3260

    11 ай бұрын

    Yeah 2000 nerf arrows vs 1 50 caliber BMG sniper rifle. Dude longbows were notorious for being unable to kill a single knight.

  • @fostersstubbyasmr9557

    @fostersstubbyasmr9557

    11 ай бұрын

    @@tusk3260 what? 2000 archers would defile one sniper your joking

  • @PossumMedic
    @PossumMedic3 жыл бұрын

    "Why the heck does it take an entire turn action to load my crossbow in D&D?!?" oh...... Great vid thanks! :D

  • @Sir.Alonne

    @Sir.Alonne

    2 жыл бұрын

    A turn is 6 seconds isn't it? Good fucking luck mate.

  • @Yuggothfungus

    @Yuggothfungus

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Sir.Alonne Origianally in Ad&d a round used to be a minute. In later editions they changed it to 6 seconds. But the old rule for x-bows stayed.

  • @GaudiaCertaminisGaming
    @GaudiaCertaminisGaming4 жыл бұрын

    I used to pull an 80lb longbow. The guys who could pull 150+ all looked like Hagrid.

  • @joebloggs7956

    @joebloggs7956

    4 жыл бұрын

    My dad shot longbow in his youth and adulthood, he said you could not hold the bow drawn at all. I started shooting at 5 when my holder brothers started, when i was 16 i started the Air Rifle but still kept up with the Short bow i enjoyed it so much. I have to say i was a a crack shot of the mark from years of bow shooting from intuition, i could shoot a rabbit 30m away in the head through the car within a 4 second mark no problem. Bow shooting is super relaxing, fun and a great ZEN practice. Seeing this video has got me interested in taking up The Longbow and reconnect with the Celtic peoples of my past. Thank you Tods workshop and this Master Bowman!

  • @ssgssjaiden7404

    @ssgssjaiden7404

    4 жыл бұрын

    I could pull a 40 when I was just 11. Highest I've done and shot is 172 pounds.

  • @streamylc
    @streamylc4 жыл бұрын

    Just me who notices how good Joe's posture is sitting there? Back muscles acting like a steel back brace lol

  • @jeffreykwan9330

    @jeffreykwan9330

    4 жыл бұрын

    Goals

  • @jackson8373

    @jackson8373

    4 жыл бұрын

    He pulls 200 pounds his back muscles are probably steel

  • @PalleRasmussen

    @PalleRasmussen

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@jackson8373 210 actually sometimes. He adds a 10 lb rubber training band occasionally.

  • @maxverstappennonofficial

    @maxverstappennonofficial

    2 жыл бұрын

    His back is insane.

  • @MAGAMAN

    @MAGAMAN

    2 жыл бұрын

    A strong back is how you solve most back problems. I had back problems most of my life. The worst was when I couldn't even get out of bed for almost a week. When I started working out and doing deadlifts and other back exercises, all those problems went away. As we have learned recently, most doctors are after money, not your health. If they cared about your health, they wouldn't be prescribing expensive pills with terrible side effects, they would be prescribing exercise and a better diet.

  • @Frurin
    @Frurin4 жыл бұрын

    Ok, I sat for 20 minutes watching two blokes chatting on some steps, while nodding from time to time as if I was a part of the conversation. Am I just weird that way, or somebody else felt it too? P.S. edit to acknowledge the skill and knowledge of the participants, Mr Tod, and Mr. Gibbs.

  • @ItsNotMeitsYouTu8e

    @ItsNotMeitsYouTu8e

    4 жыл бұрын

    It was too long imo.

  • @8188bsck

    @8188bsck

    4 жыл бұрын

    No, no,......I definitely nodded ...

  • @Mattamaza
    @Mattamaza4 жыл бұрын

    Meanwhile at Hollywood: Draw, Aim, pause for 2 minuites as the protagonist and antagonist shout at each other across the battlefield. Okay now fire!

  • @apathymanthemundane4165

    @apathymanthemundane4165

    4 жыл бұрын

    also, "fire", rather than "loose" or "shoot"

  • @mrt8944

    @mrt8944

    2 жыл бұрын

    Let's not forget all archers being skinny males and females, the pinch shooting, the rapid firing etc etc

  • @theanarchonazbolinquisition
    @theanarchonazbolinquisition4 жыл бұрын

    The crossbow is a weapon, the longbow is a lifestyle.

  • @svartirbjorn197

    @svartirbjorn197

    4 жыл бұрын

    Based name and pfp

  • @Trickydickysticky

    @Trickydickysticky

    4 жыл бұрын

    so, you definately dont hunt.

  • @Zkako1151

    @Zkako1151

    4 жыл бұрын

    Mike Linton you can hunt with a crossbow wth?

  • @Trickydickysticky

    @Trickydickysticky

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@Zkako1151 basically, what i was saying is that hunting is a life style. ive done years of longbow archery and crossbow archery for the sake of being a better hunter. it turns out a crossbow is just an overall better tool for hunting, there really is no comparison. i loved the spirit of longbow shooting, but when it comes to smoking a deer at 35 yards or a squirrel at 20yards... you cannot beat the accuracy of and shootability of a crossbow.

  • @Trickydickysticky

    @Trickydickysticky

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Ray my original point was about hunting. the ability to have a preloaded shot and SUPERIOR single target accuracy makes a a better weapon for hunting hands down. millitarily, sure a bow is gonna be better due to volume of fire againsy masses of enemies, though id argue as far as shooting a simgle target a crossbow would have a higher hit probability. just like your 17hmr is an excellebt small game gun and your 243 is an excellent medium game gun. id argue that my ar15 would be a better choice millitarily but it doesnt mean i couldn't hunt with it if need be. a slicker 243 (im assuming this is a bolt gun)is going to be lighter, simpler and easier to maintain out in the bush where that rate I of fire is not needed. not to mention a 243 cartridge is going to generally outperform .223/5.56 in game killing power. each instrument has a task where it is best suited. longbow = millitary usage, crossbow = hunting. i was contending the lifestyle bit by the OP originally.

  • @JohnPeter1940
    @JohnPeter19404 жыл бұрын

    Moast underrated youtuber Thanks Tod for making these amazing video !

  • @araknas3981

    @araknas3981

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Andrew Gerety Easily. For the quality he makes, he deserves much more.

  • @MrSoso1050

    @MrSoso1050

    4 жыл бұрын

    How is that underrated?

  • @emarsk77

    @emarsk77

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Andrew Gerety Are you saying that you can't think of a number bigger than 100,000?

  • @blakesimmons5130

    @blakesimmons5130

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@emarsk77 take that straw man home with you dickhead. His point is that out of the small percentage of people that find historical warfare entertaining enough to watch comparisons between medieval weapons, 100,000 is a pretty huge number. This isn't exactly mainstream content, genius.

  • @emarsk77

    @emarsk77

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@blakesimmons5130 If you're unable to make your point without insulting people, I feel for you.

  • @medievilman188
    @medievilman1882 жыл бұрын

    The thing I noticed most about this is that the archer had to loose the arrow right away but the crossbow was able to slow down and aim I wonder how long the crossbow could be left cocked and loaded before damage would be done to the crossbow itself

  • @then00brathalos

    @then00brathalos

    Жыл бұрын

    Depending on the poundage and bow material, I'd say a 1-2 hours for the average crossbow thats cock-able by hand. That's the advantage of a crossbow, aside from being easier to train and shoot

  • @ngauruhoezodiac3143

    @ngauruhoezodiac3143

    Жыл бұрын

    Many hours. The bigger danger is accidental firing.

  • @snakeace0
    @snakeace04 жыл бұрын

    Fitness instructor here, if you want to use a heavy bow as physical training, be sure to do it left handed aswell. All the muscles around the scapula and the glenhumeral joint are being heavily strained , especially the transversal and lower part of the Traps , the Lats, aswell as the posterior delt. All of them are very important for posture , so i would image you wouldnt want any heavy imbalances between the right and left side.

  • @astrotrek3534

    @astrotrek3534

    6 ай бұрын

    We can actually tell how many archers were present at old battlefields because their bone structure in the skeletons is unbalanced towards their shooting arm, it can definitely have an effect on you.

  • @Segalmed
    @Segalmed4 жыл бұрын

    There is currently a nice little crossbow exhibition at the German History Museum in Berlin (Deutsches Historisches Museum) under the header: The Crossbow - Terror and Beauty (Die Armbrust - Schrecken und Schönheit). It's less about its use in war but for hunting, as a status symbol and it's long term importance for the self-conception for the (urban) citizenry in Germany (even after it had become obsolete as a weapon of war). The highlights are two crossbows related to emperor Maximilian I (who seems to have been an excellent shot and took quite an interest on crossbows down to the technical details).

  • @Nickname-hier-einfuegen

    @Nickname-hier-einfuegen

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Owen Lee Crossbows were used by the war capable free men who were obligated to protect their city if necessary. Which is a privilege, really, and came with social prestige. Every German city, town, or village still has at least one "Schützenbruderschaft", literally: marksmen brotherhood. The oldest of these date back to the 12th century. They were basically organized militias. They stopped being relevant for actual warfare when all rulers started to rely on mercenaries (~ 16th century), but the tradition is still alive today.

  • @Segalmed

    @Segalmed

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Owen Lee The German free cities (Frei Reichsstädte) were entities separate from the feudal territorial states and were proud of it. An important part of this was the ability of the urban citizens (Bürger) to defend their freedom leading to a system of a general city militia including every citizen able to carry arms. The crossbow was the weapon for the higher echelons of citizenry while the lower ranks mainly carried polearms (Spießbürger). Crossbows were expensive to produce and to maintain but they were ideal for the defense of fortified places (i.e. cities). Bürger (urban citizen) is derived from Burg (castle). The crossbowmen organized in guilds that had a high reputation because they consisted of the city elite. Training and shooting contests of these guilds thus became public events allowing the city elites to present themselves both in their wealth and in their importance for the common defense. The crossbow thus became a symbol of the pride of urban citizens of their independence and their willingness and ability to defend it. This symbolism survived the actual combat use of the weapon itself and crossbow shooter guilds and their contests lasted up to the 19th century parallel to the (gun) shooting clubs. Only slowly did it turn from a cherished tradition to mere sports (as it is today).

  • @okin_rezresua1715

    @okin_rezresua1715

    4 жыл бұрын

    Yep, there is a pretty detailed depiction of a pavise-crossbowman on the facade of a medieval building just 100 meters from where I live. I live in Konstanz, southern Germany.

  • @cynthiabauer5763

    @cynthiabauer5763

    4 жыл бұрын

    Maximilian owned every hunting weapon ever, conventional and exceptional, practical or challenging. His collection alone provides an index of history's hunting weapons up to his point.

  • @GaudiaCertaminisGaming
    @GaudiaCertaminisGaming4 жыл бұрын

    Fun fact. The leader of King John's crossbow men was Falkes de Breauté (Falkes being the Norman French for 'scythe', a weapon he used to kill a knight with in his youth). He brought a property in London that became known as Fox Hall, which became the name of the Borough of Vauxhall. The logo of Vauxhall cars is a gryphon holding a flag, which was the personal banner of Falkes.

  • @MonkeyJedi99

    @MonkeyJedi99

    4 жыл бұрын

    My etymology hurts!

  • @beckysand1444

    @beckysand1444

    4 жыл бұрын

    looks like vauxhall's marketing dept. are getting really sneaky beaky these days.

  • @GaudiaCertaminisGaming

    @GaudiaCertaminisGaming

    4 жыл бұрын

    Becky Sand Ahh. So you saw through it, did you?

  • @hansvonmannschaft9062

    @hansvonmannschaft9062

    4 жыл бұрын

    Wait! So it went from fox to vaux within the lifetime of mr. Falkes? That rocks!

  • @valaudae1809

    @valaudae1809

    4 жыл бұрын

    Excellent comment. A good example of how names originate.

  • @MrApothicNightmare
    @MrApothicNightmare4 жыл бұрын

    A very informative video. No fluff or weird graphics with cheesy music, just two guys talking about their craft. High quality stuff. Subscribed.

  • @dragankovacevic623
    @dragankovacevic6234 жыл бұрын

    Imagine reloading crossbow for 6 mins just so u could miss the shot. 😂

  • @argenisjimenez8118

    @argenisjimenez8118

    4 жыл бұрын

    Phfuuuuck

  • @dominiquegagnon5264

    @dominiquegagnon5264

    4 жыл бұрын

    ragequit

  • @louishart2135

    @louishart2135

    3 жыл бұрын

    exactly. crossbowmen normally had at least another crossbow with them plus someone to reset the crossbow for them to shoot

  • @ngauruhoezodiac3143

    @ngauruhoezodiac3143

    2 жыл бұрын

    A windlass bow takes a couple of minutes to reload but although it has less power the crossbows that were loaded by standing on a footplate and using the legs and back could be reloaded in 30 seconds.

  • @code066funkinbird3

    @code066funkinbird3

    2 жыл бұрын

    Lmao imagine it on ingame

  • @brozter
    @brozter4 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much Tod for these amazing tests.

  • @sarpedonzeus1874

    @sarpedonzeus1874

    4 жыл бұрын

    Spot on.. the last few have been fantastic.

  • @gerryjamesedwards1227
    @gerryjamesedwards12274 жыл бұрын

    Content-wise, you're knocking it out of the park, Tod!

  • @rodneyworthington2972
    @rodneyworthington29724 жыл бұрын

    Skeletons found here in Britain of Medieval Longbowmen found deformed or Damaged Bone Structure in the Arm and Shoulder.

  • @xxlegolas

    @xxlegolas

    4 жыл бұрын

    Bow is Life!

  • @amsb4dafunk406

    @amsb4dafunk406

    4 жыл бұрын

    Them cats were optimized son.

  • @RhodokTribesman

    @RhodokTribesman

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Trip Gil Funnily enough, that's American slang

  • @Mornomgir

    @Mornomgir

    4 жыл бұрын

    Not damaged. Their bone structure had realigned due to the massive strength in some muscles. Sure they would be gimps when older but...

  • @DarxusC

    @DarxusC

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yeah I want to see an xray of Joe.

  • @michaelwescott8064
    @michaelwescott80644 жыл бұрын

    The chinese used teams of three, with three xbows, two spanning and one shooter constantly trading off fired for loaded. Very aggressive and was devastating to the enemy.

  • @miketrice533

    @miketrice533

    3 жыл бұрын

    That's great, but if they were bow users, you'd have three archers firing down range. Of course it's easier to train the three crossbowman than the three archers.

  • @myparceltape1169

    @myparceltape1169

    3 жыл бұрын

    Out on the grouse moor the beaters used to drive the birds onto the guns. The shooter has two 12bores and a loader lying between his legs. After he has emptied both barrels he drops his expensive gun to be caught by his loader. The timing should be good enough that there are two guns in the air at the same time. One going up and the other coming down.

  • @jooot_6850

    @jooot_6850

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@miketrice533 you could give a peasant with 60 IQ a demonstration of how to use a crossbow and a few hours of training and have a decent enough levee crossbowman, whilst an archer would require years of training. Maybe some slight exaggerations but crossbows are definitely easier to use, so fielding a team of 3 crossbowmen is probably easier than 3 archers

  • @muschischultz7921

    @muschischultz7921

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@miketrice533 how long could you keep firing with a bow tho. With a crossbow, you have two people drawing for you with winches which is probably less tiring than pulling back 120 lbs. With longbows, you probably have 7-10 devestating voleys before your arm gets tired. Crossbows can keep going for hours probably. I guess it depends on the situation. If its a long drawn out siege, then crossbows are probably the way to go. Arow slits are probably limited anyways.

  • @LuLu-ip4zb

    @LuLu-ip4zb

    Жыл бұрын

    Itallians did the same, so probably a common tactic used whereever crossbows existed

  • @sergarlantyrell7847
    @sergarlantyrell78474 жыл бұрын

    So for field use, Longbow is clearly better. For sieges, crossbow comes into it's own. Also for field armies, once the arrows are expended you have an awful lot of very very strong guys who can pick up a war hammer and join the melee.

  • @hjorturerlend

    @hjorturerlend

    4 жыл бұрын

    You can also bring war wagons to the field lol. Interesting that two of the armies of the first half of the 15th century which were centred around missile weaponry (the English and the Hussites) put such an emphasis on fieldworks and creating barriers that allowed them to shoot at the enemy from close range for an extended period of time.

  • @commonpepe2270

    @commonpepe2270

    4 жыл бұрын

    the archer is going to be a lot more exhausted than the crossbowman after expending his ammunition though. and the converse argument is that the crossbowman will need to spend less time and effort practicing with his primary weapon, so he has more time to spend on getting more skilled at melee combat.

  • @JDahl-sj5lk

    @JDahl-sj5lk

    4 жыл бұрын

    Well, if a crossbow man actually consists of 1; shooter 1 loader & pavice mover (Or even a second loader) Then that could mean you have either a 2 or 3 man crew. (2 being more likely though, if you'd have 3, then you might also have 2 crossbows pr team, and it seems unlikely) And since I think shooting is easier than loading, it might not mean that the roles were set either. The shooter could loose arrows until the loader is a bit tired, (Or more likely, before the loader gets tired), and then switch roles. Not only would that increase loose speed, but you now have 2 people carrying bolts. And being able to move the pavice. In the heat of battle, I imagine a 2 crew configuration could be highly effective, and less influenced by arrows and stones coming their way than bow men behind spears. There's also the trouble that once your army loses big, and a lot are slaughtered, relying on bow men might just be out of the question for a long long time.

  • @sergarlantyrell7847

    @sergarlantyrell7847

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@JDahl-sj5lk I don't think comparing a longbowman to a crossbow team is an especially fair comparison, the true equivalent to a crossbowman and loader/pavice mover would be 2 longbowmen, both from a man-power perspective and also cost, with mechanically assisted crossbows (eg windlass or cranequin, mandatory for powerful crossbows of the early 15th century) being so much more expensive than a longbow (basically a fancy stick and some cord) and the wages higher too. Basically given a set pool of people and resources, how many of each could an army field.

  • @JDahl-sj5lk

    @JDahl-sj5lk

    4 жыл бұрын

    Ser Garlan Tyrell The comparison wasn’t really to be fair, but just thoughts on why crossbows were used, how to utilize them most effectively, and why they would cost more to hire. While the simple answer (and maybe most likely) is just that you use what’s available; and crossbows as an item cost more. (What Tod said in the video basically) My point was basically that IF we are to consider crossbow men working in a team, they might have some advantages that bow men do not. I’m just speculating here though. I was also wondering (and if anybody knows) whether the cost of crossbow men is stated as pr individual, or could be pr unit (of two most likely)?

  • @roberthill5549
    @roberthill55494 жыл бұрын

    "I'm pushing it for six, six and a half inches." - Tod 2019 Sorry, Tod. Had to be done.

  • @jeremymcadam7400

    @jeremymcadam7400

    4 жыл бұрын

    What a monster. That's an order of magnitude more than I can push for

  • @scrapthatwithmatt9520

    @scrapthatwithmatt9520

    4 жыл бұрын

    jeremy mcadam Boi...

  • @LumosX

    @LumosX

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@jeremymcadam7400 Try to push harder. Six and a half inches really isn't that much....

  • @23Revan84

    @23Revan84

    4 жыл бұрын

    “The efficiency is absolutely appalling.” -Tod 2019

  • @Einomar

    @Einomar

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@LumosX Well actually it's more then most, since the average is five and a half. So statistically most if not all in this comment section is around that. But hey have all the fantasies you like :)

  • @SimplyKomplicated
    @SimplyKomplicated4 жыл бұрын

    11:52 So true! I thought doing heavy weighted rows would help me with the draw weight of my bow. Both actions feel COMPLETELY different and it doesn't transfer over into archery whatsoever! Lesson learned the hard way.

  • @HistoricalWeapons

    @HistoricalWeapons

    4 жыл бұрын

    Best is rubber bands as a substitute

  • @wattlebough
    @wattlebough4 жыл бұрын

    Really nice to have shed new light on what was no doubt common knowledge in medieval times about the practical applications unique to the crossbow and longbow. I like the idea that a crossbowman can lie in wait with his crossbow at the ready for prolonged periods without physically exhausting himself which would make for a quick and easy transition to the sword while still being relatively fresh. Also the value in being able to be used in confined spaces such as on ships, etc. I never honestly thought of that before. Thanks for making this series!

  • @jakemitchell1671
    @jakemitchell16714 жыл бұрын

    The muscle around Joe's right shoulder blade is the only thing that scares Chuck Norris.

  • @BRAMB0SSS
    @BRAMB0SSS4 жыл бұрын

    love how your channel grew by half in a month. You really deserve it, especially with this latest series. You are awesome!

  • @johnathonhamilton232
    @johnathonhamilton2324 жыл бұрын

    You guys pulled off this video very well. The demonstration and conversation and teaching are all very good.

  • @bimscutney1242
    @bimscutney12424 жыл бұрын

    180 pound draw weight? Good god! I had a 45lb recurve as a teenager and thought that was hard to pull back. So that destroys the movie myth with the scenes of the archers drawing back their bows and waiting for the order to fire. It’s almost all one motion : drawback as you raise the bow get on target and release.

  • @PaletoB
    @PaletoB4 жыл бұрын

    Remember the books on medieval warfare I used to read in my youth. They usually said things like "knights needed a big crane to get on a horse" and " crossbows where for shooting through armour". 🙄 Love these experiments.

  • @kooroshrostami27

    @kooroshrostami27

    4 жыл бұрын

    The only medieval weapon that will penetrate a breast plate is a warhammer with a spike. with the hammer-end, given that you have a good hit, you will not penetrate it but you will deform it to an extend that it shatters the ribcage which will most likely kill the target, or at the very least disable him.

  • @lordpardus7348

    @lordpardus7348

    4 жыл бұрын

    There were documented cases of crossbows going through the shield, through the arm and into the chest.

  • @cynthiabauer5763

    @cynthiabauer5763

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@lordpardus7348 The better made object will defeat the poorer made object. A well made crossbow, bolt and arrowhead with high quality metal will defeat poorly made inferior metal armor, and vice-versa.

  • @lordpardus7348

    @lordpardus7348

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@cynthiabauer5763 The problem is not how something was made. The problem is that those who are of English decent say that their self long bow (which had a draw of about 100 lbs) was an uber weapon. It was not. Not only Crossbow had plenty of advantages. Turkish/Scythian bows were infinitely superior.

  • @sykessaul123

    @sykessaul123

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@lordpardus7348 They were recurve bows and they were superior only because of the style of use, namely mounted archery. East Europe and Asia is a much, much larger place than England or the battlefields in France where longbows were used. This meant that archers and armies had to travel much larger distances to battles and therefore their armies were mostly mounted. English armies were mostly not due to the cost of good horses which most soldiers couldn't afford. The trees in Turkey are also much different to the huge straight grained yews we have/had in the UK which allowed for huge 6ft longbows to be used. Just as the crossbow and the English longbow/warbow were both amazing for what they did, so was the recurve bow for what it's intended purpose was. Saying that, it'd be interesting to see who would win, a trained english warbowman or a mounted Turkish/Hungarian/Mongol archer.

  • @maximecorre4070
    @maximecorre40704 жыл бұрын

    As a french young man, I sadly heard about longbows in Agincourt.... I am deeply thankful for the video though. It was awesome quality content !!

  • @2adamast

    @2adamast

    4 жыл бұрын

    Imagine being English and sadly hearing about longbows in Patay. There is no silver bullet.

  • @dirkauditore8413

    @dirkauditore8413

    Жыл бұрын

    Viva la France

  • @bgwe1393
    @bgwe13934 жыл бұрын

    I like Joe, he's always so calm and friendly.

  • @atune2682
    @atune26824 жыл бұрын

    love it! just 2 guys having fun with their hobby! thank you guys!

  • @VashGames
    @VashGames4 жыл бұрын

    Crossbows are better weapons when you need to minimize your exposure to the enemy. Ambushing, taking cover behind walls/shields, etc.

  • @gingerbill128

    @gingerbill128

    4 жыл бұрын

    yea , they were good for castle or fortress defence as you can hide while reloading and being rushed isn't an issue.

  • @Bartooc

    @Bartooc

    4 жыл бұрын

    And you could shoot them pretty much all day.

  • @ghandimauler

    @ghandimauler

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@gingerbill128 Also for sieges from behind a heavy shield with a stand. You might not have the height advantage, but you can shoot back at the defenders.

  • @MrChickennugget360

    @MrChickennugget360

    4 жыл бұрын

    this program is only focusing on rate of fire. i would like to look at the differences of ballistics and Armour piercing characteristics.

  • @Entiox
    @Entiox4 жыл бұрын

    Years ago I read a fascinating article comparing longbows to crossbows written by a physicist who also did historical reenactment. He did a bunch of calculations based on draw length, draw weight, length of the bow limbs, weight of the projectiles, and the materials used in the construction, basically as many variables as he could consider to calculate the efficiency of each. When he ran all the numbers he found that to match a 150 pound longbow with a 30 inch draw you need to have a crossbow that drew over a 1000 pounds at 6 inches. If I can find the article again I'll post a link to it for anyone who is interested.

  • @JasonFiske
    @JasonFiske4 жыл бұрын

    Great video. Thank you. I’ve wondered about this for decades.

  • @tubebobwil
    @tubebobwil3 жыл бұрын

    I love the calmness of these videos, combined with the sound of all the birds.

  • @Aelethil
    @Aelethil4 жыл бұрын

    Comments: WHY DIDN'T YOU SHOOT THE BREASTPLATE Tod and his crew: because that's the next video, silly.

  • @cantkeepitin

    @cantkeepitin

    4 жыл бұрын

    Such test are expensive, because often the arrows get damnage, or is at least difficult to get them back to use.

  • @Ewarne
    @Ewarne4 жыл бұрын

    Bruh this archers right bicep is the size of my tensed ass cheek

  • @markziff7234

    @markziff7234

    4 жыл бұрын

    A lot of the strength when drawing the bow is through your back.

  • @jello788

    @jello788

    4 жыл бұрын

    10:17

  • @kindafatkindastrong5683

    @kindafatkindastrong5683

    4 жыл бұрын

    How are you looking at your own tensed ass??????

  • @kindafatkindastrong5683

    @kindafatkindastrong5683

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@markziff7234 very true the guys teres major is huge

  • @farkleberry867

    @farkleberry867

    3 жыл бұрын

    😂😂😂

  • @1Brushon
    @1Brushon4 жыл бұрын

    So nice to see two gentlemen talking and not trying to one up each other. Well done.

  • @benschulthies3621
    @benschulthies36214 жыл бұрын

    I would like to see how his strongest crossbow fares against a breastplate. Wasn't there one with well over 1,000 lbs of tension? And I remember Joe saying in a previous video, that he could shoot a 200 lb bow--just not for very long. I'd like to see how the highest tension bows and crossbows would fare against real armor. This would really give us a sense of the limits of either the armor or the ranged weapons. As always, wonderful videos Tod! Thanks for taking the time to create such incredible content, I hope there is much more to come!

  • @Gothmetalhead13
    @Gothmetalhead134 жыл бұрын

    "You cant step out drawn" Gods, I remember when I used to think this was possible, and then I made my first bow. It wasnt even that powerful and I could barely draw and aim it. Learnt a lot of things that day.

  • @vargata

    @vargata

    4 жыл бұрын

    then you must be really weak. im a broke fat poor old guy and I can happily walk around with a 70-80lb bow drawn

  • @vargata

    @vargata

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Jiyu Nope, not compound, a kid can walk around with an 80lb compound, I have a traditional hunnic recurve with 72lb draw weight and its not difficult even for me...

  • @chasecalvert6227

    @chasecalvert6227

    4 жыл бұрын

    Tuareg Akavir I’m a large guy myself and I find it very easy to use my 70 lb COMPOUND BOW to take deer and wild game. However, the long bow and take down bows are much different and it might be easy to hold 70lbs for a second but for 6 seconds at a time repeatedly, it gets hard

  • @vargata

    @vargata

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@chasecalvert6227 so you still say it cant be done even though I already stated I have a NOT COMPOUND traditional 72lb recurve bow and I can do it easily. its funny :D maybe get a traditional bow and try it before you comment again... for us weak modern guys a 160lb would really be impossible to draw and hold but there were times when people were able to do it easily, even with much heavier bows, the strongest I know about is 260lb that is in use today by a hungarian guy leading a nomad life in the caucasus, but there are plenty of ottoman and chinese bows documented in the 200-240 lb range and having some of them in museums today... not being able to draw a 70lb bow for extended time just means you are weak. really weak. (btw, I had a 14yo kid shooting 2x10 with this 72lb bow...)

  • @evil001987

    @evil001987

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@chasecalvert6227 this the guy that claims that he knows a guy lifting 2000 lbs in another comment chain, even though the person he says can do it have a personal record at 500 lbs. He also claims that mongols fired 200+ lbs from horseback and faster than this guy in the video, when his only source claims that chinese military considered 80 lbs enough draw weight sufficient, not even referring to the mongols. He is just full of shit.

  • @riveraluciano
    @riveraluciano4 жыл бұрын

    "A serious weight" Dude can pull my own weight in a second..... That guy is absolutely massive.

  • @steveqhanson6835
    @steveqhanson68354 жыл бұрын

    great comparison. Thanks for posting such a good interview

  • @user-fn7rm9ix2s
    @user-fn7rm9ix2s9 ай бұрын

    I had taken many amateur classes and found my own style. It wasn't till I started watching experts and historians that I understood how important form and execution is over base strength. It's so important to keep learning and I appreciate these kind of videos for reminding me

  • @MrBandholm
    @MrBandholm4 жыл бұрын

    Oh hell yes! This is so awesome!

  • @DontKeeptheFaith
    @DontKeeptheFaith4 жыл бұрын

    For a serious bowman, you essentially build the bow into your body. Very interesting.

  • @Beowulf-eg2li

    @Beowulf-eg2li

    4 жыл бұрын

    That upper back curvature is crazy, it must've led to some seriously big back muscles!

  • @kurtwhite1498
    @kurtwhite149810 ай бұрын

    thank you for showing this reload action. you have provided us great evidence to debate how long it takes to actually do this. most archery videos cut out this "boring" part. i really appreciate you showing and focusing on it.

  • @Michael_MW
    @Michael_MW3 жыл бұрын

    I’m really happy I found this channel. Thank you for your work gentlemen.

  • @boden8138
    @boden81384 жыл бұрын

    From a hunters perspective the biggest advantage of a crossbow is the ability to wait at full draw for the target to come into range. In the quiet of a wood Bows are loud when you draw them.

  • @MrADjam5

    @MrADjam5

    4 жыл бұрын

    @incinerator950 Really don't know what bows you have heard...But the last 10 years have produced the most fastest and quiet hand drawn compound bows ever.

  • @Trollman2K

    @Trollman2K

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@MrADjam5 Not only in the last years, i use an 85lb wood bow , so basically an average medieval hunting bow, and the only sound it makes is at release. I don't know what kind of bows he's using.

  • @Ihwaz13

    @Ihwaz13

    4 жыл бұрын

    The only noise a bow makes is the sound of the arrow moving over the hand and the bow. You can reduce that noise to pretty much nothing with a thin piece of leather. And of course a fairly quiet noise when releasing, but with heavy hunting arrows and some string silencers that noise is really quiet.

  • @boden8138

    @boden8138

    4 жыл бұрын

    ashbow archer That relative quite is quite loud to people in a heightened state of awareness. I don’t know how much experience you have being hunted by other humans in a war zone but I can tell you that the tiny creak of a string moving in the notches as it is drawn would be plenty loud to draw my full attention.

  • @Trollman2K

    @Trollman2K

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@boden8138 If your string creaks in the notches it's breaking and you should unstring the bow immediately

  • @Jason608
    @Jason6084 жыл бұрын

    If the crossbow was the sniper rifle, the longbow was the machine gun. Both having their situational uses and both excellent machines of war. Great video, you guys!

  • @romanstaniszewski1030
    @romanstaniszewski10304 жыл бұрын

    AWESOME COMPETITION GUYS ! KEEP ENTERTAINING US WITH GREAT HISTORICAL ANSWERS !

  • @douglasaitken6579
    @douglasaitken65794 жыл бұрын

    Another excellent video, thanks so much Tod!

  • @ProKoByDank
    @ProKoByDank4 жыл бұрын

    This channel has quickly became my favourite lately😁

  • @blxtothis
    @blxtothis Жыл бұрын

    At around 07:30, the Slo-Mo shot of Joe releasing a bullseye bound arrow was superb, wonderful how one small bird flew over him and one flew from the target area just as the arrow arrived, that would have been impossible to predict!

  • @9090Glenn
    @9090Glenn4 жыл бұрын

    fascinating videos guys - thanks for that - informative and intriguing discussion

  • @deezynar
    @deezynar4 жыл бұрын

    Mr. Gibbs is as humble as he is skilled.

  • @savednorwegian
    @savednorwegian4 жыл бұрын

    You were quite fast at reloading that crossbow, quicker than most others I've seen doing it here on youtube

  • @bencowles2105
    @bencowles21054 жыл бұрын

    Most boys started shooting a bow around eight. Heavy bow training started around 14 or 15. Every village with more than 100 residents had to be able to muster a certain number of archers should the lord of the land call them up for duty. Professional war archers were more specialized. And had years of training and practice. Bow were cheep and easy to mass produce. War bows took a bit longer to make but were still fairly easy to make. Another secret that is little known was that a professional war archer carried 2 bows. One heavy war bow and one lighter draw weight combat bow. Both with the same draw length but different draw weights. As they practiced constantly they could transition very quickly for the situation. Mind you a professional war archer was not your everyday archer. They had different training techniques and skill sets including close quarters combat skills. With and with out a bow.

  • @MrThede02
    @MrThede024 жыл бұрын

    Tod! You have become so professional! I remember when your channel was much smaller, I am happy for your success!

  • @qwerasdf1338
    @qwerasdf13384 жыл бұрын

    I love these videos because there's no fluff it's just honest experimentation and humble conversation also I fixed my caps lock key

  • @tommeakin1732
    @tommeakin17324 жыл бұрын

    Are there many archery clubs around the UK that supply and teach with traditional longbows...? To me, that'd be way more interesting than using modern archery equipment

  • @rchave

    @rchave

    4 жыл бұрын

    the English Warbow Society are the main ones

  • @cheekychappy1234

    @cheekychappy1234

    4 жыл бұрын

    The archery club I was a member of in Bristol ( until I damaged the tendons in my hand) had a large contingent of Longbow and barebow ( Recurve bows without the gadgets ) shooters. Just call around your local area, you will find them.

  • @szyszszysz2062

    @szyszszysz2062

    4 жыл бұрын

    there are still some easterrn bows that are more effective and were used by Poles, Mongols and some others . Shorter, lower draw power needed and yet same if not better results. Less dmg to body

  • @cynthiabauer5763

    @cynthiabauer5763

    4 жыл бұрын

    Master crafted wooden bows are expensive, if you are starting out give a chance to moderns without any attachments (they call it barebow). You could modify it to look like wood. I shoot recurve barebow, it's a lot of fun. An alternative is for you to make your own wooden bow, they call this selfbow, then it's very cheap but don't expect much from self bows unless you study the art of bowyery and become a master yourself.

  • @tommeakin1732

    @tommeakin1732

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@cynthiabauer5763 I know absolutely nothing about modern archery, but I was thinking it'd be cool if there were clubs that owned a variety of bows of different draw weights so club members could progress to more powerful bows without having to spend massive amounts of money on bows. I assume most of the focus of modern archery is on precise target shooting with low draw weight bows, and exception to that would probably be bow hunting where accuracy and draw weight matters. I like the idea of the focus being on both draw weight progression and accuracy

  • @glennchartrand5411
    @glennchartrand54114 жыл бұрын

    The thing you're missing is that a crossbow can be used from a kneeling position and doesnt require a wide range of upper body motion to load and aim. This allows the crossbowman to wear armor and get closer to the target. (Its why they had to be paid more, greater danger) It's a front line weapon, while archers were generally near the back during battle. Longbowmen have to stop attacking the enemy's front ranks as the armies close and settle for lobbing arrows into the back ranks. Crossbowmen are with the front ranks taking shots from only a few feet away into the enemies face (literally). Also when Archers from 100 yards start raining arrows down on infantry , they have to raise their shields ... that's when they get a bolt through the leg from a crossbowmen only 15 feet away. I see the life of a crossbowmen as. Span, Advance to the front. Shoot almost point blank into any body part not behind a shield. Step back. Span.

  • @Wexexx

    @Wexexx

    4 жыл бұрын

    I mean, he just said that. That you can shoot it lying down. Did you watch it?

  • @glennchartrand5411

    @glennchartrand5411

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@Wexexx yeah , but the test they did simply showed that the Crossbow isnt very useful as a longbow. I was pointing out what a crossbow is used for. Longbows were used as ranged attack and crossbows are for close attack. The crossbow makes up for its low rate of fire by hitting vulnerable areas more often. The vast majority of arrows land in shields or bounce off armor as the bowman lob the arrows into the enemy line from a distance. The Crossbowman is only a few feet away. With his bolt already spanned waiting for a gap to appear in the shields. A much larger percentage of bolts hit flesh.

  • @wolfvonversweber1109

    @wolfvonversweber1109

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@glennchartrand5411 You're describing the use of bows in hollywood movies, not historical use... Arrows were - almost certainly* - never "lobed" at enemies, they were shot in a straight line of sight, because they wouldn't do any damage otherwise. 200 yards might be the maximum effective range of a great bowman under the best circumstances, but the average distance they shot at the enemy was probably considerably shorter. Also, crossbows are clearly designed to be operated from a standing position. There's the footholder to stabilise it while operating the windlass or pulling it back with both arms. It's impossible to operate with any efficiency in a battlefield scenario from a crouching or lying position. They might have received more, for being positioned closer to the enemy and with heavier, more expensive armour, but not for the reasons you mention. Hitting gaps/weak parts in armour or armourless sections would have been luck in both cases, we're talking about moving targets in a battlefield situation. Hitting someone in the armpit, gap between helmet and breastplate etc. wouldn't even be possible with modern weapons under these circumstances. * All historical depictions/descriptions show archers shooting straight at the enemy, none show them "lobbing" on an open battlefield. They only aim "up", when the enemy is "up", like on a wall.

  • @yyeezyy630

    @yyeezyy630

    4 жыл бұрын

    Glenn Chartrand that doesn't sound right if they were only a few feet away they wouldn't have their crossbows out a human can move 10 feet in a couple seconds the crossbow men wouldn't have time to draw their swords or get behind the ranks they would have had to be 40-100 feet away not just a few.

  • @glennchartrand5411

    @glennchartrand5411

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@yyeezyy630 crossbowmen stand right behind the infantry , shooting between the gaps in the line. Battle wasn't a 1v1 situation. It was groups fighting groups.

  • @jaybills437
    @jaybills4374 жыл бұрын

    This was fantastic I feel like I learned a lot thank u.

  • @firstnamelastname7003
    @firstnamelastname70033 жыл бұрын

    Came for cool medieval facts, stayed for the chill vibes exuded by these two lovely people.

  • @menedian
    @menedian4 жыл бұрын

    As they mention, a MAJOR advantage of the crossbow was in sieges. It is much easier to aim a crossbow into a murderhole or over a wall while keeping yourself safe. The crossbow also excelled at sniping, again an important fact for sieges. For instance, if you are watching over an area, and an enemy soldier darts out of cover and runs to another piece of cover. You can't keep a war bow drawn for hours on end of course, so you'd have to 1) Spot the enemy, 2) Draw the bow, 3) Aim, 4) Shoot. Whereas you can keep a crossbow loaded for hours, and even hold it into an aiming position for quite a while, especially if you can rest it on something, like a sniper would with a rifle. In the same situation it means you'd only need to 1) Spot the enemy, 2) Aim, 3) Shoot. Or if you know where they'll pop out from, you can reduce it to just 1) Spot, 2) Shoot. This would be a huge advantage for skirmishes and for stuff like guard shifts.

  • @wipplewopple1876
    @wipplewopple18764 жыл бұрын

    Another advantage of the crossbow is the firing positions you can shoot from, and they kinda mention that. If you're waiting in ambush, then you can have a few crossbowmen laying in bushes and firing from them, whereas bowmen need to pop out of cover to engage. I really like the comparison here, and it's a fair comparison.

  • @hawkname1234
    @hawkname12344 жыл бұрын

    So awesome. Great video guys.

  • @GrahamFrench247
    @GrahamFrench2473 жыл бұрын

    What a great comparison!

  • @GREYFLWRMUSIC
    @GREYFLWRMUSIC3 жыл бұрын

    "You should be able to shoot a 100 pounds no problem" And here I am, sweating after using my 40lb

  • @stanozolol
    @stanozolol4 жыл бұрын

    great vid, very enjoyable, i've started shooting a 35lb traditional bow with wooden arrows, thinking about 160lb+ is making my arms hurt already.

  • @GandBeckz
    @GandBeckz4 жыл бұрын

    I've seen Gibbs around the internet, good making vids with him!

  • @datalink7
    @datalink74 жыл бұрын

    My new goal is to buy one of your windlass crossbows. Take me a bit to save up for it, but I'm going to do it. Your work is excellent.

  • @ewhyte8059
    @ewhyte80593 жыл бұрын

    Creativity is an intrinsic part of strategy in combat.How bowmen and crossbow men were used in combination with each other is important. If for example 20 crossbowmen are split into five groups of four continuous fire can be maintained for long periods of time yet the timing and the number per volley will be discernible after a few minutes. So as to keep the enemy guessing . e.g. 20 crossbowman focused on one particular point successively for short periods can have great psychological advantages especially if fired from a handful of pre-determined stakes in the ground upon which the crossbow is rested whereby pinpoint accuracy is more easily attainable. Meanwhile archers having greater mobility of deployment can add a heightened level of unpredictability (circumstances and conditions permitting) as to the precise origin (as regards counter volley) of assault. This is probably why the Mongols were so feared. Picture 50 archers on horseback zigzagging their way towards pitched archers and cavalry then peeling off single file to pick off the members of the front two or three rows of the enemy before disengaging and then leaving them to face a follow-up of 500 lightly armoured fast moving horseback warriors primed for the first hand to hand engagement. In their day the Mongols were decidedly more creative under Chengis Kahn/Temujin et al than their enemies with the use of the bow to make no mention of other tools of war. Please feel free to hack away at my opinion.🙃

  • @bastianstiefler3390
    @bastianstiefler33904 жыл бұрын

    10 secs in and I knew I could like this for the content ;)

  • @barry7608
    @barry76083 жыл бұрын

    Great interview and perspective thanks from down under

  • @MichaelGalt
    @MichaelGalt4 жыл бұрын

    Great video. Just added 1 more subscription. Keep up the excellent work! Now I want to try out a 160lb bow...

  • @christophershafer5615
    @christophershafer56153 жыл бұрын

    I would like to see some of Joe shooting long range and separately moving (transverse and charging) targets!

  • @laurenzreichelt4911
    @laurenzreichelt49114 жыл бұрын

    I just love watching Joe shoot that bow xD He is a damn machine

  • @AliothAncalagon

    @AliothAncalagon

    4 жыл бұрын

    There is really something special to it. All those years of watching small chicks and skinny dudes shooting bows that seem like toys and all it takes are a few shots from Joe to make clear what kind of power an actual bow entails. And to see someone harness this raw force with nothing but a strong back, a steady hand and a clear sight is a true beauty.

  • @kabal8619

    @kabal8619

    4 жыл бұрын

    He certainly seems to do well with it, although from a modern archery perspective his form is horrible.

  • @AliothAncalagon

    @AliothAncalagon

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@kabal8619 This always happens when a sport disconnects itself from reality. I know the same thing from fencing.

  • @emperortrajan3609
    @emperortrajan36094 жыл бұрын

    This was awesome! Thanks

  • @andersandersson5815
    @andersandersson58152 жыл бұрын

    What a humble and nice personality Joe have.

  • @deloceanophoto
    @deloceanophoto3 жыл бұрын

    “Everyone should be able to pull 100 lb” Me: struggles with my 40lb recurve: “I am weak”.

  • @paulsmith1981
    @paulsmith19814 жыл бұрын

    Richard the lion heart, an elite Knight was killed by a pot boy with a cross bow.

  • @willierants5880
    @willierants58804 жыл бұрын

    Man the sound that long bow makes is SO satisfying.

  • @foresttaniguchi3168
    @foresttaniguchi31683 жыл бұрын

    This is exactly the content I wanna see

  • @bencowles2105
    @bencowles21054 жыл бұрын

    One of my ancestors was a professional war archer. And he kept journals of his training and experiences. Some of the techniques he wrote were surprising and have proven to be very effective. I am no archer but I have read his journals. Some of the things he wrote about have since been proven and revealed by historians to be true and accurate.

  • @TheMasterLynx
    @TheMasterLynx4 жыл бұрын

    Very interesting video once more! The whole internet was waiting for some serious content about archery! Thanks! About the mandatory training for young lads in England, most of them were farmers I suppose, and farmers for the nature of their job are way more tough than nowdays people. In Liguria, my region here in Italy, until 50 years ago, was normal, for common man to transport 50 kg (110 pounds) on their shoulder, up and down from the hills, and the half (25 kg, 55 pounds) for women and kids. I suppose this were true all over, so that heavy bows could have been way easier to being held by common farmers without as much training as we need today. Abour crossbow man, maybe they were somehow specialized in mechanics as well, so they can take care of their own equipment and being this a rare combo (bravery and mechanical skills) they were paied very well? I don't know much about crossbows so I'm just guessing. Thanks again and keep it up!

  • @Marcusjnmc
    @Marcusjnmc4 жыл бұрын

    thanks for the video

  • @zuupcat
    @zuupcat3 жыл бұрын

    Awesome guy! Awesome video!

  • @FeeDBacKMKII
    @FeeDBacKMKII4 жыл бұрын

    would like to see joe Gibbs shooting an Instant legolas warbow and his reaction

  • @beenoc

    @beenoc

    3 жыл бұрын

    Congratulations, you got it.

  • @FeeDBacKMKII

    @FeeDBacKMKII

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@beenoc yes and it was great !

  • @Galphor
    @Galphor4 жыл бұрын

    well ive been considering learning how to shoot a bow for a little while now. and you boys just made up my mind. thanks now i just need some money lol

  • @hobbybaschtler7896

    @hobbybaschtler7896

    4 жыл бұрын

    Go for it. An advice from my experience: buy a bow with a fairly small drawweight, so you can learn learn technique properly and practice longer. It will be less frustrating.

  • @georgeb9408
    @georgeb94084 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for the video! As I shoot both with longbow and crossbow I’ve come to the same conclusion.

  • @starchitin
    @starchitin4 жыл бұрын

    Joe Gibbs seems to be close to the perfect man... soft spoken, thoughtful, smart, and gorgeous.... I'd have subscribed to the channel even without him being a part of it, but I def look forward to the vids he's in.