What guns to buy? and related posts.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 26 Jul 2020, 22:20

I just did a bit of online shopping at midway. My the technology of bows has advanced. If you can spare $700 US plus shipping you can get a bow that is just 30 inches axle to axle that has a maximum draw weight of 70 pounds that lets off 85% of that at full draw and shoots arrows at 338 feet per second.
Imagine having that on the walls of a medieval castle looking out at a hoard of Vikings.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1022509320

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 27 Jul 2020, 18:37

I'm not sure about Vikings but if you had a bunch of Anglo Saxons looking at you they would be firing back aimed shots from 120lb longbows at about six arrows per minute.

Catweazle · Post by **Catweazle** » 27 Jul 2020, 21:57

Those specs are similar to my Matthews Switchback. It's amazing to use, the let-off allows careful, relaxed aiming and the way that the limbs move away from each other means little movement when loosed. It's great fun.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 27 Jul 2020, 22:48

kenneal - lagger wrote:I'm not sure about Vikings but if you had a bunch of Anglo Saxons looking at you they would be firing back aimed shots from 120lb longbows at about six arrows per minute.

Not having researched a ballistics calculator for bows and arrows my first guess is that all of those aimed long bow shots would fall short uselessly against the walls of the keep while the return fire would pick off one man after another at their leisure.
While twice the arrow speed dose not compute to twice the effective range even ten yards where you can hit him while he cant hit you is a huge advantage then add in the advantage of being on a high battlement shooting down at your enemy shooting up against gravity.,
A modern cross bow or compound long bow in the hands of one side would have settled many a medieval battle.

Catweazle · Post by **Catweazle** » 28 Jul 2020, 22:00

Very true VT. Also worth remembering that the draw weight does not relate directly to the arrow speed and power. What's important is the recovery rate of the bows limbs and the length of the "power stroke". The crossbow often has a very high draw weight but is sometimes less powerful and always much slower to load and fire than a conventional bow, it does have some significant advantages though - it can be fired from more positions and from behind cover.

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 28 Jul 2020, 22:16

Crossbow - bolt action single shot rifle.

Long bow - machine gun.

BritDownUnder · Post by **BritDownUnder** » 29 Jul 2020, 09:57

vtsnowedin wrote: Imagine having that on the walls of a medieval castle looking out at a hoard of Vikings.

I think the Vikings had something called the blood eagle for people who had the nerve to fire arrows at them.

Amazingly shaped and contorted bow that you bought. Perhaps the Vikings would have had a good laugh at you first before administering the blood eagle.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 29 Jul 2020, 12:13

Check this out. A full automatic crossbow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbKGjRoSofA

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 07 Sep 2020, 17:33

It appears people are hoarding ammo again for fear of insurrection after the election. I went on line today to order replacements of what friends and I shot up yesterday on my range setup. I found that both of my usual suppliers were totally out of stock of handgun ammunition and 22 long rifle rim fire.
Odd that it had not been noticed or commented on by the media.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 07 Sep 2020, 19:29

vtsnowedin wrote:Check this out. A full automatic crossbow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbKGjRoSofA

What a great laugh he has! Good man, ingenious.

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 07 Sep 2020, 22:08

emordnilap wrote:
vtsnowedin wrote:Check this out. A full automatic crossbow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbKGjRoSofA
What a great laugh he has! Good man, ingenious.

Yep, very ingenious. I fancy making one of those myself.

Post by **clv101** » 07 Sep 2020, 23:19

vtsnowedin wrote:Check this out. A full automatic crossbow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbKGjRoSofA

Nice bit of accessible engineering!

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 07 Sep 2020, 23:52

That kind of thinking will serve those that can do it well in our future world.

Catweazle · Post by **Catweazle** » 08 Sep 2020, 00:25

We'd have a lot more engineering students if school tech classes made things like that.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 11 Sep 2020, 09:50

Catweazle wrote:We'd have a lot more engineering students if school tech classes made things like that.

A shop teacher would not dare let students make a working model of a hand held weapon knowing the limitations of students responsibility and judgement.
Now a scale model of a Trebuchet with an arm no longer then 30CM might be a good project with the students doing the research and math to get all the proportions correct. It could be a walnut launcher.