| Archery has always been a popular sport, and | | | | to for maximum efficiency and strength for arrow |
| longbow archery may be the purest, most basic form | | | | launches. This process can be shortened considerably |
| of the sport that exists. From pre-history through | | | | by wetting the wood before final shaping, but classic |
| modern times, some form of archery has been | | | | longbow purists insist taking this shortcut by wetting |
| present in most cultures and practically all continents, | | | | can result in a much weaker longbow. |
| but it wasn't until relatively recent history that the | | | | The draw weight (the force required to pull the |
| longbow came to be. | | | | bowstring back into launch position) for the classic |
| Longbow archery,which is also known as the The | | | | longbow can be quite high, as some require up to 160 |
| English Longbow, and is also called the Welsh | | | | lbf (pounds-force) at a 30 inch draw length. Maybe |
| Longbow (which is a type of tall bow developed for | | | | that's why ancient pictures of longbow warriors show |
| archery), is a powerful type of bow that was | | | | the men as well muscled and strong-looking, as they |
| developed during the medieval era which occurred | | | | would have to be very powerful to effectively use an |
| between 500 - 1450 A.D. | | | | ancient longbow! Modern longbows typically require 60 |
| The longbow is a tall bow, standing well over 6 feet in | | | | lbf at around 28 inches draw. Of course, along with a |
| length if placed on the ground, and has been used both | | | | much easier draw force comes a much shorter arrow |
| as a weapon of war and a weapon for hunting by the | | | | trajectory - the arrows will travel much less far as |
| English, the Scots and the Welsh. The longbow was | | | | shot from a modern bow. |
| particularly effective for the English during the 100 | | | | While there aren't any records of arrow shot length |
| Years' War (1337 to 1453) against the French. And the | | | | for the classic medieval longbow, experts estimate its |
| longbow served those who used it well for a large | | | | range could be as great as 249 yards, given perfect |
| part of the medieval era, well into the introduction of | | | | conditions. In contrast a modern longbow can travel |
| the classic and powerful crossbow, which uses | | | | about 200 yards maximum. It's no wonder that the |
| compounding technology to make for a more powerful | | | | modern longbow will shoot an arrow a shorter |
| weapon. | | | | distance than that of the ancient weapon - consider |
| The classic longbow from centuries ago was made of | | | | the difference in draw force, 160 lbf vs. a mere 60 lbf |
| a wood called yew, while ash and other strong and | | | | for a modern weapon. |
| flexible woods will make a good longbow as well. | | | | Modern longbow archery is alive and well, thanks to |
| Using a process that often takes as long as four | | | | ancient hunters and warriors developing and refining |
| years, the longbow's structural wood pieces were | | | | this very important weapon. |
| painstakingly dried, then gradually shaped and curved | | | | |