From: JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU (Jay Brandt)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Arrows (was Authenticity, A
Date: 21 Aug 92 20:18:26 GMT
Organization: University of Oregon, Architecture

> Actually, here in the Middle, the current poundage limit is set at 55#.
> Most of us here in our shire that are interested have found some 50#
> fiberglass bows that we're going to cover.
> 
> The impact is quote noticable at 20 yards or so... you definitely won't
> have the problem of fighters not even knowing that they've been hit.  :-)
 
Wow! Just how did they manage to convince their heavies and lights to allow
that high a bow weight? Makes sense to me, as I have often felt that 30# is
a bit light. I'm not too sure I would want to get hit on an unarmored spot
with a 55# bow though. Then again I've heard that the Middle Kingdom also
allows "Heavy Archers, in full armor, that can play with the missile
weapons and do a one-way switch to heavy at any time during a given battle.
Is this so?
-----
I only have time to fight in two or three wars a year. The rest of the time
I need to be at my merchant booth, making and selling furniture. But I am
still an interested war archer.

Here in An Tir I have been experimenting with tennis ball throwers. "Dead"
tennis balls are free at most courts, who don't know what to do with them.
Beats the heck out of the cost of arrows and blunts. They can be weighted
with 2 to 3 ounces of plastic beads if your Kingdom allows it, to gain a
more noticable impact. Tennis balls also get around one of the largest
complaints against missile weapons out here - no archery mesh is required
for them, just unmodified helms. Unlike golf tube arrows, it's fairly easy
to carry a lot of tennis balls. The biggest complaint I have against golf
tube arrows is that they are too bulky. I would need a couple of "war
pages" toting bags of the things to have enough ammo for a normal battle
scenario. As noted in an earlier post, golf tubes aren't -too- bad on
accuracy -IF- you use a 50# bow.

For the last few years I have used a -staff sling- with fairly good effect
at the wars I could make it to. It is a 4' to 5' long pole with a slightlly
curved hook at the top, about the same curviture as a hand in a relaxed
position. One end of the sling attaches to the pole just below the hook.
The other end loops over the hook. The sling is about four feet long
overall (two feet when folded and loaded).  The projectile is put in the
pouch of the sling, hanging down as the pole is held level over your
shoulder. You whip the pole toward the target like the arm of trebuchet
(which is just a siege-sized staff-sling for throwing boulders, etc.). The
projectile follows a path in the plane of the pole as it is swung. With a
little practice you get about 1/2 to 1/3 the rate of fire that a good
archer can get. There is very little tendancy to be off on the bearing, but
controlling the range of your cast is more difficult. Max range is 200 to
300 yards with unweighted tennis balls. It is -quite- effective for lobbing
missiles over the ranks of your troops, over the enemy's front lines, and
into the ranks of their reserve heavies and lights who -think- they haven't
begun to enter the fight yet. They also acknowledge more hits than heavies
actively engaged in the front lines. It's also useful for picking people
off from castle battlements and towers. 

A staff sling can also be a fun toy at -HOT- events. At Cavalier Lights War
a few years ago, when it was over 100! with no shade, I used it to toss
water baloons at willing targets.

I'm just starting to experiment with tennis ball throwing crossbows. Also a
Knight out here (Sir Blackhand) has perfected a very interesting modified
compound bow (50 pounds pull or so) that uses tennis balls, as would a
pellet bow. He says there is no poundage limit in An Tir on tennis ball
chuckers, only on arrow using weapons. 

OOPS! Lunch break's over, gotta run!

Write or post if you want more info. I check the boards just about every
day.

Jason of Rosaria, in the Barony of Adiantum, Kingdom of An Tir

MKA 
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Jay B. Brandt,                 |  Internet: JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU
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