how far will a catapult throw
A trebuchet tends to be easier to build because it consists simply of a pivoting beam and a counterweight that rotates the beam through an arc. Catapults can launch things a fair distance -- 500 to 1,000 feet (150 to 300 meters) is common. It is surprising how much energy they can store. The gears are important, because they create a winch. The winch allows a person to put a great deal of energy into the catapult over a period of time.