@T1meW4st3d The arrows are between 30" and 32" long from the nock to the shoulder of the pile (head). Their weights depend to a great deal on what style of head is on the arrow, but generally they average around 60g.
I'm not into archery, but the shafts are thicker than I expected (more like drum sticks). Must have been hell on the receiving end, especially if fired en masse like a volley. That'll make you hunker for sure.
Very interested to see Martin draw the bow, I am only about 5 foot nine and when I draw my bow to over 31 inches the string is way back past my ear in a similar fashion to Martin here. I thought that I may be drawing the bow too far back for me , if this makes sense?, should I just draw to the ear?
@markitisthen Mark, there is no such thing as drawing the bow too far back for the archer, only too far back for the bow. Everyone is built differently so just draw it back as far as you feel comfortable. I am 5' 7" and draw until the metal hits my finger. My shafts are 31.5" long. No one knows how far the medieval archer drew in inches, we only have the illustrations to go by. The longer the draw the more power in the shot. Do what feels natural and comfortable for you mate. No rules! :)
@barbarybar Yes some of the arrow heads were designed for armour piercing, but not all those we shot were. The mannequin is not a good substitute for a human body. Its shell is of course harder than skin, but it was mostly hollow after that and of course a human body is densely packed with fat, muscle, organs and bone.
@bigbowbrum ~ My understanding is that after you get past our skin it only takes 7lbs to cut through the stuff between layers baring hitting a bone. Your shel is hard but it looks like there is foam between the layers which will grab the shaft and give allot more than 7 lbs resistance and friction. My guess is that all those shots would be pass throughs on a real person. Baring hitting a bone and even then possibly. I now 50lb at a similar distance gave me pass throughs on deer W/wide heads
@PWArchery I would think you are probably right, so long as the arrow didn't hit bone. The mannequin we shot at was surprisingly hard and broke a fair few arrows in the process!
@Fabipavi1 Sorry, but I have no plans to sell arrows at present as they take a great deal of time and effort to make, and I break my own arrows regularly enough to keep me busy just replacing them. Maybe one day I will start making them to sell on eBay.
@morganpowys Because 99% of the people who view my videos enjoy it that's why. If you don't then you can do 2 things; either stop watching or mute the sound. Simple. :)
@MegaGamerRO That's like me asking you how many miles can you drive in your car before it breaks down. If the bow is used correctly then there is no reason for it to break. I bought the Osage bow (the dark coloured one) that I am shooting in this video in 2002 and it has been used frequently since. It must have shot thousands of arrows in that time and I hope it lasts me many more years yet.
@0Ruaiks0 Yes the arrow rests on the hand but the feathers don't need to be attached any differently to the normal way. The nocking point is slightly higher than where the arrow rests on the hand so when the string is loosed the arrow will "sit up" and glide over the hand without rubbing across it. If the feathers do touch the hand then it doesn't matter as they are soft enough not to hurt. Feathers are attached in the typical Y formation, the V part of the Y facing the bow if that makes sense?
I love the longbow, I have one that's hickory, draws about 35# at 28in, not all that much compared to a yew ELB, but the same craftmanship still applies.
@hahalookaduck We have shot at bulletproof vests and even gave a demonstration at a police college against a stab vest, but we felt it best to keep our results off the internet. We were surprised at how effective the vests proved to be.
I've seen your other vids and have a question or two (if you don't mind). I'm ditching my compound bows and am going back to what I was taught on 40 years ago, a recurve. Longbows are my next stop. What is a good mfg to purchase from? Anything specific I should look for? Thanks for any help.
@koxiesarmy Nice to hear you are going back to basics. I will send you a list of bowyers I either use or recommend for longbows. The main things to think about are draw weight and whether you wish to shoot a Victorian-style target longbow or the medieval-style warbow. Likewise shooting style (Victorian or medieval) will dictate arrow length. No space to explain further so please ask if u have further questions. Best wishes.
@bigbowbrum what is the difference in stance from a Victorian style and midevel style? Because I think that the midevel style is feet apart, arched forwawrd and bow puled all the way back to the "back of the head" am i correct and what are the differences?
@sharks123456790 Yes you are correct. The Victorian style is feet together at 90 degrees to target, stand straight and use back and shoulders, just as in modern archery. Medieval style is feet advancing towards the target (feet in roughly 5 past 3 position), leading knee bent, torso leaning towards bow, draw back to ear or chest. This is a more stable stance, and it uses the bodyweight to help push the bow away as the string is drawn. Leaning keeps string clear of torso and any clothing/armour.
@koxiesarmy I tried to send you a message but YouTube says your channel is unavailable. Please message me so I can send you the list of bowyers by reply.
what is better for a novice to the longbow? the anchor to the chin or the anchor to the back of the head? i want killing power. well a little bit of both accuray and power. i think if i do this one i will find accuracy wtih time. PLS REPLY
@sharks123456790 Using a fixed anchor point, such as your chin, can make it easier to shoot accurately but of course the longer draw will get more power out of your bow. I would recommend you try to always shoot using the same length of draw i.e. to the "back of the head" as you say. This way you get maximum power out of your bow and your accuracy will improve as you get used to the longer draw.
@bengwa7 Thank you for the advice. I am always keen to hear constructive criticisms like that, and I will keep it in mind when I make another film. I can see how it makes the shot "flow" and join better. Best wishes.
@tdfootballxx Yes they really are. There would be no point lying about it. We have spent many years working up to these kinds of draw weights. Once you have some experience and know the proper techniques then it really is quite easy to shoot a 100lb bow. Even a 120lb bow is achievable for most people. It's all to do with using your bodyweight and legs to push into the bow as you draw the string back, rather than standing with feet close together and back straight as modern archers do.
whats so funny about longbows they require soo much poundage to pull but the mongolian and the hungarian bow requires less poundage and has more power and more accurate
so let's say i pick one for the first time and shoot my first shot. What's the possibility of my hitting a target in let's say 30 meters..? (i'm not paraplegic) Nice videos cheers!
@arikat1 With the right instruction you would have a fairly good chance. I give "have-a-go" instruction to members of the public at summer fairs and fetes, and some people take to it immediately, and are naturally good shots, others need more help.
In one of your previous videos it showed you shooting a 90lb Osage bow. Pound for pound how does it compare to yew? or for that matter Hickory? Does the wood play a big part in how the bow performs?
@Lukos0036 The wood does play a big part, but so does the construction, length and cross-section. I have never compared identical bows made of different woods so I cannot give you a conclusive answer. The Osage bow was laminated, backed with hickory and even after 9 years it still has a terrific cast. A hickory self bow would not perform anywhere near as good. Yew is great, but it is soft and a yew self bow will lose poundage relatively quickly through regular use at full draw.
@Lukos0036 Laminating a bow brings together the best properties of typically 2, 3 or 4 different woods so that the combination is better than any one of those woods on its own. It also makes a bow more resilient and less likely to drop off in poundage or "follow the string". Laminated bows are often used in flight competitions as they have a better cast than most self bows.
is there somewhere i can buy a English war bow?and how much do they cost? I dont think we have Yew trees in the U.S.how much in U.S. dollars.I want one bad.
@troycollins80 Yeah no problem. I will send you a list of the suppliers I know of. There is yew in the States, called Pacific Yew. The best warbows are made in England and Europe and will cost the equivallent of $700 to $1500 depending on the wood, the poundage and the bowyer, but there are a few bowyers in the US that make them too.
wow nice shooting (at close range though but still good shooting) i cant belive that them bows were 100lb bows if i could get 1 of them i would strugle to pull it (only pulls 32lb :) )
@tut455 Hi. The only reason we shot so close is that the camera has great difficulty in picking up the arrow at speed, in fact it disappears once it has left the bow. We wanted shots of the arrows hitting the target, and couldn't be bothered to put them far away and keep having to walk back and forth to retrieve the arrows. If I did the video again I would put the targets further out, but this was our first video and we were just playing to see what was possible.
@CrashVegas1 Thank you! The arrows are between 30 - 31.5" long, from nock to the start of the head (all the heads are different lengths) and the diameter of the shafts is tapered from 1/2" at the head to 3/8" at the nock. They weigh at least 55 grams and can go up to over 90 grams depending on the style of the head.
@BluSUBsound I would, but the trouble is that the camera cannot see the arrows as they are too small and move too fast. If you watch my other videos you will see shots of us launching arrows over great distances, so you can see our technique, but I have tried filming the arrows and they just disappear. I am waiting for a very small camera to come from China which I hope to attach to an arrow and shoot some long shots. That may give you a better idea. Should be fun! Watch this space. :o)
@TheAnthrochocobo Every bow throughout history has been designed for a specific use. The compound bow is an incredible piece of modern engineering, and in the right hands can achieve tremendous and consistent accuracy. These medieval longbows were designed to deliver a tremendously powerful punch at long range. Accuracy was secondary. Both bows are great fun to shoot and both should be considered in their own context in history. Best wishes in archery.
180lb bows...imagine somebody who has the strengh to pull back a bow all day, of that poundage...when the battle was over... to shake his hand.. like putting your hand in a vice......
the ak 47 of the middle ages, u can see why agincourt was such an overwhelming victory imagine 7,000 archers loosing 10 arrows per min, thats 70,000 arrows per min, devastating
@welcome2primetime The bow I am using in this video was made for me by Pip Bickerstaffe of Bickerstaffe Bows. It is a replica (in shape only) of the bows recovered from the wreck of the Tudor warship Mary Rose. It is made of Osage and backed with HIckory. I have had it since 2001 and it still shoots like a dream. Pip has a very good website.
@Agincourtwarbow Hello Jake. I shot modern recurve bows for 2 years, then stopped for 10 years before shooting longbows for the last 10 years. Martin shot compound bows, then recurves and then longbows and has been shooting bows for about 15 years.
im welsh and our forefathers created the lonbow and were regularly used by the english to win battles for them as we were the most proficient in using it, proved to be very useful against the french :) long live cymru!!!! (wales) oh and btw the poundage was way higher than what you were using here you wouldnt be able to hold a longbow you draw and release theres no holding it in place,
@OW41N Everyone is entitled to their opinion Ow41n, but the general consensus these days is that the Welsh did not invent the longbow. Examples almost identical to those found on the Mary Rose have been found in southern England from 2665BC. The Romans and Vikings used them, as did the Anglo Saxons in England. True, some of the Mary Rose bows appear to go up to 180lbs draw weight, I have handled them, but the average was probably around 130lbs. Still more than ours I grant you. Cheers.
@bigbowbrum then how when england invaded wales did they take so many losses from longbows, from a sight that they had never seen or experienced before, your full of shit mate, where is the historical reference, which book is it in? all the documentaries and books i read say its the welsh that made it, none of these historians are welsh either so its not bias, go blabber your lies to someone that has studied less
@OW41N What a shame that you cannot form a reply without resorting to abusive and profane language, especially when my comment to you was meant with the best intentions. I don't care what you have read, my point is that opinion has changed and can be read in many books such as The Great Warbow by Strickland and The Medieval Archer by Bradbury to mention just two. Yes, the Welsh used bows against Edward I. How do you know they were longbows? How do you know the English had never seen them before?
@bigbowbrum holy jesus ur not trying to make out even the romas had them, everyone knows the romas were only good with cohorts, m8 seriously wheres the proof there thousands of history books and historians that say we did i think i believe my university teacher and the historians more than you, some dude on youtube lol
@OW41N And that's your problem Ow41n. You think of me only as a "dude on YouTube". Has it never occured to you that I may have been shooting bows for over 20 years? That I spend most of my spare time testing that which most historians repeat verbatim without questioning? That perhaps I have worked with Southampton archaeological dept, the Mary Rose Trust, The Discovery Channel, The V&A museum. That perhaps I count as close friends some of the most knowledgeable people in the business?
@OW41N I don't have all the answers, but my point is that neither do you and we should question the general consensus. I can guarantee that most of the books you have read have simply quoted Morris on the Welsh question, and he put far too much faith in the writings of Geraldus Cambrensis. Since then new research has come to light. Bows almost identical to the Mary Rose bows have been found at Ashcott Heath in Surrey (2665BC), Nydam and Vimose (200 - 400AD) The archaeological evidence is there.
@OW41N If you wish to put your faith in your Uni teacher then great. We all have to start somewhere, but please continue with an open mind. Yes, it always was thought that the Welsh invented the longbow, but we have since re-examined the evidence and found that there is none. There certainly is no proof the Anglo Saxons did not use it too. Archaeological finds have also surfaced since. History is a science. It is always moving forward. Always be prepared to question what you think you know. :-)
@OW41N I don't know which University you claim to attend but not only is your ability to write a fluent sentence of statement so utterly flawed with childish profanities and elementary spelling errors, but your entire statement is based only in complete and utter anti-English, Welsh nationalistic drivel. You not only know nothing of your own history, you attempt to mask your ignorance of it with ridiculous notions about everyone else's. You are nothing more than an antagonist with little brains.
cont... How do you know the English were not also using longbows? Where is your proof they created the longbow when it was already in use in the Bronze Age, and by the Romans and Vikings and Saxons all over Europe. Why were the Welsh archers at Agincourt in the minority? Why did Edward I pay them less and use them in vastly inferior numbers compared to his English archers during the Scottish campaigns if they were so proficient? My point is we will never know who invented or first used it.
Indeed, there are many people also friends of me who wanna take up shooting and than aim for a heavy boon since I am shooting 65, for me that is at the moment heavy enough hahaha. Be sure to get the technique right, mine still needs a lot of shaping and perfectioning. But if you are patient you will get there. Be sure to have fun! :D
@citationxbjfv We have several bows from different bowyers. They are made by John Marshall, Celestino Poletti, Pip Bickerstaffe of Bickerstaffe Bows and Steve Stratton of DIY Archery. Most have their own sites on the web.
@WolfOfBloodAndBone Modern archers use an anchor point either at their chin or mouth as this is a very accurate way of shooting. In medieval times archers wanted to put as much force behind the arrow as possible because they were trying to kill rather than just hit a mark. Therefore they used as long an arrow as possible, drawing all the way back to their ear or beyond. This technique stopped once bows were no longer used in warfare. We do it to replicate those lost skills.
@bigbowbrum That makes sense, if you're trying to put an arrow all the way across a battlefield. Might have to go out to the field and try it sometime hehe the French will never see it coming, they never do!
@WolfOfBloodAndBone There is nothing quite so impressive or satisfying as launching a 60g war arrow up into the blue sky at 45 degrees with all your might off a heavy draw weight warbow, and see it sail past a 200 yard mark before thudding several inches into the ground. I just can't imagine what it must have been like for the French to advance into volleys of thousands of such arrows. Perhaps it was a good thing that their helmet visors afforded poor visibility! :)
@theguitarsmasher You first have to decide what style you wish to use. i.e. hunting style where you draw to the eye, target style where you draw to the chin or medieval where you draw to the ear. You then have to decide how you wish to aim. i.e. using Point of Aim where you put the tip of the arrow on a point relative to what you are aiming at, or instinctively where you simply look at where you want the arrow to go and then loose. Once you have decided you can then begin to practise.
@theguitarsmasher I have shot all 3 styles depending on what I am doing. i.e. when I used to compete I shot target style. When I do "field shoots", which are simulated hunting competitions, then I use hunting style but now all I do is shoot medieval style as I only shoot warbows these days and train like the military archers used to train in the middle ages.
@bigbowbrum Yes, I have, In the past few weeks been shooting medieval style also, I prefer it rather than target or hunting. I have though had to get a 40 lb longbow because the 50 lb bow was too much for now, put It this way, I'm a few years short of driving, so I'll have to build myself up quite a bit to get to where you are. Thanks.
@theguitarsmasher That's fine. There is no rush. It is better to learn good technique with a lighter bow, and allow your tendons and ligaments to strengthen before you go up in bow weight, otherwise you will learn bad form and any joint injuries would set you back years. Most warbow archers I know (myself included) have bad elbows and shoulders. The body takes quite a bashing from shooting these big bows so take your time, warm up well and in time you will get there.
@imoviesful Martin and I are wearing 3 different knives. I am wearing an "Archer's Pick", which is a heavy, single-sided multi-purpose blade with a yew handle and a replica of a knife found on the Tudor (1545) wreck of the Mary Rose ship. Martin is wearing a medieval bollock dagger and a St George dagger that he won at an archery competition at Agincourt near the original battlefield in France. We use them to dig our arrow heads out of the wood or the dirt if they get stuck and break off.
@eduardodemoura12345 I have been told they can, yes. A vest is designed to dissipate the energy of a bullet, but due to the flexing of the arrow's shaft the vest is unable to direct the energy away from the point of impact. The arrow in effect acts like a hammer, with the flexing shaft hammering the head through the vest. I have never seen it tested though.
@Istojataachatearme I think they are steel. They were made by Hector Cole. If you do an online search he has a very good website with a video showing the forging process.
Yes, we believe it was quite difficult for arrows to penetrate armour. Easier against iron armour but to penetrate steel they needed specially shaped and hardened heads, and even then they couldn't get through the best armour such as Millanese steel. There are just as many accounts of arrows bouncing off armour as there are of them going through, but of course there were many different kinds of armour on the field. Archers often targeted weak points or joints to have a better chance.
@cbrusharmy He is wearing a medieval-style arrow bag. Medieval soldiers did not wear quivers, but often carried 2 sheafs of 24 arrows each in linen arrow bags. When needed the arrows were either stuck in to the ground or pushed through their belt as Martin has them. The bags have leather disks at the open end with 24 holes in them which hold the arrows apart so the fletchings are not crushed. The bottom of the bags may have opened through which the arrows could be drawn if using broadheads.
@bigbowbrum Wow, what a fantastic response, thank you! I believe I've seen the bags before, but his belt carriage confused me. Thanks for the info, mate.
@LongbowKantana Yeah sure. I would get a low poundage bow so you can practise without struggling. Decide which style you wish to shoot. i.e. hunter style by drawing to your eye, target to your cheek or medieval to your ear, then learn to shoot instinctively by drawing up the string, looking at the target and loosing without aiming. Warm up properly first to protect your joints and muscles, don't go up in bow weight until you are ready and most important of all have fun!
I love it. Did you guys bowyer your own bows?? If so do you have any tips for a beginner. I am in Australia but do you know any woods that are easy to get accese to and are reasonably good to work with??
@pokeyman069 Pokey, these arrows are half an inch in diameter. They are not like modern carbon/aluminium arrows. They are designed to punch through plate steel and not get damaged. Throwing them on the ground will not hurt them one little bit.
@odkeky No licence needed, but you can only shoot one on private land or at a club, and it is always advisable to have public liability insurance just in case an arrow goes astray!
@ihaterobbie123 No, you don't have to release upon reaching full draw with warbows or target bows. While it is potentially damaging to a wooden bow to hold it for the same length of time as you would a recurve or compound bow, you can still hold it for a couple of seconds or so to adjust your aim before you loose.
1:03 = my eyes going like O.O picturing a real person.
UkrainianDragon1993 1 day ago
Those are some massive looking arrows! How long, weight??
T1meW4st3d 3 weeks ago
@T1meW4st3d The arrows are between 30" and 32" long from the nock to the shoulder of the pile (head). Their weights depend to a great deal on what style of head is on the arrow, but generally they average around 60g.
bigbowbrum 3 weeks ago
nice video, shame about the really naff music :(
why the need to overlay music onto archery of all things ?
musketeersteveliddle 1 month ago
the music's fine but please lower it in the beginning ahaha.
Igg79productions 2 months ago
I'd prefer getting shot with a gun, then this arrow :P
Lansdrow 2 months ago
I'm not into archery, but the shafts are thicker than I expected (more like drum sticks). Must have been hell on the receiving end, especially if fired en masse like a volley. That'll make you hunker for sure.
infectedvector 2 months ago
Very interested to see Martin draw the bow, I am only about 5 foot nine and when I draw my bow to over 31 inches the string is way back past my ear in a similar fashion to Martin here. I thought that I may be drawing the bow too far back for me , if this makes sense?, should I just draw to the ear?
markitisthen 3 months ago
@markitisthen Mark, there is no such thing as drawing the bow too far back for the archer, only too far back for the bow. Everyone is built differently so just draw it back as far as you feel comfortable. I am 5' 7" and draw until the metal hits my finger. My shafts are 31.5" long. No one knows how far the medieval archer drew in inches, we only have the illustrations to go by. The longer the draw the more power in the shot. Do what feels natural and comfortable for you mate. No rules! :)
bigbowbrum 3 months ago
Those arrow heads. Are they armour piercing? Is the mannequin a similar density to a human?
barbarybar 3 months ago
@barbarybar Yes some of the arrow heads were designed for armour piercing, but not all those we shot were. The mannequin is not a good substitute for a human body. Its shell is of course harder than skin, but it was mostly hollow after that and of course a human body is densely packed with fat, muscle, organs and bone.
bigbowbrum 3 months ago
@bigbowbrum ~ My understanding is that after you get past our skin it only takes 7lbs to cut through the stuff between layers baring hitting a bone. Your shel is hard but it looks like there is foam between the layers which will grab the shaft and give allot more than 7 lbs resistance and friction. My guess is that all those shots would be pass throughs on a real person. Baring hitting a bone and even then possibly. I now 50lb at a similar distance gave me pass throughs on deer W/wide heads
PWArchery 2 months ago
@PWArchery I would think you are probably right, so long as the arrow didn't hit bone. The mannequin we shot at was surprisingly hard and broke a fair few arrows in the process!
bigbowbrum 2 months ago
Would you sell one of the arrows ?
Fabipavi1 4 months ago in playlist Más vídeos de bigbowbrum
@Fabipavi1 Sorry, but I have no plans to sell arrows at present as they take a great deal of time and effort to make, and I break my own arrows regularly enough to keep me busy just replacing them. Maybe one day I will start making them to sell on eBay.
bigbowbrum 4 months ago
@Fabipavi1 a friend of mine can offer such arrows, handcrafted. If you are interested, leave a message...
Regards, Gerhard
moosegcr 2 months ago
i like 0:45 when you see martin and hear., Come on!
RockingOrange11 5 months ago
why must people always put shit music as background noise in videos?
morganpowys 5 months ago 10
@morganpowys Because 99% of the people who view my videos enjoy it that's why. If you don't then you can do 2 things; either stop watching or mute the sound. Simple. :)
bigbowbrum 5 months ago 7
@morganpowys u don't like rage against the machine? come on... u serious?
3XP4NS10N 4 months ago
@morganpowys they put you in the background???
overstockable 4 months ago
@morganpowys
RATM isnt shit, but it is pretty unfitting for the video
0hypnotoad0 1 month ago
@morganpowys you don't like the music? that's why there's a mute button ;)
snowchamp21o 1 month ago
Magnific video. 100lb bow (your shoulders must burn, but it should be a joy to shot with it).
Thank you for sharing with us!
FABIOBRAM 5 months ago
Do you have Any plans for it?
halfmumi 6 months ago
@halfmumi Plans for what exactly? Sorry, but I can't see what comment this is in reply to.
bigbowbrum 6 months ago
@bigbowbrum For making the bow.
halfmumi 6 months ago
@bigbowbrum He means to shoot some frenchmen :D
Roflmaoistable 5 months ago
@bigbowbrum He means to shoot someone :D
Roflmaoistable 5 months ago
@bigbowbrum i think plans for building such a bow... ?
Spartakist85 4 months ago
How many arrows can you launch with that bow before it breaks ?
MegaGamerRO 6 months ago
@MegaGamerRO That's like me asking you how many miles can you drive in your car before it breaks down. If the bow is used correctly then there is no reason for it to break. I bought the Osage bow (the dark coloured one) that I am shooting in this video in 2002 and it has been used frequently since. It must have shot thousands of arrows in that time and I hope it lasts me many more years yet.
bigbowbrum 6 months ago
That mannaquin got FUCKED UP.
Cruisey1234 6 months ago
Does the arrow rest on your hand? If yes, then what about the feathers? Are they just turned right so one feather is vertically upwards?
0Ruaiks0 6 months ago
@0Ruaiks0 Yes the arrow rests on the hand but the feathers don't need to be attached any differently to the normal way. The nocking point is slightly higher than where the arrow rests on the hand so when the string is loosed the arrow will "sit up" and glide over the hand without rubbing across it. If the feathers do touch the hand then it doesn't matter as they are soft enough not to hurt. Feathers are attached in the typical Y formation, the V part of the Y facing the bow if that makes sense?
bigbowbrum 6 months ago
@bigbowbrum okay thanks, that was helpful :)
0Ruaiks0 6 months ago
I'm sure that can easily go through someone and hit several other behind the original target.
tuina1 6 months ago
I love the longbow, I have one that's hickory, draws about 35# at 28in, not all that much compared to a yew ELB, but the same craftmanship still applies.
Thrawn6211 6 months ago
how about warbows vs. bullet proof vest
hahalookaduck 6 months ago in playlist English Warbow
@hahalookaduck We have shot at bulletproof vests and even gave a demonstration at a police college against a stab vest, but we felt it best to keep our results off the internet. We were surprised at how effective the vests proved to be.
bigbowbrum 6 months ago
English Longbows, beautiful tradition just like Central Asian horse bows.
Graywolf116 6 months ago
I've seen your other vids and have a question or two (if you don't mind). I'm ditching my compound bows and am going back to what I was taught on 40 years ago, a recurve. Longbows are my next stop. What is a good mfg to purchase from? Anything specific I should look for? Thanks for any help.
koxiesarmy 9 months ago
@koxiesarmy Nice to hear you are going back to basics. I will send you a list of bowyers I either use or recommend for longbows. The main things to think about are draw weight and whether you wish to shoot a Victorian-style target longbow or the medieval-style warbow. Likewise shooting style (Victorian or medieval) will dictate arrow length. No space to explain further so please ask if u have further questions. Best wishes.
bigbowbrum 9 months ago
@bigbowbrum what is the difference in stance from a Victorian style and midevel style? Because I think that the midevel style is feet apart, arched forwawrd and bow puled all the way back to the "back of the head" am i correct and what are the differences?
sharks123456790 7 months ago
@sharks123456790 Yes you are correct. The Victorian style is feet together at 90 degrees to target, stand straight and use back and shoulders, just as in modern archery. Medieval style is feet advancing towards the target (feet in roughly 5 past 3 position), leading knee bent, torso leaning towards bow, draw back to ear or chest. This is a more stable stance, and it uses the bodyweight to help push the bow away as the string is drawn. Leaning keeps string clear of torso and any clothing/armour.
bigbowbrum 7 months ago
@koxiesarmy I tried to send you a message but YouTube says your channel is unavailable. Please message me so I can send you the list of bowyers by reply.
bigbowbrum 9 months ago
@bigbowbrum Thanks for your help.
koxiesarmy 9 months ago
what is name of that song?
MusicAndParkour 9 months ago
@MusicAndParkour It's called "Wake Up" by Rage Against the Machine.
bigbowbrum 9 months ago
@bigbowbrum Heh I though that is from RATM .. thx bro
MusicAndParkour 9 months ago
i cant imgine the pain of being shot be and arrow like tht
joec123able 10 months ago
bow fail :31
puffmasta3000 10 months ago
I dont want to be the deer that gets shot at by this bow
5555Dragonmaster 11 months ago
what is better for a novice to the longbow? the anchor to the chin or the anchor to the back of the head? i want killing power. well a little bit of both accuray and power. i think if i do this one i will find accuracy wtih time. PLS REPLY
sharks123456790 11 months ago
@sharks123456790 Using a fixed anchor point, such as your chin, can make it easier to shoot accurately but of course the longer draw will get more power out of your bow. I would recommend you try to always shoot using the same length of draw i.e. to the "back of the head" as you say. This way you get maximum power out of your bow and your accuracy will improve as you get used to the longer draw.
bigbowbrum 11 months ago
note to self....dont piss off guys who know how to use a bow like these to men
ps that was sweet
TheMordify 1 year ago
ehh if they are shooting the bow from the left the arrow should come from the left.. film school hurts me
bengwa7 1 year ago
@bengwa7 Thank you for the advice. I am always keen to hear constructive criticisms like that, and I will keep it in mind when I make another film. I can see how it makes the shot "flow" and join better. Best wishes.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
just imagine if you had accidentally hit the camera. it would've obliterated it
ishouldplayzelda 1 year ago
Cool
kennygtexas 1 year ago
When the arrow went all the way through the mannequin my immediate reaction was "Ho damn!"
Wikkiter 1 year ago
poor mannequin...
those bows are really powerful *-*
yondaimevitor 1 year ago
im not trying to be like a know it all but are those warbows really 100lbs because they dont look like it
tdfootballxx 1 year ago
@tdfootballxx Yes they really are. There would be no point lying about it. We have spent many years working up to these kinds of draw weights. Once you have some experience and know the proper techniques then it really is quite easy to shoot a 100lb bow. Even a 120lb bow is achievable for most people. It's all to do with using your bodyweight and legs to push into the bow as you draw the string back, rather than standing with feet close together and back straight as modern archers do.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@tdfootballxx I think the weight of the bow means the force required to pull the string all the way back, not how much it actually weighs lol.
eragon2121 1 year ago
whats so funny about longbows they require soo much poundage to pull but the mongolian and the hungarian bow requires less poundage and has more power and more accurate
GSPxRUSH 1 year ago
so let's say i pick one for the first time and shoot my first shot. What's the possibility of my hitting a target in let's say 30 meters..? (i'm not paraplegic) Nice videos cheers!
arikat1 1 year ago
@arikat1 With the right instruction you would have a fairly good chance. I give "have-a-go" instruction to members of the public at summer fairs and fetes, and some people take to it immediately, and are naturally good shots, others need more help.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
In one of your previous videos it showed you shooting a 90lb Osage bow. Pound for pound how does it compare to yew? or for that matter Hickory? Does the wood play a big part in how the bow performs?
Lukos0036 1 year ago
@Lukos0036 The wood does play a big part, but so does the construction, length and cross-section. I have never compared identical bows made of different woods so I cannot give you a conclusive answer. The Osage bow was laminated, backed with hickory and even after 9 years it still has a terrific cast. A hickory self bow would not perform anywhere near as good. Yew is great, but it is soft and a yew self bow will lose poundage relatively quickly through regular use at full draw.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@bigbowbrum I see, so it depends on rather or not it's laminated with something else. Thanks! =D
Lukos0036 1 year ago
@Lukos0036 Laminating a bow brings together the best properties of typically 2, 3 or 4 different woods so that the combination is better than any one of those woods on its own. It also makes a bow more resilient and less likely to drop off in poundage or "follow the string". Laminated bows are often used in flight competitions as they have a better cast than most self bows.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@bigbowbrum I only JUST got into archery, and I use an Atlatl (they are cheaper XD) so I still have a lot to learn about all of it.
Lukos0036 1 year ago
is there somewhere i can buy a English war bow?and how much do they cost? I dont think we have Yew trees in the U.S.how much in U.S. dollars.I want one bad.
troycollins80 1 year ago
@troycollins80 Yeah no problem. I will send you a list of the suppliers I know of. There is yew in the States, called Pacific Yew. The best warbows are made in England and Europe and will cost the equivallent of $700 to $1500 depending on the wood, the poundage and the bowyer, but there are a few bowyers in the US that make them too.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
wow nice shooting (at close range though but still good shooting) i cant belive that them bows were 100lb bows if i could get 1 of them i would strugle to pull it (only pulls 32lb :) )
tut455 1 year ago
@tut455 Hi. The only reason we shot so close is that the camera has great difficulty in picking up the arrow at speed, in fact it disappears once it has left the bow. We wanted shots of the arrows hitting the target, and couldn't be bothered to put them far away and keep having to walk back and forth to retrieve the arrows. If I did the video again I would put the targets further out, but this was our first video and we were just playing to see what was possible.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
These guys are awesome! What is the length and diameter of the arrows?
CrashVegas1 1 year ago
@CrashVegas1 Thank you! The arrows are between 30 - 31.5" long, from nock to the start of the head (all the heads are different lengths) and the diameter of the shafts is tapered from 1/2" at the head to 3/8" at the nock. They weigh at least 55 grams and can go up to over 90 grams depending on the style of the head.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
Awesome archery. Puts my 45# recurve to shame. Ever caught your ear on that long draw? Wingnuts need not apply! You'll tear ya ear off XD.
monkeybut1971 1 year ago
@monkeybut1971 We haven't caught our ears, but we sometimes catch the sides of our faces, which smarts quite a bit! :o)
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
i wanna get that kind of bow now i have a traditional recurve bow
atraiu8 1 year ago
awesome, you should show a video of long shots, up and over an enemy.
BluSUBsound 1 year ago
@BluSUBsound I would, but the trouble is that the camera cannot see the arrows as they are too small and move too fast. If you watch my other videos you will see shots of us launching arrows over great distances, so you can see our technique, but I have tried filming the arrows and they just disappear. I am waiting for a very small camera to come from China which I hope to attach to an arrow and shoot some long shots. That may give you a better idea. Should be fun! Watch this space. :o)
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
The track sounds very similar to Led Zep 'Kashmir' at the begining.
goodbadugly654 1 year ago
@TheAnthrochocobo Every bow throughout history has been designed for a specific use. The compound bow is an incredible piece of modern engineering, and in the right hands can achieve tremendous and consistent accuracy. These medieval longbows were designed to deliver a tremendously powerful punch at long range. Accuracy was secondary. Both bows are great fun to shoot and both should be considered in their own context in history. Best wishes in archery.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago 8
180lb bows...imagine somebody who has the strengh to pull back a bow all day, of that poundage...when the battle was over... to shake his hand.. like putting your hand in a vice......
sheepsfoot2 1 year ago
The longbow is Welsh tho :D
alieu156 1 year ago
the ak 47 of the middle ages, u can see why agincourt was such an overwhelming victory imagine 7,000 archers loosing 10 arrows per min, thats 70,000 arrows per min, devastating
palmer3977 1 year ago
were did you get this bow?
welcome2primetime 1 year ago
@welcome2primetime The bow I am using in this video was made for me by Pip Bickerstaffe of Bickerstaffe Bows. It is a replica (in shape only) of the bows recovered from the wreck of the Tudor warship Mary Rose. It is made of Osage and backed with HIckory. I have had it since 2001 and it still shoots like a dream. Pip has a very good website.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
i love being an archer then a warrior :]
Pumi99999 1 year ago
I'll bet these men use old spice
AZKOJYUN 1 year ago 23
@AZKOJYUN :o)
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@AZKOJYUN what if chuck norris uses old spice? O_o
wolvenblacktalon1 1 year ago
@wolvenblacktalon1 Chuck Norris doesn't need to use Old Spice! ;o)
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@bigbowbrum lmao
wolvenblacktalon1 1 year ago
What distance can you reach with those warbows?
MrKeehar 1 year ago
@MrKeehar It depends on the arrow, but a 120lb bow can shoot a 60g arrow about 240 yards.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
Hello again! ive seen your videos a few times now and its a great inspiration, and im just wondering how long have you guys been shooting? Thanks!
Cheers!
Jake
Agincourtwarbow 1 year ago
@Agincourtwarbow Hello Jake. I shot modern recurve bows for 2 years, then stopped for 10 years before shooting longbows for the last 10 years. Martin shot compound bows, then recurves and then longbows and has been shooting bows for about 15 years.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@bigbowbrum Amazing! thanks for always replying! it really helps!
Agincourtwarbow 1 year ago
nice man!
arugavin 1 year ago
im welsh and our forefathers created the lonbow and were regularly used by the english to win battles for them as we were the most proficient in using it, proved to be very useful against the french :) long live cymru!!!! (wales) oh and btw the poundage was way higher than what you were using here you wouldnt be able to hold a longbow you draw and release theres no holding it in place,
OW41N 1 year ago
@OW41N Everyone is entitled to their opinion Ow41n, but the general consensus these days is that the Welsh did not invent the longbow. Examples almost identical to those found on the Mary Rose have been found in southern England from 2665BC. The Romans and Vikings used them, as did the Anglo Saxons in England. True, some of the Mary Rose bows appear to go up to 180lbs draw weight, I have handled them, but the average was probably around 130lbs. Still more than ours I grant you. Cheers.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@bigbowbrum then how when england invaded wales did they take so many losses from longbows, from a sight that they had never seen or experienced before, your full of shit mate, where is the historical reference, which book is it in? all the documentaries and books i read say its the welsh that made it, none of these historians are welsh either so its not bias, go blabber your lies to someone that has studied less
OW41N 1 year ago
@OW41N What a shame that you cannot form a reply without resorting to abusive and profane language, especially when my comment to you was meant with the best intentions. I don't care what you have read, my point is that opinion has changed and can be read in many books such as The Great Warbow by Strickland and The Medieval Archer by Bradbury to mention just two. Yes, the Welsh used bows against Edward I. How do you know they were longbows? How do you know the English had never seen them before?
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@bigbowbrum holy jesus ur not trying to make out even the romas had them, everyone knows the romas were only good with cohorts, m8 seriously wheres the proof there thousands of history books and historians that say we did i think i believe my university teacher and the historians more than you, some dude on youtube lol
OW41N 1 year ago
@OW41N And that's your problem Ow41n. You think of me only as a "dude on YouTube". Has it never occured to you that I may have been shooting bows for over 20 years? That I spend most of my spare time testing that which most historians repeat verbatim without questioning? That perhaps I have worked with Southampton archaeological dept, the Mary Rose Trust, The Discovery Channel, The V&A museum. That perhaps I count as close friends some of the most knowledgeable people in the business?
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@OW41N I don't have all the answers, but my point is that neither do you and we should question the general consensus. I can guarantee that most of the books you have read have simply quoted Morris on the Welsh question, and he put far too much faith in the writings of Geraldus Cambrensis. Since then new research has come to light. Bows almost identical to the Mary Rose bows have been found at Ashcott Heath in Surrey (2665BC), Nydam and Vimose (200 - 400AD) The archaeological evidence is there.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@OW41N If you wish to put your faith in your Uni teacher then great. We all have to start somewhere, but please continue with an open mind. Yes, it always was thought that the Welsh invented the longbow, but we have since re-examined the evidence and found that there is none. There certainly is no proof the Anglo Saxons did not use it too. Archaeological finds have also surfaced since. History is a science. It is always moving forward. Always be prepared to question what you think you know. :-)
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@bigbowbrum i shall take that advice
OW41N 1 year ago
@OW41N I don't know which University you claim to attend but not only is your ability to write a fluent sentence of statement so utterly flawed with childish profanities and elementary spelling errors, but your entire statement is based only in complete and utter anti-English, Welsh nationalistic drivel. You not only know nothing of your own history, you attempt to mask your ignorance of it with ridiculous notions about everyone else's. You are nothing more than an antagonist with little brains.
Simona050 1 year ago
@Simona050 Can I borrow that ENTIRE paragraph? *S* (It's flawless and I can even substitute Welsh for a few states here *S* ... )
tagraham65 1 year ago
cont... How do you know the English were not also using longbows? Where is your proof they created the longbow when it was already in use in the Bronze Age, and by the Romans and Vikings and Saxons all over Europe. Why were the Welsh archers at Agincourt in the minority? Why did Edward I pay them less and use them in vastly inferior numbers compared to his English archers during the Scottish campaigns if they were so proficient? My point is we will never know who invented or first used it.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
this simple bow was was the start of a world domonation and a British Empire that lasted centuries
NewZealfighter 1 year ago
Indeed, there are many people also friends of me who wanna take up shooting and than aim for a heavy boon since I am shooting 65, for me that is at the moment heavy enough hahaha. Be sure to get the technique right, mine still needs a lot of shaping and perfectioning. But if you are patient you will get there. Be sure to have fun! :D
vinsk8er4life 1 year ago
Warbows in the medieval ages had a draw of 180 lbs. That is pulling back a full grown man...
FRappable 1 year ago
The sound of an arrow leaving the string is just the best... well besides the thump when it hits the target :P
WolfOfBloodAndBone 1 year ago
best of : hungarian bows !!!
HUN450HUN 1 year ago
that bow is great
timmyt95 1 year ago
nice work
MegaElementos 1 year ago
100 pound?i can barley use a 30....
Raxion496 1 year ago
Love the foam bust shots. I couldn't tell you how many times I've watched that.
cbrusharmy 1 year ago
Now that's what I call a lumbar puncture.
NoisemakerArrow 1 year ago
nice bow looks like they are a good 100lbs considering how thick they are
1000000volts 1 year ago
who make the bows you are using??
citationxbjfv 1 year ago
@citationxbjfv We have several bows from different bowyers. They are made by John Marshall, Celestino Poletti, Pip Bickerstaffe of Bickerstaffe Bows and Steve Stratton of DIY Archery. Most have their own sites on the web.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
i wouldent want to mess with these guys :p
natrebboh 1 year ago
I draw til the tip if my index finger touches the corner of my mouth, it's quite comfortable to me.
WolfOfBloodAndBone 1 year ago
@WolfOfBloodAndBone Modern archers use an anchor point either at their chin or mouth as this is a very accurate way of shooting. In medieval times archers wanted to put as much force behind the arrow as possible because they were trying to kill rather than just hit a mark. Therefore they used as long an arrow as possible, drawing all the way back to their ear or beyond. This technique stopped once bows were no longer used in warfare. We do it to replicate those lost skills.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@bigbowbrum That makes sense, if you're trying to put an arrow all the way across a battlefield. Might have to go out to the field and try it sometime hehe the French will never see it coming, they never do!
WolfOfBloodAndBone 1 year ago
@WolfOfBloodAndBone There is nothing quite so impressive or satisfying as launching a 60g war arrow up into the blue sky at 45 degrees with all your might off a heavy draw weight warbow, and see it sail past a 200 yard mark before thudding several inches into the ground. I just can't imagine what it must have been like for the French to advance into volleys of thousands of such arrows. Perhaps it was a good thing that their helmet visors afforded poor visibility! :)
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
I just got a 50 lb European longbow not too long ago. I'm new to archery and have kind of taught myself how to shoot. Any pointers?
theguitarsmasher 1 year ago
@theguitarsmasher You first have to decide what style you wish to use. i.e. hunting style where you draw to the eye, target style where you draw to the chin or medieval where you draw to the ear. You then have to decide how you wish to aim. i.e. using Point of Aim where you put the tip of the arrow on a point relative to what you are aiming at, or instinctively where you simply look at where you want the arrow to go and then loose. Once you have decided you can then begin to practise.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@bigbowbrum Ok thanks, what style do you prefer.
theguitarsmasher 1 year ago
@theguitarsmasher I have shot all 3 styles depending on what I am doing. i.e. when I used to compete I shot target style. When I do "field shoots", which are simulated hunting competitions, then I use hunting style but now all I do is shoot medieval style as I only shoot warbows these days and train like the military archers used to train in the middle ages.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@bigbowbrum Yes, I have, In the past few weeks been shooting medieval style also, I prefer it rather than target or hunting. I have though had to get a 40 lb longbow because the 50 lb bow was too much for now, put It this way, I'm a few years short of driving, so I'll have to build myself up quite a bit to get to where you are. Thanks.
theguitarsmasher 1 year ago
@theguitarsmasher That's fine. There is no rush. It is better to learn good technique with a lighter bow, and allow your tendons and ligaments to strengthen before you go up in bow weight, otherwise you will learn bad form and any joint injuries would set you back years. Most warbow archers I know (myself included) have bad elbows and shoulders. The body takes quite a bashing from shooting these big bows so take your time, warm up well and in time you will get there.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
nice shooting!but whats the knife your wearing?
imoviesful 1 year ago
@imoviesful Martin and I are wearing 3 different knives. I am wearing an "Archer's Pick", which is a heavy, single-sided multi-purpose blade with a yew handle and a replica of a knife found on the Tudor (1545) wreck of the Mary Rose ship. Martin is wearing a medieval bollock dagger and a St George dagger that he won at an archery competition at Agincourt near the original battlefield in France. We use them to dig our arrow heads out of the wood or the dirt if they get stuck and break off.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
can that arrows penetrate bullet proof vests?
eduardodemoura12345 1 year ago
@eduardodemoura12345 I have been told they can, yes. A vest is designed to dissipate the energy of a bullet, but due to the flexing of the arrow's shaft the vest is unable to direct the energy away from the point of impact. The arrow in effect acts like a hammer, with the flexing shaft hammering the head through the vest. I have never seen it tested though.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@bigbowbrum
well it was tested at my archery club
went through both sides.. :O
riflesnip1 1 year ago
@eduardodemoura12345 I think even knives can penetrate bullet proof vests.
Istojataachatearme 1 year ago
Are the arrow-heads made of steel or iron?
Istojataachatearme 1 year ago
@Istojataachatearme I think they are steel. They were made by Hector Cole. If you do an online search he has a very good website with a video showing the forging process.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@bigbowbrum thanks! I asked because the historical iron bodkin-heads cannot penetrate steel plate armor.
Istojataachatearme 1 year ago
Yes, we believe it was quite difficult for arrows to penetrate armour. Easier against iron armour but to penetrate steel they needed specially shaped and hardened heads, and even then they couldn't get through the best armour such as Millanese steel. There are just as many accounts of arrows bouncing off armour as there are of them going through, but of course there were many different kinds of armour on the field. Archers often targeted weak points or joints to have a better chance.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
What kind of quiver is Martin wearing?
cbrusharmy 1 year ago
@cbrusharmy He is wearing a medieval-style arrow bag. Medieval soldiers did not wear quivers, but often carried 2 sheafs of 24 arrows each in linen arrow bags. When needed the arrows were either stuck in to the ground or pushed through their belt as Martin has them. The bags have leather disks at the open end with 24 holes in them which hold the arrows apart so the fletchings are not crushed. The bottom of the bags may have opened through which the arrows could be drawn if using broadheads.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
@bigbowbrum Wow, what a fantastic response, thank you! I believe I've seen the bags before, but his belt carriage confused me. Thanks for the info, mate.
cbrusharmy 1 year ago
Hey guys, love the vid, got any tips for a beginner starting up??
LongbowKantana 1 year ago
@LongbowKantana Yeah sure. I would get a low poundage bow so you can practise without struggling. Decide which style you wish to shoot. i.e. hunter style by drawing to your eye, target to your cheek or medieval to your ear, then learn to shoot instinctively by drawing up the string, looking at the target and loosing without aiming. Warm up properly first to protect your joints and muscles, don't go up in bow weight until you are ready and most important of all have fun!
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
I love it. Did you guys bowyer your own bows?? If so do you have any tips for a beginner. I am in Australia but do you know any woods that are easy to get accese to and are reasonably good to work with??
LongbowKantana 1 year ago
takes a man to pull back that full weight... no 70 or 80% let off on them dudes.
njones108 1 year ago
Ouch...
arnomertji 1 year ago
I'm sorry but you all should treat the arrows with better care whenever you pulled them out of the padded boss
pokeyman069 1 year ago
@pokeyman069 Pokey, these arrows are half an inch in diameter. They are not like modern carbon/aluminium arrows. They are designed to punch through plate steel and not get damaged. Throwing them on the ground will not hurt them one little bit.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
that mannequin had a rough time!!
jan1035 1 year ago
Toccata, adagio and fugue in c major by Bach would have been nicer music.
xp34789 1 year ago
1:14 FATAL:O ( btw they all were)
Better than bulets :P, annd always way cooler, do u need some license to get these things?
odkeky 1 year ago
@odkeky No licence needed, but you can only shoot one on private land or at a club, and it is always advisable to have public liability insurance just in case an arrow goes astray!
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
like it
atraiu8 1 year ago
I like archery, too, but I don't like having to wear hearing protection to watch this video.
zeekwolfe 1 year ago
@zeekwolfe Ha ha, sorry you don't like the music. Can't please everyone I guess.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
Is an instant release upon reaching draw lenght only practiced with target bows? I thought it was also the norm with warbows.
ihaterobbie123 1 year ago
@ihaterobbie123 No, you don't have to release upon reaching full draw with warbows or target bows. While it is potentially damaging to a wooden bow to hold it for the same length of time as you would a recurve or compound bow, you can still hold it for a couple of seconds or so to adjust your aim before you loose.
bigbowbrum 1 year ago
I Like Archery and all but there is just something about my M4 that makes me grin.
hemiram04 1 year ago