Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: shootrj2003 on October 20, 2024, 01:57:30 pm

Title: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
Post by: shootrj2003 on October 20, 2024, 01:57:30 pm
I read on quora something like”100 native Americans approaching English longbow an would all be dead before they were within 150 yds”-I would have to say that that would only happen if they approached them like English longbow men ,if they approached them like native Americans the English longbow men would be dead at dawn as the Comanches cheerfully rode off with many horses and much other booty and scalps.
Title: Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
Post by: Selfbowman on October 20, 2024, 02:12:08 pm
No comment.
Title: Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
Post by: willie on October 20, 2024, 04:14:34 pm
hi shootrj

dunno about quora, but you can read Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and Conditions of North American Indians    by George Caitlin at  http://mtmen.org/mtman/mmarch.html

I especially like the contest of getting 10 arrows in the air before the first one hits the ground




Title: Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
Post by: Pappy on October 20, 2024, 07:19:22 pm
Not sure about how that would go, but this thread should be fun to watch. ;) :) :) :)
 Pappy
Title: Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
Post by: bassman211 on October 21, 2024, 01:04:15 am
What comes to my mind is if the long bowmen had to fight the eastern woodland natives on there turf they would have a chance. Trees, rocks, brush to protect them. The plains natives even on horse back would be under dogs, because they would be in the open with short bows that were not nearly as powerful as the English long bows, but who am I to say for sure. JMO WHICH DOESN'T COUNT FOR MUCH.
Title: Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
Post by: Del the cat on October 21, 2024, 06:01:00 am
What comes to my mind is if the long bowmen had to fight the eastern woodland natives on there turf they would have a chance. Trees, rocks, brush to protect them. The plains natives even on horse back would be under dogs, because they would be in the open with short bows that were not nearly as powerful as the English long bows, but who am I to say for sure. JMO WHICH DOESN'T COUNT FOR MUCH.
What he said^
But, what if the natives were in a submarine and the English in an airship?  ::)
Del
Title: Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
Post by: Selfbowman on October 21, 2024, 09:31:13 am
That’s a good one Del. What I do know is the Indians could not beat a Winchester.
Title: Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
Post by: bassman211 on October 21, 2024, 11:04:27 pm
They didn't win the war, but every now, and then they won a battle. Custer.
Title: Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
Post by: Aaron1726 on October 22, 2024, 12:27:51 am
But native Americans never faced the long bow, so....  hypothetically I tend to agree the native Americans would have had the advantage due to their speed and agility, both of their bows and their tactics.
Title: Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
Post by: shootrj2003 on October 22, 2024, 01:07:09 am
Willie
 I migh get one or two up there,I mean without training for awhile with shorter quicker bows than mine!
Title: Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
Post by: medicinewheel on October 22, 2024, 03:39:27 am

[/quote]
...
But, what if the natives were in a submarine and the English in an airship?  ::)
Del
[/quote]

Asked myself the same thing!
Title: Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
Post by: Chuckalong on November 05, 2024, 05:00:41 pm
Colonists used longbows and considered them superior to the Native American bows. Their selfbows were also considered better and were adopted by the eastern tribes.

Quote
I have read that Jamestown imported some 400 bows - but evidently these were immediately shipped off to Bermuda (?!) to be stored "in case of emergency" (rather inaccessable if you ask me, colony or not). The fear was the natives would reverse engineer them and try to make copies of their own as it was noted that the native bows were inferior).

I am told that there was a legal requirement to practice archery from at least the 1400s in England, and that this lead to having a large number of trained archers "on tap".

I know that the longbow was well on its way out by the early 17th century, but the last battle we have of their use is another decade or so in the future, so I presume that this requirement was still in place and people still trained in archery.