No one can break down the history of Medieval weapons like Gunny can.

In a world where the newest innovation hits the shelves almost daily, one of the greatest aspects of archery is the history it carries with it. Unlike many things in life, archery has withstood the test of time. It traces its roots back to the early days of mankind when it served as a tool to those who created it. For one reason or another it simply has never disappeared since those early days. It might be the fact that as a hunting weapon its capability is proven. Perhaps its popularity stems from the cultural or historical significance the weapon holds across the world. Maybe romance or nostalgia. Or, just maybe, its just a dang good idea all the way around. One time period in European history where crossbows and longbows played a pivotal role was the 100 Years War. Watch this short video where Gunny from the History Channel breaks down the history of Medieval weapons. https://youtu.be/qsAUKRbaZ9E Pretty cool. Although the experiment would have been more realistic had Gunny used draw weights closer to those of combat soldiers of the time. As mentioned in the video the war bows of the time would have been much heavier, both the crossbows and the longbow. The English war bows used during the 100 Years War would have generally fell into the 80 lbs. to 180 lbs. of draw weight. Considering the bow Gunny was pulling had a draw weight in the 40 pound range, it would be interesting the see what a full blown war bow would have done to the armor. I'm guessing there are still a few guys out there with the brass to pull a 180 pound war bow, but I don't know any. Similar to the longbow in the video being on the light end, the crossbow featured in the video was also a very light reconstruction. Many sources maintain crossbows during Medieval times would have used draw weight closer to 300 pounds. Again, my guess is it was the watermelons lucky day that Gunny used a 60 pound crossbow rather than the standard historical war weights. By understanding the history of archery you can better appreciate the sport you devote yourself to. Understanding the history of Medieval weapons is one small part of that history. Next time you are at the range, or in the field, perhaps you can close your eyes for a moment and imagine what it would be like to stand on the field of Medieval battle with arrows whizzing all around. The torch you carry is one of the longest burning in the history of mankind. NEXT: CROSSBOWS IN WAR; A BRIEF HISTORY