# In Michael Crichton's TIMELINE...... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2001, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-michael-crichtons-timeline/50081 "2001-01-15T03:46:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-michael-crichtons-timeline/50081/1 "2001-01-15T03:46:37Z")
… he mentions the fact that medieval archers could shoot their arrows the length of 2 football fields (i.e. 200 yards) and manage to wound the enemy. Now, I like Crichton’s books because he always mixes a bit of fact with fiction, but I think I might need some clarification of this. First of all, the bow must have a terrific draw weight for the arrows to fly that far. Secondly, wouldn’t the necessary elevation cut down on speed, thereby lessening penetration capability? He also writes that medieval archers were able to nock and loose their arrows in 3 seconds. That’s 20 arrows a minute. I realize they were probably not aiming at anyone, but damn! Looking forward to your answers. Q ---
**Author:** ![Scruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Scruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruff)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-michael-crichtons-timeline/50081/2 "2001-01-15T04:01:47Z")
Found the following in [http://snt.student.utwente.nl/campus/sagi/artikel/longbow/longbow.html:](http://snt.student.utwente.nl/campus/sagi/artikel/longbow/longbow.html:) which is an article first published in the Journal of the Society of Archer-Antiquaries, volume 23, 1980. > [@](#): > > A bow of the strength described by Stayner and Paterson would project a war arrow a long distance. But here again, no one is sure how far: Stayner believes the war arrow had an effective range of 180 yards; Paterson maintains a slightly further distance of 200 yards; and Bartelot estimates a useful range of 249 yards. Captain George Burnet, Secretary to the Royal Scottish Archers, notes that the members of the Queen’s Body Guard for Scotland, who still shoot, use six foot long self yew bows of 55 to 60 pounds draw weight. The range of these modern bows is 180-200 yards shooting light target shafts. > > The longbow, because of its rapidity of fire, was a medieval machine gun. It has been calculated that a bowman of the Hundred Years War period, when military archery was at its zenith, could shoot 10 to 12 arrows a minute. The closest weapon in range and strength to the longbow was the crossbow. But, as the battle of Crecy (1346) showed, even the superior Genoese composite crossbow - made of wood, horn, sinew and glue - was no match for the English weapon. ---
**Author:** ![nowalls99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e68b1a/32.png) [@nowalls99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nowalls99)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-michael-crichtons-timeline/50081/3 "2001-01-15T04:11:09Z")
It would take a great deal of draw weight for a bow to propell an arrow 200 yards, but it’s not impossible. Back in the medieval times, everyone lined up, on opposite sides of the field, and stood there before rushing into melee combat. The archers only had to worry about range, not accuracy. A bunch of archers would all let loose arrows at once. If 50% of them hit their target, that’s a successful attack. And, if they are 200 yards apart, the archers can get about 3-6 attacks in the amount of time Michael Johnson could run that, if the 3 second time is correct. I’m sure that not every archer is going to be that fast for every shot, but if they were really slow, I’d doubt they’d be taken to battle. As for your question regarding the elevation detracting from penetration force, this is nearly negligible. The amount of energy needed to raise the arrow to elevation is returned to the arrow by gravity when it falls. There is a little force that is lessened by air friction, but this is minute compared to the total force. Also, with the design of the tips, you don’t need a lot of force to pierce fleshy parts of the body, or chinks in chain mail armor, or leather armor. And the flights on the shaft of the arrow help keep the arrow flying in a smooth path (ie. with the tip in the front). ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-michael-crichtons-timeline/50081/4 "2001-01-15T12:35:02Z")
They could probably shoot 20 arrows per minute. After all, Commanche fighters could do it from horseback. From this [link](http://www.odessahistory.com/preface.htm): > [@](#): > > The Comanches were fierce warriors, excellent hunters and skilled horsemen. One observer wrote that > Commanche warriors would hang over the side of their horses with just a foot across its back and ride at full speed, > shooting arrows under the neck of the horse to keep their own body protected. Indeed Comanches have been > credited with being able to shoot **20 arrows in one minute** during their hunting and raiding expeditions. T. R. Fehrenbach also refers to this figure in _Lone Star_.