Any bow enthusiasts?

[PrinceofWands]

first: Yes, I'm a geek. I know it, I embrace it.

While watching an old fantasy movie with a couple friends we started having a discussion about how smaller fantasy races would use missile weapons such as bows and crossbows, slings, etc.

I know there are differing types and lengths of bows, but most seem to be fairly long. Are there any real world examples of bows that could be used by someone only 3-4.5' tall?

What would be different about a bow sized that way? With a shorter archer, there's a shorter pull. Would there still be similar force required to draw, or would it increase significantly on the shorter staff? Or would you have to alter the thickness, or rigidity of the staff? How would it affect arrow power/speed/distance? Would the shorter arrows change their flight? Things like that.

Similar questions for slings. You'd think a small person (under 4.5') would need a shorter sling length. Wouldn't the length to the pocket change the force of the missile?

Any other thoughts on this subject?

 

[DrPizza]

You can approach the problem from a conservation of energy standpoint. The potential energy you put into the bow by drawing it back is the maximum energy you can impart on the arrow. So, if you plot the Force vs. distance you drawn it back, and find the area under that curve, you can calculate the potential energy. Of course, not 100% of that energy is imparted to the arrow; I really don't know what percent is. (And if you have poor form, some of that energy is going to go directly to your forearm. )

However, it should also be noted that the energy of the arrow is related to its mass. So, conceivably, with only half the draw length, (and same average force to draw it back), you will have half the stored energy. But if the arrow is half as long, thus half the mass, it can still have the same velocity.

 

[haffey]

My H Physics class was just studying conservation of energy and we did a bow lab between simple, recurve, and compound. Weird.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

This may be of help to you - http://dvworld.northwestern.ed...chery/Presentation.ppt

 

[DrPizza]

Also note: you can make bows with whatever draw force you want. For people the same size, with the same length arrows, there are bows that pull from a range of 30 pounds up to 80 pounds or more. (The bow I mainly use for hunting is set just a little less than 80.) MY reason for it being set so high: when my kids were younger, there was no way in hell they or any of their friends could draw it back. Even into their first years of high school, they couldn't draw it back. This wasn't for their safety - this was because boys will be boys & they and their friends would probably see who could pull it back when I wasn't around - without an arrow in it. And my sons know not to ever dry fire a bow, but I wouldn't trust that one of their friends wouldn't release the bowstring without an arrow in it. All that energy has to go somewhere, and quite often it goes into cracking the limbs or otherwise damaging the bow. i.e. imagine dropping a cinderblock onto a bow from about 5 feet up.

But, arrows kill by cutting. The speed really isn't that important. Having a higher draw weight enables me to have slightly heavier arrow heads. Usually, a draw weight of only 30-35 pounds is necessary to be ensure that the arrow is lethal to deer. And, after watching old westerns with indians attacking settlers and shooting them with arrows, people get the mistaken impression that the arrow sticks into whatever you're shooting, only penetrating a couple inches. This is true, sometimes, especially if you hit a large bone. However, most hunting bows are more than sufficient for putting an arrow completely through a large deer. (My bow had put an arrow completely through a black bear - not for me though - for my friend who I bought the bow from.) But, even my son's first bow when he was 12 was capable of putting an arrow completely through the garage door (he missed the target, I used the garage door as a back drop. The hole is still there.), and completely through a piece of plywood. So, even for a short person, a bow sized appropriately for them is still a very lethal weapon.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: PlasmaBomb
This may be of help to you - http://dvworld.northwestern.ed...chery/Presentation.ppt

Ok seriously, you pwn google. Awesome info, thnx.