A bow is a curved piece of wood tied at both ends by a tightly stretched string. There are many types of bows. There are longbows, short bows, recurve bows, crossbows, among others.
People have had the shortbow vs. longbow debate. Which is better, and for what occasion?
Longbow
A normal long-bow made of hickory wood. A longbow is typically produced from a single piece of wood longer than five feet. The longbow is the longest bow type from tip to tip.
Below are the significant benefits of using a longbow:
Range
Due to its slightly curved bow, the longbow gives the archer the ability to draw to maximum length. They have the furthest range of up to 180 m for a 180Ibs longbow.
On average, longbows have a draw weight between 40 and 80 pounds. These are comfortable to handle. On a longbow archers can exercise the longest draw it as far back as the cheekbone for maximum range of about 180m.
Longbows can have a draw weight of up to 180 pounds, but few archers can handle this much weight.
Accuracy
The force and speed with which your arrow strikes your target are directly determined by how far you pull your string. This factor makes the longbow the most preferred bow type as it has tremendous energy storage, which translates to better accuracy.
Versatility
The massiveness of longbows makes them more versatile than other types of bows. They can be used well in a variety of weather conditions in high winds, or dense rain.
Disadvantages
Not Functional in Tight Spaces
Longbows are less functional in cramped up spaces due to their sheer size. Their length makes them inappropriate for small areas where the user is required to squat to fit in.
Cost
Longbows are quite costly compared to other types of bows because they are made from specific wood quite challenging to acquire. The wood preferred are yew, hickory, osage orange, maple, and others. The comparative costs of a short bow vs. longbow are quite lower in the wood category.
Bulky and Difficult to Use
The length and size of longbows make it bulky to carry around. They also can’t fit in bags and any carriage equipment. They require considerable to draw too even.
Shortbow
On average most Short bows are less than 3 feet in length. The longest is not more than five feet long. Short bows technically a shorter version of the longbow.
Advantages of Shorbow vs. Longbow
Light to Carry
The shortbow vs. longbow is much lighter to carry. The short bow is much smaller than the longbow. It makes it very efficient for events like horseback archery or firing while kneeling.
Affordable
The short bow is quite affordable compared to its counterpart the longbow. This is because the materials used to make them are quite affordable and readily available.
Require Less Mechanism for Upkeep
Due to its ease of availability and less technicality, the shortbow cost less for its maintenance, unlike the longbow or pistol crossbow.
The shortbow is much curved at the ends compared to a longbow giving it a much wider stance compared to the longbow. This increase in width makes shortbow vs. longbow, much shorter.
Ease of Use
A short bow is drawn only as far back as between the elbow and shoulder region. On average, a longbow draws a length of 20 inches or less and 3o pounds weight, which is easy for virtually anybody.
Disadvantages
Only suitable for short-range
Since the draw length of the shortbow is considerably less, you need to be closer to your target to get a perfect shot.
Less Accurate
A shortbow is less reliable because of lower draw length and weight. The arrows are much lighter too. There are more errors committed while using a shortbow vs. longbow.
Final Verdict
The type of bow you choose to use heavily depends on your needs, both the longbow and short bow, as seen above, they both have some advantages to its user.
Longbows are best for outfield activities where you need to hit targets that are entirely in the distance. Short bows are more efficient when used for game activities. They are suitable in tight spots like dense thickets where targets are moving quite fast.
Leave a Reply