Bows vs Crossbows: Which is Better?

I'm trying out a slightly longer video format for this one so I can get more detail in- let me know what you think!

I'll also post a few extra clips that didn't make the cut to Patreon this week, so keep an eye out for more comparison tests, etc. (Any support is appreciated because it helps me make more videos!)

[CrownRock]

I like that you end it with "this is my choice, " not "this is better."

[Senbatorii]

the main advantage of the crossbow is the low training needed and that it can be held ready rather than holding the bow at draw.

[appletree]

A friend and I actually made a crossbow for a school engineering project once. It had about a 60 pound draw weight with no power at all, but it felt awesome to shoot something we built from scratch!

[apfelzbirnelz]

In The Wheel of Time books there is actually a quite nice exploration of crossbows vs bows. It brings up the points of how you need to train longer for bows: The only group of prominent bow users by the end of the series are the "Two Rivers men" who are farmers and livestock herders who live in the woods and learn the bow from childhood to hunt. We never see anyone train to learn the bow but we see people training whole new armies of crossbowmen. in one of my favorite battles in book 11 a general who has to run with his army out of enemy territory, abuses the fact that they have new crossbows that shoot 8 bolts per minute instead of the common 3 per minute to make is army seem much larger by how many bolts they fire in a given time and information not traveling very well in that setting.

[xMaugrex]

I like that you didn't just rag on the crossbow but actually compared the two with advantages and disadvantages.

[normtrooper]

I personally prefer the crossbow but to argue that one is better than the other is to misunderstand the utility of both.

[Thor_the_Doge]

Fascinating video, I always thought of crossbows as the medieval equivalent of guns, they shoot in a straight line with a lot of force, they can be reloaded without shooting, and they are shot via trigger. I never realised how versatile normal bows were though.

[lydiasteinebendiksen]

My fantasy for the two is different, and seemingly in line with the reality. Mastering the bow is about the archer, a skilled person who can take any bow and push it to it's limits, like how a brass instrument player learns how to make the instrument shapes sound so theycan use it intuitively. A crossbow user is never mainly a marksman when I make characters, they're a tinkerer. They make their tool and it becomes their baby, skill is reflectes in the weapon rather than it's use, although usually I also have the x-bow be tailored to the user to where others may struggle fully utilizing it. In a way it's more like a music producer, they may not play any analogue instruments, but they understand how to combine various sounds and effects to produce art, and often make their own instruments based on tweaking synths and effects.

Neither is better, rather both are worthy disciplines thatrequire both discipline and experience.

[tcsmagicbox]

This makes so much sense. In Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the Uruk-hai army uses crossbows, becasue their soldiers were literally born within the last few months. Where everyone else who had generations to train their archers, from the Gondorians to the Rhohirrim and even the Orcs, all use war bows.

[SwedishmafiaMemeCorporation]

Another important advantage of crossbows is that you can have it "ready" more or less forever before pulling the trigger when you want to shoot. An archer needs to first draw the bow and expose more of his body until an arrow can be shot. This makes crossbows a very effective defensive weapon if you're shooting from a wall during a siege for example. It's also why many crossbowmen carried comically large shields that were basically portable walls; such as the famous crossbowmen of Genoa.

[maximumdon]

I like the comparison between the two. Indeed, when I first started learning how to shoot a bow, I had no clue how to aim properly and my shots went everywhere BUT the target.

Where bow archery is more of an art, crossbows and modern firearms (not counting the wildly inaccurate flintlocks), are more of a science.

Where you shoot where the sights are aiming, and if you’re a little bit off, you make small adjustments and corrections based on where the shots are hitting. Makes them easier to learn than bows.

[anthony]

Honestly this channel is so underrated, really good content

[viablue]

I just love it how he’s constantly hanging from trees. It’s the last thing you expect (normally), there isn’t any reason to do it other than to show that he can do it, but there he is, hanging upside down a tree shooting a bow once again. 😂 I absolutely love it.

[guyhawkes]

I love the way you demonstrate what you're saying as you explain. I've learned so much about archery from this channel and it's awesome!

[ProneOyster]

The real main advantage of crossbows is that they're better to use in movies for scenes where they want the guards to hold up the heroes, and just treat bows as if they're guns (running around with them drawn, holding it drawn for several minutes while the captain talks to the heroes etc)

[Apolemia]

My day started very badly but your passion for archery helped me to feel better ! Your general chill attitude is real effective for those problems

[totallynotminx]

It's also important to remember that crossbows were historically created in an age and place where plate armor was making some people nigh-invincible (or so thought) and sieges were one of the major locations that weapon innovation needed to happen. For that bill, crossbows fit perfectly. Some schmuck who's trained for ten days can kill an armored target by shooting them in the chest from on top of a wall, thirty meters away. As well, the fact you pre-load crossbows makes them superior in a siege where you have plenty of time to reload behind a wall, but not necessarily to aim outside of cover. They're more bang for proverbial buck in terms of wood as well, which was actually a consideration in some of the longer sieges. So while bows are - if you're skilled - usually better in many cases, the specific scenario that crossbows were created in made them a hot commodity for the time.

Hope this makes sense, and I know war bows can pierce some armors too, but at the time iirc it was mostly crossbows which were given the job.

Let me know if there's anything you want to add!

[MOONSUNLife]

I love this channel. Not only are the topics covered interesting, but the tone is always light-hearted and non-judgmental. Oh, and the videos never waste our time with fillers, sponsors, or incessant talk, going straight to the point in fun yet educational ways.

[OwocowyMr]

I always love your videos because of how resectfully you talk about literally anything. Even when something is impractical or not realistic, you don't blantly call it "stupid". And like in this video right here - you don't say which is better or worse. You showcased the strenghts and weaknesses of both weapons and left it for the viewers to chose their preffered one. That's great! I hope you get more and more viral, we need more educational channels like this.

Not to mention that I'd love to see you collab with Shadiversity if they were to do a video related to archery ❤️

[drewstratton]

Definitely appreciate the longer form! I came from your shorts looking for some arrow science and real-life testing, so I'd love to see more!