[OT] [I mean totally OT] Re: What can you "new"

[Steve Teale]

Walter Bright Wrote:

> Don wrote:
> > Curiously though, the Persian composite longbow was deadlier than the 
> > rifles used in the Napoleonic wars, so you really have to go up to WWI 
> > before you have a clearly superior technology in terms of raw power. The 
> > fundamental disadvantage being that it was so difficult to become a 
> > proficient longbowman, whereas you can train someone to be dangerous 
> > with a rifle in a few weeks.
> 
> During the Civil War, Henry repeating rifles appeared. With breech 
> loading rounds and a high rate of fire, it would be hard to believe that 
> any longbow would be superior.
> 
> Bullet wounds in the Civil War were also severe as they were high 
> impact. An arrow just penetrates, but a big slug is devastating.

Walter, I think you understate the arrow. Often they had barbs, and they were not as well sterilized as a bullet that had been propelled by hot gas, so getting them out and surviving was non-trivial.  Also the main killer outside artillery was the Minie ball, which was pretty basic technology.