Archer Shoots Faster Than Semiautomatic Gun, Is More Accurate

Ok, let’s consider this from a pure-physics perspective.

Archery works on the principle of action-reaction (1st and 2nd laws of motion, aka Momentum and F=ma).

This means when you put energy into a closed system, it’s going to stay there until you release it. With a bow, you put in X amount of energy in drawing it. No more, no less. This is why a 50-lb draw bow will never have the force or velocity of arrow-impact that a 100-lb draw bow will. This is why hunters constantly seek a bow that they can draw, at their maximum-available strength, because it will wield the highest force impacts to target, with the fastest arrows.

Ok, so how much draw and how fast? A really, REALLY top-end bow has a draw weight of 65-lbs (straight draw, non-compound). Some compounds approach 90-lbs draw weight, with a series of mechanical pulleys giving extreme percentages of let-off at full draw to hold the draw until release (because you cannot be accurate holding a 90-lb draw bow for a minute, before you let go of the arrow).

What does all this matter? The highest-draw bows of the ‘longbow’ variety (non-compound) have arrow velocities approaching 300-feet per second, and a combined arrow-shaft mass of 350-600 grains per unit. In all, an arrow’s ‘ballistics’ numbers look like this for a ‘healthy dose of physics’:

300-fps velocity
300-ft/lbs impact force (negated due to archery intents)
100-yards maximum point target range (actually unrealistically distant, but I’ll play along)

Keep in mind, arrows do not kill like guns do, firearms kill by intentional ballistic ‘shock’ (akin to an explosive detonation inside a body), while archery gear kills by blood loss (exanguination, so the blades of the arrows cut massive arterial paths to bleed-out the target).

Now, let’s compare this to a standard .308 Winchester hunting rifle. Ballistics on this rifle are quite well known by most. IN loading the 168-grain projectile, a velocity and impact force close to the following can be expected:

2750-fps velocity (mach 3.5)
2500-ft/lbs force (1.25 tons)
1,000-yards Maximum point target range (actual targets have been taken at verified ranges with this caliber up to 1,300-yards, but 1,000-yards is the published target range for Camp Perry targets of .308′s.)

You CANNOT COMPARE a decent rifle to a decent bow – the rifle trumps the bow at ranges, forces and velocities 10x of the rifle. I can stand at 300-yards all day, never risking a miss, and effectively target a bow user all day long. With most rifles, I can cycle round-to-round faster than the bow shooter (who would quickly get tired) could draw, and intentionally target his gear as well as him, at my discretion.

Don’t believe all the mythical ninja hype. Ninja’s don’t stand up against .308′s.