As you can see in my post, I stated a recurve bow of comparable size as a longbow would far out perform it. But they weren't made for this purpose. Can we give each modern infantryman a light machine gun? Sure we can, but the main purpose we want for those troops is mobility and ease of use. So prior to tackling the statement I have to state the following for clarification:
-=-=-= In your statement are you referring to a recurve bow that HAS the power of a 100-120lbs single piece warbow? Or are you claiming that the recurve bow was of 100-120lbs poundage? A recurve bow of 80 lbs of poundage HAS the potential energy of a 100+lbs war bow. Not only that, it can be shot consistently.
A recurve bow a massive 120lbs translate into far greater power, and this is far far more difficult to shoot consistently on horseback.
IF the statement you made was alluding to the former (comparable transferable energy), then we are agreeing and I dont really know what you are disagreeing on me about.
IF the statement was in relation to the latter idea then I dare say it isn't accurate. Bare with me and I can explain. I recall the paper " Buried with his bow and arrows: The exceptional cave burial of a 14th century". Mongolian Warbows were most often found in the 100lbs potential range, you could find some in the 120lbs. But mostly, 100lbs or below. Potential to store energy, and actual draw weight are two different things. Again, a well made and oiled up recurve bow of 80lbs of draw weight, has the energy on release as a warbow considerably bigger than itself.
But given their main goal wasn't stopping power, but mobility. Anything larger than 100lbs on horseback would become less simple to use. Again, that isn't to say larger bows couldn't be used. I can't remember the source, but I can agree with you as much as saying that riders did carry secondary bows of far greater power and size, if they had to shoot dismounted. Honestly though I don't recall this piece of detail.
Moving on though, as any archer can varify, at some point you need your body firmly planted on the ground to draw the string if the warbow gets too large, if you wish to capitalize on the bow's qualities. using a 120lb bow on horseback serves no purpose if you half pull and release a few dozen arrows. Poundage exceed 120lbs would then require , on horseback, a single arm without much use of back muscle, stable ground where your feet are planted and forward arm can be locked to draw 120lbs consistently and quickly. Thus, we can assume this wasn't anywhere common.
Finally though, how can we make this assumption? Poundage of merely 100lbs or above, throughout a shooters lifespan deforms the joints of the stabilizing arm. Producing an obvious enlarged larger bones. These warbows used in the west were simple warbows, made of one piece of material. So their potential energy and draw weight are comparable.
Deformation such as those found in Europe, are not found very commonly on Asian soldiers. This fact alone tells us the average soldier in Asia did not shoot anything closely resembling a 100lb bow. Regardless of assumptions or competitions (which do not have the same toll on the body and a nation's logistical system to wage war) we can conclude that asian warbows were not closed to 100lbs+ draw weight, as their bodies of the same species as their European cousins, did not suffer/enjoy of enlargement/deformations of their stabilizing arm.
!!! Can their bows hit far, yes. Were their arrows lighter? Yes, Were their arrows standardize, no; many were self made or scavenged. But their objective wasn't to have a cannon on horseback, their main tactic was feinting and attack from far closer range.
i.e: can I shoot a handgun over 200 yards...technically yes, but that isn't what is designed to do.
!!! I have never in all of my years, heard of a recurve bow on horse back exceeding 120lbs for a rider as standard military practice.This one I am legitimately curious about, more about its design and training regiment.As I have explained above the mere basis of biological markers found in European bowman when using warbows that exceeded 100lbs-120lbs demonstrates Asian bowman did not use the same poundage, nowhere near close. So if you have that info, please let me eat it up. After all this is my bread and butter.
