06-02-2007, 08:49 AM
Guys, you may decide this is irrelevant, but I suggest you try this technique - you may be surprised.........
When I was a boy, we could only dream of having a real bow ( as opposed to home-made ones ), but we could afford real (second-hand) arrows from the pawn-shop.We would take these commercial arrows ( wooden shafts in those days !) and turn them into what we called "Gypsy arrows".......
We would carve a notch in a circle round the shaft toward the back and mould a piece of lead flashing (soft lead in a strip, used to seal roofs ) around the shaft near the head to add a little weight.......sound familiar so far ?
We would then take a length of string, tie a knot in one end, then wrap the string in the carved groove, against the knot, and lead it forward, where we would grasp the broadhead and wrap the string round the fingers, so that it was taut.
We then took a short run-up and launched the "Gypsy arrow" with an overarm throw, javelin fashion. It flew, to our boyhood imaginations, almost out of sight !!!!........at the very least, 50-100 metres or more.
Now I appreciate that launching a plumbata with an "amentum" in this fashion might be awkward to say the least whilst carrying a shield, but the range achieved was phenomenal, at least to my boyhood eyes.......
I recommend you try this method of launching as an experiment.....
Tell us all the results !!
When I was a boy, we could only dream of having a real bow ( as opposed to home-made ones ), but we could afford real (second-hand) arrows from the pawn-shop.We would take these commercial arrows ( wooden shafts in those days !) and turn them into what we called "Gypsy arrows".......
We would carve a notch in a circle round the shaft toward the back and mould a piece of lead flashing (soft lead in a strip, used to seal roofs ) around the shaft near the head to add a little weight.......sound familiar so far ?
We would then take a length of string, tie a knot in one end, then wrap the string in the carved groove, against the knot, and lead it forward, where we would grasp the broadhead and wrap the string round the fingers, so that it was taut.
We then took a short run-up and launched the "Gypsy arrow" with an overarm throw, javelin fashion. It flew, to our boyhood imaginations, almost out of sight !!!!........at the very least, 50-100 metres or more.
Now I appreciate that launching a plumbata with an "amentum" in this fashion might be awkward to say the least whilst carrying a shield, but the range achieved was phenomenal, at least to my boyhood eyes.......
I recommend you try this method of launching as an experiment.....
Tell us all the results !!
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff