archery targets

[Mick Saunders]

Any thoughts on archery targets? Cant say as I,ve ever seen any pictures of any.What would these have looked like? I,m assuming not like medieval or modern? What reconstructions are used by other groups? Any pictures would be appreciated.
many thanks

[Magnus]

Bales of hay...doesn't harm the arrow.

[Salvianus]

Ours:
wooden cutouts with a cloth back-stop: fine on field blunts & bodkins, tough on lobates, leaf blades etc, punched to bits by 80lb bows, slingshot, short range plumbatae and ballista!
Caius

A traditional archery butt for javelins and axes:
Viventius

[Tarbicus]

Ours:
wooden cutouts with a cloth back-stop: fine on field blunts & bodkins, tough on lobates, leaf blades etc, punched to bits by 80lb bows, slingshot, short range plumbatae and ballista!
Caius

A traditional archery butt for javelins and axes:
Viventius

Are the front ones for moving target practice, and the back ones for novices?

[Felix Canus]

Woven mats tightly rolled and tied shut. Marvelous targets for any bow up to 120 pounds if built right.

[Maximio]

I try not to post this too often - our artillery crew would get big headed.

Made from 9mm Ply wood they last about 2 seasons before they are in danger of disintergration.

[Robert Vermaat]

Not ours, I think this one was either made by the Eindhoven Museum or Leg X Gemina (the ballista bolt was theirs):

[Robert]

Idee for new product! Mansized stiff cardboard sheet printed with a savage warrior. You could even do several types, one standing, one kneeling. Chose your own backing! Just like the archery targets for the animal round. Any takers in the printing business?

[Salvianus]

Are the front ones for moving target practice, and the back ones for novices?

Got it in one :lol:

Of the two, only Caius is very much used for target practice, as you get a much more satisfying sound when you hit him. :-) )

It's a curiously joyful experience, taking missile fire whilst safely behind a shield. We always test our testudo & foulkon with plumbatae on our training weekends and I haven't cursed the size or weight of my shield since the first time I did so. You can see clips of us recieving blunt arrows, plumbatae, blunt lance, sword and axe from the cavalry at out last show on the website: I have now asked Fortunatus to make me some greaves. :wink:

Maximio, Valerius, they are beautiful. How would you say it, scopus?

[Maximio]

It's a curiously joyful experience, taking missile fire whilst safely behind a shield.

I'm not sure our newest recruit would quite agree with that sentiment this weekend just gone. Whilst providing a real target for the Troop horse archers our large anti cavalry formation was not quite so "densatae" as it should have been. Secundus III found that the old myth about the Cingulum protecting the groin was as much good as a chocolate cricket box.
The Hopolites lent us a man and we returned him a Eunuch. hock:

Please Sir, can we have some more? - Tarbicus are you up for our next event? :twisted:

[Salvianus]

Secundus III found that the old myth about the Cingulum protecting the groin was as much good as a chocolate cricket box.
The Hopolites lent us a man and we returned him a Eunuch.

That's a triple ooch! hock: If there is a gap, a missile will find it :x

What amazes me is the extra 'oomph' that a cavalryman has with missile weapons. Even at a sedate canter, plumbatae feel like they will come straight through!

[Dan Howard]

Any thoughts on archery targets?

Gallic villagers :twisted:

[Chuck Russell]

in my 15thc group we use a weave mat on a stand and then 2 different sizes of wood twine like circles. i dont have a very good pic of it handy, but in the background of this goofy picture of jamesb u can see it
http://www.replications.com/greys/Image ... GP1996.jpg

[Maximio]

Any thoughts on archery targets?

Gallic villagers :twisted:

Excellent suggestion. :lol: And not so far fetched. I grew up in Chester (Deva), where there is a city ordinance dating to the time of the English Welsh wars whereby all male citizens who possessed a bow were commanded to shoot on sight any Welshman seen to be lurking in or about the city walls after sunset. That ordinance has never been struck from the statute. So would any stout hearted Englishman care to carry out a scientific/legal experiment?