Archery is an ancient skill that has been around for centuries. It requires patience, practice, and skill. One of the most exciting aspects of archery is speed shooting. Medieval archers were able to shoot arrows at an astonishing rate.
The archery speed shooting techniques, as well as the archery equipment, have dramatically changed since those times. But archers like Lars Andersen bring back speed shooting and make it look easy.
Who is Lars Andersen?
Lars Andersen is from Denmark and a painter by profession. He is involved in medieval role-playing battles and has authored two books about the subject. He became famous after posting a video on YouTube called “Lars Andersen: a new level of archery.”
The speed at which he can shoot is impressive, and it is clear that his technique is very different from what we are used to seeing in modern archery. This technique has garnered him a lot of attention around the world.
Some archers believe he is cheating because his arrows are so fast, but it is just another archery speed shooting technique that can be done if one practices hard enough.
How does he do it?
The most crucial archery speed shooting technique that he is using is where the arrow is placed on the bow. This differs from how archers shoot today, with their arrows on the left side of the bow.
- He holds the arrows in his draw hand
- The arrow is placed not on the left, but on the right side of the bow
- He shoots with both eyes open
- Practice, practice, practice…
What Bow does Lars Andersen Use?
He has two bows he uses:
- A custom-made longbow
- Self-designed horseman’s bow
Nothing you could buy of a shelf. Also, his bows are not of exceptionally high draw weight.
How do you nock an arrow quickly?
When you shoot fast, you have to keep your eyes on the target. Drawing the arrow in a lightning-fast fashion but needing seconds to nock it ruins it. The fastest way to nock an arrow is to hold it with two or three fingers by the nock.
If you nock your arrow, make sure the nock locks on right away. Speeds nocks will allow you to nock your arrow faster. Other than that, it’s a lot of practice and technique.
Speed Shooting Roots
Archery originated from ancient times warfare tactics. The ability to shoot arrows at high speed was essential during battle. Archery skills were sought after by many battle leaders throughout history. One of the oldest written documents about Archery is “Saracene Archery.”
Saracen Archery
Saracen Archery was written by Taybugha Al-Ashrafi Al-Baklamishi Al-Yunani, a Mamluk Soldier, in 1386. A translation of “Saracen Archery” describes a test used to determine if a person could shoot an arrow fast enough. If the person failed the test, he would have to train more until he could achieve the speed needed to pass.
“If you wish to determine your dexterity and rate of shooting, you take three arrows and stand and shoot over sixty bows’ distance. If you can shoot the third and only see the dust of the first after that third arrow has already left your hand, you are fast enough. If you can’t you must practice holding the arrows all together between your fingers and shoot in this way. You keep on practicing until you achieve your goal.”
Source: https://books.google.sk/books/about/Saracen_Archery.html?id=7m0MAQAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y
How fast can you Shoot 10 Arrows?
Lars Andersen is claiming to hold a world record for speed. He can shoot ten arrows in 4.9 seconds or three arrows in 0.6 seconds. That is insane! He developed an archery technique unlike any you’ve ever seen in his studies!
How fast can someone fire Arrows?
Some archers can shoot at very high speeds. As with anything, there are many archers with different abilities, and some archers are faster than others. Lars Andersen is claiming to hold the world record. 10 arrows in under 5 seconds!
What is the fastest Arrow ever Shot?
One of the fastest bows available is the Xpedition MX-15. It claims IBO speed of 358-362 fps.
How many Arrows could a Medieval Archer shoot in a Minute?
This highly depends on the type of bow used. The English Longbow, for example, was almost 6 feet long and had an average draw weight of 110lbs!
Source: https://royalarmouries.org/stories/our-collection/
10 to 12 arrows per minute was the maximum any archer could shoot before physical exhaustion. Bows shot by horsemen or lighter recurve bows allowed much higher rates.
So depending on the archery styles, the shooting rate could be anywhere between 10 and 50 arrows per minute.
How fast is the Average Bow and Arrow?
This highly depends on the kind of bow you are using. Recurve- or Longbows, for example, can reach speeds of up to 200 fps. At the same time, compound bows can be as fast as 360 fps.
How fast does an Arrow fly?
Recurve bow arrows can travel up to 225 feet per second (fps) or 150 miles per hour, while compound bow arrows travel up to 360 fps (220 miles per hour). Your archery equipment should match your shooting speed.
Conclusion
Speed shooting archery is a technique that has been used for centuries in battle. The ability to shoot arrows quickly and accurately was essential during combat. Archery skills have been highly sought after by many leaders throughout history. One of the fastest archers alive, Lars Andersen demonstrates how to shoot arrows quickly and accurately.
