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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GrimCo" data-source="post: 9895462" data-attributes="member: 7044462">Not really, at least if we are talking about muskets and matchlock/wheelock pistols. They are smooth bore weapons. You don't aim them like modern guns. You point them in direction of enemy and hope you hit. That's one of the reason why guns won over longbows. At best, musketeer was doing 3 shots per minute and was effective at 50-100 yards. Pistols were worse, you fired once and kept distances to 5-10 yards if you wanted to hit something. Longbow man fired 10-12 arrows per minute and was effective up to 200 yards. But, you can train basic gun proficiency in 1 day and in few weeks of drills, you have battlefield ready soldier. With longbow having 100-160 lbs of draw, you need to be strong to even pull it. People started training at ages 7-8 and trained once a week for a decade to effectively use war longbow. In short, musket is simple weapon for the same reason crossbow is simple weapon. You don't need long training to use it effectivley on the battlefield. There is no special technique or strength requirement. Modern firearms are even easier to use. After 9-12 weeks of basic training, you are proficient. You can hit man sized target using iron sights at 100-200 meters.</blockquote>