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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Satori" data-source="post: 4135553" data-attributes="member: 37233">I HIGHLY recommend you read Bernard Cornwall's "The Archer's Tale" series.  It is essentially a historical fiction based on the life of an archer.  Everything in the book is taken from history, and the standard rules of "reality" are in clear effect.  Aside from drawing the conclusion I'll try to outline, your preference for historically/scientifically accurate fantasy will ensure that you thoroughly enjoy the books.The books do a GREAT job of showing just how remarkable and difficult it is to be a Longbow Archer.  We tend to think of the Longbow in "Elf" terms, as we see a relatively frail Legolas effortlessly strumming away with his huge Longbow.No.  Just NO. In the series, you really see the emphasis on how POWERFUL and HEAVY a warfare built Longbow is.  We're talking 200 lbs of pull here.  No fancy assisted pullies either.200 lbs!!  Most people can't lift that with their entire body, let alone with just the arm/shoulder/chest muscles involved in archery.Were Legolas to TRULY strum away with a 200 lbs Longbow, he would be MASSIVELY muscled, as each pull would be consistent with a 200 lbs arm/shoulder/chest POWERLIFT.  In the series, it talks about how these Archers, who are born and raised firing military Longbows and are all extremely muscular, STILL get sore when they have to shoot their bow more than 10 times a day.Following this train of thought, the amount of exertion required to fit and steady two arrows would probably be three or four times as difficult as just drawing and loosing a single shaft.  The string would waver and require steadying, the notches would miss the string, and the hand/fingers would endure TREMENDOUS stress.Imagine benching a standard 200 lbs barbell (or equivalent).  With enough conditioning, it wouldn't be an issue.  Now, imagine holding the barbell at the end point of the lift, and HOLDING it at the midway point of extension for several seconds.  It puts stress on your body in ways a linear lift does not.Even if you're used to explosively lifting 200 lbs a dozen times a day, the pure effort of setting multiple arrows on a 200 lbs drawn bowstring would SEVERELY strain your hand, fingers, and forearms...let alone the rest of your body.That's the way I look at it, anyway.</blockquote>

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