Crossbow Vs Gambeson-What You Should Know

Introduction Crossbow Vs Gambeson

Hunters normally do not change their habit. They have well-defined styles of their own which they do not like to change a lot. This article explains about Crossbow Vs Gambeson that you can use as the guideline when searching for information about Crossbow Vs Gambeson

Their hunting techniques depend on their weapon of choice. And since they do not change their technique too much, they stick with the same hunting weapons. Sometimes the weapons are handed down from generation to generation. There is a saying among experienced hunters that if the weapon is not broken, why fix it or get a new one?

Apart from weapons, hunters are also close to their accessories. One such accessory is the gambeson, a protective jacket that hunters wear. Most modern hunters find it hard to get information on these medieval hunting costumes. So here we bring to you a detailed description of the hunting crossbow and gambeson.


Gambeson


A gambeson is a protective armor that is padded with dense layers of wool. It depicts a jacket whose main purpose is to protect the wearer from attacks during fights or hunts. In earlier times, this jacket was worn in combination with a plate or chainmail armor. But when it comes to hunting, wearing only the gambeson will do the work. This is the cheapest armor available and is attained very easily. Of course, there are expensive ones too. They look quite nobler and have a medieval look to them. Basically, they offer protection as well as a good look.

Since the gambeson is worn along with other shielding jackets, it is obvious that the jacket is protective only for mild and small attacks. They work well with blunt attacks but should be avoided for vicious and intense hunts.

The history of the gambeson dates back to the 4th century BC. They were first worn by the Scythian horsemen in the form of quilted leather jackets and pants. This was discovered on Scythian ornaments made of gold that were designed and crafted by goldsmiths form Greece. The gambeson worn by the European people can be traced back to the end of the 10th century. But experts believe that these jackets must have been work by people in Europe much before that. Just that their use might have been for a different purpose. It was only after the 13th century that the use of these jackets became widespread throughout Europe.

When it began to be used by soldiers, it became an indispensable part of their armor. It was very uncomfortable to adorn it but the protection it provided was vital. The soldiers used to wear them under the plate and mail armor. The gambeson provides a cushion like protection to the body and helps to avoid chafing in case, swords emerge out of nowhere.

Information Crossbow Vs Gambeson

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Although the gambeson started as a protective jacket to be worn under armor, the concept changed a bit towards the end of the 11th and the early 12th century. It became an independent armor as well. It became popular among the infantry. The quilted armor continued to be worn until the Civil War in England but turned into a breastplate and backplate worn by poor soldiers. The soldiers started wearing them under the full plate armor. As time passed by, the gambeson began to be made with leather rather than plate and mail. It started looking like a rough suede jacket.

After this, gambeson started to come in two distinct designs. The first design was made to be worn underneath another armor. The other design was made for independent wearing. The independent armor design is thicker with a high collar. It’s made from heavy materials such as leather ot heavy canvas. The armor is designed as a padded jacket made from various layers of linen, cotton, or wool. For soldiers who used to wear them as independent armor, the jackets were made so thick that they would stop heavy arrows as well! The multiple layer design is similar to modern-day military armor/jacket.


Crossbows


There are two most popular weapons that hunters resort to for their hunting needs. The first and everyone’s favorite are guns. And next comes the crossbow. A crossbow works in a similar technique as the normal bow. It comprises of an assembly point called prod that has elastic properties. The prod is then mounted on a horizontal frame known as a tiller. Crossbows are handheld hunting devices and are held similar to a gun. When a person fires with a crossbow, they shoot out projectiles known as bolts or quarrels.


Today, crossbows have become a luxury. They are quite expensive and only collectors or hunting enthusiasts purchase them. There are a few that come under $400. But then each arrow used in the crossbow costs around $15. This makes the commodity, as a whole, quite pricey.


Crossbows are perfect for close range hunters. Crossbows today are accurate up to 40 yards. And that much distance is enough for a close range hunter. Also, crossbows are quite easy to use as compared to guns.

Crossbows can be used by first-time hunters and after a few hits, they easily get the hang of it. Moreover, crossbows have no recoil which comes as a relief for amateur hunters. The only difficult part about crossbows is that they take a lot of time to reload. So if you are hunting, you have to hit the target at the first shot. If you miss, the sound of the arrow would alert the target. And by the time you reload, the game would be over!


Modern crossbows might be pricey but they are worth the price. The way they are designed makes it quite easy to handle for beginners. Moreover, they are strongly built and are sturdy which means they will last long. The only problem is that they require waxing in between two shots, annual cleaning and maintenance, and periodic substitution of cables and strings. When used properly with care, a crossbow would work without any problem for around 500 shots. After that, you will have to take it to the factory for re-adjustments.

Conclusion Crossbow Vs Gambeson


Many hunters prefer crossbows to guns. The primary reason being sound. Guns make a lot of noise. For beginner hunters, there’s a high chance that they would miss the first few shots. If they are using guns, then the sound of the missed shots would alert all nearby targets. They would immediately flee from the hunting grounds. But this problem will not arise with crossbows. Crossbows make very less sound. Even if you miss, only the nearest target would realize. There would still be more targets to make the hunt successful.


So, now that you know about crossbows and gambesons, be sure to wear a gambeson while you go out hunting with your crossbow!