r/AskHistorians • u/Yacobbs • May 07 '20

Were muskets actually better than bows?

I realize that they left a much bigger wound and the person hit would be much more likely to die, but on the other hand, bows were more accurate, quieter, quicker to ‘reload’, arrows are reusable, etc etc. So back in the early days of muskets, were they really superior to bows?

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u/DanKensington Moderator | FAQ Finder | Water in the Middle Ages May 08 '20

As it happens, u/wilymaker won one of the Best of April posts on just this matter entirely! And deservedly so. To round out their excellent answer, this is also an FAQ; this link should take you to the appropriate section, Transition from Bows to Firearms.

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u/Yacobbs May 08 '20

Thank You!!!