# Why are Dwarves such bad shots?



## Lasgalen (Jan 31, 2003)

In The Hobbit, Flies and Spiders chapter:
"They tried shooting at the squirrels, and they wasted many arrows before they managed to bring one down on the path."
"Before Thorin could cry out three of the dwarves had leaped to their feet and loosed off arrows from their bows. none seemed to find their mark."

Are all Dwarves bad with bow and arrow? Is it just these Dwarves? I am sure most Dwarves do not have much use for bows and therefore get little practice. Why then did Beorn give them a weapon they were so bad at using?

-Lasgalen


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## Maeglin (Jan 31, 2003)

They were in total darkness, and the animals in Mirkwood are very fast, and since its pitch black in there, they can avoid being killed pretty easily. Not to mention that squirrels are very small and extremely difficult to hit. But at least they got it at last, so come on, lets give the poor dwarves a little more credit here for trying and give the forest a little more credit for defeating them in this aspect.


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## BlackCaptain (Jan 31, 2003)

Ya, its Mirkwood. Dark, Animals are very good with trees and menuvering in them, and dwarves are pretty much the complete oposites of the inhabitants of Woods. well... wat im trying to say is:
Dwarves dont belong in the forrest. Small, fast squirles do. And, it was very dark


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## falcolite (Jan 31, 2003)

Another point to mention is that (and I am not sure if Thorins Company apply's) dwarves live in caves, mountains, and basically places where there is little use for the bow and arrow. Dwarves are more comfortable and handy with the axe. Therefore, they would not have the accuracy or experience as elves and men. Like the previous posts have stated, it was fairly dark, and the animals were quite quick.


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## Lasgalen (Feb 1, 2003)

OK, I will give you that squirrels are hard to shoot. But the second quote I gave is about deer. They are big and at least one arrow should have hit. They wasted all their arrows trying to shoot deer. 

-Lasgalen


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## Gothmog (Feb 1, 2003)

The problem with the use of a bow and arrow for hunting is that it takes some three to four years of practice to become proficent enough with the weapon for accurate target shooting. Hunting and the shooting of moving animals is even harder and would require far more practice.

When the English Long-bow was the premier artiliary of the Middle-ages those who used the bow were required by order of the King to practice at the butts every sunday and also on every 'High day and Holiday' so as to keep up the skill of shooting in case of need.

So, unless these Dwarves were accumplished Bow-hunters, it is hardly surprising that they had difficulty hitting even the deer.


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## Niniel (Feb 1, 2003)

Exactly. Archery might seem easy, but it very hard indeed. Elves may have thousands of years to practice, but Dwarves haven't. So, especially in the dark, I'm not surprised that they couldn't hit a deer.


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## 33Peregrin (Feb 1, 2003)

I think dwarves can use Bows, not exceptionally, and not poorly. The Stag was a Mirkwood stag, even though it was white. Maybe it was just a bad shot.


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## Turgon (Feb 1, 2003)

> 'Thorin was the only one who had kept his feet and his wits. As soon as they had landed he had bent his bow and fitted an arrow in case any hidden guardian of the boat appeared. Now he sent a swift and sure shot into the leaping beast. As it reached the further bank it stumbled. The shadows swallowed it up, but they heard the sound of hooves quickly falter and then go still.'



Hey give a dwarf a break will ya! We all have our off days... 

It seems that Thorin at least was a decent marksman.


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## 33Peregrin (Feb 1, 2003)

Oh My! I forgot Thorin actually got the Stag! They were only unable to retrieve it. I really forgot, and I've read the Hobbit four times. That's sad....


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## Mithlond (Feb 2, 2003)

Total Darkness wouldnt hider Dwarves that much would it, are they not able to see in the dark? Or atleast see better in the dark than any other race??

I'm pretty sure in LotR when the fellowship where travelling through Moria Gandalf brings Gimli up beside him to help lead the way, to make use of his _Dwarf-eyes_.

But even still, as various people in this thread have already mentioned, even if they could see, you need quite a bit of skill with a bow and arrow to actually hit a mark.


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## Lasgalen (Feb 2, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Gothmog _
> *The problem with the use of a bow and arrow for hunting is that it takes some three to four years of practice to become proficent enough with the weapon for accurate target shooting. *



I must admit I never shot at a live target. However, I only had practiced with bow and arrow for 1 yr before I started winning awards in bare-bow (no sights, stabilizers, or other fancy gadgets that olympic shooters use). If the Dwarves had little or no practice, than why did Beorn give them the bows and arrows?

-Lasgalen


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## Gothmog (Feb 2, 2003)

> _Originally posted by lasgalen _
> *I must admit I never shot at a live target. However, I only had practiced with bow and arrow for 1 yr before I started winning awards in bare-bow (no sights, stabilizers, or other fancy gadgets that olympic shooters use). If the Dwarves had little or no practice, than why did Beorn give them the bows and arrows?
> 
> -Lasgalen *


 I was only shooting for 6 months before I started winning awards in G.N.A.S. Traditional class, which is even more restricted than Bare-bow (No sights, No Stabilisers, No pressure Button, One anchor point on face, No string walking and using wooden arrows). This does not change in any way my observation that it takes some three to four years to become Proficient at shooting. Over the period of time that I was shooting I was county champion for 9 out of 10 years (I did not shoot one year as I was involved in a course to become a coach), Welsh Champion for 10 years, third in britain three times, Plus numerous other county open champion titles. All of this in Field Archery. So it is from this experience that I draw for my comments.


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## Isenho (Feb 10, 2003)

also, when the dwarves were in the cave and besieged by the men and elves, one of the men's messenger came up to speak with the dwarves. Thorin (i think) shot an arrow at him and it stuck onto the guy's shield. so that was pretty good aim


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## Wolfshead (Feb 17, 2003)

I can't remember where I read this, it probably had nothing to do with Tolkien. Dwarves are short, right? So, they can't pull a drawstring back very far. Therefore they can't get as much range on a shot. The just aren't built for archery. But neither are Elves built for wielding an axe, so it evens out.


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