Anybody who claims that an arrow from a big bow cannot penetrate a mailie has never seen any, apart from very badly made TV show. And I m asking him what bow is he shoting and whatever is he able to make proper arrows with proper heads.
TV shows including mythbusters, discovery and bunch of others were made most stupid way, not even using proper equipment and shooting, jumping into conclusions without bearing proper tests and asking people which know how to acomplish the task how to do it. I m speaking namely about Mark Stretton, Simon Stanley, Hector Cole (archers and arrowsmiths all of them) or Chris Boyton, which inherited 400 years bowmaking trade from late Richard Galloway.
The tests conducted for The Glade by Marc Stretton showed clearly that mailie on padding and dead pig has about as much resistance to arrow as morning mist. Aside of few clean passes the arrows have been shot completelly through - means they have to beat mail, padding, pig and again padding and mailie and have been sticking out most of the lenght. It was riveted and of thicker wire than most mediaval counterparts.
To beat a mailie is a feat which I managed with rather mediocre ash longbow pulling only 60 pounds AND PROPER ARROW.
I shot also 100# longbow beating 1.2 mm hardened armour, 1.6 mm soft (which is harder feat to acomplish getting penetration 12 to 14 cm and get partial penetration on 2.0 soft iron sheet. That all supported with padding and either sack of beans or sandbag.
I did also some testing with 120# yew longbow.
Most late anti plate bodkin stick regardles the angle of impact up to 60 degrees. Anything you have to do is to go to Hector Cole let yourself to show proper arrowhead.
Heck I actually seen to beat breastplatte on padding, the sack of beans AND to split the 2´´X2´´ log on which that all was mounted. (That was rather heavy arrow from 160# bow).
It is possible to beat plate with an arrow and its childish easy to beat mailie -thats the reason why in the peak of mailie use everybody was using such a big
shield and that the arrow mortality was so high.
As I said I have seen most of these things, I m shooting heavy bows and I have done them. With regards to books, anybody who wants to know shall meet heavy bow archers and see what their arrows do.
Fortunatelly kinetic energy is not most important factor of arrow killing power or penetration, as clearly shown in fine paper by Mr. Ashby from australian bowhunting association, who holds degree in physics.
It is MOMENTUM, which shows rather high figures with heavy arrows.
Anyway 130 J anyway makes 90 J or so on impact - any traumatologist can tell you that 60-70 J with blunt point on unprotected chest can cause pneumothorax or heartstop and death..in good deal of causes.
As for bow usage in viking and protovinking era, if it was weapon ineffective against mail, shield and other types of armour it wont be used so wide. Unfortunatelly for doubters it was used by just about anybody as we have from large account from Heimskringla, Njala and Egills, where also penetration of mail and death of wearer is described in most graphic way and often, that all with bows not reaching high mediaval poundage and arrowheads which will get 500 years of development since then up to peak of the performance.
For 6. - 7. century bow look for Nydam bows, which are almost identic to late mediaval bows that all up to lenght, tiler, profile, material and everything exception the strenght and overall sturdiness.
Nydam bows are bit more elegant and the poundage can go up to 70#, that all with whip tilered and elegant tips will give them high performance with period arrows.
See fine report by bow archeologist Harm Paulsen, which I met last year at Hedaby and discussed these matters with him.
Thats all from me....
Sorry for rather large post, but I have met the people doing the things practically and I have repeated the tasks for myself. I m bowmaker and archer by trade, I m forging arrowheads, I m making the arrows and I m making period shields. And I m shooting -most important.....
Jaroslav