{{Short description|One who shoots a crossbow}}{{About|a crossbowman|the medieval European crossbow|Arbalest}} thumb|right|An arbalist shoots indoors with a sports-crossbow
An '''arbalist''', also spelled '''arbelist''', is one who shoots a crossbow.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Grand National Archery Society Rules of Shooting, Section 104 |year=2002}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Field Crossbow 2005 Art. 322 Shooting Position 322.1 |work=IAU Competition Rules}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Who uses crossbows? |url=http://www.worldcrossbow.com/whoxbow.html |work=World Crossbow Shooting Association|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719100048/http://www.worldcrossbow.com/whoxbow.html |archive-date=2008-07-19 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Constitution & Rules Chapter 15, Target Crossbow |work=Archery Australia |year=2007}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Crossbow Shooting Rules |work=Archery New Zealand Inc. |year=2003 |quote=chapter 14}}</ref>
==Background== An extensive list of archaic words for medieval crossbowmen is given by Payne-Gallwey.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Payne-Gallwey |first=Ralph |title=The Book of the Crossbow |publisher=Courier Dover Publications |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-486-28720-1 |page=2 |author-link=Ralph Payne-Gallwey}}</ref> Richardson, in his 1839 dictionary,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Richardson |first=Charles |title=A new dictionary of the English language |publisher=Pickering |year=1839}}</ref> did not make specific reference to the crossbow in his definition of arbalist: "One who casts or shoots from a bow." Hansard (1841) used the word ''arbalister'' for a cross-bowman (sic),<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hansard |first=George Agar |title=The Book of Archery: Being the Complete History and Practice of the Art, Ancient and Modern... |publisher=H.G. Bohn |year=1841 |location=London |page=192}}</ref> the same usage as Webster<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://machaut.uchicago.edu/ |title=American Dictionary of the English Language |year=1828 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080903063800/http://machaut.uchicago.edu/ |archive-date=2008-09-03 |editor-last=Noah Webster}}</ref> and Johnson<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Johnson |first1=Samuel |title=A Dictionary of the English Language |last2=Walker |first2=John |last3=Jameson |first3=Robert S. |publisher=W. Pickering |year=1828}}</ref> who reserved the word arbalist for the crossbow itself. Smith<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=W.H. |title=Crossbow Hunting |publisher=Stackpole Books |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-8117-3311-3 |page=45}}</ref> uses arbalist to describe a ''maker'' of crossbows.
==Equipment and competition== Modern arbalists shoot crossbows markedly different from medieval artillerymen. Current-day target crossbows must conform to various limitations according to the governing body under which the shoot or tournament is taking place.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Grand National Archery Society Rules of Shooting, Part 2 Bowstyles: Rule 210 |year=2002}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Target Crossbow Shooting Rules, Rule 33: Target Crossbow equipment |work=World Crossbow Shooting Association |year=2007 |orig-year=2005}}</ref> Firstly, GNAS requires that arbalists shoot at targets separate from archers. Both the World Crossbow Shooting Association (WCSA) and GNAS require that the draw weight maximum be 95 lbs and that the minimum bolt (arrow) length be 12 inches. These organizations differ, however, in allowable maximum bolt length, GNAS citing 15", WCSA 18". They also disagree as to whether metal prods can be used; GNAS says no, WCSA says yes (with restrictions). Both require that the bolts shall be fletched, GNAS imposing an additional constraint of the ''number'' of fletchings (three).
==Classification== {{Section citations needed|date=February 2025}} GNAS (now Archery GB) recognizes three grades of arbalist:<ref>{{Citation |title=Shooting Administrative Procedure 7: Classification Schemes - 9 Crossbow Shooting |work=The Grand National Archery Society |page=SAP 7-4 |year=2002}}</ref> ''Master Arbalist'' (scoring 780 or higher in three qualifying Crossbow Windsor Rounds), ''Arbalist 1st Class'' (scoring 630 or higher), and ''Arbalist 2nd Class'' (480).{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}} A Crossbow Windsor Round is shot on a 60 cm 10-zone face scoring 9,7,5,3,1: three ends at 40 yards, three at 50 yards and three at 60 yards.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}
Archery Australia recognizes five classifications: ''Grand Master Arbelist'' (GMA), ''Master Arbelist'' (MA), ''First Class Arbelist'' (A1), ''Second Class Arbelist'' (A2), and ''Third Class Arbelist'' (A3).{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}
==Awards== The World Crossbow Shooting Association (WCSA) makes available four sets of Star Achievement Awards (badges) to encourage both participation in tournaments and to provide recognition for reaching certain scores: ''TC 900'' for outdoor target crossbow, ''SC 600'' for outdoor sport crossbow, ''Indoor 40'' for indoor 40 cm face for both target and sport crossbow, and ''Indoor 25'' for indoor 25 cm face for both target and sport crossbow.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WCSA ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS |url=http://www.worldcrossbow.com/achieve.html |website=worldcrossbow.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821112711/http://www.worldcrossbow.com/achieve.html |archive-date=2008-08-21 }}</ref>
==See also== *Archery *Crossbow *Laws on crossbows
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Cite web |title=Grand National Archery Society |url=http://www.gnas.org/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080901144138/http://www.gnas.org/|archive-date=2008-09-01}} * {{Cite web |title=Grand National Archery Society |url=http://www.archery.org.au}} * {{Cite web |title=World Crossbow Shooting Association |url=http://www.worldcrossbow.com}} * {{Cite web |title=International Crossbow Shooting Union |url=http://www.iau-crossbow.org/web1/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529222633/http://www.iau-crossbow.org/web1/|archive-date=2008-05-29}} * {{Cite web |title=The National Crossbowmen of the USA |url=http://www.crossbowusa.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011127012228/http://www.crossbowusa.com/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=November 27, 2001}} * {{Cite web |title=Crossbowman in Stronghold Crusader |url=http://strongholdcrusader.info/the-crossbowman.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025025836/http://strongholdcrusader.info/the-crossbowman.html|archive-date=2012-10-25}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arbalist (Crossbowman)}} Category:Crossbows Category:Archers