Facebook video: Working ballista experiment - shared by John Dods, 5 June 2025

https://www.facebook.com/groups/824840264342234/posts/2939856602840579/

Vincent Cholewa

Admin

Group expert

+1

I realise it’s a cliff not a town wall but the impact did not look particularly impressive. Would these have been used against stone walls or, instead, more the people on the walls and the town inside?

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John Dods

Author

1,629 points

They had a good range and were more accurate than the contemporary siege weapons. I assume what they were used against depended in what ammunition, bolts against defenders, rocks against walls. More than happy to be corrected it's a long time since I read my men at arms book on ancient artillery/ articles in Slingshot . Not sure if I even have them. I do have some of both in the garage).

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Andrew Crampton

It was small but on fire. Send it over the wall onto a thatched or wooden roof.

Small low velocity projectiles like that would never damage a stone wall but would be uncomfortable if they hit you.

 Ben Vartok

4,471 points

I am going to get one for home defense!