I haven't heard the phrase "more wood behind fewer arrows" before, but I am pretty sure that never in the history of the evolution of projectiles was that tradeoff ever taken in that direction.
https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-wood-behind-few...
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-origin-of-the-phrase-putti...
> The background seems an oft-used phrase in Sun Microsystems by the former CEO, "all the wood behind a single arrow" which means focus on a single product and be the best in it.
> When deer hunting .. "Real men bring only one arrow. They know how to aim (and they remember to take plenty of time when aiming), and they put all the wood behind that one arrow."
They even managed to find a usage of the same space of metaphor from Apple!
> While the layoffs are intended to reduce operating costs, Apple said it trimmed its technology portfolio to streamline development efforts. “Time to market is very important to me,” Amelio said. “With the narrowing of our focus, we can put more wood behind the arrow.”
> —Stephen Howard, “Narrowing tech focus, Apple cuts 4,100 jobs,” MacWeek, March 17, 1997
(Of course, if I want to shoot birds the reverse would be true)
In videos I've seen of tests of arrows against armour the shafts usually break, so that the weight of the shaft does not fully go into the penetration.
Stiffer shorter arrows have, therefore, a better chance. Thus the men fighting heavily armoured troops may choose crossbows, which with their long reloading time would literally trade number of shots for heavier shots.
This is the metaphor that keeps giving
The fletchings have less of a moment arm to correct things.
Is there a proven evolutionary advantage to birds rising earlier in order to catch the worm?
The meaning is clear as you got it, despite you never hearing it before, so it undeniably works.
It's a saying. I've heard it so it could be a britishism?
It is not that it has happened, more that it would be desirable
> Is there a proven evolutionary advantage to birds rising earlier in order to catch the worm?
I think anyone collecting worms as fishing bait will tell you that worms favour dawn to daytime, so yes.
I'm British, and I think the arrow thing sounds like US corporate BS rather than a traditional saying
Well I did business studies aswell so it might be management speak.
Raise the mass of the arrow and it'll hit with more force. There's a sweet spot for piercing heavy cloth armor. If the arrows are too light, they'll bounce right off.
Enough thrust will make anything fly: if your bow's range is halved by a heavier arrow, maybe switch it out for a crossbow.
It only doesn't make sense if you choose the position that arrows can be switched out but not bows.