Why did firearms replace bows as major military weapons in Europe during the 16th century?

During the 16th century, firearms—specifically the harquebus and later the musket—gradually replaced bows as the primary missile weapons in European warfare. This transition was driven by several key factors:

• Ease of Training: Unlike the English longbow, which required a lifetime of rigorous physical training and practice to master, firearms could be taught to recruits relatively quickly. This allowed armies to mobilize and train large numbers of soldiers more efficiently.12
• Tactical Evolution: While early firearms were inaccurate and slow to reload, they were integrated into "combined arms" tactics. Units like the Spanish tercio utilized pikemen to protect harquebusiers, allowing the latter to fire effectively while remaining shielded from close-quarters combat.3
• Technological Improvements: The development of the buttstock and trigger allowed firearms to be aimed more effectively. Furthermore, the invention of "slow match" provided a reliable ignition method, establishing small arms as a distinct and viable category of weaponry.4
• Societal Changes: The decline of the English yeomanry lifestyle, which had supported the longbow tradition, made skilled archers increasingly scarce, leading to a shift toward gunpowder-based forces.1