What a load of

[ChuckC]

Turkeys. . .  no   I didn't miss it.  We always say those words but in reality, all things are not equal.  almost ever.  

Unless the thing is a total dog, speed in not one of the things I care about.  I have no idea what fps my lil arrows are going downrange and I really don't care.  They get there. . .  eventually.
ChuckC    

[Andy Cooper]

Originally posted by Flesner:
My arrows go all the way through deer. How much faster do they need to be?

The effectiveness of your rig is measured by the distance on the other side of the deer the arrow falls after complete penetration!   :eek:      :D

[warbird]

I own 2 compounds and 6 traditional bows. My speed freak compound came from the factory tested certified documentation at 342fps. Just setting it up was a task. Tuning up the dropaway rest for centershot and timing for fletching clearence I had to call the factory tech twice. Usually your string lines up with your sight pins, but not on binary cams with mild lean at full draw. Then try finding an arrow with enough spine to handle the energy produced. Now drawing the bow with its speed cams is like bending a piece of iron until you hit the let off valley. The slightest twitch, torque, or fault in your form dramatically effects arrow flight in theese fast bows. It takes skill,stamina and knowledge to master theese bows. I love bowhunting and archery all aspects of it. I have enjoyed traditional archery since the day my Grandfather gave me my first bow a Wing Gull. Nowadays I enjoy my Hybrid Longbow. Sure I  own a couple of faster shooting recurves but this one just fits me and I shoot it well. I like fast but I like forgiving, comfortable, light, quiet, attractive, accurate etc. You have to make compromises to find what best suits you. Being said no matter what equipment you choose it takes practice, skill, and experience to hunt with.

[Bowwild]

I'm much more concerned about the decision making of people who hunt with bows than I am their choice of equipment and accessories.

Personally, I like speed IF the bow is quiet, stable, and durable.

I'm a bit odd here but the reputation of the bow maker or company is also important to me. I am drawn most to companies that support the future of archery, and there aren't very many of these.

An ethical bowhunter needs to be proficient with equipment,use super-sharp broadheads, make proper shoot/don't shoot decisions, follow all game laws, be respectful of landowners, and know how to recover bow-shot game. If a bowhunter is deficient in these areas he may be hurt, arrested, and/or do harm to bowhunting's reputation.

I think some of the TV and Magazine bowhunters put out sound information based upon their experience or that of others. Surely some of the available videos and articles have shortened the learning curve for many new bowhunters. I think some of the personalities are irresponsible when they leave the impression that certain types of shots are ok for the average person (long shots, running shots, poor angles, etc.)they are steepening the learning curve. The naive bowhunter might try some of these things without proper practice or experience and fail-dramatically!  

My pet peeve is when authors feel it necessary to buck widely accepted bowhunting truths just to create a niche market for themselves and their ideas.  I won't name names but "famous" bowhunters who are strong proponents of butt shots, running shots, long shots, etc. bother me a lot.  Can these shots be made? Of course they can. Do they have high odds for success...not for most of us. Proponents will say you won't get good at these shots if you don't try. I ask, how many wounded animals and day-long tracking jobs must occur to teach me?

Something I've always believed. I would rather do almost anything other than spend an entire day or more tracking a poorly hit game animal. I believe folks who take risky shots don't spend the proper amount of energy and time tracking poorly hit animals..they just go shoot another one.  A lost animal eats at me for a long time.