Too Fast?

[Yellow Dog]

I started out as a stickbow shooter as a teenager in the mid 70's, transitioning to a compound in 1976 with a Bear Whitetail. Did the compound thing, hunting, shooting and competitive shooting until the early 90's. Speed was the thing and Hoyt's were my bow of choice. It finally came to a point where it wasn't much of a challenge shooting a compound and in 1992 I went back to a stick. The quest for "speed" no longer mattered. I've shot my Bear's, Widow's and Predator's with 2018's, 2216's, 2117's and 2315's. Arrows in the 500 to 600 gr. range clocking 170 to 175 fps in the bow weight's I've been shooting.

About 6 months ago I started goofing around with carbon's. All my shooting buddy's said "you've got to try em". Now I was in the 200+fps range out of my sticks. Back to the speed thing. At first I thought this was the greatest thing ever!!! 200 plus fps out of my stickbows.

After more shooting with these "fast" arrows I became more inconsistent. At those speeds I couldn't see the "arch" of the arrow. Went back to the "slow" heavy aluminums. My groups tightened back up to the way they used to be. If I was a gap shooter, fast would be good but I'm a "throw the ball, see the ball" instinctive shooter.

Slow works for me. Any thought on this?

[frassettor]

Works for me to. Speed isnt everything, I tend to favor heavy arrows.. There hard hitting and quiet the bow. Why do you need speed, if you have a deadly quiet setup???  

[threeundr]

Speed is'nt everything. Shoot what works best for you. I have had some slower bows by many peoples standards that were also very accurate. But this is very subjective. When it comes down to it I guess it depends on the archer and his or her abilities. Just my two cents.

-Leonard-

[R H Clark]

Everyone should shoot whatever works best for them.The only disavantage I see is if you are under the bowyers reccomended gpp with light carbons and putting your bow in danger.

I shoot very light arrows for 3D and heavier for hunting.I wouldn't hunt with my light target arrows but when I hunt I just go up in poundage to get close to the same speed with my heavier arrows.A flatter shooting arrow makes it easier for me to hit my target at different unknown ranges.

I do however shoot metal risers and ILF limbs rated at much lower GPP than most custom bows.

[Blackhawk]

Dang, I wish I could get 200 from my hunting bows    , but a 27" draw with 50# is not a good combo for that.  

But as you know that's really not fast for compounders, however, I would consider 185-200 fps (shooting arrows 9 gpp) as my ideal.

...and there is a lot to be said for being able to watch an hour in flight.  

[30coupe]

I don't have any idea how fast my arrows are going. They go where I am looking, so I could care less. My 46# @ 28" Kanati seems fast to me, and it quietly chucks a 525 to 550 gr. wooden arrow with authority. That works for me.

[James Wrenn]

Well if just shooting one bow I have no problem with speed.I like to shoot a lot of different bows however and having one a lot faster than the others screws me up on a quick switch.I just slow the faster one down a little with more arrow weight to get closer to the speeds the others shoot and it makes switching between them a piece of cake. :)I like watching my arrows and don't really mind a little arch in there flight anyway.

[WidowEater]

Ive found carbons to be less accurate in all bow setups Ive ever used. (wheelies too)  Someone once told me its because the aluminum is more "forgiving."  I dont really know what this means but I guess it works.  I like arrows heavy too.  10gpi or more is to my liking.  When I shoot I love to see the arc of the arrow in flight as it "drops" right into the area you were focusing on.

[Orion]

Even at 200 fps, it shouldn't be difficult to follow the arc of the arrow.  Are you using bright fletches -- white, orange, chartreuse, blue, pink, etc.?

[tyee]

carbons are less forgiving

[BodarkOkie]

Never seen an animal that cared how fast and arrow missed them!!

But, that just my observation...and opinion.  

[Bonebuster]

I feel the same. Went to carbon for the durability, and actually didn`t like the speed.
I couldn`t watch my arrows fly, I couldn`t see the rotation as well.

Thats when I began weighing my carbons down. First then entire shaft was weighed down, then I heard about FOC weight and it`s advantages, and started playing with that.

Now my arrows spin happily and slam the target like a truck. My bow even sounds as if I am shooting a fat, heavy, wood shaft. I have the best flying longest lasting arrows I have ever used.
And the heavy FOC has returned the forgiveness that stiff carbon shafts are noted for not having.

Every year for several in a row, I bumped my arrow weight up and hunted with the new heavier arrows. I found only advantages, and no disadvantages.

I agree 100%, "throw the ball, see the ball".

[JOKER]

Sounds like bonebuster has it figured out. Take a stiff light weight carbon, load it up with point weight and wala you get a heavy high FOC arrow that is forgiving, durabule and penatrats great! I think speed is good for hitting targets at longer ranges but for my hunting I like to use a heaver arrow and trade that speed for monentum and penatration. Steve

[JC]

I'll have to agree with Bonebuster and Joker. There is no reason why carbons can't weigh WAAAAYY more than any other material and still get perfect flight. Once you figure out the minor idosynchrasies of carbon, the benefits far outweight any other material...imho.

Now, if someone would just develope a carbon that smells like cedar, on the rare occasion you break one you'd still get that humble pleasure found inside a snapped cedar shaft.

[BMG]

Bear with me for a second.  I've been flinging arrows all of 3 months.  In the past 2 weeks I have found an arrow set-up that flies really really well for me.  Beman MFX 400 cut to 28.5" 100 gr. inserts 160 gr. El Grandes with 100 gr. adapters, total weight is 696 gr to 698 gr.  FOC is near 23.5%.  I have never sent them through a chrono, probably wont either.  Out to 20 yards I have zero arch in flight, out to 30 yards the arch is minimal.  Now if I could get that same arrow to fly the same out to 40 yards as it does at 20 yards, I believe I would be a very happy hunter.  To do this the arrow needs to be going faster.  I am getting used to the arching flight but find it to be a less accurate  shot.

[TonyW]

If you really want the arrow to go faster, try running toward your target.
Your form may suffer, though.

[BMG]

TonyW, I haven't tried running at an 800 lb bull elk yet.     :eek:

[stmpthmpr]

Orion makes a very good point.
 
Some years back I fletched up some arrows with bright yellow feathers. I realized that I was really seeing the arrows trajectory. Till then I used bronze and black and all the dark colors I like. Im sure my brain picked up on the flight, but not as well as with bright colors.

I was amazed at this and found that shooting at targets, which a seldom do, I could shoot MUCH better groups at distances with greater arc, than I was accustomed to.

The trajectory of the arrow is one of the things tha brain picks up on unconsciously for the instinctive shooter. Brighter fletchings help pick it up.

[Shawn Leonard]

3under and JC have it right. Shoot what ya shoot best, who cares what everyone else does! As my wife would say "Whatever blows your hair back!" Shawn

[George D. Stout]

I have an interesting anomaly:  I bought some Carbonwood 2000 from a fellow Tradganger.  As set-up, they are virtually the same mass weight as my 2016, and both are 28" bop.  However, my point-on is about six yards further with the Carbonwoods.  This is from the recurve, which is 51# at my draw.  That tells me that the Carbonwood is holding more of the energy from the bow.

See....I do pay attention to you kids every once in awhile 8^).