Speed test-opinions?

[pseman]

Seems like a very useful test to me. Like James said it gives you real world numbers on bows that are set up to shoot in the real world.

No one will ever do a test to "prove" which bow is fastest because no matter how much effort they put into making all variables the same, those whose bow did not win will always find plenty of faults/reasons why there bow didn't win.

[South MS Bowhunter]

More info that was copy from the other web site "Jipp, the bow I shot was boo backed osage r/d.
Just a note, all the bows that came in without a specified brace height were set up at 6-6 1/4.
Ken and I retested his fast bow with a hunting set up using 16 strand fastflight, flemish twist, with silencers and a 7" brace height, this was moved up from 6 3/8". The new test under the hunting conditions set up gave us a still impressive 192 fps. many of the bows sent in had between 12 and 16 strand strings. Just something to think about, when the next test comes aound you may want to send two strings and we could test both ways, hunting and performance. getting ready to pack up and go home and cannot stress how much I appreciated Ken and his wife Lynn's hospitality. Stevebadger5149"
 
Posts: 234
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 1:36 pm

I would like to see an "apple to apple" comparision of some of the well known bow, by the way i shoot a BW and I'm pleased with it but those seem to be great # at 10 gpi.

[Dartwick]

Well just reading a couple particular responses in this thread you can see the potential for misinformation, from people who dont grasp the nuances of bow speed trying, as they interpret the results.

[bayoulongbowman]

Good stuff.........I like the fact that yall shot real arrows. good luck mark

[O.L. Adcock]

Pseman, "No one will ever do a test to "prove" which bow is fastest because no matter how much effort they put into making all variables the same, those whose bow did not win will always find plenty of faults/reasons why there bow didn't win."

Oh sure, just like the losers at the track but at least they were on the same track!    That wasn't one of "my" bows by the way, that was an A&H.

So, all you guys that poopoo these tests..They are nothing more then bragging rights. Like someone killing a state or world record buck...I sure wouldn't dismiss their accomplishment or their right to thump their chest a bit..Unless they were making such claims after it was measured by Bubba and they won't hand it to Pope and Young. Fast bows to a bowyer that cares about such things is like monster bucks to us hunters. All good even if they are close. I'm just glad to see recurves taking their rightful back seats!    Lancaster Archery and Blackey did a bunch of tests last weekend and the fastest bow there was 202 @ 28" @ 9gpp and it was a longbow too. Not one of mine....O.L.

[James Wrenn]

Many won't send bows to folks with agendas and not holding a fair tests either. It either needs to be casual as it was and therefore limited value or tow the line consistant paying attention to every detail.....O.L.

Well I agree but from what I have read and seen this is just casual as you say.Many people don't have cronys or a shooting rig and this is a way for them to see what there bows will shoot.Most guys don't have $700 or whatever Norm might charge to test a bow.This is a way for the small time guys that build a few bows to check there progress without emptying there wallet.I don't see the harm in it a bit myself.Not sure why some want to read more into things than are there.It is just a fun way to play with bows.

I have no dog in this fight.I have the tools to test anything I want and don't build bows to sell.I have no need to send in a bow because I know I shoot the bows I like and a few numbers mean little to me or matter little for what I use a bow for.    I am not sure how anything care be more fair than having a bow tested exactly like you would use the bow myself.Beats the devil out of putting out IBO numbers for most guys to try and understand.

[O.L. Adcock]

Hey James I like IBO numbers!    "Most guys don't have $700 or whatever Norm might charge to test a bow." He charges a "bow" so what's the cost of materials? Not much more then a chrony.....Blacky buys the bow for 1/2 price so that more then covers materials......O.L.

[James Wrenn]

lol I like IBO numbers too but know how to read something from them instead of a big number.  

About all I build now is just playing with all wood bows trying to learn something.I would hate for someone to see the numbers on mine however.        Of course they still work for what I need one for.I guess that is why Badger's bows impress me so much more than the others in that test.It really is just all in fun for most of us.

[O.L. Adcock]

"It really is just all in fun for most of us." Me too, but the sanctioned races are the only ones that count! A few guys running cars in the back 40 can't claim world speed records.   ...O.L.

[James Wrenn]

I agree with that.

None of those bows would shoot those numbers in a test like Lancaster did because of the way the limbs never stopped before release.All the numbers would be lower.

Personally if I sold bows and was able to build what was considered a fast bow I would send one straight to Norm myself no matter the cost.The documatation would pay for itself real quick in bow sells.As you say I would put it on the right track if I wanted to make the claims based on speed numbers. jmho

[Apex Predator]

It's all good guys!

O.L., I'm not discrediting anything you have accomplished.  I have tons of respect for you and agree with 99.9% of what you have written.  You set the bar in performance buddy, quite a few years ago.  We are fellow Chiefs, and that means something to me.

I think it's awesome that WTT exists, and I expect quite a few more entries this year.  Maybe one day I will have a speed bow to send, but right now I like them like they are.  

[pseman]

" Many won't send bows to folks with agendas and not holding a fair tests either."

OL, what agendas did these guys have? Are Blacky and Norm the only ones without agendas? If they did have an agenda, what is it?

"That wasn't one of "my" bows by the way, that was an A&H."

Never said it was, and you aren't the only one crying foul. I just don't understand why there is this "agenda phobia". It seems like every time someone posts chrony numbers from a particular bow, some folks can't type fast enough to discount the tests as "irrelevent" or "dishonest". I wonder if some of those folks aren't the ones with agendas.

All this bickering over a few fps

  :rolleyes:

[SteveB]

I can definitely see why reasonable people dismiss the tests as being useful.

X2

[O.L. Adcock]

Mark, I didn't say they did but could have for all I know. Those with resume's like Blacky or Norb would be out of the game in a heartbeat if they did. Many of the numbers you see from folks, they may well be good intentioned but they don't have the experience or knowledge to know what a fair test is, therefore can't conduct one. Many quote numbers that would take good compounds to accomplish. Calling them on it makes them do their homework and learn how to do it correctly.

"All this bickering over a few fps"...Never been around fisherman much have you?     Tournaments only use one scale and the participants aren't allowed to touch it for a reason. I'm not crying foul, I'd love for those numbers on Ken's bow to be valid, and they may well be. If so it's about a 212 AMO bow and has more energy storage and efficiency then any ever tested. Striving to find what's possible is part of it...O.L.

[grizz]

I really enjoyed the test. The discussion here is also very interesting. Did someone state that the deal with Blacky is 1/2 off the bow price? If so, thats not the same deal that I am getting from him, although I consider it fair anyway.

[O.L. Adcock]

Mike, That was some years ago, he may have changed..O.L.

[PV]

Striving to find what's possible  [/QB]

Thats what WTT is striving to do. This year all bow strings will be made by one person for all bows. The brace height will be the same for all bows in each class and the 10gr pp will the standard for testing.These guys are trying to be as objective as humanly possible. They welcome suggestions so if anyone has any that can make a difference let them know

[Roy Steele]

I build selfbows some bows that I build the owners want to know the fps.But there's a few things I do first.First after I tiller the bow.I shoot it for around two weeks for two reasons.Too touch up the tiller if I need to and by then it settled into it's set some people call this string follow.
  By now I've already fine tuned the brace hieght and have the right arrow spline and what I think the right hunting weight arrow should be also even type of string number of strands even the kind of nocks.
   Now I'll check the arrow speed,right off the bow and at 20 yards if they would like it.
   With new LAM bows you may even want to shoot it a little to it settles into is find'll weight.Thats getting use to being bent for you none bow building #@$%#%@'s.SYKE

[wharvey]

I haven't seen the video yet, still downloading it to my computer instead of streaming it. However from the comments I have a pretty good idea what is in it.

While it might not be a "fair" test to use to compare speed capabilities of various bows, it is a fair test to let me compare my bow and setup with others.

(I have a chronograph from my competitive shooting days that I used to work up loads. The numbers I got from it compared very well with the ones I would shoot over at the competitions so I think it is fairly accurate.)

[wharvey]

Well I watched the video and it was about as expected. It shows my Hatfield shots on par with the tested bows. A bit slower than the average but then I was shooting a standard B50 string with silencers and finger release. Of course speed isn't everything, not by a long shot.

One thing that would have been more interesting, as I think was mentioned, would have been to use the same bow with different configurations. I would have specially been interested to see what the difference would have been between a bow with quiver and sans the quiver.  

When the weather improves a bit I think I'll set my chrono up and see what I get.