How slow is to slow?

[Bjorn]

Light of heavy-both will kill Whitetails-the choice is up to you, does not matter what we think, whatever combo gets it to the vitals best for you is all that counts.

[nightowl1]

i shoot 46 @27. I recently went to shoot 3d with some friends and the day before lost 2 arrows and broke one. (they were flying threw the target). So i was forced to quick tune some 250s for it. I got them flying good but they were over 640g. At shots less than 20 yards i was able to hit fine with a little learning curve. Anything over that and forget about it. My arrows wouldn't hold enough energy to withstand any breeze and would tailspin into the dirt.

I made up some 11 gpp arrows and they seem almost flat out to 30 yards. I like to shoot distances to practice form and insure tuning and concentration. I would not hesitate to shoot my new arrows at anything that came across me.

.30 caliber is the magic rifle caliber, .50 the magic muzzleloader, and it seems somewhere around 10 gpp is it for arrow weight.

[Dick in Seattle]

I'm another with short draw (25") and due to physical problems have to shoot really light most of the time.  I can edge up to 40# for hunting, where you only take an occasional shot, but for 3D and general knocking around, where I might take up to 100 shots in a day, I stay way down in weight.  27# is normal and I'm currently laying up a new 20# bow.   With light arrows, about 8.5 gpp, I am able to enjoy 3D shoots with this setup and have for a couple of years. I have shot 3D with as low as 17#.   My hunting arrows are 10 gpp and produced a clean pass through double lung shot on the javelina I took last fall.  I took the smaller of two animals in range because it was the closer and more sure shot.

[LCH]

About 10-15 fps slower than fast. That is in trad bows. Don't worry about speed if you can hit what you are aiming at.LCH

Too slow is when I shoot an arrow, drop my bow and beat the arrow in a race to the target.  I'm guessing about 25fps.....

[crotch horn]

I hunt where there are lots of bears. I am almost as likely to see a black bear as a deer. I have CX 150s that I will be working with. I will be dropping weight until I get a good mix of speed but still good FOC.

[jrchambers]

personaly heavy is great but there is a point where acuracy actualy can suffer due to really heavy arrows.  now this is just my observation but 20 fps difference in two arrows means the slower heavyer one will be on the string a bit longer leaving a little bit more time to screw up, not to say they cant be shot verry well, kinda like a flintlock vs modern muzzle loader, there is a little more time for error

[Molson]

I like heavy arrows. I like how they feel on the release, I like how they fly, and I like how they hit.  

If you like them lighter then have at it.  You're not going to have any problems with them.

[Earthdog]

I shot 45lb with a 480g arrow for a long time,it was more than up to the job.

Like a lot here,I also belive over 600g from 45lb is wasting energy that could be better used to up the speed a bit without losing terminal performance.

Mind you,,,I'm not standing in front of a 600 grainer traveling at any speed.

[crotch horn]

Interesting isn't it because at 10 & 15 yards I can't see a diference in speed but @ 20 it is noticeable. I, myself would not shoot beyond 20 but many are able to. I still feel like 135fps is to slow even if it doesn't effect my hunting range. I can still achieve the FOC I am looking for and go down some in weight. Will be interesting to see where I end up. I think 150fps would be my minimum.

[Bjorn]

A really good release can be a tremendous asset; and 10-20 FPS faster than a 'normal' one-check it out.

[FrankM]

Is there a ballpark speed you should stay above no matter what you shoot?

[Cecil]

I like to stay around 10grn per pound on what ever I am tuning. and I go by what I pull not what bow is marked.