Traditional Bow Speeds

[Big Ed]

I would say around the 170-185 fps mark would be a conservative average for a 28" draw bow at about 9.5 gpi-10.5 gpi. I was hunting with a Shrew at 43 lbs. last year shooting a 10.7 gpi arrow and passed through the three deer I harvested. I believe it was shooting somewhere in the area of 170fps maybe a little less.

[SELFBOW19953]

Joe,

I just played with the numbers on Stu's calculator to match the arrow weight and dynamic spine using Blacky Schwarz test numbers for the Dryad ACS RC-42.7@28, 384 gr arrow (9gpp)(I used OTHER for the shaft and fiddled with the spine).  Blacky showed a measured speed of 198 fps and kinetic energy of 33.44 ft-lbs.  Stu's calculator  showed 197 fps and 33 ft-lbs.

[straitera]

"Archery is such a mental thing" ~ Red Beastmaster.

Ya think? Great story partner & exactly the same as you good folks above have perfectly explained. Don't need no stinking chronograph! Just straighten my arrow in time (as per Wiley C).

[JimB]

My bows get about 175 fps with arrows that weigh 10 GPP.With 12 GPP,about 160 fps and at 13.5 GPP,155.

[TonyW]

How fast?

Let's see, once it gets there, I hope the arrow SLOWS DOWN whatever it hits. A healthy white tail deer can do 44 fps, while venison's top speed should be closer to zero.

I always figured nature made 'em just fast enough to outrun me or a wolf, not a Ferrari.

[ScouterMike]

"Archery is such a mental thing" ~ Red Beastmaster.

Ya Dave, how true. Problem is my wife says I am mindless, where does that leave me? Maybe that explains the occasional bad shot? What the hey!

But back to the question of "is this a good arrow speed". Well it depends, stating the obvious, you can "adjust" your arrow speed by changing your arrow weight. You can also predict arrow speed for a given arrow weight. You can even predict your arrow speed by bow type. Being a software engineer who loves data (a real personality flaw) I built a calculator that does this an I have never tested a bow that performs much better than its design would predict. The bow tests that Blacky does for TBM are accurate and show the same. BTW the question about Stu Millers arrow speed estimates...they are  high for a finger release. I read he may be offering a finger release estimate in a future version.

Here is the calculator..

 www.outdoorsden.com/archery

[smokin joe]

Selfbow,
I kind of thought that Stu's calculator would be pretty accurate. Thanks for checking that out.

All other things being equal (arrow weight, BH design, etc.), I like a fast bow. A fast bow delivers more of its energy to the arrow and thus it makes that delivery to the intended target. If that target is a game animal, that energy delivery increases the likelihood of good penetration and recovered game.

Thanks,
Joe

[T-Bowhunter]

I shoot a Great Northern Bush Bow 62" 47@28, Goldtips 35/55 175 grans upfront total weight 525 172 Feet Per second.

[manitou1]

Pittsley Predator recurve... 32.5" draw, 60" bow at 51.5 lbs.  198 fps with a 425 gr. total weight arrow. (125 tips). Doesn't really matter, as you learn to shoot the trajectory you have with your bow.  I would still like it due to it's smooth draw and shootability, even if it shot 180.

[Running Buck]

All my bows have the perfect speed. Fast enough to get the job done and slow enough to still see the arrow in flight.

[awbowman]

I worry about good arrow flight and worry about speed a little less.  Kind of like shooting too much gun and flinching.  Better to be accurate than fast.  Speed is good, but unfortunately I don't have the draw length to capitalize on it.  I do like Jim Wright's mid-160 goal though.

[Sixby]

Honestly now guys, People are buying foam core and carbon bows. Its not because they want to pay extra money. I have sold perhaps 15 or 20 base price bow in the last 4 or 5 years. Thats it. Every one starts out saying I want a base priced hunting bown and they end up adding this option and that option and on and on until they have a full blown custom bow. It seems to be our nature to talk conservative and live high. There are people on this thread saying it doesn't matter that own several Centaurs, ACHs ect ect. saying it doesn't matter.  
To most of us it matters and when talking speed out of a stick a bow shooting 130 fps with a 10 gr arrow will kill. So its not about that. Its really about having the best we can get to do what we like.
 All of them will do the trick if the shooter does his part.
170 and up at 10 gpi and 28 in draw is good.
God bless you all, Steve

[BWD]

Don't know, but there is a visual flight look and trajectory that agrees with me, which is normally around 10.5 gr/lb. Much faster and it's like the bow went off in my hand, so I wind up increasing arrow weight to slow it back down.

[smokin joe]

Well, I might be showing my age a bit. But, to me a "fast" bow is anything that shoots a hunting weight arrow at over 170 fps. That looks fast to me. Maybe that's because I am a little older and slower, or because I grew up with bows that shot 160fps and lower.

I have a couple of bows now that shoot 500gr hunting arrows far faster than anything did in the old days and that seems screaming fast to me -- and the arrow flight is great. That also seems to be very efficient use of the stored energy in the limbs. Trad bowyers just keep getting better and better these days. In my opinion, we may be living in a "golden age" of trad bow design and craftsmanship. It sure looks that way.

In terms of visual flight. The more the flight looks like just a nock going toward the target the better I like it. Wobble, other than natural paradox, is something I try to eliminate as much as I can. We are all probably pretty much the same about that.

This has been an interesting thread.
Thanks,
Joe

[frassettor]

Originally posted by mcgroundstalker:
[QB] Good question...     I don't know... Guess it never mattered to me...

same here...It never mattered to me because to me speed doesn't kill, accuracy does

[Michigan Mark]

 Do not own a chrono!
Never gave it much thought.

[Bowwild]

I have a 26" draw.  Anything over 170 FPS with a hunting arrow is screaming to me.

I like a smooth drawing and shooting bow first and foremost with a grip that fits me like a glove (sorry Jim Carey).  If that bow helps me get a bit more umph with my draw length and relatively draw weights, I'm pleased.

I have a chrony and I like toying with it.  Mostly what I've found is there is very little difference between the bows I own.  If a bow is quite different (one comes to mind) I can tell when I shoot it whether 7 or 30 yards.    

I did find out that the first shot out of my recurves is always 2-3 FPS hotter than immediate subsequent shots. This gives me one more reason to limber up my bow once I'm on stand and from time to time while hunting.

I don't think I'm less a hunter or in danger of not winning my "traditional" merit badge because I like to understand my equipment inside and out.

[JamesKerr]

My new Legacy series Tomahawk (55#) shoots around 165 fps with a 650 grain arrow. My Diamond SS shoots 172 with a 580 grain arrow.

[Margly]

Originally posted by Sixby:
Honestly now guys, People are buying foam core and carbon bows. Its not because they want to pay extra money. I have sold perhaps 15 or 20 base price bow in the last 4 or 5 years. Thats it. Every one starts out saying I want a base priced hunting bown and they end up adding this option and that option and on and on until they have a full blown custom bow. It seems to be our nature to talk conservative and live high. There are people on this thread saying it doesn't matter that own several Centaurs, ACHs ect ect. saying it doesn't matter.  
To most of us it matters and when talking speed out of a stick a bow shooting 130 fps with a 10 gr arrow will kill. So its not about that. Its really about having the best we can get to do what we like.
 All of them will do the trick if the shooter does his part.
170 and up at 10 gpi and 28 in draw is good.
God bless you all, Steve

Well said    

[Margly]

I like shooting arrowas in the 650+ area. Right now I'm playing with some easton fmj 300 witH a 100gn insert and 250 upfront(full length) 750 grains total weight        

And a momentum of 0,58

guess I'll have a passthru on any game on the western hemisphere...


I test all of my setups for finding the best performance between weight of arrow and speed + the comfortzone of the bow!