is my bow slow?

[Ray Johnson]

45# @ 28".157fps with a 445gr arrow.Roy Hall Apache.Seems slow but accurate.Just seems to drop after 15 yards.What is an average speed for 10grpp?

[katman]

Accuracy is most important.

[Scott Barr]

Assuming you are pulling 28, it does seem a little slow to me.  All of my Recurves shoot around 172--174 fps at that weight.  Long bows a little less.

[njloco]

Accurate is way better than fast, naturally to have both is the ticket.

[awbowman]

Accurate AND quiet first.  Then heavy arrow/momentum at an appropriate distance.   Speed is about trajectory more than anything

[mangonboat]

Folks worry too much about speed, IMHO, and when you're shooting less than a monster bow, drop is not a bad thing, it's simply more noticeable. Resist the temptation to go with lighter arrows to get more speed and the illusion of greater killing effect that comes with a noticeably faster shot or flatter trajectory.

[KyStickbow]

I agree that accuracy is most important....ur bow is plenty fast enough.

[wingnut]

He didn't ask if his accuracy was off but asked if his bow is slow.

It is below average speed at 10 gpp.  Most will be in the 170s and some will be close to 190.

Mike

[JRY309]

Draw length has a big affect on speed.I draw 27" and my buddy has a 30" draw length.He shoots a faster speed then I even with a bow 10# to !5# heavier then his.I saw in a video that even 1" difference in draw length made about 10-12 fps difference.I think as long as you are accurate and it shoots well for you will be fine.Do you draw 28"?

[Blackhawk]

I agree with wingnut on this.

There are lots of faster bows out there that are accurate and quiet.

I've got a 50 year old Bear at 45# that beats that speed.

[bowless]

Just a thought, might ask someone to watch your release. Like JRY said, even an inch will make a big difference.

[LBR]

That speed is a little low for that bow.

It could be a number of different things.  Is the chrony calibrated?  Do your nocks snap on the string really tight?  Do you have a decent release?  Do you pull through your release (look on  www.safarituff.com  for a tip to pick up several fps).  Are your arrows the correct spine?

Could be the bow, could be the archer, could be something else.

On the bright side, if everything is right and it's just a slower bow, it's still plenty for deer.

[FAV 52]

Sir are you using this setup for hunting ? If so do the animals you shoot at duck or dodge your shot more often than not ? If the bow - arrow combo is quiet and you are shooting at non alert game that should be fast enough . Something to think about ; 157fps = 52.33 yards in a second or 26.16 yards in half a second thats faster than you can say second . The difference between 170fps and 157fps is 4.33 yards in a second or 2.17 yards in half a second . Just my thoughts on speed for hunting rigs

[Ray Johnson]

I draw 28".My nocks do snap on a little tight.How many fps could that add up to.I hold at anchor a few seconds and I do agree that my release could affect speed some too.I killed a spike with the bow a couple of weeks ago(my first with a longbow).It was a great shot at 20 yards so I am happy about that.Still,I would like to get it up to 170 anyway.That speed is what I'm used to shooting.I switched from a recurve a few weeks ago and seemed to have lost more speed than I thought I would.I had a thread on this  a few weeks ago.

     Is this particular brand bow just slow?Does anyone out there shoot this bow that could give insight on it.I love the quietness of the bow and accuracy is there.Not like my recurve but I think that will come.I just want the same arrow drop if possible.If not,I will just have to adjust.It's ok for hunting out to 20 yards apparently since I killed the spike with it.In practice at 20 yards,there is about 6" drop but the spike shot was perfect,thank God.My recurve is sold so I have to get used to this bow.Maybe a different string,like SBD strings,is the answer.I will just have to play around with it I guess.Thanks for the replies.

[Charlie Lamb]

Nock fit is critical. You could easily lose 10 fps or more with a too tight nock.
Since typically you're going to have some arrow flight issues with a tight nock. That will slow the arrow also, though down range some.

A new, well made string like the SBD could add several fps.

While I don't recommend getting ate up with the speed thing I will always take what I can get.

[slowbowjoe]

That seems like a lot of drop for 10gpp, whatever the speed. Sounds like that's a main concern. What shafts are you shooting, and what weight points?

[Looper]

I think I'd be a little suspect of that chrono reading. You might consider checking your bow again with a different one, or, if that's not possible, check another bow.

[Ray Johnson]

I'm shooting Gold Tip 15/35 with a 175gr point.My nocks snap on the string with an audible pop so it is very possible that could be the problem.I guess the solution is to reserve the string,get a new string.or boil the nocks(last option)to make them fit better.I may order a string from SBD to see how that does.157 just seems slow to me.I'm not a speed freak by any means but on the other hand,I don't want my bow to be a dog.

[monterey]

Nocks look like a problem.  

Have a helper mark your shaft while at full draw to be sure of your draw length.  Put your bow on a scale.  You would be surprised at the actual vs marked on some bows.  

also, what kind of spreads did you see in the high and low velocity numbers?  If you are seeing spreads of 4 to 8 fps, then your release is suspect.

[Ray Johnson]

My speeds were all within 1-3 fps of each other .I just ordered an SBD string so I will see how that does.I've heard good things about them.