Flat shooting bows....

[Flying Dutchman]

Arrow weight and FOC. I am an experienced 3D shooter. All my arrows are between the 9 and 10 gpp. I use 100 grains fieldtips, giving me a FOC around the 10 procent.
I can hit repeadly targets at 55 yards. I am deadly between the 10 and 35 yards. I trained and experimented a LOT for that. Setting up five different targets between the 15 and 55 yards. Getting a thrill when I shoot perfect, hitting all different targets with my first arrow        but that doesn't happen every day    :(     bad form and/or release are always waiting for a chance... The slightest mistake will be magnified at 50 yards...

I think FOC will show after 20 to 30 yards, dependant on how high your FOC actually is. Till 20 yards, different FOC's won't show much difference.
If I would shoot at 50 yards with a 30% FOC arrow however, it would drop like a rock. 10% FOC however, gives me a nice flat trajectory.
Modern hybrids act fine, but any good traditional recurve will do fine too.
For my Caribow Peregrine I use woodies, for my three pce Whippenstick Phoenix semi-static recurve I use carbons. Both arrows are around the 9.5 gpp and have a FOC around the 10% so I can switch very easily. I only need a few shots to get tuned in. Both arrows show the same trajectory, but the woodies seem the be more forgiven and less nervous. But in the end I shoot both set-ups equally wel.
I don't  go under 9 gpp. That makes your arrows too nervous and unforgiven and besides that, it shortens the lifespan of your bows.

There is always a balance between speed and stability. The lighter the arrow, the more speed, thus a flatter trajectory, but the more unforgiven. You need some time to find that magic set-up that works for you.
Isn't our hobby wonderful?

My five cents...

[Wheels2]

I get 188 fps out of mine with 8 grains/#.
I have some lighter arrows that hit 198 fps, but they weight 40 grains less and are lighter than I wish to go for hunting.

In the traditional world, 20 fps separates "Slow" bows from "fast" ones.

The fastest limbs I have shot to date are T.T. Carbon Extremes.  However, I have a set of used Border Hex 6 S coming.  I suspect that they will be a bit faster than my current limbs, even though projected draw weight is less.

[katman]

The two 'flattest' I have owned are Bigfoot's, the Stealth(very similar to the flatliner model) and the SS that really smokes an arrow and is VERY stable to shoot. The border hex5 ilf I had were quick also until they blew up. Quote from Kirk during my SS build. " I decided to go run it through the chrono and see what she's got. I've got a ragged old shop string with Cat whiskers on it and put her on the shooting machine with a 493 grain arrow, and got 203 fps out of it....that's 9.48 gpp bro"


Question for Kirk at Bigfoot,I have read a non ILF bow built by the same bowyer will out perform an ILF bow (same model/limbs) as the bowyer can maximize the efficiency. Is this true with the SS ILF and SS models?

[Red Beastmaster]

Kirkll

Great diagram!

We all try to achieve a balance between speed, stability, and acceptable trajectory (arc). I could shoot heavier arrows but the arc becomes too great for any target past 25yd. Shooting without sights requires something less than rainbow flight.

My arrows all weigh close to 9 grains per pound of draw wt. for each bow I have. I see a similar arc from bow to bow and don't have much problem switching bows.

I've owned many bows over the years, including customs. Out of all of them, the Martin Hunter I bought new in 1987 was probably the flattest shooting bow.

[pamike]

Habu, Sasquatch, EW, Zipper - best i have seen with a real weight arrow.  Tested a lot of bows and i still have ALL of these!!

[jackdaw]

speed is for compounds and crossbows, let's keep the "ARCH" in archery...! learn your bows cast and let er' rip..

[Whitetail Addict]

I realise Possumjon's question was asked regarding  3D, and I don't want to change the direction of this thread, but I'm reminded of when I switched to a compound for a couple years in the 80's. The biggest selling point for me was the increased speed and the benefits that I thought came with it. The biggest was being able to shoot those animals that were on the border, or farther, than I thought was ethical with traditional bows. What I didn't take into consideration, and I should have known better, was even at the faster speeds, the extended ranges gave an animal more time to move before the arrow reached them. And we all know that it doesn't take much movement on an animals part to turn a good shot into a miss, or worse. I've never shot a round of 3D in my life, but I know that speed/flatter trajectory is a help in shooting at longer ranges. But for hunting, I'm perfectly happy with a slower arrow and being  really picky with the shots I take.

Bob

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Originally posted by Possumjon:
  Just curious as to the flattest shooting bows you guys have had the chance to shoot. Looking for one mostly for 3d shooting but would probaly hunt with it as well. Thanks guys!  

I thought i'd reintroduce the original question here to keep us getting to side tracked.

Arrow speed and trajectory go hand in hand, and 3D is a great way to really appreciate a flatter shooting bow.... Once you become accustom to a flatter trajectory, your scores will definitely go up on a 3D course.

Depending on your hunting style, it can make a big difference on your success rate too. Being a bowyer i get an opportunity to shoot a lot of different bows all the time. I have hunting bows in the 55-57# range that i prefer to hunt elk with, and i have a couple lighter draw weight bows that i prefer to shoot 3D and hunt small game or deer with that is about 47#...... The key to using both of these bows and shooting well is keeping the trajectory the same..... I set up my 3D bow shooting about 10- 10.5 gpp so i can match the same speed as my heavier weight elk bow..... Both of these bows shoot very close to 200 FPS with good hunting weight shafts. the difference is that the 47# bow runs 470- 500 grain shafts and my heavier bow runs 578 grain shafts.

Oh sure.... i could drop my arrow weight on my 3D bow down to 8.5 gpp and shoot well over 200 FPS, but lighter weight shafts are not quite as forgiving to slight deflection on grass or leaves, or wind either. slight imperfections on release or exact anchor point will amplify with lighter weight shafts too....

The key is finding a balance of forgiveness and speed to match your skill level and still get the flatter trajectory. That's why i try and get the most power and smoothness i can get out of all the bows i build so i can provide the best of both worlds for my customers.

[Possumjon]

Thanks for all the input guys, I think I've made my decision, Kirk you'll have my deposit on Thursday if all goes well! Now I've gotta decide on length lol

[Thumper Dunker]

Heavy bow and the lightest arrow that will safely shoot out of it.