Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Hunting bow speed

A follow up to your draw length. Do you hunt with a speed bow or shoot heavy arrows and speed is irrelevant?

That depends where I am hunting and what I am hunting for.
Here in Minnesota tree stand hunting in the woods I go for silent. I use the arrow weight that keeps my shot as silent as possible. Most shots are under 25 yards because of the cover so who needs speed.
Out west hunting muleys or pronghorn I want speed.
Turkey I go for speed too.

The four I shot last fall with the crossbow, I used 500 grain bolts at close on 300 FPS. I suppose 500 grains at that speed would be considered fast.

The beast was noisy! But, at that speed and 20 yards they never flinched.

I am setting up to shoot one with a No Cam next fall and I am definitely preparing for slower. I will run FMJs with 100 grain heads at 250ish, but they are very quiet.

I hoot a 500 grain arrow at 255-260 fps. I have shot bear, turkeys, some African animals, and deer with that combination and will continue to use the same.

400-405 grains with around 13-15%FOC @ 304fps. And i shoot a mech head. Havent found a whitetail yet that could hold onto that combo yet.

Within reason,"speed" has become a non-factor to get pass through penetration. All modern (last ~5 years) bows have made it so. With lower draw weight and length you can get into the mid 250 area with a decent weight arrow: 380-400 g.

slap a COC BH on that an you will take down anything in the world.

Range finders have made trajectory aspect of speed less important.

The one factor speed will help with: Wind. Less flight time means less drift.

no mech heads ever again after seeing multiple failures some years back. Just no need for them.

Speed, I have no clue, it doesn't matter to me. Accuracy always has and shoot a range that the deer don't duck... 15 steps and in.

I"ve shot stuff with a recurve for a long time too, and I'd doubt it hits 200 fps...

I"ve not had an arrow stay in a deer in a long time, other than when I broke my distance rule with my compound and he whirled and broke his back leg. But he healed and I shot him a month later with a rifle.

I have a short draw length at 27". I draw 62 lbs. and fling a 385 gr. arrow with a cut on contact broadhead at 276 fps. Shoots through and through deer no problem.

My heaviest bow shoots 735gr arrows at 215fps if I remember correctly. Been awhile since I shot thru a chrony.

That's a LOAD!

280fps, 375gr arrows from a 60# bow. Works great on the deer, elk and antelope I hunt.

Has Idaho updated the rules? I haven't hunted there in years, but it used to be a 400 grain arrow. I had to do some "arrow games" to get my wife's arrows up to 400g.

425gr arrow at about 290fps with a fixed blade broadhead makes easy work of anything I hunt.

28.5" draw, 61lbs. 386r arrow @ 305fps. rage mechanical on whitetail, they don't go far.

Last two compounds shoved 430 grainers in the low 270's.
Comfy.

Recurves are under 195 fps, but arrows there go from 480-530 gr.

Yes changed to 300gr min. when they got rid of the 65% letoff rule a few years ago. Fixed blade broadheads are still required.

Halon 7 70 lbs 28" draw length 420 gr arrow is chronographed at 283 fps

Been almost 2 years since I shot over the chrono but 440 grains in mid 280's rings a bell. 60# at 29" DL. Blows through rat sized whitails bucks.

70- 72 lb, 28.5 dl, 436 gr arrow @ 260 fps goes through deer like a hot knife through butter.