Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Real Arrow speeds

My curisoty finally won over. You know the saying "be careful what you ask, you may not like the answer"

Well a couple friends of mine with different bows came over and used my scale for draw weight and my Chrono for speed.

Highest draw weight checked was 71lbs with a 30" draw and ICS 340 arows(to light IMO for this bow. 277fps

My bow 340/400 ICS hunters 28" long shooting 64lbs 255fps

My other bow, and oneida, 28" draw, 55lbs, ICS hunter arrows 231fps

Another fast bow, 69lbs 29" draw some kinda carbon arrows unknown brand. 100 gr tips. 279fps.

So I guess what I wonder is where are all these actual 300-340fps bows? These guys are good hunters and use good stuff. Nobody is actaully close to 300fps with an actual chronograph.

I understand that the IBO number is a joke, with the light weight shafts they base the speed on which if used would void the warranty of the bow!

However I had no idea it was this drastically different. My poor pathetic 255fps with a 448gr projectile seems rather sad by marketing standards today. However if I shot super light arrows how long would the limbs last and how deep would the arrows penetrate?

I'v Always used a 55lbs of KE number to determine minimums for all big game hunting (not africa thick skin). You can get there with speed, but shooting a moderate arrow with a decent speed gets 55lbs of KE pretty easy. I'm not saying KE has anything to do with killing power, it's just a baseline of data to see where your power level is at.

Vectrix, 28" draw, 70# pull, 420gn arrow, 282FPS. If I recall correctly, at 27" with the 450 grain arrow it's 263.

JJ,

You and I shoot similar set up's. I shoot a Matthews Outback, 28" draw, 62# dw, w/ 400 Easton Axis, and a 100gr head. Mine chrono'd a hair over 260.

These 300+ fps bows slow way down as soon as the chrony gets turned on. I am shooting a 27 1/5 in draw drenalin @ 60lbs with 100G broadhead. Actual speed is 255. It kills em dead.

Shooting a Bowtech Allegiance, 28 inch DL, 55#, Maxima Hunters, 100gr...it goes over at 271.....The girl has a Bowtech Equilizer shooting, 24 inch DL, 43#, Maxima 150's, 100gr...it goes over at 243 IIRC.....Yes these will kill....

I know there are bows which will push my set up around 300, but they aren't on every rack....and not near as much fun to shoot....

tzone, I'll bet if I dropped to 100 grain heads we would be at the same point!

I shoot a mathews DXT at 70 lbs with a 27" draw. I'm getting 268 with Carbon express maxima hunters with 100 gr heads. Not incredibly fast but the elk don't like it.

I use a parker hunter mag 64 lbs. easton st epic 340 arrowand 125 gr. heads, 258 f.p.s.

JJHack- all the speed quotes are IBO which is 5 grains per pound. I'd have to unscrew my tips to get that. The absolute lightest target arrows with glue in nib points and peanut vanes would be close. My birth certificate on my Bowtech 101st Airborne gives a speed of 323 fps. With my hunting arrows, which are 390 grains or 6.5 grains per inch, I get 280 fps. My bow with 70 pound limbs gave me 302 fps with 420 grain arrows. You'll never see the posted speeds on the bows unless you are shooting knitting needles! I shot Darton bows for many years and was pleased as punch with 260 fps. Today, I can shoot a bow at 10fps less and get 20 fps more. I am happy enough.

Archery Research AR31, 68 pounds, 29" draw with 388 grain arrows I'm getting 270-274 fps over a Chrony Beta and checked against a Pro Chrono.
Been thinking about a new bow but $1000 for maybe 20 fps.....Maybe not!

I know Hoyt's will get near or better than thier IBO ratings. What you have to know is the rating is taken at 70# 30" Draw with a 5gr/lb arrow and nothing on the string (loop, peep, etc.). In reality not many shoot a bow that long with an arrow that light. For instance my Ultratec is rated at 308 IBO - However I shoot it at 60# (Loss of 20 fps) and use 6.5gr/lb arrows (loss of 22 fps) with a peep and loop (loss of 2 fps) for a total loss of 44 fps. 308-44=264 fps. Within 2 fps from my Chronograph. Here's a link to a calculator that's pretty slick. http://www.backcountrybowhunting.com/articles/tools.php

My last few bows:

(all 70lbs with 30" draw)

Switchback XT 295fps(400grn arrow)
LX 305fps(400grn arrow)
Bow Tech Patriot 305fps(400grn arrow)
Pearson Spoiler Split limb 275(400grn)304fps with GT ULs
Pearson 440 Quad 275(400grn) The Quad and Spoiler were identicle bows with the same cams.
High Country Phantom II 245 fps(ICS 340s at 28" with 100grn tips, never weighed them)

I like a 400grn total weight arrow for deer hunting. Most of those chronoed speeds(except for the High Country) were with GT XTs cut at 28" and using 100grn heads. I also have some older PSE Carbon Force Extreme 300s(weigh the same as the XTs).

I usually get within 20fps of the IBO using a 400grn arrow with my 30" draw.

Draw length helps a ton. I sold the Quad to a friend of mine and installed a 27" DL mod, that dropped the speed 30 fps(about 10fps per inch seems to be the norm).

Going from the LX to the XT I only lost 10fps, but with the 295, she's still humming. I prefer something in the 300fps neighborhood as I use 1 pin out to 30yds and it allows me to be within 2" in trajectory. When the High Country was my primary bow, I always had to aim low from tree stands on close range shots due to the arc of the slower velocity. The faster bows eliminate trajectory issues at all practical ranges(less than 30) simply due to the speed and flat trajectory.

I've tinkered with the Chrono and various equipment. Everything you add to the bow seems to slow it a bit. Most of the above bows had peeps with tubes, string leeches, limb savers, WB rest, and loops. All of those slightly reduced the speeds, but those are the speeds they were while rigged out for hunting. On a hunting rig, I could care less how much speed I lose for the minimum of having: loop, peep w/ tube, limbsavers, string leeches, and a Wisker Biscuit rest. Those are my stubborn requirements on any hunting bow as they just plain work.


Have a Good One,

loder

I am shooting a Bowtech Air Raid at 64 lbs with a 396 gr carbon express arrow, 100 gr head, 29.5 in draw and it is shooting 315 fps w/factory string set up. I added some catwiskers and it now chrono's at 305 fps and is dead quiet. Not a speed freak, it is just that this set up shoots very well for me with expanding broadheads. Normally I hunt around the 275 to 280 fbs and all is well. This thing is so accurate that I hate to change a thing on it.

Hoyt Cybertec @ 74 lbs 28.5 draw length
Easton st axis with 100 grain slicktriks weighing 412 grains
289 fps over a chrony

Bowtech guardian 29" 70 # with a 28.5" goldtip 55/70 and 100 grain head. I think it weighs about 390 now, used to be 400 but I went to the smaller veins. Mine clocks 296 fps. I shot a mulie buck with it last month. It was facing me looking over a brush from 40 yards and I shot him through the neck with a shuttle T. It worked.

Bb

PSE Vengence 30" draw, 70 lbs. 450 grain arrow 275 fps. I am tickled pink! I liken it to all the Ammo manufactures ballistics on the shell boxes that are completely inflated. Oh, and the loading manuals aren't much better. I love winning bets at the rifle ranges on what a guys "hand loads" are really shooting vs. what the book says he is shooting. Same goes with factory wizz bang factory ammo. It's an easy sure thing bet that the velocities aren't even close to advertised. IBO is a flippen joke and needs to be done away with. It doesn't mean a dog gone thing. Flinch

Mathews LX 28" draw, 60 lbs., 378 gr arrow at 269 fps. Good enough to shoot 3 pins out to 50 yds. Killed a doe this year with Slick Tricks at 37 yds and it went thru her so fast I thought I missed when I heard it hit a tree behind her. I don't need anyting faster for the hunting I do.

mathews switchback xt 29" 62# with
carbon express 3d select 200's
350gr arrow weight --------- 274fps
easton axis 340's
450gr arrow weight --------- 256fps

if i do my part both are deadly

For perspective my recurves, 53 lb and 58 lb limbs on a Bruin bow with 480-gr arrows and a 62 lb Fedora Hunter with 520-gr arrows run 195 to 202 fps.

60# Silvertip recurve 579 grain arrow= 182 fps for me.