Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Real Arrow speeds

I always told folks if you want to know if you shoot to much weight or aggresive cams(vs draw cycle smoothness) then stand facing the target, both legs together with feet touching side by side, like at attention basically, push the bow out in front of you and attempt to draw it.... weeds out lots of problems and yep, BTDT on draw weight, something much different when you have sat and are cool/cold and not stretched. ITs also anotehr reason I try to draw my bow every 30 minutes or so if possible. Or if not stand hunting but chasing elk and the like I'll shoot a blunt tip at something now and then.

Blunts rock!

I set out at random distance one gallon laundry detergent jugs filled with sand, and one quart plastic oil bottles filled with sand. Then walk off and hit them. Amazing how well blunts fly for me, better then some broadheads.

Hitting these at 30-40 yards plus is entertaining to say the least. The thump they make is also impressive, and seeing a blunt penetrate these one gallon jugs leaves you in awe with the power these arrows must have. There is no doubt that a blunt from a 65lb bow could penetrate a human torso or head!

No wonder broadheads zip through so fast and leave you wondering if it was a miss at times!

Parker makes some very smooth bows. A friend shot one for a few years before buying a crossbow.

JJ,

From all your posts it sounds like you have what you need in the Oneida Osprey and the mechanical release aid. Why do you need anything else?

If you want or need a different bow, you can get a smooth, older, used bow for a lot less money than any new bow. I have an Oneida Aeroforce X80 I bought new in 1996. It is smooth and fast, and the letoff is selectable between 65% and 80% with draw modules. Older bows with the round eccentrics are silky-smooth shooting, and a lot of game was killed with them before folks decided they need 300 fps. Many used bows with a lot of life left in them can be had for $100 or less.

BTW, make sure you read the manual thoroughly before attempting to work on an Oneida bow. They are WAY different than any other bow.

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I think I'd like to find the right length onieda for bowfishing... don't see many used ones here though.

I don't like the oneida for hunting big game. That lower limb snapping forward has banged off of way to much stuff for me to use while spot and stalk hunting, or from a blind. It's the "perfect" bowfishing tool, but not interested in using it for my big game hunting.

I get tired of transporting guns and archery back and forth to RSA every season. Not to mention the huge expense now in additional baggage on the airlines. I wanna leave a bow in RSA and have another here. I am also paranoid that something will crap out on the bow I have here the week before I need it. So a "plan B" bow is in the works for a backup.

I shoot fingers (no glove) with the Ospery, and I must use a Release for a conventional Compound bow. I don't work on bow repair or setup beyond minor stuff.

There are two people who fix watches..... watchmakers and fools. I know my limitations!

My older bow a Mathews Switchback XT set @ 62 lbs.using a 28" Beeman #400 ICS Hunter with 100gr tip, Blazer vanes clocks 275 FPS consistently through my Chrony. Weighed arrow and it's 420grs. Also have a new Rezen 7.0 shooting same weight, 62 lbs. using 28" Beeman #340 ICS Camo Hunter with 100gr tip, Fusion Vanes approx weight 442 grs and clocked through Chrony @ 274 consistently. Go figure. if you read the IBO rule it has to be a full weight of 70 lbs, 30" arrow/draw and weigh 350 gr's to obtain the advertized speed they claim the bow will do. Do i have this right or did i miss something. Same bow but different guy using 350 gr LiteSpeed arrows 100gr tip , 28" chronyed 305 at the pro shop same day i was testing my bow. Go figure.

If I were in your shoes with the Africa stuff and all, I'd find a used older bow that worked well for me, then buy 3 of them cheaply. Keep one here, ship two to Africa... much easier to have the backup there, getting parts or such would be easier for the single here.

The guy's 350 gr. LiteSpeeds weighed 92 grs. less than your 442 gr. Beeman's.

You lose about 1 fps for every 3 grs. of additional arrow weight.

So....

442 grs. minus 350 grs. = 92 grs.

92/3 = 30 fps.

LiteSpeed velocity = 305 fps
Beeman velocity = 274 fps

difference = 31 fps

Guess what............... "it figures".......


Footnote:
In my opinion, the evolution to high speed bows is similar to the transition that has taken place with respect to side lock vs in-line muzzleloaders.

I personally think that it's great that both options are available.

For those hunters that prefer the "traditional approach" there are stick bows and flintlocks.

For those who prefer extreme accuracy and reliability there are the modern compounds and the in-lines.

However, I do feel that once you make the transition to the compound bow, you should try to take advantage of the latest technology that is available.

For example, there are many new compounds out there now that will produce speeds in excess of 275 fps with a light weight arrow and sub 60lb. draw weights.

For example, my Elite Synergy set at 58lbs chronos 284 fps with a 335 gr. arrow and still produces about 61 lbs. of K.E.

For those sore shouldered guys out there........58lbs. is sure sweet and in a hunting situation, you can hold it all day if you have to.

Just saying......

I am shooting a Predator recurve (50lb @ 28) with a 30 inch draw. my arrow is an easton 2413 with a 100 grain Magnus two blade. the total arrow weight is about 510 grains. i have no idea what my speed is (it seems to me you can time it with a calendar) but it shoots so sweet i just ain't gonna mess with it. i have yet to take a deer with it, but i am sure it will do the job here in VA.

i had to give up the compound due to target panic. going to a recurve solved it for me.

interesting post.

Pretty close to one I have, arrow and broadhead too; I can tell you without a doubt that if you put that arrow into the chest of a whitetail you'll have your deer without knowing that it doesn't get to 200 fps. You're pulling about 56 lbs. at your draw length which will even do for elk with a good, close broadside chest shot.

An even better test to see if you are pulling too much weight/too long of draw curv is: Put both feet together, push the bow out in front of you, aim at the ground (like shooting out of a tree stand) and try to draw the bow slow and easy with very little movement, as if a trophy deer was close at hand. This weeds out nearly all speed bow shooters in a hurry. If you can't draw slow and quiet, you're in trouble. Flinch

Dang, I thought thats exactly mostly what I'd said.. I probably worded mine wrong, I know the feet together and straight out weeds em out in a hurry, you can't do that SLOW and smooth if you have a lot of weight typically.

AR 34, Cam and 1/2. 61 lbs, 400 grain arrow, 29 inch draw. 270 fps

There is a big differnce between what you can draw and what you should draw!~

Make it even harder, draw while sitting down with the bow pointed as if in a tree stand.

I've probably killed more sitting than standing as you just never know when they'll show in the brushy areas around here. I like to practice both sitting and standing.

loder

Just bought more arrows 2 weeks ago and shot over the chrono. Bowtech 82nd Airborne at 64lbs shooting a 420gr Easton Axis Nano at 301fps. That is more than enough in my book.

My current;

Mathews Switchback XT 30" draw @ 71 lbs. with a 417 grain arrow.

299-300 fps depending on arrow.

Old setup;

Mathews Blackmax2 30" draw @71 lbs (50% turbo cam) with a 385 grain arrow.

329 fps.

Both bows get consistant blowthroughs but my XT is a bit more accurate.



Imagine that

Tom, That's a hella powerful setup there! I cannot imagine any north American game short of Bison and Alaskan moose that would have a chance at stopping those arrows. Without hitting bone and under 30 yards, it would likely whistle through them as well!

300fps with a 400plus grain arrow equals a lot of penetration!

Yes it does.

Of all the animals I have shot with my bows I can only think of 2 that I did not get a pass through, one a Illinois 8 pt whitetail and I shot him down from atop though the shoulder blades and the other a bull elk at 10 yds..as he spun around to run the arrow was dangling out the other side by the fletchings and nock...it fell out shortly thereafter.