Well now that is a reasonable response, so let's bury the hatchet here and discuss this because you seem to be a lot more up to date on this stuff than I am, so as you suggest, I may be able to learn something from you other than how to call people names. The navy taught me all about cussing and calling names.
Back in 1986 (30 years ago) I was using an early Oneida bow running at 70 pounds and an over draw and going to bow jamborees all over the south and winning the speed contest that they all had. I was averaging 305 FPS even back then.
But I was not able to translate that arrow speed into arrow lethality until I gave up on the kinetic energy/arrow speed stuff and started shooting heavier arrows with better broad heads at slower speeds.
In physics, the law of conservation of energy states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant—it is said to be conserved over time. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it transforms from one form to another. That being the law, a bow capable of storing 50 pounds of energy in its limbs 20 or 30 years ago is no better or worse than a bow capable of storing 50 pounds of energy in its limbs today because 50 pounds of energy is 50 pounds of energy and it does not change. 50 pounds of energy 30 years ago could accelerate an arrow of the same weight, head, fletch, nock, etc. to the same velocity as a 50 pound bow can accelerate that same arrow today and that will always be the case unless the Law of the Conservation of Energy changes.
These kinds of discussions usually get started because of the Madison Avenue hype about arrow speed being an "improvement" in archery gear. I was once one of those guys who bought new bows every year for another 5 FPS of arrow speed. I changed my arrow rest if I thought it would give me one more FPS. And new bows are always a temptation for those of us who try to be the best we can with our archery shooting and hunting. I looked forward to going to the local pro shop every year when the new bows came in and trying them out on the indoor range and shooting them across the chronograph and just talking about the upcoming bow season with all the other bow hunters and all of that. That's all great and it's a big part of the enjoyment of the sport.
But it's still Madison Avenue hype and increased arrow speed isn't the measure of "improvement" in archery gear. Bow weight, quietness, durability, and those kinds of things have certainly improved over the years and arrow speeds have no doubt increased. But at what point do you need increased arrow speed? How much is enough? Once you achieve arrow pass through, why go any further?
That question then leads to a discussion of speed vs momentum and that opens up another can of worms and it really gets some people all po'd because they want to believe that they have the latest hot rod bow with the fastest arrow speed and now they are better able to kill than they were before. No doubt a faster arrow speed yields a flatter trajectory which can increase the range you can shoot and hit targets. But does it translate to better arrow penetration and better killing ability at those increased ranges? I simply question that it does.
But then, I am a Luddite who goes with the heavier arrow momentum school, so I am probably an outcast around here.
So if we can have this discussion without you going off and calling names, and every sailor I ever met was a lot better at that than you are, I need to know about these new mechanical broad heads since I have never used any of them. But that's a subject for another thread.
You are aware of how some of the the magnum rifle guys are making claims of being able to hit elk at 700 to 1000 yards, and no doubt some of them probably can. But can their bullet then have enough energy on it to kill the elk? How many elk run off and die without ever being recovered doing that kind of thing? I shoot a .338 Win. Mag, but my absolute outside range for shooting elk is 300 yards and I really don't like to shoot even that far.
I am the same conservative hunter with my archery hunting. I don't critize bow hunters with the latest gear and fast arrow speeds. We need them to support the archery manufacturing industry. But I am begining to wonder how long it will be before bow hunters, who are usually conservative by their nature, are going to start doing what the magnum rifle shooters are doing. I would hate to see that happen.
Last edited by BobWills; 05/01/16.
