Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Speed. How important is it?

My fastest bow chrono's about 185.

Maybe, but back east you have to "thread a needle" sometimes 'cause its so damn thick. Chuck Adams has never been a speed freak.

Thanks everyone. Looks like my Switchback LD will make it a few more seasons before I search for another Mathews.

It's very important to me and I shoot recurves. I don't like slow bullets or slow arrows.

My bow is tuned to perfection for this falls elk hunt and chronoing right at 153 fps at about 6 feet. I have zero doubts about its effectiveness. In case you were wondering that's a 630 gr. Arrow with more then 20% foc. You boys and your training wheels make me shake my head.

Never ever shot over a chrono.

But my bet is I don't have a bow much faster, MAYBE 200 fps max.

Lets just cut to the chase here.....Speed Kills but SILENCE is DEADLY. There its settled

I believe in most states a #45 pound bow is legal to hunt big game. If not then let's assume it is. What arrow weight and front of center would be needed to get the best penetration on a deer?I will say a 400 grain arrow with 15% FOC. The arrow speed would be slow, accurate and lethal at maybe 200 FPS.. Now if you take that SAME ARROW and increase the bow draw weight to #60 or #70 pounds then the arrow speed would jump to 280 FPS. Being a flatter shooting arrow, but the weight and FOC has not changed.
I know this is a simple thing but I believe lots of folks drop arrow weight to get speed and then lose penetration. If you want a faster arrow then build up to a heavy draw weight, but stay with an arrow that is sufficiently heavy for big game.

Until you get an arrow faster than the speed of sound, the animal can still move before impact.

But the faster, the less it could move.

Had a fast bow in the late 80s when cams were getting hot. No chrono but it was way faster to the butt, then others bows. But so damn loud no matter what you did, it just wasn't going to cut it.

I agree with 280. Be quiet, make sure the game is calm, make sure your shot is good and make sure your broadheads are SHARP. I've killed game with a 35# draw recurve as a kid. Good arrows matched to the bow with sharp heads and a well placed shot. I nearly hunt exclusively with a 20 year old, hand built long bow that by modern compound standards shoots as fast as a turtle. But, guess what? It puts meat in the freezer every year faithfully. I wouldn't sweat the speed.

Stickbow, well said!

I tip my hat to you for being a traditional archer and hunter.

Thank you. However, I was like most starting with a simple recurve as a kid then giving into the compound craze. I ran compounds for a stint then decided I wanted hunting to be more than just shooting. Nothing against anyone who shoots a compound as any game taken with archery gear is much more well deserved. It's just how I prefer to hunt and when all is said and done getting out there is the most important thing be it gun, crossbow, compound, trad or even empty handed.

Hitting slow and off skew is worse. Certainly the Switchback is a nice bow, but you would be amazed at how well you could shoot a "Chill" and the speed is definitely a bonus, but the smoothness in the draw and the absence of hand-shock when you shoot it will compensate for the price difference.

Ill give up the "training wheels" before long. Want to kill one more good deer over 150"with my compound. Then Im going to a recurve. Met Fred Eichler a few weeks back. Spent a good deal of time discussing trad bows. Of course he spoke highly of the Hoyt Buffalo. And it is definitely on my list of bows to try

I just laid down $1k for a Matthews Creed (with accessories) and it is one of the slowest of the newly introduced higher line bows at 320ish fps. This bow was chosen for the smooth draw, the dead solid backstop, the quiet operation, and it fits me. It's easier to draw 70# on this bow than it is 63# on my old Diamond. Giving up 20-30 fps was a no brainer in this case.

It seems like the natural progression of things. I started with a plain jane no name recurve while in the scouts. Then of course much like rifles the bigger, faster bug bit me. I've owned Oneida Strike Eagles, Matthews, Hoyts, the whole line up. Then I bought a commercial trad recurve, then a custom built recurve and then I bought a no name, hand built longbow that was to say the least built by someone who knew what they were doing. At my draw I get about 68# out of it. Like I said, nothing at all wrong with compounds, I just seem to be retrograding back to the simpler things in life. I even bought an old bamboo fly rod. Something about it that I just can't explain.

Fred also uses Palmer recurves, which is actually the bow he shot his entire Super Slam with. I own two Palmers and they are excellent. check them out.

I got 30 fps this year for free, even though that was not what I was looking for. My primary focus in choosing another bow was smoother draw, a longer brace, shorter ATA, and more letoff than my 2000 Ultra Max.

The Athens Accomplice 32 gave me all this, the most solid back wall I have ever felt, as well as increasing my arrow speed from 245 to 277 fps.

The cherry on top, this is at 62 lbs, with a 400 gr arrow, and is very quiet, much quieter than the old Matthews it is replacing.

I wasn't looking for speed, but it was a nice bonus. My 30 yard POI moved up more than foot.

Athens makes some top quality bows for sure. Enjoy the flatter trajectory

Plenty of critters killed each year with 170fps Trad Bows - accurate shot placement is key no matter how fast.