I agree Bob.One thing that bothers me is "speed" has been used as a selling point for a lot of bows. Cut through the technicalities and compare apples to apples (same type string material, same strand count, same amount and size serving, same amount and type silencers, same draw length, same release, same arrow weight, arrow tuned to the bow, etc. etc. etc.) and we'd see that there is no magic bow--there's just so much that can be done. When I see an advertisement touting a trad bow with speeds of over 200 fps, I start looking for the fine print.

Not saying it can't be done, but it's not normal in the real world, and will generally involve a very long draw, light arrow, tiny string, shooting machine with caliper release, etc. Heck, I can get over 230 fps out of my longbow, but with my normal set-up I average 187 fps.

Marc Moriez (bowyer for Chek-Mate) has a favorite saying: "Everything is a trade-off". The longer I'm in this sport, the more I find that to be true. For instance, deflex a riser to gain stability, give up a little speed. Lower a brace height to gain speed, loose some stability. As far as I know, only bumblebees can defy the laws of physics--bowyers can't.

Of course there are things that bowyers can do to help in both departments, and the better bows/bowyers are working towards a happy medium of both speed and stability--but one bow can't have the absolute best of both. I still like for them to keep trying though--that's why we have such a great selection on the market today.

Chad