Its not easy to say if we're moving backwards. I think new design technology, better components, arrows, etc. off-set this a lot. I also think that way too much emphasis is put on penetration with today's bows. These bows are packing far more KE than bows of the past, all things equal. Heck, if Fred Bear and other's can take animals on any continent with a recurve, we certainly should be able to do the same with the new bows, barring a well placed shot. That is where the difference comes in. If your shot placement is poor, more KE will come in handy.