iamyourhuckleberry, if it was a matter of a half step, you're right. I'm talking about where a half step, or even five full steps, wouldn't be any help. Not that being able to take that half step sideways is an option for the vast majority of bowhunters anyway, because they're in a treestand!!

If not being able to see below the heart area or the bottom body line will keep you from shooting, then you won't shoot a deer in tall grass either, right? Faced with the situation I described - which is only an example of how having a bow 30 fps slower 'could' be an advantage, per mez's comment - a lot of hunters will say to themselves, "I can clear it" and they will take the shot. Just wanted to be clear on that.

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Personally, I've always had more problems with windage than elevation. Somehow a tree right up against the kill zone seems to suck my arrows right into it.[:@] But then, even though I was a very good shooter in competition and could shoot accurately well in excess of 60 yards, I flatly refuse to take a bowhunting shot in excess of 30 yards. Beyond 30, that's firearms territory as far as I'm concerned. Anyway, within 30 yards, I've found the difference in trajectory between a 250 fps bow and a 300 fps bow to be practically nil. The difference between a 210 fps bow and a 250 fps bow though, that's substantial. Of course, that's with what I consider hunting weight arrows, in excess of 400 grains.

Another thing I must say, in interest of full disclosure, is that all the experience I've had with sights and compounds has been on the field archery or 3D range. I tried sights on a bow for hunting ONCE, long ago, and it was such a bad experience that I never used sights on a hunting bow again. It was the only animal I ever hit and didn't recover. But the reason I bring this up is it seems super flat trajectory seems to be a lot more of an excessive/compulsive mindset for sights shooters than for barebow shooters.

Nearly to a man, the people who want speed say it makes yardage estimation less critical for longer range shots. We all, even traditional class, used to shoot 3D's out to 80 yards with our old slow bows in the 80's. One would think, logically, that having bows that are dedicated long range shooters that the distances would have increased and we'd be shooting out to 100 yards now. Odd isn't it that shot distances in the big 3D organizations have steadily gotten SHORTER as speeds have increased? Only the open, semi-pro and pro classes shoot beyond 40 yards now. Clearly, going over and beyond on speed isn't as great as many folks believe it to be.

Besides, on longer range shots there should be no estimation. If you're going to take long shots, then don't be a lazy cheapskate. BUY AND USE A GOOD RANGEFINDER!

And it never hurts to get out and shoot more. If you don't have anywhere to shoot but your zero lot line backyard and there's an archery club in your neck of the woods, join it and go to the range a few times in the so-called 'off season.' No matter how fast the bow can shoot, it's only as good as the guy holding it.