Its funny to me how in the early-mid 90s it was all about fps, now for the last 5 years or so its Kinetic energy. I dont bother with it (all this math is hurtin muh haid).

Growing up in my brothers archery shop in the mid-late 80s, my standard reply to folks asking " speed vs weight" I would tell them... Whats easier to stop, a sports car doin 200mph or a freight train doin 100? That is as basic and easy to put as I can come up with. The easiest passthrus I have ever gotten were from my Martin takedown (recurve) shootin 2219s with RAZOR sharp Zwickey broadheads. I dont mean the arrow stuck thru the otherside or was layin on the ground behind the deer. I mean BURIED in the ground as in went thru the deer like hot butter and still had enough velocity to stick into the ground as much as 8" -10" . If I remember right my old Martin was once chronied at appx 190fps so obviously it wasnt speed. The downside was that the trajectory was about as bowed as the limbs on that Martin. 20 yds was a long shot from that bow. But BIG bonus to a gaping holed passthru was the bloodtrail that Ray Charles could follow.

In 97 after 4-5 other compounds since the 80s, I bought what was a " fast bow" for then (Hoyt Deviator Carbonite) and with superlight arrows (want to say they were 2312s but that maybe wrong) and 85 grain Thunderheads. The combo chronied 272 fps. I was good with one pin to 30 yds and could hit like lightning to 40 easy. Imagine my frustration (and outright furiosity) when later that season while on a hunt in MO I hit a 140class 9 pointer DEAD in the shoulder blade at under 10 yds. The arrow didnt go in enough to even bury the broadhead. Basically a fleshwound and I watched the arrow popout (unharmed) 20yds away as he ran by a tree that knocked the arrow out. No doubt in my mind that had I had either my old Martin or a heavy arrow/head setup in the Hoyt that despite the bad shot placement it would' ve at least broke the shoulder and reached at one lung. I was thru with " speed" until this season.

This year I need 40-45yd ability (will be filming from a Double Bull around foodplots) so I switched the Hoyt to 55/75 Gold Tips with 100gn Rocket Aeros (Bacon Cutters) and it chronied 282 fps and should hit 1 pin to at least 30yds. Despite the " KE" and anyother paper forumulas or sliderule mathematics, I know that I will have to pick my shots and dont really expect full passthrus outside of 20yds.

I just cant wait until the day that I can fire 600+grainers at 400fps lol!!!
RA