RE: Speed or KE?
 

Have you ever chrono'd a bow at different yardages? I haven't but I'm just curious if you have.

RE: Speed or KE?
 

KE for me, i honestly dont know what mine is but....I have never really worried with speed, i was killing deer when i was shooting 230-250 fps back in the day, just fine.

RE: Speed or KE?
 

Yes. And, there's a program out that will show speed and KE at varying yardage. You can plug in the arrow, fletching, and how much the arrow weighs and it will spit those numbers out. Due to wind resistance, an arrow is slowing down immediately upon release.

U brought up a good point about some set ups not being very well.....I got to thinking about that, and I tend to look at everything in a 30" 70# world....but that's not accurate. I would think if you are shooting low poundage, or shooting a very low end compound that you just won't get the speed out of anyway, KE is definetly the more critical factor. I was merely stating that if you can get the speed, KE will be a natural product of that. Though it wont have the same momentum, and a light arrow will slow down faster than a heavy arrow......But like you said, most shots are 20 yards or less, so how much is really needed to kill a deer?

RE: Speed or KE?
 

Hey Lar, you're a man's man, shooting 80lbs!! What do have, like 5 man cards? jk:D:D:D:D:D:DWith that kind of KE, you could take a damn rhino!;):D

RE: Speed or KE?
 

I think that a balance is best for my hunting. I like the larger room for error that a faster bow gives you, but I also certainly want enough KE to give me the exit hole that I want. My current set up shoots about 275fps and 63 ft-lbs of KE. That isn't bad for a 27.5" draw length and a 386 grain arrow I don't think. I hunt, or try to anyway, various animals and terrain throughout the year and I am not technically savy nor do I have the time or $ to change my set up each time. So far I am happy with the results and probably more importantly I am confident in my set up.

RE: Speed or KE?
 

I've never killed a deer purely on the basis of my bow's Kinetic Energy output - and I hunted with a high KE setup for a long time.

I have, however, killed a deer purely on the basis of my bow's outrageous speed. 38 yds in 2007 - a shot that I'd have never taken at 270 fps. But at 350, even though I wasn't exactly sure of the yardage - I didn't hesitate to turn it loose.

I had two passthroughs on pretty solid bucks last year using arrows that most of you guys wouldn't say were fit for shooting chipmunks. 290 grains @ 350 fps.

Like Dan said - balance is probably the right answer for most people - but you can go extreme in either direction - and have little or no problems filling your tags.

Getting the shot is the hard part. The arrow you're using is rarely the determining factor of your ultimate success.

RE: Speed or KE?
 

I'll take momentum. ;)

RE: Speed or KE?
 

My 30" Vectrix XL 50/60,maxed at 63lbs,shoots my 501gr XX75 at 250fps (slow by todays standards), giving me 69 1/2 ft/lbs of KE. I like this for those Canadian bucks.;)

RE: Speed or KE?
 

I'd take that set up any day Jeff If I was shooting wheels.;)

RE: Speed or KE?
 

Thanks Steve. It takes care of business, that's for sure. Last year I took three shots at deer and got three pass throughs.;)