UncleNorby

My bow is rated at 310. The rating is based on an arrow that weighs 5 gr/lb of draw weight. So basically a 350 gr arrow. My arrows weigh almost 500 gr. How fast does my bow shoot? Don't know the fps, but it is fast enough for me. I've yet to hear an opinion from any of the deer I've shot.

YooperMike

I think you were better off not knowing your speed! If you really are shooting 217 fps, RAge is absolutely not a good option for you unless it is on the end of a 10 lb spear traveling 217 fps. A cut on contact fixed blade will give you the most worry-free results, as well as a much higher percentage of pass throughs. I shot Slick Tricks out of my Barnsdale bow when I was younger, and that bow MIGHT have been shooting 220, and I got pass throughs on every deer I shot with it. A new bow is an option of course, but I would stick with what you've got for this season, and tinker with a new one through the winter.

Ranger77

speed matters not

recurve and longbow hunters shoot in the 160-180 fps range and they kill a hell of a lot of animals

Duckbutter48

I wouldnt say speed doesnt matter.

I mean the faster the bow the flatter it shoots. The flatter the less pins you need out to 40 yards, the less pins the less you will have to deal with when picking your shots. Comparing what traditional bows do compared to compounds is really tricky. Its more of an apples to oranges deal.

To the OP..if I were you I wouldnt change your bow or BH's this year. If they have worked for you in the past just roll with them. No use trying something out you won't be 100% confident in with this years time frame. I also wouldn't run out and purchase a new bow just yet. You will prob rush your decision trying to get one plus get it set up, shot in and get comfortable with it.

Take your time from now to next summer and look at bows. Whatever you want to buy this week will be much cheaper this summer since itll be considered a year old. (assuming your looking at the 2010 bows with the 2011's coming out).

I would also spend a good bit of time on archerytalk.com reading posts on bows in your price range and poundage needs. Start looking at some of the classifieds over there and itll give you a good idea of what you can get with your $$$. See the thing is a ton of folks just bought 2010's for this season. When the 11's come out they will feel the need to sell their "old" worn out 2010 bow and buy an 11. You will get some great deals by them making that mistake.

GL with what you do.

Rogue

Apples to oranges I don't think so, both traditional and compounds are designed to do 1 thing and that is get an arrow to the intended target. Compounds will do this with much greater eficency. Flatter trajectory means pins that are closer together=more confusion, no bow can defy the laws of gravity.
If you really have your mind set on mechanical broadheads then reconsider the arrow they are attached to.

ADVWannabee

Wow, I feel pretty good about my bow after reading this. It is rated for 70 lb draw but I am only shooting it at 57 lb. I chrono'd it a couple years ago at 248 fps. The next day I shot my first deer with a bow and had a complete pass through. The guy who owned the chrono was drawing 64 lbs and only shot 254 fps.

If you watch Ted Nugent, he only shoots at 50 lbs and kills plenty.

Ranger77

flatter means nothing from 0-20 yards, where most all bowhunting shots occur

c'mon, admit it, speed means mine is bigger than your's, its a pissing contest

I'm shooting a compound this year, MUCH faster than my Zipper recurve. I set the draw weight to something I'm comfortable pulling sitting down and cold - maybe 60-62 pounds. I'm shooting 525 gr total weight because my bow shoots it really well. I wanted to go 700 grains but never could find the right combo.

my point is ........ forget about speed. the author of this thread really wants to go drop $500 on a new bow becuase he's 30 fps slower than he wants to be?


geeessh ..... remember, only in the past 15 years has speed mattered - the decades and centuries before that, when bowhunting was recurves and longbows, speed was pretty much irrelevant

Krypt Keeper

alot of good comments here about bow speed. I am shooting at 247fps, and I am perfectly happy with that. This is my first compound bow and I worry more on shot placement than speed. Its more than capable of putting meat in the freezer if I do my part and hit my target.

*twodogs*

What's your arrow weight?

Duckbutter48

Flatter traj. on a fast (300+ IBO)means prob 1 pin out to 30 yards not more pins..this takes all confusion out of the picture. Speed lets me use a 500grn arrow with a huge BH that hits like a sledge hammer, yet I really dont have to pay attention to the distance the deer is at cause my single pin is all I use. As far as my speed is greater then yours brags...I dont have anywhere near the fastest bow on the market nor do I care to BUT not really having to care about the distance of my shots(reasonably speaking here, Im not taking 50 yard shots) is a huge asset compared to folks using slower bows and have to decide which pin to use. Ive been using a compound for 25 years and there is no way you can convince me the speeds I shoot at now aren't an advantage over where I started with 4 pins out to 40 yards.

Traditional bows are oranges due to the instinctive shooting and (usually) demished range for the shots. No let off, and honestly is not for everyone. Same as Xbows..they are technically the same as what you use...you don't see any difference between the 2???

You really think the millions of dollars spent on and invested by bow companies to get a faster bow is just for bragging rights? There's no other advantage except for someone to say mines bigger then yours?