How Much Speed is Enough?

[Ratdog68]

My longbow shoots a 475 grain arrow at 175 fps.  People have been feeding themselve with that type of set up for 10,000 years, so I'd say it was fast enough.

Yup... and all this talk of how important KE is?    Again... Madison Ave says ya gotta use all these latest mechanical marvel broadheads with two and three pairs of blades, deployed by the impact of the solid/blunt nosed head, spring loaded ... etc. etc. etc.  Hogwash !!  If you buy into the "need" for all that "stuff" to have to punch into/through the critter, then yes, you do need "punch".  That's not what kills the game, that's what it takes to make the equipment deploy all of the built in wizzardry.   

If you have a two-blade, cut on contact broadhead that's sharp enough to make you bleed by just looking at it... it doesn't take "punch" to get the job done.  Infact... the felt affect of the arrow passing through may be nearly non-existent... and your quarry might even do the wobbly dance before your very eyes with hardly a step taken after being hit.  Stealth baby !!!  Whisper quiet shot too.      

[coachcw]

500's at 250 fps , fly most broadheads well , and is a little more forgiving to human error.

[D-Rock425]

my alpha max shoots my hunting arrow at 278 fps.  I would love to shoot faster but at some point you cant control the speed then what is the point of having it

[Jake T]

I love this... Speed is only 1 part of the equation! Its all about Kinetic energy!!! The more energy the better. 

careful there.  if you go only by the math, a .22 has enough KE to take down a moose at 100 yards. 

[konrad]

I love this... Speed is only 1 part of the equation! Its all about Kinetic energy!!! The more energy the better. 

careful there.  if you go only by the math, a .22 has enough KE to take down a moose at 100 yards. 

Great point!

Folks tend to get wrapped around the axle about technology when, in fact:

Speed without accuracy/stability/consistency is pointless.

Kinetic energy valuations and archery are interesting; however, penetration is the primary goal when killing with arrows. An arrow does not kill with hydrostatic shock and never will. An arrow’s ability to continue straight along the same entry path while severing connective, arterial, nervous and muscle tissue and deliver that energy over an extended period of time while passing through the target is how it has and always will kill most effectively.

An apparently flat trajectory is good as long as we do not sacrifice terminal performance.

All that being said, how much speed will ever be enough?

[Matt]

Just like cars and motorcyles there never is enough speed for some even though they will never use it all. 

Most bowhunters and 3-D guys, when they look at the spec sheet of a bow they go straight to the IBO fps.  And that is fine.  But it isn't anything.  I remember when I got a Z-max.  326fps that was about as fast as it got.  Now that is average.  If I can shoot a 400+gr broadheaded arrow around 280fps I am more than happy.  If the bow has an 8" brace, 60lbs and shoots that same arrow 300fps even better. 

[elkoholic]

I have people ask me all the time how fast my arrow are flying, and my response is no clue/I don't care its fast enough to get the job done with a well placed arrow...good tuned bow/arrows, proper form, shot placement..

I'm shootong a vectrix plus at 73lbs and a 30" draw with a 430grn arrow, I gets her done....

[colockumelk]

 I think bow and arrow preferances are like preferances with guns and vehicles. The guys that like speed want it no matter how light their arrow is.  They are sort of like corvettes and .243s.  Speed is addicting.  They want a fast bow with a light arrow.  Speed is power.  Then you have the heavy guys.  They drive diesel trucks and shoot a .338.  They don't care about speed. They want a smooth forgiving bow with a heavy arrow.  A huge slugg is power. Bigger the better. I guess I'm like that.  I drive a truck and in Iraq a .50 cal beat an M16 any day.  I have a Hoyt AM32 with a 68 lb draw 28" draw. I shoot a 455 grain arrow at 262 fps.  I get 69.37 KE which is more than if I shot an IBO arrow. Plus I'm a better shot with this heavier more stable arrow.

[monster10]

OK, now my questions are:

1. If it were mechanically possible and physically possible to shoot a 500 grain arrow as fast as you wanted, how fast would be satisfactory?
300 fps
400 fps
500 fps
600 fps
700 fps

fill in the blank_Im shooting a 455 grain @ 302 and it crazy, 1 peg to 40 and hits hard._____

2. Is there are point where arrow speed becomes “unethical”?

[coachcw]

perfect world 700 grains a 400fps lets dream.

[addicted]

thats a gun

[Button Nubbs]

Monster, in my opinon speed becomes unethical when the person shooting can't handle it. I bet That's the reason 1st generation xlr8's are so cheap right now.

Good lord coach! What are you trying to do? Blow through an animal and the tree behind it?

[Recurve-Elk]

I shoot a 55lb recurve now days.  Not even sure what kind of velocity I am getting out of it yet but its probably 200fps or less, ill be at the shop checking that in a few weeks.  My arrows are 570grains.  I do know however that my bow will kill pretty much anything with a good shot and a sharp two blad broadhead. 

I don't really care about speed as long as I can make a clean honest kill with my bow.

[coachcw]

button nubs , if it's stuck to the tree it's easy to find . 670 grains at 275 fps hammers them trust me on that plus one twig dosn't throw your arrow into another time zone . the problem is there kinda like a ugly fast car , chicks don't dig um.

[Machias]

That's ok, I don't hunt for the chicks anyways.