And It was slow, very slow!!!!! Slower then I expected. In 26 years of bow hunting (16 with my recurve) I've had one deer which I think might have ducked my arrow but It may have been an error on me also. My previous bow prior to my recurve was an XI Impact In which I shot 2117 aluminum arrows out of. That bow chrono'd out at 230 fps. My recurve chrono'd out at 154 fps shooting 650 grain 400 FMJ's. Prior to this year I shot 340 FMJ's that weighed In at 704 grains so you can bet I was well below 150 fps. Moral of the story, I shoot a very slow bow and It's never been an Issue. I've shot a few deer In that 18 to 20 yard range which Is getting out there for me. Pass throughs every time and these deer never knew what hit them. The biggest and best thing, It's quiet. To me the biggest reason why deer duck arrows Is noisy bows. There's ways to get around a noisy bow set up but so much emphasis Is put on speed that It just gets left out.
154 fps...hahaha. And you shoot a heavier poundage bow than me. I shoot a 55# with around 600 grains total arrow weight. I bet I am shooting alot slower than you Steve. But, my arrows seem to be hitting lick a mack truck, and the bow seems quieter this year with the additional 70-80 grains. So we shall see. I am going to get my broadheads razor sharp.
What!?! You can't possibly kill anything shooting that slow, Steve. Great post, thanks for the very good info. Hopefully it will begin to help folks really understand the need for speed/flatter trajectory is a marketing myth to keep selling them faster bows every year.
I was just going to type the same thing and then I read your post. Good stuff. Seriously, my 306 ibo bow actually shoots 230fps now after adding weight to my arrow and using 4" feathers.. You should see the looks on other compound shooters when I tell them how slow I'm shooting. They think I'm nuts. :D I think the big difference is that you keep your shots close (< 20yards) where as the average compound hunter these days is 30 yards or more.
Not just that but I hear of the story's of close shots and people saying they don't like shooting at deer In that 10 to 12 yard range for fear of them jumping the string or folks saying aim low when shooting at a deer. I don't believe In either of those 2 things but what ever works for ya. Yes my set up works as do most traditional bow hunters set ups but I was really surprised on the fps. I figured I'd be In that 175 to 180 fps range.
Wow! That is slow. But the proof is in the freezer as they say. The last time I checked one of mine it shot a 500+ grain arrow at 200 fps. But that was not my hunting recurve.
Yes your bow is slow and yes it will kill deer. Obviously, you have done it time after time. Here are some numbers for you though. My bow is not a speed bow but, I am going to use it to compare to yours. This might surprise you. Notice those KE numbers. My bow: 357gr arrows 265fps KE= 56 Your Bow: 650gr 154fps KE: 34 If KE is what it is all about then speed is where it is at for a lighter arrow. The reason new faster bows are faster is due to the more speed, lighter arrow = flatter trajectory to get more KE. I believe it is all about set up and knowing you bows limits. More KE the farther out you can place a good clean kill shot with the right set up and plenty of practice. I am sure your bow being as quiet as it is helps a ton too. Mine is quiet but, I am looking for ways to make it as close to silent as I can.
Do not be fooled into thinking KE is the only parameter related to the lethality of an arrow. On lower poundage, or slower bows, like any traditional set-up, arrow weight is almost paramount. Yes a lighter faster arrow will generate more KE on paper. However, you must also consider momentum. The force that keeps and object in motion. Does your truck stop faster empty or pulling a trailer? The argument for light vs. heavy is an ongoing, and never ending, battle. True, a well placed shot with any arrow weight within reason will kill a deer. However, I would prefer to sacrifice 20 fps to gain the confidence that if my arrow creeps a little too far forward it will still get the job done.
As I said, the right set up will kill. If it works it works. I was not trying to argue one way or another just stating that a lighter arrow has to have more speed. As for your analogy about the truck. Take a loaded truck or a truck pulling a trailer at 35mph and an unloaded truck running 65mph. They will probably both take the same distance to stop the lighter may even take farther to stop for that matter. If the two trucks were traveling the same speed then yes the heavier would take longer to stop. So, if a 650gr arrow and a 357gr arrow are traveling the same speed then of course the heavier arrow will penitrate anything deeper. KE is KE no matter how you look at it paper or real life. You can't make a true comparison with different speeds. The only thing you can compare here is KE.
You completely misinterpreted my post. I was not comparing KE to KE. I was comparing Momentum to Momentum. I was simply stating that KE is not a reliable enough stat alone to determine proper arrow setup. Does it play into it? absolutely. In many cases you can actually up your KE by going heavier.
Good post. Let's add forgiveness to the equation also. There is much more forgiveness in one setup over the other.
It's not the size of the boat, it's the motion of the ocean. That doesn't really fit hear, but I heard my high school girlfriend said it once. :D
Actually, no it's not. KE and momentum are not the same thing. Momentum= m*v where m= mass v= velocity KE= 1/2 m (V^2 ) where m= mass v= velocity Just a FYI.
