# How fast is fast enough?



## ONEIDABOW1 (Aug 14, 2009)

I have a Mathews Q2XL shooting right around 265fps with average hunting weight arrows. Does it need to be faster? I mean the New Mathews Monster is 360fps plus IBO but is it realy neccessary? In the future, the skill of range estimation won't be needed. Just one pin from 0-100 yards. That brings up another question- We use to have an AMO speed rating and an IBO speed rating. Now you only see IBO ratings Wouldn't it be more useful to have a RHW ( Realistic Hunting Weight) rating since I think there are more people that only hunt than shoot IBO/3D courses and championships. 


OLD AMO: 60 lbs 30" draw 540 grain arrow
CURRENT IBO: 70lbs 30" draw 350 grain arrow
PROPOSED RHW 65lbs 30" draw 445 grain arrow


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## Joe Archer (Mar 29, 2000)

When I first started bow hunting in the 80's my Darton SL-50 shot at a whopping 150 feet per second. If I didn't hit a shoulder, I always got an entrance and exit wound. I killed some nice bucks with that bow, and would say that it was plenty fast enough. 
Speed is nice, but on the relative ladder of importance it falls below shot selection and accuracy. For hunting situations if you are shooting broad heads at 265 feet per second, know what shots to pass on, and can hit where you are aiming with your broadheads you shouldn't have to much trouble. 
<----<<<


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## jjc155 (Oct 16, 2005)

Just remember that a HELL of alot of deer have been killed with bows much slower than yours. A slow hit is much better than a fast miss!

Speed is about 4th or 5th down on my list of what I require in a bow.

J-


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

Well, it has it's pros and cons. For shortdraw arcehrs, a really fast bow helps them regain some speed lost with a short draw. Short draw archers have less powerstroke and lose a lot of speed because of it. A really fast bow also allows one to step down, sometimes dramaticaly in draw weight while retaining enough speed and energy to get the job done. Plus a fast bow allows us to use a moderate to heavy arrow and get speeds that are still fast but with arrows that still pack a punch...the best reason imo to shoot a faster bow. I don't know anyone that hunts with a bow set up with an arrow that meets ibo specs (5g per #) I'm happy that many fast bows today will get me 290-300 fps with a 420 grain arrow at only 28.5" draw when set at 70#.....this was unheard of in a shootable bow not to long ago.


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## MuskyDan (Dec 27, 2001)

speed is an advantage with the modern bows. The faster your bow can push a heavier arrow the better off you'll be. That doesn't mean what you have wont work, that just means technology is producing a superior bow to those of a few short years ago. Heck, people still kill deer with recurves and self bows.


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## Michigander1 (Apr 5, 2006)

Long as i can see my arrow fly its good for me.I was shooting way to fast before a friend that hunts way more then me told me.I still blow right threw them at 65 lbs.Mich


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

If you shoot it well then no, you don't NEED a faster bow.......speed doesn't kill, accuracy does.


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## Michihunter (Jan 8, 2003)

If you shoot it well, why not go faster? I always get a kick out of the cliche':"A slow hit is better than a fast miss". I usually respond by saying "A fast hit is better than a slow miss":lol::lol: There's simply no correlation between the two things(speed and accuracy) if everything is in tune.


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

Michihunter said:


> If you shoot it well, why not go faster? I always get a kick out of the cliche':"A slow hit is better than a fast miss". I usually respond by saying "A fast hit is better than a slow miss":lol::lol: There's simply no correlation between the two things(speed and accuracy) if everything is in tune.


True....but who's to say he would shoot a totally new bow as accurately? Ever heard the words "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"?


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## Michihunter (Jan 8, 2003)

Ack said:


> True....but who's to say he would shoot a totally new bow as accurately? Ever heard the words "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"?


Yes sir and I agree.


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## Ieatantlers (Oct 7, 2008)

Sure accuracy is great, but so is speed. They are not mutually exclusive. In fact, speed helps accuracy. The flatter you shoot, the less you have to hold over or use more pins-making shooting accurately easier. For a hunting set up, I wouldn't consider 265 slow. Most bows that claim IBO of 320 shoot 280 with a hunting set up. Heavier arrow, shorter draw, string leeches, etc...


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## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

Faster the better. Why do I want a bow that shoots 366fps at 70lbs with a 30" draw? 

Simply because with a 400 grain arrow at 50lbs I could still hit 290-300fps. That's frickin cool!


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## Isaac_62 (Nov 29, 2004)

> Faster the better. Why do I want a bow that shoots 366fps at 70lbs with a 30" draw?
> 
> Simply because with a 400 grain arrow at 50lbs I could still hit 290-300fps. That's frickin cool!


X2!!


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## StumpJumper (Nov 13, 2001)

I havent chrono's my Switchback since I bought it and I honestly can't even remember what it was shooting. 

I know there are faster newer bows, but I don't want or feel the need to ever upgrade. My bow kills deer DEAD and has PLENTY of speed and power.


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## michigan head hunter (Aug 26, 2006)

The bows come a long way and speed does kill and so does slow bows shoot with what make you feel good at alot of my friends are speed freeks they where blessed with long draws im not im 28 1/4 with my bow it shoots a 430 gr arw at 285 and my bows is top out at 63 pds the speed you are getting is prefect arrow flight with any board you chose to shoot just know your yards , last week i was filming a guy that shot a fallow deer he was shoot some pse dream season and was bragging about how fast his shooting and the was fast but he hit the shoulder at 32 yrds the arrow went 1/4 of the way in and the deer ran very far , that night he came over and asked what went wrong i told him he needs a heavier arrow so gave him some of my titans to shoot from carbon impact it slow his bow down alot but his eng went up the next day he shot a other deer and this time both shoulders and dropped with in 20 yrds of the shot so im sorry for going on but you are fine with the speed .


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## stickbow42 (Jul 11, 2009)

I think my bow might be shooting 180 fps. But thats just a guess. I use a longbow but it kills what it hits, so I am happy..lol.


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## ONEIDABOW1 (Aug 14, 2009)

My original post may have been read the wromg way. What I meant to ask was ' Does the world need a bow that fast?" I hope all the speed junkies realize that the shorter the brace height, the harder it will be to shoot. My friend use to own a archery shop/range and said out of all the people who tried to shoot the Mathews Black Max bow years back ( which was a screamer), I was one of maybe three who could handle it. I would be diappointed if people went out and bought a new Monster with it's 5" brace height and couldn't handle it. It's alot of money to fork over for something that you may not like.


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## sbooy42 (Mar 6, 2007)

So its not the speed its the short brace height you dont like...I couldnt agree more..
I think there are many people out there that dont understand the effects that a short brace height can have..


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

There's a lot of truth to that but, comparing short brace height bows today with short brace height bows of 6-8 years ago is an apples to oranges comparison. The short BH bows today, while still not for everyone, are much easier to shoot well then they used to be. A 5" or even a 6" BH bow would not be my recommendation for most people regardless however. 
Luckily today, we are getting amazing speeds from 7"+ bh bows. My Elite Z28 with an 8" BH is extremely fast when you consider the BH specs....while it's no barn burner in the 330's to 350's it's still a fast bow in hunting trim. 

So, the answer is no, the world does not need a bow that fast. But, we don't need Gore Tex, Crew Cab trucks, or Victoria Secret catalogues either but I sure like em'!


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## sbooy42 (Mar 6, 2007)

Yeah I'll stick with my 7 1/8 GT500


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## analogdog (Nov 5, 2009)

Hit the right 6 inch circle... they all go down... especially if you wait an hour and don't press them to run.....


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## TrekJeff (Sep 7, 2007)

Swamp Monster said:


> So, the answer is no, the world does not need a bow that fast. But, we don't need Gore Tex, Crew Cab trucks, or Victoria Secret catalogues either but I sure like em'!


BEST answer in the entire thread!


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## Birddog77 (Nov 18, 2008)

Our Friendly Ted Nugent has killed more deer then I care to think....

His Speed has been for a long time...... 255

I started with a old whitetail II that shot a blazing 190. It killed deer just as dead as my Mathews MQ1......

Speed is great for taking the ARCH out of ARCHERY - but it doesn't trump accuracy!


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## doughboy4.6 (Sep 12, 2006)

I think speed makes it nice when it comes to drop. You can kill a deer at 150fps but you will have a pin for 5 10 15 you get my point. I have a x force dream season 342fps ibo it is shooting 305fps with a 385 grain arrow. My bow is shooting flat to 35 yards which gives me alot of confidence when it comes time to make the shot. So in thats sense faster is better


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## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

the only thing more speed will do for you at this point is stick your arrow farther into the dirt on the other side of the deer.


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## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

wait a minute,,,,don't need victoria's secret catalogs???? 
please report to the man card turn in counter right away!


Swamp Monster said:


> There's a lot of truth to that but, comparing short brace height bows today with short brace height bows of 6-8 years ago is an apples to oranges comparison. The short BH bows today, while still not for everyone, are much easier to shoot well then they used to be. A 5" or even a 6" BH bow would not be my recommendation for most people regardless however.
> Luckily today, we are getting amazing speeds from 7"+ bh bows. My Elite Z28 with an 8" BH is extremely fast when you consider the BH specs....while it's no barn burner in the 330's to 350's it's still a fast bow in hunting trim.
> 
> So, the answer is no, the world does not need a bow that fast. But, we don't need Gore Tex, Crew Cab trucks, or Victoria Secret catalogues either but I sure like em'!


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## outdoor_m_i_k_e (Feb 3, 2005)

Brace height and speed dont make a difference if you cant handle, and put time into shooting and tuning the bow. . . ANYONE can spend the money on a brand new, fast as hell bow. If you dont shoot it and get used to the bow, then it will not matter if its 150fps or 350 fps. . . 

I read on another forum about people all the time who buy a bow without shooting it first. just see its a new bow and has to be good right! well all bows fit differently. . 

someone else hit it on the head. the newer faster bows will be able to give you speed on larger, heavier arrows, which in turn will give you some more knockdown power. Is it necessary? maybe, maybe not. . depends on the shooter. . 

I enjoy the couple posts about sacrificing accuracy for speed. . . 

accuracy can be sacrificed by certain people with ANY bow. . . if ya dont shoot it and practice it enough, then it doesnt matter what bow it is, it wont be as accurate.

The difference between the old darton I had and the new PSE im shooting is the fact that I can shoot less pins, and can get some more distance out of it ACCURATELY. With my old bow I was comfortable out to about 25 yards. . this new bow, while not everyone can, I doubled it and can shoot good groups out to 50. As in I would be comfortable shooting a deer to 50 as long as i dont have a large wind. . 
For me personally it eliminates a lot of guessing. I still use a rangefinder, even after thousands of shots through my 6 month old bow.

Is it all Needed? no but a lot of people still hunt with long bows, who's to say compounds were needed in the first place?


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## wackadoefoundation (Nov 27, 2009)

Swamp Monster said:


> So, the answer is no, the world does not need a bow that fast. But, we don't need Gore Tex, Crew Cab trucks, or Victoria Secret catalogues either but I sure like em'!



Hahaha well said!:lol:


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## fiveOarcher (Jan 4, 2009)

speed to a point is nice but there is a point of "diminishing return" here. That power stroke needs to come from somewhere (limbs, cams, less BH etc) A good blend of speed, brace height etc is where it's at for "most" people. 

There's a reason you dont see too many ("some" but very, very few) target archers in 3d shooting bows that are the fastest out there. I realize hunting situation are different but for MI and whitetails that much KE is not needed. Pulling back a 70lb, 5 or 6" BH bow in mid to late Nov or Dec after you have set for 3hrs can be tough.


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## bassdisaster (Jun 21, 2007)

fiveOarcher said:


> speed to a point is nice but there is a point of "diminishing return" here. That power stroke needs to come from somewhere (limbs, cams, less BH etc) A good blend of speed, brace height etc is where it's at for "most" people.
> 
> There's a reason you dont see too many ("some" but very, very few) target archers in 3d shooting bows that are the fastest out there. I realize hunting situation are different but for MI and whitetails that much KE is not needed. Pulling back a 70lb, 5 or 6" BH bow in mid to late Nov or Dec after you have set for 3hrs can be tough.


I agree on 1 hand, on the other Id have to say Ive never known a fast bow to be any less accurate then a slower bow, its the shooters who are less accurate with faster bows, simply because the added speed makes them think that they dont need to judge yardage!
There is no such bow that can shoot 1 pin dead on from 15-40 yards!
You can indeed shoot 1 pin 15-40 but elevation estimates need to be made for proper shot placement, so does it matter fast or slow, not really, if anything the slower bow allows more room on the sight for multiple pin placement, but then again we hunt in michigan where a shot over 25 is indeed rare!

BD


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