Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: PAHunter on January 14, 2014, 02:08:47 pm
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Is there any formula/rule of thumb for how the max shooting distance of a bow translates to the fps the arrow is leaving the bow at? For example my bows seem to range from 170 yards down to 135 yards with 600gr arrows. I've see some friends bows shoot a good bit further than this. I've heard distance in yards is a ballpark estimate of fps.
BTW I'm not obsessed with speed but it's certainly an important attribute of bow performance.
thanks!
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PA, nothing wrong with wanting performance in a bow. I tend to think of 170 fps as being like an A for performance if our bows were being graded. With a good release a bow shooting a 10 grain per pound arrow at 170 fps will get about 200 yards. A bow shooting 150 fps will get about 150 yards and a bow shooting about 180 fps will get about 225 yards. This depends a lot on the shooter of course.
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PAHunter, when you start looking at distance performance vs. your friend's bows, remember a lot of other factors can go into distance shooting, such as arrow weight, size, length and height of fletching, and whether those bows are going to be good for 100 shots or 8000.
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We are talking 10 grains per pound arrow weight and fletching that you would use on a hunting arrow. In flight shooting we have a broadhead division which is basicaly a class for hunting bows. The bow I used to set the record with last year was at least 4 years old, no skinny tips and used regularly over the years, it has not lost 1 ounce of weight in 4 years. My theory is that underbuilding a bow does not make it faster. If you build it to last and not take set by putting the mass in the right places you can have both performance and longevity. Very few of my bows anymore are what I would call low mass bows.
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Keep one super light arrow in your quiver for the times when you're shooting distance for beers ;) ;)
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@Badger Those are great rules of thumb; exactly what I was looking for!
@Hrothgar good point. However these guys are great bowyers. Seeing them send some over the 200 yard mark blew me away.
@Don haha good idea!
Thanks guys!
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The bow I used to set the record with last year was at least 4 years old, no skinny tips and used regularly over the years, it has not lost 1 ounce of weight in 4 years.
World record?! Awesome! What was the draw weight and length and winning distance? If there is anywhere I can read up on the results or your bow, please let me know. thanks!
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The bow is 50#@28" a simple reflex design, osage self bow, not quite a recurve but the last part of the limbs sweep back into reflex. The distance was 221 yards. I also set a record in the regular primitive flight flight classes with a boo backed osage that was pretty worn out. The distance was 346 yards with a very light arrow 200 grains. I shot that same bow in the modern recurve classes with a fast flight string instead of linen and got 351 yards. I won my division but was short of a record.