I just checked the speed of my Bear Grizzly the other day for kicks, and I was bored.
I was surprized at how slow it was? I don't expect any kind of speed out of it, that's not the point because I know that trad bows are slow and they are what they are.
I was surprized because I've read the posts from other guys talking about their bow speeds and mine seems like it's way under what everyone else has mentioned?
Maybe you all can tell me if this sounds about right to you?
Bear Grizzly 48 pounds @28"
29 1/2" (woodie) Arrow total wt. with 125gr. pt. = 503gr.
And I'm not quite pulling the full 28" so I know that probably has something to do with it.
Speed on 3 consecutive readings was 139fps, 138fps, and 140fps. So I did get consistent readings and I'm pretty sure my chrono pal is reading correctly.
Thanks,
SEMO
B 50 string? If yes, that is likely not all that far off. If you draw 27 you are shooting over 11 gpp. Sometimes folks set their braces lower, use light arrows, skinny strings, no silencers etc. to get better readings. Now that would be on other sites of course.
Your bow is plenty fast to kill deer with the usual sharp BH properly placed and blah blah.
Sounds perfect to me, now go hunting with it!!
My super Grizz is 55#'s I shoot approx 485grns and I draw right at 28"s. My bow chronod"? out at 185fps give or take a foot or two. Your probably right in there. if you are looking for a little more speed you can afford to lighten up your arrow a bit, you can drop down too 8 to 8.5 grains per pound. I wouldnt go much lower than that. My setup is right at 8.8lbs per inch.
My brace height is right at 6 1/8" if measured from the back of the shelf to the furthest point on the back of the string. I'm using a flemish twist 14 strand and 2 beaver silencers, so that probably has a little something to do with it also.
I just wanted to make sure that something wasn't bad wrong with it. I know it's plenty fast to kill a whitetail, and it seems to thump my target pretty hard, I just need to put an arrow through a deer and see what she can really do I guess?
Your gonna be fine........
Flemish string... :thumbsup:
QuoteOriginally posted by SEMO_HUNTER:
......because I know that trad bows are slow and they are what they are.........
Thanks,
SEMO
Actually, trad bows aren't slow at all. When compared to our friends' wheelie bows, you should compare apples to apples. A lot of wheelie bow shooters use arrows weighing in at 5 to 7 grains per pound of draw weight and draw lengths in the 29"to 32" range. Try that combination with your trad bow, if you dare! I guarantee you that you will be amazed at your primitive bow's speed then.
Hey, just because we choose to shoot trad doesn't mean we're ancient when it comes to performance. It's just that most of us choose to shoot heavier than average arrows because we know what performs best on game, even if that means less fps but better penetration. That alone makes us the better hunters because we know our limitations and we strive to get closer to our quarry than they do because of the trajectory of our arrow forces us to and, of course, the fact that we don't use sights.
True on all of the above shoot4thrills.
I will admit that I haven't exactly thrown away the training wheels yet, and I've got one hanging in my garage that meets the description you just mentioned. I shoot 5.5gr. pr. pound HV's with it and it's ripping them out at 303fps. I don't expect, need, or want that from my Grizzly, it's an entirely different animal that I consider to be finess rather than a full draw short range rifle in comparison.
I'm still waiting on my first trad kill and I may not ever give up my wheelie, but I'm sure enjoying this season hunting exclusively with my Grizzly and I can honestly say that I haven't been this excited about archery season for quite some time. Maybe it's just the anticipation of taking an animal with something I never have before, or the basic simplicity of using pure skill as apposed to high tech? I don't really know what it is, but when I get my first kill down it will be like my first deer all over again. It's like waiting on Christmas when your 5yrs. old.
BTW- Your set up with your Predator is roughly the same as my Grizzly as far as arrow wt. pr pound of draw, and yours is even a bit heavier. It seems like your getting some good velocity from your set up for shooting heavy weights, that must be one heck of a hard shooting outfit you got there? You should post a pic of it here if you don't mind. I'd sure like to see it.
Okay. But remember, you asked for it!
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh472/ishoot4thrills/PredatorCustomClassic008.jpg)
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh472/ishoot4thrills/PredatorCustomClassic015.jpg)
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh472/ishoot4thrills/PredatorCustomClassic001.jpg)
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh472/ishoot4thrills/2010RecurveBuck003.jpg)
your brace height on that Grizzly should be measured from the throat or deepest part of the grip to the string.Brace should be 7 1/2 " - 8" bd
Gorgeous bow, really nice wood pile, great shooting and congrats on being sure enough of your manhood to shoot pink feathers.
DDave
Oops, I forgot to mention nice little buck!
DDave
I've never checked the speed of my 2 grizzlys but you are really close to they would comparatively.
My Zona @ 49# shooting a 448gr. arrow is about 175FPS & my Sky Hawk @ 47# is about the same speed, put a 505gr. arrow through em & their lucky to get 169FPS.
You have plenty there for Deer & even Black Bear, be sure that your Broadheads are sharp & put it where it counts.
Thanks Guys, and thank you Doug for posting pics of your nice looking outfit. Very fine shooting also, and as far as pink feathers go......you shouldn't have any problem finding them in the leaves when you miss or put one through an animal. :thumbsup:
Nice pic of the buck, I'd love to get a crack at one just like him right now. I haven't had but one shot oppurtunity so far besides squirrels, and that was a coyote I missed at 18 steps. It was my fault, I shot him for about 25 yards and the bow put it right where I held, so I can't complain about the bow at all.....it was all me.
Of course I was wound pretty tight by the time I turned the arrow loose, but I'm sure that didn't have anything to do with mis-judging the yardage. :rolleyes:
That's crazy. I had my cherry board bow chronoed and at 45# @28", and same arrow weight (almost exactly, my arrows were 505)she shot the same exact speeds!
My personal opinion, with even a decently placed shot that's enough kinetic energy to down game even slightly bigger than whitetail, so don't let it bum you out. It's the energy created by the arrow that downs em, not just the speed.
That's good to know fish, now I don't think there's anything wrong with my set up. I was worried at first and fearing the worst, but my Grizzly shoots great. The arrows really thump my 3D buck target too, so I'm confident that it's got plenty of KE behind it to do the job just fine.
I shot a Grizzly right next to a 58" Howatt Hi-Speed. Measured the draw weight of each bow and matched a 10 gpp arrow for each bow. Drew both to 28" and averaged 155 FPS from the Grizzly and 170 FPS from the Hi-Speed.
You tell them Apex :archer2:
Thanks for the test results Apex, so it sounds like my Grizzly is right on par for my draw wt. versus arrow wt. that's comforting to know.
That's why I love this site, lot's of knowledgeable individuals here. With such a diverse knowledge base of people, somebody has an answer for everything. I'm lucky to have found this place. :thumbsup:
QuoteOriginally posted by the real bowdoc:
your brace height on that Grizzly should be measured from the throat or deepest part of the grip to the string.Brace should be 7 1/2 " - 8" bd
Hey Doc, I checked my brace height again where you said to measure from the deepest part of the grip, and from there to the inside of the edge of the string closest to the bow is 7 1/8" exactly.
So I think I'm right on the money?
I've never chronoed any of the bows I've owned-longbow, recurve, selfbow. I keep my distances short, my arrows heavy, and my broadheads sharp. Never had a problem killing deer. I could care less about the speed as long as I'm getting the job done.
QuoteOriginally posted by SELFBOW19953:
I've never chronoed any of the bows I've owned-longbow, recurve, selfbow. I keep my distances short, my arrows heavy, and my broadheads sharp. Never had a problem killing deer. I could care less about the speed as long as I'm getting the job done.
I definitely agree, but haven't you ever just been curious to see what the speed was?
If I didn't own a chrono pal, I wouldn't be interested enough to take it to a bow shop just to see, but since I've got a chrono sitting right here in the garage....I figured what the heck?
Actually, no I haven't "ever been just curious". Your original question was, "Maybe you all can tell me if this sounds about right to you?" I merely answered your question. I have never chronoed a bow (I gave my reasons), so I can't tell you how you bow compares to my Grizzlies.
Pardon me, didn't intend to strike a nerve or anything. I was just making conversation.
It is my post, if you didn't come here to join in the conversation, then why did you even bother to post? I don't think I deserved that snotty response you just gave.
Marty you should be very careful when comparing the speed of a Howatt to anything . Including most of the modern customs. Other bows just do not stack up for the most part. God bless you, Steve
I will just bet you can still shoot over the back of a deer with it.
QuoteOriginally posted by royking:
I will just bet you can still shoot over the back of a deer with it.
I can't verify that statement on a deer yet, but I can sure back it up on a missed coyote at 18 steps about a week ago! :banghead:
Zipped right over the front shoulder so fast he didn't react until the arrow had almost hit the dirt on the opposite side. The bow hit right where I held, so it was all my fault.
So when are we going to see a picture of her?. Sounds like a good shooter.Im not sure how many coyotes I have missed.
I'll see if I can take some decent ones and post them here, but I'm usually not a very good photographer and my pics just turn out so so.
The bow is a shooter, and it shoots better than I can, if you know what I mean.
I have seen many archers both traditional and wheelie suddenly become disenchanted with there favorite bow just because of a chrono reading. most of these bows were accurate, quiet, hard hitting and had accounted for a lot of meat in the freezer. Then a machine told them it wasnt fast enough and they became convinced there old favorite was no good. Its not about speed, thats the easy part. The hard part is getting close and sticking the arrow where it counts.
I've seen the same thing Uncle Buck. Best shooting bow they owned until they shot it thru a chrono. Then want to kick it to the curb and pick up a bow they don't shoot nearly as well, and all because it's faster. Never made sense to me.
The numbers that one attaches to a bow are not important as long as it gets the job done. Except when someone who knows everything tries to tell us that my wife's NAT 38@26.5" does not enough power, just to find out that it is faster with the same arrow than his recurve that is 12 pounds heavier that is drawn to nearly 28". Just because a bow feels smooth does not mean that it shoots slow or visa vera, but I think there is an old Bear Super Mag getting retired because of this. Knowing those numbers is often times best left alone. I remember how shocked I was when I shot my metal takedown Bear through a chrono, it hurt. I loved that bow.
QuoteOriginally posted by pavan:
The numbers that one attaches to a bow are not important as long as it gets the job done. Except when someone who knows everything tries to tell us that my wife's NAT 38@26.5" does not enough power, just to find out that it is faster with the same arrow than his recurve that is 12 pounds heavier that is drawn to nearly 28". Just because a bow feels smooth does not mean that it shoots slow or visa vera, but I think there is an old Bear Super Mag getting retired because of this. Knowing those numbers is often times best left alone. I remember how shocked I was when I shot my metal takedown Bear through a chrono, it hurt. I loved that bow.
Who's retiring the old Bear Super Mag? I'll take it! I love these Bear bows, and the 140fps that I'm getting doesn't hurt my feelings one bit, cause it shoots great. I was only concerned that there might be something wrong with it structurally and it was handed down to me from my favorite uncle. That man is like a second father to me and if there was something wrong with the Grizzly I'd put it up and stop shooting it.
I watched a show or a video somewhere that was talking about the self bows that the Indians made for hunting Buffalo, deer, and all critters. Their bows were estimated at 25lbs. max, and they killed everything with them. Of course they were excellent trackers, and when they hunted buffalo it was mostly off horse back and shooting point blank range, but still their bows weren't heavy at all. Plus they were using the straightest stick they could find, rock points, and tied on feathers.
Imagine what a Bear Grizzly would have done in the hands of an Indian who was a great shot? Things may be a whole lot different these days? :rolleyes:
Here's the pics of my Grizzly as requested and a 20 yard group I shot this morning while practicing out in the back yard. I know it's not perfect shooting, but it's pretty much my average group at 20 yards and it's honest.
Some days it's better and other days I just want to hang it up, but I keep plugging away at it and hopefully when I get my big chance at a deer....it will be one of my good days when I'm on top of my game.
I'm also NOT a photographer by any means, but I also try my best at that too.
:goldtooth:
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/MyGrizzlywith20yardgroup002.jpg)
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/MyGrizzlywith20yardgroup004.jpg)
Plenty good!
I hope you don't have to shoot any better than that to get a deer. If so, I too am in trouble and will need to pick up my old .30-06 again.
RonP
I use a chrono on all my bows for 2 reasons. 1. because I own one from my speed obsessed wheelie days and 2. so I can get all my set-ups shooting around the same speed so I don't have to make any adjustments to my shooting for trajectory.
I had a bow once that I swore was slower than other my other bows until I chroned it and found it was actually faster at a lighter draw weight!
QuoteOriginally posted by chopx2:
I use a chrono on all my bows for 2 reasons. 1. because I own one from my speed obsessed wheelie days and 2. so I can get all my set-ups shooting around the same speed so I don't have to make any adjustments to my shooting for trajectory.
I had a bow once that I swore was slower than other my other bows until I chroned it and found it was actually faster at a lighter draw weight!
I'm glad that somebody else finally agrees that a chronograph is basically just a tool, and when used the way you stated for comparison it doesn't sound so evil anymore. I have always just considered it a tool and not an ego booster, or a let down.
Good post, and great analogy. That is good info to have if you shoot multiple bows, and it's also a good indicator that you have your arrow weights correct for the bow you are shooting.
Also Thanks to
Feliciano and
Ron , I'm glad you all believe in my abilities. I feel fairly confident that if I get a shot in the 20-25 yard range I can close the deal......that is if I can control my nerves. :thumbsup:
If the super mag comes up for sale, I got first dibs on it. My Bear Grizzly is an older model, it has a more angled back right at the arrow shelf, gray glass, and more taper in the core than the newer ones. It is 42 pounds and with 440 grain arrows we are getting higher numbers. I have noticed that from one person shooting to another, even with nearly identical draws, there can be a wide spread in arrow speeds with same arrows and bows. The crono we are using comes real close to getting the same numbers with my wifes bow that Chad Francis got with his, 2 fps faster, so I am assuming they either both off about the same or on about the same. We used it to find out what her bow does with her arrows and draw length. At her draw 26.5", her new bow was faster than her Darton and the Grizzly. however, when shooting them, the Darton seems faster, it has killed a number of deer so we should be in good shape with the new one as well.