I had a Black Widow PSA that I just sold to buy a new Roy Hall Apache longbow/hybrid.It is 45#@28" and my BW was 44#@28".I draw 28".with a 440gr 15/35 Gold Tip with a 175gr fp I was shooting 172 with my BW.I'm shooting the exact same arrow out of my Apache and it is 157fps.That is a 15fps loss and my arrows are dropping 6" at twenty yards.I love the bow.It's smooth,great looking,and very quiet which is the main reason I sold my BW and went to a longbow.Can anyone explain the speed loss or are these bows that much slower?
Different designs have different results! BW's are known to be a somewhat fast design. Comparing two different bows like that is apples to oranges.
If you really like the feel of the new bow, you just have to shoot it enough till you get used to its trajectory. If you decide you just can't stand that trajectory and really want a hybrid longbow, you are just going to have to go find one that is faster by design and fits in your hand!
Bisch
I don't own a longbow but have shot several and the ones I've shot have been very fast and peppy. No chrono but they were definitely in the ballpark on speed compared to most recurves I've shot.
Really a little surprised that it is that much difference, but alot of factors may be involved. Probably a different grip on the Apache, and I would bet your draw length is less with that than with the standard BW grip, possibly an inch or more. I would have someone mark the arrows when I was at full draw with each bow, and actually put them on a scale to see the actual poundage at your draw.
I am a little surprised that a bow that shoots 15fps slower would be able to use the same arrows, especially since it is likely cut further from center than the BW. Tuning might come into play as well. Numbers like you are getting would be a little more expected with a D shaped longbow.