45# @ 28".157fps with a 445gr arrow.Roy Hall Apache.Seems slow but accurate.Just seems to drop after 15 yards.What is an average speed for 10grpp?
Accuracy is most important.
Assuming you are pulling 28, it does seem a little slow to me. All of my Recurves shoot around 172--174 fps at that weight. Long bows a little less.
Accurate is way better than fast, naturally to have both is the ticket.
Accurate AND quiet first. Then heavy arrow/momentum at an appropriate distance. Speed is about trajectory more than anything
Folks worry too much about speed, IMHO, and when you're shooting less than a monster bow, drop is not a bad thing, it's simply more noticeable. Resist the temptation to go with lighter arrows to get more speed and the illusion of greater killing effect that comes with a noticeably faster shot or flatter trajectory.
I agree that accuracy is most important....ur bow is plenty fast enough.
He didn't ask if his accuracy was off but asked if his bow is slow.
It is below average speed at 10 gpp. Most will be in the 170s and some will be close to 190.
Mike
Draw length has a big affect on speed.I draw 27" and my buddy has a 30" draw length.He shoots a faster speed then I even with a bow 10# to !5# heavier then his.I saw in a video that even 1" difference in draw length made about 10-12 fps difference.I think as long as you are accurate and it shoots well for you will be fine.Do you draw 28"?
I agree with wingnut on this.
There are lots of faster bows out there that are accurate and quiet.
I've got a 50 year old Bear at 45# that beats that speed.
Just a thought, might ask someone to watch your release. Like JRY said, even an inch will make a big difference.
That speed is a little low for that bow.
It could be a number of different things. Is the chrony calibrated? Do your nocks snap on the string really tight? Do you have a decent release? Do you pull through your release (look on www.safarituff.com (http://www.safarituff.com) for a tip to pick up several fps). Are your arrows the correct spine?
Could be the bow, could be the archer, could be something else.
On the bright side, if everything is right and it's just a slower bow, it's still plenty for deer.
Sir are you using this setup for hunting ? If so do the animals you shoot at duck or dodge your shot more often than not ? If the bow - arrow combo is quiet and you are shooting at non alert game that should be fast enough . Something to think about ; 157fps = 52.33 yards in a second or 26.16 yards in half a second thats faster than you can say second . The difference between 170fps and 157fps is 4.33 yards in a second or 2.17 yards in half a second . Just my thoughts on speed for hunting rigs
I draw 28".My nocks do snap on a little tight.How many fps could that add up to.I hold at anchor a few seconds and I do agree that my release could affect speed some too.I killed a spike with the bow a couple of weeks ago(my first with a longbow).It was a great shot at 20 yards so I am happy about that.Still,I would like to get it up to 170 anyway.That speed is what I'm used to shooting.I switched from a recurve a few weeks ago and seemed to have lost more speed than I thought I would.I had a thread on this a few weeks ago.
Is this particular brand bow just slow?Does anyone out there shoot this bow that could give insight on it.I love the quietness of the bow and accuracy is there.Not like my recurve but I think that will come.I just want the same arrow drop if possible.If not,I will just have to adjust.It's ok for hunting out to 20 yards apparently since I killed the spike with it.In practice at 20 yards,there is about 6" drop but the spike shot was perfect,thank God.My recurve is sold so I have to get used to this bow.Maybe a different string,like SBD strings,is the answer.I will just have to play around with it I guess.Thanks for the replies.
Nock fit is critical. You could easily lose 10 fps or more with a too tight nock.
Since typically you're going to have some arrow flight issues with a tight nock. That will slow the arrow also, though down range some.
A new, well made string like the SBD could add several fps.
While I don't recommend getting ate up with the speed thing I will always take what I can get.
That seems like a lot of drop for 10gpp, whatever the speed. Sounds like that's a main concern. What shafts are you shooting, and what weight points?
I think I'd be a little suspect of that chrono reading. You might consider checking your bow again with a different one, or, if that's not possible, check another bow.
I'm shooting Gold Tip 15/35 with a 175gr point.My nocks snap on the string with an audible pop so it is very possible that could be the problem.I guess the solution is to reserve the string,get a new string.or boil the nocks(last option)to make them fit better.I may order a string from SBD to see how that does.157 just seems slow to me.I'm not a speed freak by any means but on the other hand,I don't want my bow to be a dog.
Nocks look like a problem.
Have a helper mark your shaft while at full draw to be sure of your draw length. Put your bow on a scale. You would be surprised at the actual vs marked on some bows.
also, what kind of spreads did you see in the high and low velocity numbers? If you are seeing spreads of 4 to 8 fps, then your release is suspect.
My speeds were all within 1-3 fps of each other .I just ordered an SBD string so I will see how that does.I've heard good things about them.
I agree with Charlie. If your arrows "snap on a little tight" this is far more likely to be a culprit with your decline in FPS. More importantly it will also affect accuracy. Just as others experience with a SBD string, I usually gain about 4 fps with Allen Shafer strings. And he makes them and mails them out only one or two days after ordering. If you have quiet and accurate, you have two pieces that are more important than fps IMO.
Roy's bows aren't touted as the fastest, but they generally aren't slouches either.
How much difference the string makes will depend on what you are comparing. First thing I'd do is re-serve the string you have for a proper nock fit, then check the advice I suggested earlier with your release. Simple trick, big results.
Tight nocks can be a real pain, rob you of performance, add noise, make tuning more difficult, etc.
Chronographs can vary quite a bit. It's best to take numbers from a single chronograph with a grain of salt.
I'd say that's a bit slow for 10gpp out of a recurve, are you sure you were getting a good reading from your Chrono? If you stand too close they will read slow. I know that from experience, had to break out the instructions, lol. Make sure your standing more than an arrow length away from it.
Yes it is slow.
I have already ordered an SBD string but will reserve the string in the bow tonight.I can go to the archery shop fir a chrono reading when I am off work on Wed.
I checked my nocks last night to see if the arrow would come off with a gentle tap and it wouldn't.It would not come off with a hard tap.lol. That is part of the problem,I am sure.
No. That bow should be faster then that IMO.
Don't take this the wrong way but I would guess that your release is probably the culprit.
Here is a cut and paste from Rod Jenkins:
SHOOTING TIPS :
"Never Stop Pulling"
By - Rod Jenkins
"Want to pickup 6-12 FPS at the same weight your currently drawing,
without buying a new bow?
Want to become much more consistent with your
shooting?
It's easy - learn to never stop pulling!
By far, the biggest form flaw I see with a majority of traditional archers
is "they stop pulling"!
Don' believe that? Break out the video cam and
shoot some footage of yourself, as well as your pals. Playback in
slow-mo and at the moment of release, you'll see the draw hand come
forward, often losing 1-2'' of draw before the fingers clear the
string, and often the fingers are getting scrubbed by string in the
process. Ever wonder why guys are buying thicker gloves and tabs?
Pulling in an archery shot is a 3 phase affair.
(1) Excessive pulling to anchor.
(2) Balanced pulling at anchor.
(3) Increased pulling (expansion) to shot conclusion.
No doubt it's a little more work to never stop pulling, but the dividends
are well worth the effort, and face it " guys shooting longbows and
recurves weren't looking for the easiest way to begin with"
There is so much to to the equation than just 10 Grains Per Pound. That bow is plenty fast for most game animals. Then you get into big boned animals, it would be a challenge for that setup. Just my opinion
TA
Ten brook,I know what you are saying about the release but I went from over 170fps with my BW recurve to 157fps with my new longbow.That is probably not a release problem.I'm not saying that my release is great but that losing about 12-15fps going from a recurve to a longbow is a lot of speed loss and I'm hoping the nock fit is the problem.I will know Wednsday.
I'm posting from my phone.For some reason I keep double posting.Sorry.
From the numerous reports viewed over the years, approximately 170 fps @ 10 gpp is a reasonable number on paper. My own testings seem to always be much less.
The speed or lack of likley effects the mind far more than the actual performance. A ratioanlized slow arrow does not impart a slow death.
The speed is really slow but the reason is not evident. The question o whether or not the bow is slow does not come with enough info to accurately determine a correct answer. For instance what do you have for a string and on the string? How far are you pulling the arrow (really)? How if the nock fit to the string? How close is the average of your shots( determines consistency and perhaps quality of release}
With the reputation of Roy Hall as a bow builder I suspect that the bow has good speed but other factors are hindering the speed.
God bless, Steve
QuoteI checked my nocks last night to see if the arrow would come off with a gentle tap and it wouldn't.It would not come off with a hard tap.lol. That is part of the problem,I am sure.
Yep. How does the nock fit compare with the nock fit on your BW?
Let us know how she shoots when you get the nocks fitting better!
LBR asked about your release. That's the biggest speed robber there is. The difference between a pull through release and simply opening your fingers can be 20 fps. :archer2:
I'm getting 185 fps with 10.2 gpp.
What Sixby said in his last post.....
I draw relatively short so I get robbed of speed because of that reason. But, I'm plenty happy with my bow's performance, see below in my signature.
I reserved my string a little bit ago. I haven't shot it yet.I worked 12 hrs today and 12 tomorrow then three days off.I hope to check my speed again Wed.The nock fit on my BW was not as tight as it is on my longbow.I'm not sure what string is on it now.It is what came with the bow.It is fast flight I guess.I hope to get the SBD string in the mail in a couple weeks.Until then I will use what I have.If I could get 165 -170,I would be a happy camper.
That is fast, for a slow bow. :readit: ;) :p
If you are a bowhunter you should only be concerned with accuracy AND adequate kinetic energy...both....enough of both to take game...Heck I don't even measure the speed of any of my bows....I shot a moose two weeks ago with a 53# at 26" bowlength 60" (Bear takedown)...arrow weighed 600 grains....moose did not even travel 75 yards before going down...I bet that arrow was not going any faster than 160 fps...just guessing...I shoot 600 grains or more with all my bows...
One other thing is the string, I might have missed but it should not be weighted down with heavy silencers, etc., and depending on material might be 8-10 strands, 12 max. for your weight. The string height should be as low as possible to gain speed, and still get good arrow clearance and flight.
My current string seems to be thick.It is what came with the bow.I'm hoping the SBD string(8 strand)will increase my speedat least to the low 160's.170 would be better because that is what my eyes and mind are used to but any increase would be good.I love the quietness of this bow compared to my BW recurve and will continue to hunt with it no matter the speed.After killing that spike with it,I'm pumped.It was almost silent on release and the deer never knew what hit him.He ran 60 yards and piled up.