Why is this bothering me?

[tim tarras]

Ever since the Arrow weight vs Speed thread read here, the “lack of speed” of my bow has been bothering me. It’s to the point that the good idea fairy is starting to talk to me. I know the 13FPS really won't change anything in normal hunting ranges but it's still in my head that I if I do something about it I'll get that extra speed. The funny thing about this is if this were a rifle and off by 100FPS I wouldn’t even think twice about it.

The bow is a Mathews V3X 29 with a 28.5” draw length, 70# with 80% let off is shooting 262 FPS but according to the calculators should be around 275FPS.

My arrow is right around 500 grains, Black Eagle Rampage in a 300 spine. Below are the weights of the components.

Help talk me off the ledge before I start to change things like my switchweight cam mods, arrow weights, Bow string or heaven forbid a new bow.

Edit: Bow was tuned to get the 262. It was at 257 before the tune.

Arrow weight (28.25" CTC Long)	245.78
Brass HIT Insert	50
Iron will collar	25
tip	125
Total Flecthing	24.4
Bohning wrap	5
nock	21.6
Total Weight	496.78

 

[ResearchinStuff]

You can save 25 gr and add ~8 fps just by ditching your lighted nock and going to a 100 gr head.

 

[Wapiti1]

Lighter arrow (lose the collar, nock, whatever). Change to lower profile fletching. No helical, just a small offset. Check your specs on the bow, and see if something is out. Could be a slow set of cables and string. Your arrow seems a little long for your draw, to me.

Notice that many of the possible changes make your setup less forgiving as does simply adding speed.

Why do you need a 500gr arrow? I've punched a lot of arrows through a lot of critters and have never thought to myself, if my arrow was only 500 gr, I'd have my hands on those antlers. I shoot a 425-450 gr arrow and don't worry much about the components. If it tunes, I shoot it. Every bad shot I've made, was me, and a different arrow would have gone right where I didn't want it to go just the same.

Stop worrying about it and go hunt turkeys.

Jeremy

P.S. Unless this is a veiled method of convincing yourself to buy a new bow. In that case, it's clearly an issue and you should address it immediately for your mental sanity and that of your family. You might drive off the road daydreaming about it.

 

[svivian]

I’ve always tried to shoot the heaviest arrow I can that gets me between 275fps and 295fps.

Hasn’t failed me so far

 

[BigCountry49]

I shoot a similar set-up 78# with same draw and bow. I’m getting a ~450 gr arrow to shoot 290 fps. Arrows are very forgiving and I’ll take the trajectory over added ke for anything in North America.
If it’s in your head now then it will be when you’re on a hunt…

 

[waldo9190]

I've had poor luck getting "advertised" speeds out of the Zebra strings/cables. Just threw a set of X99 strings/cables on my phase 4 and gained almost 10 fps, and am right where my bow was when I initially set it up.

 

[TSAMP]

Are you certain on your DL? I had a similar issue and realized I was at 29, not 29.5 like I'd been bragging about for years.

 

[Billy Goat]

Are you certain on your DL? I had a similar issue and realized I was at 29, not 29.5 like I'd been bragging about for years.

Dude, it's a Mathews. If it's a 28.5 mod, it's 29".....


I can get a SW bow to hit the rating, it won't come near it with true DL and with the weight on the string they ship them with.



Op, best case scenario you are at 320 fps @ 5gpp likely you will be more like 316. At that DL you are loosing 1 fps for every 3 grains, or really close to that.

So 50 fps is what you could gain, putting you at 322, higher than what I'd expect that bow to realistically do at your specs.


If it's bothering you, go buy a different bow. Shoot then against each other, see which one you actually shoot better under hunting conditions.

If it were me, I'd trim some weight from the arrow. You got 200 gr on the front, in my opinion, that's not needed.

I also shoot your same DL, except 65#.

 

[tim tarras]

You can save 25 gr and add ~8 fps just by ditching your lighted nock and going to a 100 gr head.

That is the gain I got by going to a 100 grain head.

 

[tim tarras]

Lighter arrow (lose the collar, nock, whatever). Change to lower profile fletching. No helical, just a small offset. Check your specs on the bow, and see if something is out. Could be a slow set of cables and string. Your arrow seems a little long for your draw, to me.

Notice that many of the possible changes make your setup less forgiving as does simply adding speed.

Why do you need a 500gr arrow? I've punched a lot of arrows through a lot of critters and have never thought to myself, if my arrow was only 500 gr, I'd have my hands on those antlers. I shoot a 425-450 gr arrow and don't worry much about the components. If it tunes, I shoot it. Every bad shot I've made, was me, and a different arrow would have gone right where I didn't want it to go just the same.

Stop worrying about it and go hunt turkeys.

Jeremy

P.S. Unless this is a veiled method of convincing yourself to buy a new bow. In that case, it's clearly an issue and you should address it immediately for your mental sanity and that of your family. You might drive off the road daydreaming about it.

The Fletchings are pretty low profile at 0.406".

I had the bow tuned to get to the 262FPS I am thinking it could be the strings and cables. The arrow is a little longer as I shoot fixed and want to keep them in front of my hand.

Do I need 500gr? No, but I do like the 500 grain mark for how quite it makes the bow.

Don't need a new bow as this is less than 2 years old

 

[Stalker69]

Then stop complaining, and go kill something.

 

[Trial153]

Your fine, in fact it’s solid numbers with that weight arrow. I would stay the coarse and not worry about it

 

[Planopurist]

Dropping to 450-475 grains would be valuable. The speed could give you a bit more margin of forgiveness in your range estimation depending on your hunting style. You’re fine either way.


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[Mighty Mouse]

Have you actually weighed your arrows or are you just adding up advertised component weights? I have some Black Eagle Vintage shafts that are 0.5 gpi heavier than advertised.

Have you confirmed your speed with another chronograph? Optical chronographs are notoriously sensitive to lighting conditions, and they're not known for super accurate readings in the first place (at least not the hobbyist grade chronos typically found in a bow shop).

 

[HighUintas]

My bow is nearly identical. Vxr 28, 28.5DL, 70lb. My arrow is about 425 (I'm fairly certain) and I believe my measured arrow speed is 292. 125gr heads and 300spine goldtip hunter xt. I don't have a brass insert or collar. It tunes and shoots incredibly well. I would ditch the collar and brass insert

 

[Rob5589]

I know this sounds impossible and like I am making this up but, back in the day we killed stuff all the time with arrows flying 220-230 fps.

262 fps, 496gr, with 28.5 dl sounds pretty solid.

 

[SwiftShot]

Did you take into account, silencers and loops on your string. That is weight as well, that your bow must move.

 

[big44a4]

As others have mentioned could be old strings and cables not a true 70# anymore. Also none of the bows hit their advertised IBO rating. I have a 360 IBO bow that was around 342 IBO when you plug in real arrow speed. Then I put new strings and cables on its coming in at 346 IBO per real speed now. So I’m still 14 FPS lower than advertised. They also do a lot of things to get IBO faster than what real world speeds (no peep or anything on string minus speed nocks, 5 GPI as some bows are less efficient with heavier arrows etc)

29.25” DL
69.5#
493gr
280 FPS

 

[houghtonic]

The only way to make your arrow go faster is to pull more poundage or drop weight from the arrow and string. Easily drop weight from the string by removing the monkey tails.

Based on your description you can remove weight from the arrow by shortening the carbon to carbon. I’m certain you could easily remove carbon down to 26.5 ctc but your broadhead would not be in front of your hand. I personally shortened my arrows the last couple years and I haven’t looked back. You would definitely have to retune as your arrow stiffness will change.

Unless the joy of archery is eaten up by your need to be in the 270s, 260s speed is still plenty fast. On 40 yards and in you won’t notice a difference hunting between that speed and something in the 270s. I have two bows. One shoots an arrow 35 grains lighter than the other. I can tell a difference in the sight tapes, but when hunting, it isn’t even a thought in my head. Doesn’t change anything regarding shot selection, what shots I take, etc.

If you were my friend I’d say don’t mess with it. The bow shoots good and is a way more than adequate killing machine. Take good shots and enjoy the results.


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[homebru.trout]

If you were my friend I’d say don’t mess with it. The bow shoots good and is a way more than adequate killing machine. Take good shots and enjoy the results.

+1. My RevoltX shoots a 550gr arrow high 250s, low 260s. I don't really know as I've never chrono'd it. Seems to kill stuff just fine.