Selfbow FPS?

[Joec123able]

yeah im thinkin a few thousand years of success IS proof enough.

Yes but more then just a few thousand

[PAHunter]

First, thanks for all the input!  I have no doubt that primitive weapons are effective big game weapons.  If I did, I wouldn't be using one to hunt with and I probably wouldn't be alive as our ancestors would have starved.  And I can beleive that an average selfbow can still kill big game. 

But, certinally there is a range of efficiency/FPS that is more ideal for hunting various big game.  And making a beautiful bow is an amazing demonstration of patience and art.  However efficiency/FPS is another attribute of a bow that is very important to some.  For fun if nothing else.  It's an area that I would like to focus on and improve on.  That kind of measurable result is fun to me.  And if my bows shoot faster certinally they will be better hunters, which is my primary objective.

[adb]

If I'm shooting 3D then sure, I like arrow speed just like the next guy. But if I wanna kill any big game I want a heavy arrow.

[Badger]

   Pa, you never have to apologise or give a reason why you want to know how fast your bow is. Your reason for building bows is just as valid as the next guys reason. If you enjoy seeing what you can get out of a bow no one can tell you you are wrong for doing that. My hobby is flight shooting so I need to know how fast they shoot so I bring the right bow to a contest. Before that I just enjoyed seeing what I could get. Any reason you choose to build a bow is a valid reason if you are enjoying yourself.

[Danzn Bar]

I presume when speaking of the arrows you meant 10 grains per pound and not per inch. I've never shot through a crono but like Pat says after shooting for so many years you automatically know if the bow has good speed or is sluggish. An old rule of thumb was adding 100 to the bows weight (ie a 45# bow at your draw shooting 145 fps was considered adequate.

I agree, if your thinking fps.... 100 + bow draw weight at your draw is considered an adequate fps for that bow.

[PAHunter]

I presume when speaking of the arrows you meant 10 grains per pound and not per inch.

Yes, thanks for the correction!

[Grandpa Bill]

Is it time to bring up the "200 fps Challenge"?

[Del the cat]

Is it time to bring up the "200 fps Challenge"?

That's one of my goals...
I've done the 100# and 300 yards
Del

[Joec123able]

Is it time to bring up the "200 fps Challenge"?

Hmm that's a heck of a challenge for a self bow shooting 9 to10 gpp

[Del the cat]

Is it time to bring up the "200 fps Challenge"?

Hmm that's a heck of a challenge for a self bow shooting 9 to10 gpp

I don't think you'll be able to go that high in gpp ans still make it... I'd be thinking more like 6gpp?
Del

[Marc St Louis]

You can easily hit 200 fps with 6 GPP in fact I have hit 230 FPS with 6 GPP.  Hitting 200 FPS with 9 GPP is a possibilty

[ohma2]

Agree its not all about speed in a hunting situation.but a crono will show you so much more than just speed .as how consistent are you and your bow to.

[PEARL DRUMS]

What I notice most about my bows, or look for most I should say. Is how the arrow acts from the time I release until it hits a target. I like strong flight from the start to finish, like a train cruising by. Some bows act as if they gain power or lose it during flight, while others seem to have it out of the gates and maintain it for 25 yards. Now whether or not that is speed or power, I don't know? But I like it, look for it, and build for it.

[PatM]

That's your arrow matching the bow Pearlie, not the bow itself.

[Eric Krewson]

At my minuscule 25" draw I was always disappointed with any of my selfbow crono results so I quit checking. I don't get complete pass throughs that often on deer, usually the arrow is hanging by the feathers on the off side and the deer fall dead pretty quickly.  I  guess I have enough FPS from my bows to get the job done.