sonoma

i Just bought a fred bear element from hunters friend, my brother and i bought the same bow except i got it set at 58# and he set his at 57#. Same arrows, everything. They set his bow up with carbon 400 28.25in long and 100 grain points, mine came with 75 grain points and 28in 400 carbons. My finished arrrow weight was 368 and his was just short of 400. His bow is 7 fps faster, and has 5 more pounds of KE. The bow is advertised as 304, i know that is bare, not really seeable, but the website said it should shoot in the 254-274 region, my best is 225. Am i loosin speed and KE because of the light arrow, how can i bump the weight up, other than switching to 100 grain points. That still only get me to 400 grains. I wanted, and thought i could get a bow with more KE than my recurve but i guess not. I have nothing really bad to say about hunters Friend, the bow came with great sights, rest, stabalizer, but the arrows and the (paper tune) were sad to say the least. THe pre sight in resulted in a lost arrow the first shot, luckly i found the second one that missed the target by three feet, i thought i flinched, but i guess not. They gave a stat sheet with both the bows. It was the same for both bows, shot 58 times, 1in ground at 15 yards 1.75in group at 25 and 3 at 35. I knew the second i saw they were both shot 58 times that it was just a fill in. Anyhow, i was told that i should shoot 300 carbons to bump up the weight.
So 58# 29in draw with a 28in arrow 100 grain head 3in 4 degree off set vanes. what could i do to get more KE this bow should get atleast 50 KE

gzg38b

You've both got the same draw length, correct? Draw length makes a big difference with arrow speed. I'd also measure both bows on the same scale to make sure they really are pulling the same weight.

Assuming your bows are identical in every way (draw weight, draw length, arrow rest, peep and string silencers), I'd suggestyou both go to the same chrono with your identical bows, and shoot the same arrow through the chrono. If you get dramatically different speeds, then you must have a tuning issue with your bow. Check cam timing, axle to axle length, brace height, and all that stuff.

If both bows are tuned the exactly the same, yet his bow shoots a little faster, maybe he's shooting hard off the back wall and you are creeping forward before the shot.

Rob/PA Bowyer

You cannot change a bow's KE if it's set at peak draw weight. It is what it is. If you raise the weight of the arrow, you slow the arrow and they offset one another. If you lower the weight of the arrow, you increase the speed but they offset each other.

The only way to raise the KE of a bow is by using the same arrow and increasing the speed.

That being said, gzg38b offers some other things to look at.

KodiakArcher

7 fps and 5 ft lbs.? You're splitting hairs here. You wouldn't even perceive it without a chrono and I've seen the same chrono vary by as much as 5 fps from shot to shot (depending on lighting conditions andthe quality of the sensors). Then there's the whole shot to shot variance in shooter's form...

Chill... Make sure it's in tune and go have fun shooting it![8D]

Matt / PA

One of you has a bow that is very different than the other. If all else is equal (draw length, string accessories, draw weight) then his bow with 30grs more arrow weight should in reality be approx 10fps SLOWER than yours with very similar KE.

The net difference between teh 2 bows is something more like 17fps if you had the same arrow weight and that is too different to really have much to do withbow tune. You need to have each bow measured for draw length and weight, as well as weigh each arrow to verify their stated weight. You need to know exactly what you guys have in your hands and not take their word for it based on what a piece of paper says.

Next check whatever chronograph you guys are shooting through for accuracy as well. I don't know of many bows that are only 1" under IBO 30" draw and less than 100grs over in arrow weight that would shoot that slow. That's basically 80fps off the stated IBO speed.
If you take your 29" draw you lose approx 10fps there, thentake your 78grs over IBO test arrow weight for a 58# bow (which would be a 290gr arrow)
If you lose around 1fps for every 3 grs you are over you lose another 26fps there. Peep and nock sets and silencers can drain another 10fps or so so even worse case scenario with a heavy tube peep, etcsay another 15fps.
Add those speed drops up 10+26+15 is still in the neighborhood of 50fps off the stated IBO speed which should put youconservatively around 255fps.

certainly not down in the 225fps neighborhood.

Also keep in mind these things are not scoped rifles where I can sight it in and hand it to a buddy and be reasonably certain that the thing is going to hit where heaims it. LOL Bows are not like that in the least.

They are machines that need to be tuned TO THE ARCHER and simply cannot be done by a 3rd party. Differences in grip torque, face shape, nock to eye height and a miriad of other things make it impossible for someone to do it for you.

We'll save the "this is why you buy from a qualified local pro-shop" discussion for another day but to be certain one or both of you might not have what you think you have and you won't know until you verify the specs of everything you are dealing with and using a chrono you can trust.

Bullet Hole Bailey

VEEEEEEERY VEEEEEEERY GOOD POST MATT!!!!!!!!!!!

sonoma

ya, i agree i live in the boon docks, about three hours from any proshop, they don't have a range either. I don't have a crono, but i'm happy with the bow, i just bought some 100 grain rage three blades for the late archery season. I was just hopin for more KE. It has one nock, a string loop-very small, a peep sight-small no aligner tube, and some string silencers, they are bigger, that might be where i loose some KE THey say string tuners on them, and are triangular shaped. My arrrow weight with the 100 grain is about 400 grains, is that enough for deer. I was old school with the recurve arcing 600 grain arrows, i have yet to kill a deer, it's been 5 years now, now i might hit one with the element.