corb

Since I have shoulder problems I cannot pull more than a 50 pound draw weight. I currently am using a 45 draw weight. So my question is which bow would yield the fastest arrow speed when set at 50 pounds?
Trying to take IBO speeds and adjust down doesn' t always work since each bow has different characteristics. I could use the general rules of thumb (10fps/1" draw length, 2fps/1 pound draw weight) but they did not work out on my Firestorm Lite (off by about 15fps). So I would like not a calculated or estimated speed but real speed that someone has measured with a chronograph.

My requirements are:
draw length 28"
draw weight 50#
letoff 80% (can' t handle 65%)
arrow weight 334gr

My Firestorm Lite currently shoots a 334gr arrow at 219fps with 28.5" draw at 50#. I need to change my length to 28" so my FSlite will end up at 214fps. With it set at 45lbs this hunting season I am getting 209fps.

Also, I do not want to drop my arrow weight. This a whole other discussion I would rather not get into in this topic.

I would really like to be able to shoot 250fps+. I know there must be a bow out there that can do this.

Kanga

Well both bows I was going to suggest are not 80% let off[:' (]

I was going to suggest either the Bowtech Black Knight or the Patriot Dually.

The ExVFT would Be a good choice as it has 80% let off, smooth to draw and fast not as fast as the above two but the fastest single that Bowtech put out.

As too the speed you would get I dont know maybe if Kevin reads this thread he will fling some arrows through the crono at your specs

Arthur P

Corb, I' ve got bad shoulders too. You need to readjust your thinking and forget about having a super flat trajectory.

In my experience, no matter how low the draw weight, the fastest possible bow is going to cause problems. To get the speed you MUST go to a hard pulling cam, one that jumps up to peak draw and makes you haul the string through that heavy draw for-freakin' -ever. And, with those hard pulling cams, the high letoff is a killer when you hit that sudden breakover into the letoff.

If you' ll go to a round wheel or mild cam bow, one that eases up to peak draw weight and then eases you down into the letoff, you won' t experience nearly as much pain and discomfort. And that is not going to be a super fast bow. But, the good news is you might be able to regain some speed because you' ll probably find out you can handle a good bit more draw weight than you can with a hard cam.

That is exactly what I' ve done. I can shoot my round wheel bow at 65% letoff with NO discomfort, whatsoever.

Injuries suck! It' s not fair, but you' ve got to play the hand that' s dealt to you.

I wish you the best of luck.

Rangeball

You might also want to consider a smoother drawing bow that still maintains a high IBO rating. Like the new Bowtech Liberty, Merlin with Omega, Darton with CPS, Parker with EZ Draw cam, etc. Heck, look at the Jeff Murray add for Mathews, he' s complaining of needing a lessor draw weight due to shoulder issues, and says the LX draws so smooth he can draw more weight with it

I know you don' t want calculations, but there all I got, and most of the above listed bows have a reputation for delivering their stated speeds. I found with my bow, the rules of thumb of 1 fps for every 5 grains didn' t really work, more like 1.5 fps through a range of 350-500 grain arrows. Using this I can estimate within a few fps of the chrono reading. I also only have 2 brass nocks on my bowstring.

Assuming a smooth drawing bow at 50#s with an IBO of 305ish (hits most of those above), Potentially you could hit that with a 250 grain arrow. With your 84 grain heavier 334 grain arrow, you could expect to lose around 25 fps due to arrow weight, and another 15 or so due to draw length. That would put you at 40 fps less than IBO, or around 265.

If possible I' d visit some shops and draw some of the smoother drawing bows available, and see what you think your shoulder could actually handle, and go from there...

c903

I believe that Art P has summed it up quite well. Pay it now, or pay it later.

Regardless of manufacturer claims or the claim made by a shooter sponsored by a manufacturer, when it comes to bows there is always a price to pay for increased energy and stored energy. As Art has said, (paraphrased) let-off is not draw-weight. You still have to pull the bow through the draw-weight. Many of today' s hard-cam bows are joint killers. They hurt me and my shoulders are fine.

A 39" + ATA " wheel" bow, or the " ultra-sonic wheel " like the one produced by Martin, pulls smooth through the entire draw range and do not jerk your socks off on let-down. Based on personal experience, either design will do the job and do it quite well.

walks with a gimp

Corb, my wife' s Pro 40 Dually at 55 pounds and 26 inch draw does an even 260 fps with a 339 grain arrow. Look at the ' 03 BKII tall brace in a 50 pound peak weight model, they draw stiff but very smooth. Turn that baby down to 45 and shoot a 300 grain arrow and live happily ever after

PABowhntr

I am surprised that nobody has suggested the Pro40 wheelie yet. It has a relatively smooth draw cycle and yet still has a relatively high IBO rating. That should give you both good arrow speed and a manageable draw cycle.

corb

ArthurP,

I' m not that worried about the draw curve. I' m more worried about the holding force so the letoff is more critical for me.

So given that I can draw 50#, I am looking for the fastest bow at a 50# peak draw weight.


Rangeball,

My measurements are a little different. I chronographed my arrows with both 75 and 100 grain heads to see the speed difference. I got exactly 5fps with my setup. But that is my point I guess, each bow will react differently to draw length/weight changes as well as arrow weight changes.

So my FSLite at 300 IBO looks like: -40fps (50#), -15fps (1.5" draw), -15 fps (fletch, rest, string loop, peep) for a result of 230fps. Add 3fps for the lighter arrow and I should see 233fps. I chrono at 218 - 219.

This is why it would be nice to get some insight from either a bow designer or someone who has setup and chronographed a lot of different bows to see which bows are the best performers at 50#.


Walks with a gimp,

The BKII looks good on paper and I was looking at that plus the ExVFT and the Tech 29. But as I mention above, taking the IBO speeds and trying to guess which bow will do better at low poundage doesn' t always work. The BKII is so fast it' s hard to believe that it will not do well at 50#. Sure would be nice to know though, instead of guessing



To All Bow Manufacturers,

Bowtech does a great job in their manuals showing the IBO speed derating curve based on draw length. It would be nice to also have a derating curve for draw weight changes. This would make it much easier to compare products and select the best bow for the application. Not many dealers (or ANY dealers?) will setup 10 bows for you to your draw length/weight, add a nock and rest on each bow, and then let you chronograph them all. This information has got to be easy for a manufacturer to produce.

Rangeball

[quote]Rangeball,

My measurements are a little different. I chronographed my arrows with both 75 and 100 grain heads to see the speed difference. I got exactly 5fps with my setup. But that is my point I guess, each bow will react differently to draw length/weight changes as well as arrow weight changes.

So my FSLite at 300 IBO looks like: -40fps (50#), -15fps (1.5" draw), -15 fps (fletch, rest, string loop, peep) for a result of 230fps. Add 3fps for the lighter arrow and I should see 233fps. I chrono at 218 - 219.

This is why it would be nice to get some insight from either a bow designer or someone who has setup and chronographed a lot of different bows to see which bows are the best performers at 50#. [quote]

Corb, I agree, however their are a TON of bows out there that can' t produce anywhere near their advertised IBO. The bows I mentioned have a reputation for delivering stated speeds, to the best of my knowledge. I' m not familiar with PSE, so I don' t know where on the spectrum they fall.

I wholeheartedly concur... I wish Bowtech would go this extra step, and all other manufacturers would jump on the band wagon.

corb

Kevin, I' m new to this forum and don' t know you but I take it you work for Bowtech? So, wanna fling some arrows for me? Maybe you guys already have this information from your internal testing?