What is the minimum fps you need to hunt deer with in a crossbow?

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Originally Posted by MikePal

Fox, the draw weights (DW) speed (FPS) and energy (KE) are shown in the chart on page 25.

The article is a fairly good look at a few different bows to help you decide what you feel is important for your hunting needs.

edit add: re rainbow effect...I wonder what the arrow drop between 20-30 yrds is compared to the different speeds. I know with my old 150 lb x-bow it was insignificant and accommodated for with the ballistic reticle. Much more between 30-40, so I don't shot that range.

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I took a look at this when it came out, I know we discussed this as the breakfast, I think feeling in your hands means way more than anything else when shooting a bow. If you are not comfortable you will not be consistent any even with a crossbow anything that changes will throw you off quite a bit down range. I actually used a micro before the controlled hunt in SW Ontario, it is my dads bow, I hated it, the thumb hole stock is odd, I could not cradle it as I walked, I had to use my hand and it did not lock into my body like a traditional stock, I also found the length of pull to be way too short.

I would tell anyone to go out and shoot a box before they buy it, make sure it fits them and that will be a huge determining factor when it comes to being able to kill whatever the game is with it.

That old crossbow of mine, the slow one, I used to take it out for small game on Sundays before you would hunt with a gun on Sundays, I was able to take more small game with it than big game, I just knew that bow and knew where it would hit, I also knew when to not take the shot as the the drop was substantial and my pins were 10,20,30 yards.

This is a handy tool if you know your current bow speed and arrow weight. You can input different speeds to see the trajectory changes over the distances you normally shoot.

http://peteward.com/ballistic.calc.htm

The reason you can get away with less FPS in a compound than a crossbow which I believe was the second question after how many FPS do I need for deer is the compound arrows are longer thinner and more aerodynamic and thus carry their down range energy better.

The crossbow bolts need to have such a heavy spine to take the increased draw weight in such a short arrow that they dont fly as well at longer ranges. This is why xbow Manufacturers keep upping the draw trying to get more FPS to improve down range flight. It kind of gets to the point of diminishing returns though as you need such a heavy arrow to take that energy it doesn't fly as well.

That's why If you shoot a modern compound at about 65lbs draw with a 29" or better draw length with a relatively light arrow 300fps out of the bow is plenty fast enough to to carry the energy out to 50 yards.

Regardless 90% of deer shot with a bow should be inside 20 yards and pretty much any xbow or compound will do the job if the arrow is put in the proper location. I shoot one pin on my bow to 28 yards it makes it very easy for aiming !

And bester you are correct compounds are whiter than xbow said because you are releasing less stored energy on a 65lb bow than a 200lb draw weight cross bow. The longer draw length of the bow puts more of the stored energy efficiently into the arrow and that's why is quieter.

Whiter is quieter stupid auto correct

I have shot a truck load of deer over the years with the 150 lb horton crossbows .never felt under gunned and the arrows always went threw the deer if you hit them right. We always cut are arrows as short as we could and shot 90 grain heads .punch cutters .loved then broad heads ...Dutch

Basically it goes back to know your equipment.
i have 175# Exocet with the arrows I make 1 am around 285 fps.
the factory arrows are 315fps.
i would trade for a vixen for better hunting skills any day ��