Flight shooting as a viable test of bow effiency?

[twisted hickory]

Hey guys.
I just tested my 55 lb hickory bow backed with snake skins and got an average distance of between 198 yards and the shortest distance of 178 yards. The longest arrows were right at 540 grains with 125 grain tips and 5.50 shield cut feathers. The bow had a standard b50 14 strand string and the draw is 27 inches.
Is this good? Can anyone fill me in? I had a light breeze out of the south and I was shooting west.
I don't have a chrono so I thought of testing the bow to see what happens. Now I am curious what would happen if i put on some little 2 inch feathers
Thanks,
Greg

[Badger]

 Greg, that sounds like a good bow. If you were flight shooting in competition a 50# bow or an unlimited primitive bow would both shoot the same 500 grain arrows cut to the proper draw length the bow was weighed at. No limit on arrow length for an unlimitited bow. Your feathers would be 4" long and cut to minimum 1/2" high. Current 50# self bow record is 211 yards almost 212 so you are doing pretty well.  I missed the record last year by 9 or 10 inches. We also use linen strings which may outshoot dacron.

[twisted hickory]

Greg, that sounds like a good bow. If you were flight shooting in competition a 50# bow or an unlimited primitive bow would both shoot the same 500 grain arrows cut to the proper draw length the bow was weighed at. No limit on arrow length for an unlimitited bow. Your feathers would be 4" long and cut to minimum 1/2" high. Current 50# self bow record is 211 yards almost 212 so you are doing pretty well.  I missed the record last year by 9 or 10 inches. We also use linen strings which may outshoot dacron.

Thanks Badger. Hummm Now I am wondering what would happen if I put on a light string and a 500 grain arrow with 4 inch fletching I am close so that works for me. Not bad for my 5th bow ever made.  In 2 weeks I will post picts then the three bows I have been working on will be done. Hopefully that bow will make meat this fall.
Greg

[Del the cat]

Just out of interest how did you measure the distance?
I had a 60# Yew ELB that shot 175fps, yet the guy who had it reckons he can't reach a 180yard clout! Dunno what's going on there, maybe he's drawing short. I'm pretty sure I shot 180 slightly uphill with it without flight arrows.
Is there any reasonable rule of thumb fps vs distance assuming a 'reasonable' arrow... (sorry that's a bit of a daft Q)
Del

[Badger]

 Del, either he is not drawing all the way back, or his arrows are too heavy or he has a crappy release. 170 fps will hit 200 yards with a nice clean release. Tell him to use lighter arrows.

[lostarrow]

Maybe he's using flu-flus ,Del! It does make you wonder what he's doing.I wouldn't stress too much until you see him shoot.

[twisted hickory]

Just out of interest how did you measure the distance?
I had a 60# Yew ELB that shot 175fps, yet the guy who had it reckons he can't reach a 180yard clout! Dunno what's going on there, maybe he's drawing short. I'm pretty sure I shot 180 slightly uphill with it without flight arrows.
Is there any reasonable rule of thumb fps vs distance assuming a 'reasonable' arrow... (sorry that's a bit of a daft Q)
Del

I am using my laser range finder. It is supposed to be accurate +or - 1 yard. I don't have a chrono so I wanted to test flight distance. My method for shooting is to draw to corner of mouth and about a 1 second hold. Nothing special. I have noticed a bad release will shorten distance by as much as 20 yards. Not sure on fps but one of the other posters here said that is pretty good. The arrow weighs 540 grains and is fetched with 5.50 long 3/4 shield cut feathers. I tried it with a new locust bow i made and only get about 170 yards with it but I don't have the arrows tuned for the bow yet. It draws 47 lbs at 27 inches. This evening I took a 60 inch hickory bow that is 35 lbs at 25 inches. After I trimmed the fetching down to half inch I got 180 yards out of the bow at 10 gpp. I was like , my sister in law will like her bow for sure. I am surprised how far these things will fling an arrow.
Greg

[Del the cat]

Laser range finder wow excellent!
I normally have to adjust the change in my trouser pocket to get my strides calibrated
Ta'
Del

[BowEd]

Good thread.I love watching those arrows fly!!!!I have room for distance shooting here but it is rolling hill terrain.I bet a range finder would get that distance correct.Walking it or using a wheel type distance measurer would give me a longer distance measurement I imagine.I have pasture and row crop ground[not planted yet] here to shoot at.I've read the arrow is usually shot at approximately a 40 degree angle or so correct?Guess a person would have to keep shooting to find out.

[Jodocus]

Just out of interest how did you measure the distance?

I never have to know it precisely.
I use google earth to get the distance between some easily identifiable marks. In my garden, there is a small concrete platform from where I usually shoot. There are some trees and fenceposts down the field that I can see on the satellite image. I use the measurement tool to get those distances and count paces from there. Like that I'm getting pretty good guesses, maybe 1% error, certainly not more that 2.

[Del the cat]

Just out of interest how did you measure the distance?

I never have to know it precisely.
I use google earth to get the distance between some easily identifiable marks. In my garden, there is a small concrete platform from where I usually shoot. There are some trees and fenceposts down the field that I can see on the satellite image. I use the measurement tool to get those distances and count paces from there. Like that I'm getting pretty good guesses, maybe 1% error, certainly not more that 2.

Good call, I'll have to try that.
I find Google Earth V good for spotting bits of woodland I haven't explored for Yew yet.
Del

[DarkSoul]

I've used a handheld GPS receiver for measuring distance. Hard to say how accurate it is, but with a good reception it must be within a few meters. The thing is, the device has only two digits. So it says 98 meter, or 99 meter, or 0.10 km or 0.11 km. So I have to set a mark at the 100 m range, and then measure the second step again in order to get a more accurate reading over hundred meters. It's not very accurate this way (two measurements equal two standard errors) but good enough for me. This methods works at any location, so also if there are no obvious markers in the field to use for google maps/earth.

[twisted hickory]

Good thread.I love watching those arrows fly!!!!I have room for distance shooting here but it is rolling hill terrain.I bet a range finder would get that distance correct.Walking it or using a wheel type distance measurer would give me a longer distance measurement I imagine.I have pasture and row crop ground[not planted yet] here to shoot at.I've read the arrow is usually shot at approximately a 40 degree angle or so correct?Guess a person would have to keep shooting to find out.

Same here with rolling hills. I am shooting from one hill top to another. I am not sure what angle I just keep shooting till the arrows land progressively longer then shorter. It seems like somewhere between 40 and 45 degrees.
Greg