Keeping the weight of the string as low as possible, especially at the center, can make a world of difference and increase your speed by over 3 FPS. The weight of the string of self can also impact your shooting FPS.

A stretchier, more elastic material will usually increase the distance that your arrow travels by a few feet per second. Generally, the faster your arrow will travel, the flatter its flight trajectory will be.īowstring material also plays a role in how fast the arrow moves.The weight and type of material that you choose can either make your arrow go slower or faster. Assuming the correct form, it’d go much farther, right? Usually, the farther back you pull, the more energy the arrow will have and the faster that it will be.Īnother factor that affects how fast an arrow travels is the trajectory with which you shoot it with. Now think of the same situation and pull your bowstring and arrow as far back as you can. Think of this way: if you were to pull back your bowstring, with your arrow, by only an inch and let go, how far would it go? Not very far, I’d imagine. If everything else is the same, a higher draw weight will make an arrow go faster than a lower one.Īnother thing that determines how fast your arrow will go is your draw length. It also can give a rough estimate of how much energy will be transferred to the bow from your body and then from the bow to your arrow. Effectively, the draw weight measures how much potential energy you will need to use to pull back the bowstring. The heavier your draw weight, the faster your arrow will go when you fire. The things influence the speed of an arrow are: What are the factors that influence how fast an arrow travels? Therefore, it is especially important to be careful when shooting. This is enough to take down a large animal, such as an elk or black bear. Yes, depending on the type of bow used, arrows can hit with a force of over 50 lb. For example, they may have shot with a 70 lb draw, while you only use a 40 lb one.ĭoes an arrow travel fast enough to be dangerous? The company that created your bow may have shot under ideal conditions. When purchased, most bows give a rough estimate on their packaging of how fast you’ll be able to shoot with their product. For example, even the same bow can fire at vastly different speeds.īows are usually measured in FPS, otherwise known as feet per second. The speed of the arrow can be influenced by many factors. With this in mind, arrows can typically be estimated to fly at a speed between 100-300 feet per second. Even bows from the same culture can be widely different across regions and new technology has rapidly allowed the production of more innovative and powerful designs. The answer simply depends, because there’s so much variation between different types of bows. Bows and arrows have been used for centuries for a variety of reasons, but exactly how fast does an arrow travel? Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as the “average bow”, which makes it impossible, or at least very difficult, to find a standard that applies to all bows.

Feet persecond compound bow