How Fast Does an Arrow Travel?

 

A significant part of archery revolves around speed. It’s because arrows that are fast enough to reach their targets perform better when they are fast enough. In this article, we will thoroughly examine many details about the speed of an arrow, and the factors affecting its speed are explained.

The history of arrows and bows dates back thousands of years, but the question remains: how fast does an arrow travel? The universal measure of bow and arrow speed doesn’t exist, making it impossible to find a standard that applies to all bows. Due to the wide range of bow types, the answer varies. Let us explore the question: how fast does an arrow travel?

Some arrows fly between 100 and 300 feet per second. Many factors can influence the speed of the arrow. A bow can fire at varying rates. Let’s dig deep to understand the different variations.

 

 

 

How Is the Speed of An Arrow Measured?

 

An archery bow is typically measured in feet per second, abbreviated FPS. You can usually indicate your shooting speed with a bow by looking at its packaging. It’s only a guess. Those conditions may have been ideal for the company that created your bow. 

What Are the Factors That Influence How Fast an Arrow Travels?

Arrow speed is affected by the following factors:

• Bow draw weight
• How long do you draw
• A trajectory for an arrow
• The material of your bowstring
• A design for the arrow
• The lubricant
• Conditions of weather and wind

 

Bow Draw Weight

Stronger draw weights allow a bow to store more energy at full draw, allowing for a faster arrow release. If you fire a heavier draw weight, your arrow speed will be greater. A general rule of thumb says that increasing your draw weight by 10 pounds will increase your arrow’s speed by 10-20 feet per second.

Given the IBO setup, not all archers use 70 lbs bows. Due to this, you will shoot at a lower velocity with a 40-pound bow than advertised.

 

 

The Draw Length Of The Bow

 

The draw length of an arrow also affects its speed. Longer draw lengths mean the bow is more powerful, enabling the arrow to travel further. The bow fires arrows faster as a result.

A bow with a longer draw length shoots faster arrows; a bow with a shorter draw length shoots slower arrows. There is an estimated 10 fps difference between a 1-inch draw length and a 1-inch draw length regarding arrow speed.

For example, when using a 28-inch bow, your arrow velocity will be lower than the bow’s speed rating.

 

Total Arrow Weight

 

It is important to consider weight when determining the velocity of an arrow. A bow with the same settings will produce slower shooting rates if the arrows are of different grain sizes and heavier arrows. Due to the bow’s release of the arrow with such momentum, lighter arrows reach greater speeds. Increased arrow weight decreases speed. 

An arrow weight difference of 10 grains results in an average 3 fps increase in arrow speed. In the same way, when using 400-grain arrows, they will shoot around 30fps slower because the IBO requirements use 350-grain arrows.

 

 

How Fast Does an Arrow Travel from A Compound Bow?

 

Arrows’ speed is essential to their function, as with any bow. Unless your arrow pierces the target quickly, you won’t be able to have effective target practice. With the evolution of bows, arrows have reached greater speeds.

Compound bows have different draw lengths, draw weights, and arrow weights that can affect the speed of arrows shot from them. The average speed of a compound bow is 300 to 340 feet per second.

It is common to see compound bows advertised with speed, but it’s not the speed an arrow travels when it strikes a target. When an arrow is released from a compound bow’s string, it travels as fast as advertised. Your bow’s advertised speed of 340 feet per second will probably be slower by the time the arrow reaches its target.

The conditions under which you are tested may also differ from those you will be shooting. International Bowhunting Organization (IBO) standards are followed by most, if not all, companies that manufacture compound bows.

 

 

During IBO testing, bows are tested in the following ways to ensure that speed ratings are consistent across companies:

• The draw weight is 70 pounds
• The length of the draw is 30 inches
• Arrows with a grain weight of 350

That new compound bow you bought may not shoot your arrows at 345 fps, as you had thought.

If you choose a bow version with 50 lbs of draw weight, you won’t be able to achieve the advertised fps. The speed of your arrows is likely slower with a short draw length, or your arrows weigh over 350 grains. Taking into account the weather is also crucial. Bows went into the test in a controlled environment with strict monitoring.

Any condition other than a clear, windless day will increase resistance and interfere with bowhunting. Most shooters do not use 350-grain arrows, so keeping in mind that it is rare for shooters to achieve the speed they claim their arrows can shoot at is a good idea. According to the IBO, most compound bows do not meet all its requirements. In short, various mechanical processes occur on a compound bow, resulting in arrow speed.

 

 

How Fast Does an Arrow Travel from A Crossbow?

 

There isn’t a quick answer. Crossbow arrows travel at about 200 feet per second (fps), the same speed as handgun bullets. In general, arrow speed ranges from 200 to 240 fps. Due to entailments and vane structures in modern arrows, their flight is longer and straighter, resulting in a lower speed and distance.

Crossbows do not fire arrows as quickly as guns do bullets, despite their power. There’s no comparison at all. Some rifle bullets travel at 2,500 feet per second or more, and most pistols travel at 3,500 feet per second or more. Shooting an arrow at 2,500 feet per second would make it fly like a bullet, but the distance it would travel would only be about 50 yards, which would not allow it to reach its target before falling back.

In good conditions, an arrow from a compound crossbow will shoot at around 300 feet per second (fps), while a compound bow will shoot over 350 fps. Approximately 300 to 500 feet per second is the average speed at which an arrow from a crossbow travels. It takes a crossbow 320 feet per second to fire an arrow. Taking some of the string off a crossbow can increase its speed, but it may reduce its accuracy.

 

 

How Fast Does an Arrow Travel from A Longbow?

 

Longbows can produce power and speed, earning them a reputation as powerful weapons. It is only possible to calculate the speed of a longbow arrow with a timing device. The arrow detector measures the speed of an arrow as it passes through its sensor by measuring the amount of time it takes for an arrow to pass through.

Master Bowyer Joe Gibbs used three arrows and five longbows as part of his speed test. The arrows’ weight ranged from 60 grams to 75 grams, whereas the draw weights of the bows ranged from 110 pounds to 160 pounds. There was a speed range of 175fps to 214fps recorded in the test results for longbow arrows. We must consider each test variable when determining the arrow’s speed using the arrow speedometer, but we will get absolute results for the arrow’s speed.

 

 

The following is an informative video on arrow speed. It makes special note of the obvious yet often overlooked fact that arrow speed can drop off considerably with distance. So, for example, if someone tells you their awesome, brand-new bow can shoot at 300 feet per second, ask them: at what distance did you measure this speed?

 

 

How Fast Does an Arrow Have to Travel to Kill a Deer?

 

Deer hunting doesn’t require much to do with bow and arrow speed and specs. The only condition is that you make an accurate shot. Depending on the speed of a 400-grain arrow traveling 170 feet per second, a single shot from a 400-grain arrow could kill a mature deer.

It is generally accepted that an arrow needs a minimum KE of 40-foot pounds to pass through a deer. Generally, lighter bows are indeed slower than those with higher draw weights. Consider a bow that shoots an arrow weighing 350 grains at 265 feet per second. The KE and momentum are 54-foot pounds and .411 slugs, respectively.

 

 

However, you would like more speed. The speed jumps to 272 when the arrow weight is reduced to 310, which is the same as an increase in arrow weight. As a result? Momentum drops to .378 as KE drops to about 52. However, your bow can pull 70 pounds, and you have the fastest bow on earth. You don’t need to worry about anything. That’s not true. It isn’t bad to have a fast bow. With that speed, you must deliver an arrow that combines momentum and KE well.

Various tools are available to adjust arrow weight, and there are various options for bows and arrowheads available, making the process much easier. Similarly, it might make sense to give up some momentum when all you are doing is hunting in an area where shots longer than 40 yards are common, and you can gain real benefits from increased arrow speed. Despite this, remember that as an arrow travels farther, it loses energy. It may be possible for your arrow to hit a 70-yard elk, but will its momentum allow it to do its job? What is the effect of speed? It is possible. The best way to do it is with momentum.

 

How Far Can an Arrow Travel?

 

When fired from a 50-pound bow, the arrow would travel 370 meters (403 yards), whereas when fired at 65 pounds, the arrow would travel 470 meters (514 yards). Because you would be firing under less-than-ideal conditions and in an atmosphere, your results might be a bit lower.

It is common for regular archers to shoot between 30 and 35 yards, whereas professionals shoot between 50 and 75 yards. Therefore, bowhunters should ideally shoot a maximum distance of 80 yards with responsible shooting techniques. By doing so, you can avoid hitting anything (including yourself).

 

 

The higher rigidity and higher-technology construction of compound bow arrows allow them to shoot faster. According to the size and speed of the vehicle, they can travel up to 300 feet per second or 200 miles per hour. Since longbow arrows are heavier than other arrows, they travel more slowly than other types of arrows. The range of modern longbows can reach up to 180 meters (200 yards).

The range of a modern longbow is approximately 180 m (200 yds). With a replica longbow weighing 667 grams (1.9 ounces), the archer could fire an arrow weighing 53.6 grams (1.9 ounces) at 328 m (360 yds) as well as 95.9 grams (3.2 ounces) at 249.9 m (272 yds).

Based on the above, we can estimate that arrows fly between 100-300 feet per second during their flight. Several factors will determine the arrow’s speed to determine how fast the arrow will travel. For example, even a single bow can fire at vastly different speeds, despite being the same weapon.

Please see our article on flight archery for more.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Notably, there is a discrepancy between the actual flight speed and the marketed bow fps of arrows fired with a bow in terms of the actual flight speed. Also taken into account were a few other factors to determine whether they affected your arrow speed, including your bow draw length and weight, to determine if they impact your arrow speed, including the draw length and weight of your bow and the grain of your arrow.

Even though it’s fun to have a fast bow, it’s more important for accuracy to be optimal and for the bow’s draw cycle to be as smooth as possible so that you can see the target with the greatest clarity possible. Consider the kinetic energy of your arrow rather than the velocity when considering an arrow’s travel speed.

The speed of arrows traveling through recurve bows is 150mph, while the speed of arrows traveling through compound bows is 300mph. A longbow arrow travels slower due to its weight. A 90-meter target is reached in around a second at 300fps. The arrow hits first; then you hear the release (unless you use a telescopic sight, you can’t see it). Unless you heard the thunderous crash, you missed it!

With all the work we have put into creating this guide, we did our best to ensure that you learned as much as possible about arrow speeds and optimizing your bow and arrow shooting skills. 

Shoot safely!