2019 Hunting Bow Speed Test + Video

In preparation for our 2019 Hunting Bow Shootout, I decided to run a hunting bow speed test by shooting all seven of our test bows through the chronograph to see which bows were fastest and which were closest to their advertised speeds.

All bows were shot at 70 pounds of draw weight and draw lengths were set using the manufacturer’s 29.5-inch settings (modules or draw length-specific cams). However, actual measured draw lengths ranged from ranged from 29 5/8″ to 30 1/8″.

I shot each bow in our hunting bow speed test three times a 350-grain Gold Tip Platinum Pierce arrow and a 475-grain Gold Tip AirStrike arrow. The lighter arrow is the industry standard for testing bow speed with 70-pound bows. The heavier AirStrike is my actual hunting arrow for this year.

I had several requests to test much heavier arrows, but there just aren’t that many people using 600- or 700-grain arrows for me to justify building them for our testing purposes. However, if enough people demand it, I can be convinced for next year’s hunting bow speed test.

Below are this year’s test bows, which will include measured draw lengths and the rated speed provided by the manufacturer. Keep in mind that most manufacturers determine their speed by shooting the bow at 70 pounds of draw weight and 30 inches of draw length using a 350-grain arrow with no weight on the string (peep sight, d-loop, etc.). All of the bows in our hunting bow speed test are equipped with peep sights and d-loops, which will slow the arrow down, as will the slightly shorter draw lengths. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but you can take away about 5 feet per second (fps) for every 1/2 inch of draw length.

Lucas Cooney

Lucas Cooney is currently a writer for OutdoorHub who has chosen not to write a short bio at this time.