Momentum > Speed
The topic of IBO speed is a very hot subject in the world of bowhunting and has been for a number of years now. Many bowhunters focus just on the number the manufacturer puts on the bow as the bow's IBO speed. What some people don't realize is that IBO speed is different than the actual speed of your arrow. Understand that the manufacturer comes up with that number by firing an arrow out a bare bow that has maxed out poundage. Consequently, IBO speeds can be a tad misleading, but they do give you a general idea of how fast your bow will be. Now what many people don't realize when talking about arrow speed is momentum. Momentum is the key component to killing deer. I want you to picture a basketball coming down a hill at you at 20 miles per hour. Should be pretty easy to stop it right? Right. Now I want you to picture a car coming down a hill at 20 miles per hour at you. You'd pry be getting out of the car's way. Why? Because of momentum. Although both objects are traveling at the same speed, the car has way more weight behind it, thus making it harder to stop. Now back to bowhunting. This same senario applys to the weight of your arrow. Say you are shooting an 250 grain arrow. Now with your broadhead and nock, your total arrow weight would probably be around 380 grains, give or take depending on what you choose for a broadhead and nock. (Keep in mind this is just an example) That arrow is the basketball. Now picture a 350 grain arrow and with accessories an arrow with 480 grains. This is the car. It would be harder to stop the second one right? Right. Now 100 grains may not seem like a big difference but trust me it plays a major role in the percentage of pass-thoughs you will get and the damage you will get. And as we all know, the more damage the better. Now some of you may say that more weight will slow your speed down, which it will somewhat, but remember that the momentum your arrow is carring because it is a little heavier, will outweigh the loss of speed. This is why momentum is greater than speed in the bowhunting world. Keep this in mind when choosing your arrows, broadheads, and nocks this upcoming season. It just may make the difference in recovering your buck or not.
