PSE Spyder..

[Webejonesin2]

Not sure if this should go here or in general Bow area, but here goes anyhow,
My son has the PSE Spyder 4 ( I believe its rght as far as numbers go) the draw weight maxes out or is suggested to 40lbs. What would/ should be furthest range be for deer hunting? An instructor said 20yds. any other opinions?

[4Pointer]

20 yards is as far as I shoot any way. Maybe cause I hunt down in the Cedar Swamps,, If he can group at 25 yards great.. But the closer the better.. Just my 2~cents..

[Webejonesin2]

He swapped out his sights AGAIN, back to the original ones, he wasn't so lucky with getting it hitting back to where he was before after puckering up another arrow he decided that he would try again tomorrow after school. He wants to get a deer target, but...... bails of hay are working just fine. ( until he misses then it's a different story )

[GuideHeels]

it is all about hitting the right spot / if you can shoot well out further the bow will still kill the animal if it is not too large

[Ghost]

www.archerybuff.com/kineticform.php

Kinetic Energy Calculator

Kinetic energy is energy of motion. The kinetic energy of an object is the energy it carries or has because of its motion. Kinetic energy is an expression of the fact that a moving object can do work on anything it hits; it basically is a value in the case of archery expressed in ft lbs to describe the force or the amount of work that the object is capable of upon impact with another object.

When hunting for animals it is very important to have the proper amount of kinetic energy for these animals. If you do not then you will not get the penetration needed for a clean kill and you have a better chance of injuring the animal. Below is a Kinetic Energy Calculator to determine the kinetic energy of your arrows.

Below the calculator table portion, is a general rule of thumb when it comes to animals you're hunting and the amount of kinetic energy that is needed. *It is important to note that these values are just generalized and differ between different states/provinces.

Arrow Weight(gr)

Bow Speed(fps)

Kinetic Energy (ft lbs)





Small game
- 20 to 30 ft-lbs is sufficient. Some states may have a minimum requirement.
Medium Game
- For whitetail, mule deer, black tail and the like it is recommended to have at least 40 ft-lbs. Certainly a well placed arrow with slightly less than that may do the job.
Big Game
- 50 ft-lbs or more would be recommended for this type of game. Mostly because the shots may be at further distances.

[Ghost]

I am sure this is more than you expected but, if you know the KE of the bow it will give you a better idea of what the bow is doing. Keep this in mind, KE bleeds off fast after the shot. Gravity is funny that way. As for the shooter, that is a different subject. Whether or not we as hunters want to admit it, we all have made bad shots on wild game. A shooter can be great at a target but when they get a live target in front of them they loose all control. There is no replacement for trigger time and experience in the stand. I would bet that the first deer your son has in front of him, the only thing moving in the woods will be him and the tree he is currently residing in at the time. Once he experience the mental and physical effects of having a live target, like a deer to shoot at, he can better understand how to work on tecniques to controlling them. So, no matter what the distance is that he will shoot at, mistakes are and will happen. I have no doubt of your sons skills and or drive to become better as an archer. But, no instructer or mentor can prepare him for the natural phnomenon called "Buck Fever". So you ask would I limit a young archer/hunter? I will say , No. I personally believe, we as mentors, we should allow for young or inexperienced hunters to make mistakes in the feild as well as in life. That is how we learn.

Back to the KE. If the arrow contains a marginal KE I would really consider the distance that he would or may want to limit himself to. Because of the fact that KE bleeds fast, especially for an arrow. Have you ever heard the term "Speed Kills"? Like it or not, in archery it is very true.