Arrow Speed Calculator
Estimate your arrow's real speed from your bow's IBO rating and your actual setup — draw weight, draw length, arrow weight and what's on your string. No chronograph needed.
| Distance | Speed (fps) | KE (ft-lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 yd | 283 | 79.8 |
| 20 yd | 279 | 77.9 |
| 30 yd | 276 | 76.0 |
| 40 yd | 273 | 74.2 |
| 50 yd | 269 | 72.5 |
Archery Calculators
Speed is only the first number. These tools take your arrow the rest of the way — energy, momentum, balance, spine and the printed chart for the bow case.
Kinetic Energy Calculator
Turn arrow weight and speed into ft-lb of kinetic energy, and see where your setup lands for deer, elk and target work.
Open the kinetic energy tool →Momentum Calculator
The number that predicts penetration. Work out slug·ft/s from grains and fps, and compare heavy vs fast arrow builds.
Open the momentum tool →FOC Calculator
Front-of-center balance from your balance point and arrow length — the window where hunting arrows fly best.
Open the foc tool →Arrow Weight Calculator
Add up shaft, insert, point, fletching and nock to a true total weight in grains — plus grains per pound of draw.
Open the arrow weight tool →Arrow Spine Calculator
Match static spine to your draw weight and arrow length, with the point-weight adjustments that shift it.
Open the arrow spine tool →Crossbow Arrow Speed Calculator
Your crossbow’s rated speed assumes a feather-light bolt. See what your real bolt weight does to fps and KE.
Open the crossbow speed tool →Arrow Speed Chart
The full grid: estimated fps for every draw weight from 40–80 lb against arrow weights from 300–600 grains. Print it for the range.
Open the speed chart tool →How the Estimate Works
An IBO rating is a laboratory number: the bow is shot at 70 lb draw weight, a 30″ draw length and a 350-grain arrow, with nothing on the string. Almost nobody hunts with that exact setup, so the rating on the box is never the speed at the target.
This calculator starts at the IBO rating and applies the standard adjustment for each way your real setup differs — the same rules of thumb bow shops use at the tuning bench. Each inch of draw length, each pound of draw weight and each grain of arrow weight moves the number a predictable amount.
Two outputs ride along with every estimate because speed alone misleads: the kinetic energy calculator works out what your arrow carries in ft-lb, and the momentum calculator shows the figure that better predicts penetration. The result is an estimate, typically within about ±5 fps of a chronograph for a well-tuned compound. The full reasoning, sources and limits are on the Methodology page.
| Adjustment | Effect on speed |
|---|---|
| Draw length, per inch from 30″ | ±10 fps |
| Draw weight, per lb from 70 lb | ±2 fps |
| Arrow weight, per 5 grains over 350 gr | −1 fps |
| String accessories (peep, loop, silencers) | −3 to −6 fps |
Draw length 29″ (1″ short) −10
Draw weight 65 lb (5 lb under) −10
Arrow 450 gr (100 gr over) −20
Peep + D-loop on the string −4
= 286 fps → 195.0 mph · KE 81.8 ft-lb · momentum 0.57
Recurve and longbow modes use the same two shop rules from a different baseline: a traditional bow's rating is quoted at a 28″ draw with a reference arrow of 9 grains per pound of draw weight, so the tool adjusts from there instead. Traditional ratings vary more between makers, which is why those estimates carry a wider margin — the Methodology page is frank about it.
What IBO Speed Really Means
IBO speed exists so bows can be compared fairly: every manufacturer shoots the same test — 70 lb, 30″ draw, 350-grain arrow, bare string — and publishes the result. It is an honest comparison number and a poor prediction, because your setup differs from the test in at least four ways at once.
That gap is why two bows rated 330 and 340 fps can shoot the same real-world speed once your shorter draw, heavier hunting arrow and string accessories are accounted for — and why a bow rated slower sometimes wins in the field. Run both through the estimator with your numbers before you judge either.
Your arrow's own numbers matter just as much. If you don't know your true arrow weight, build it up part by part in the arrow weight calculator; if you're choosing shafts, the arrow spine calculator matches spine to your draw weight and arrow length, and the FOC calculator checks the balance point that decides how steadily the finished arrow flies.
How Fast Does an Arrow Travel?
Faster than a highway car, slower than a bullet — and the spread between bow types is wide. A modern compound launches arrows at roughly twice the speed of a longbow, while crossbows sit in a class of their own because their rated speeds use very light bolts. If you shoot a crossbow, the crossbow arrow speed calculator adjusts the factory rating for your real bolt weight.
| Bow type | Typical speed | In mph |
|---|---|---|
| Compound bow | 290–320 fps | 198–218 |
| Recurve bow | 170–210 fps | 116–143 |
| Longbow | 140–180 fps | 95–123 |
| Crossbow | 350–470 fps | 239–320 |
Two things surprise most people: the arrow starts slowing the moment it leaves the string — the table inside the calculator above shows the estimate at 10 to 50 yards — and a heavier arrow keeps more of its speed, and nearly all of its energy, downrange. That's why the calculators here always show speed alongside kinetic energy and momentum, never on its own.
Arrow Speed Chart
Fps for every draw weight and arrow weight — the whole grid on one printable page, with the mph and km/h conversions alongside.
| Draw | 350 gr | 400 gr | 450 gr | 500 gr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 lb | 286 | 276 | 266 | 256 |
| 60 lb | 306 | 296 | 286 | 276 |
| 70 lb | 326 | 316 | 306 | 296 |
Arrow Speed FAQs
How accurate is this estimate compared to a chronograph?
For a typical, well-tuned compound setup it usually lands within about ±5 fps. The estimate is only as honest as its inputs — an optimistic IBO rating or a guessed arrow weight moves the answer more than the maths does. A chronograph is the only exact measurement; this gets you close enough to choose arrows, set pins and compare setups.
What is IBO speed?
IBO speed is the rating measured under the International Bowhunting Organization’s test standard: 70 lb of draw weight, a 30″ draw length and a 350-grain arrow, with a bare string. It is a fair way to compare bows against each other — it is not a promise of the speed your own setup will shoot.
How much speed do I lose per grain of arrow weight?
Roughly 1 fps for every 5 grains added above the 350-grain reference — about 0.2 fps per grain. Going from a 400-grain to a 500-grain arrow typically costs around 20 fps, while adding a worthwhile amount of kinetic energy and momentum.
Is 280 fps fast enough for deer?
Yes, comfortably. Generations of deer were taken with bows shooting far slower. What matters is the whole package: at 280 fps a 450-grain arrow carries about 78 ft-lb of kinetic energy — well above what is commonly cited as needed — provided the broadhead is sharp and the shot is placed well.
Kinetic energy or momentum — which matters more?
They answer different questions. Kinetic energy measures the arrow’s total energy; momentum better predicts how well it keeps driving through resistance on game — the core of Dr Ed Ashby’s penetration research. Once energy is adequate, most experienced bowhunters optimise for momentum and arrow build. This site shows both, side by side, on every result.
- IBO (International Bowhunting Organization) — the body behind the IBO speed-rating standard: 70 lb, 30 in draw, 350-grain arrow
- Archery Trade Association — industry standards body for bow and arrow measurement (ATA draw length and weight)
- Easton Archery — shaft selection charts — the reference spine-selection and arrow-building charts this site’s groupings follow
- Ashby Bowhunting Foundation — Dr Ed Ashby’s arrow penetration research — the source of the momentum and FOC guidance