I just started bow hunting this past year and i'm trying to learn as much as i can about all the terms and stuff. I hear people talking about kinetic energy a lot. How can i figure out how much kinetic energy my bow has? Once i have the kinetic energy figure, is there a scale that can tell me if that number is low, average or high?

I shoot a Hoyt Vectrix XL with a 30 in draw. I don't hear very many people talking about shooting a Hoyt on this forum. Is there something about Hoyt that i don't know? I know it is a heavy bow compared to Matthews and Bowtech. I've never shot a Bowtech before but i have shot a Matthews. The Matthews didn't feel as comfortable in my hand as the Hoyt. I felt like it was awkward feeling. I gave up the weight difference for the comfort. I got my first bow kill with it on the 4 day of hunting. It was a doe, but man she was a fatty.

Any help is very much appreciated.

Check out this link. There is a Kinetic Energy Calculator on the left side of the page.
Hope this helps.

http://www.goldtip.com/calculators/kinetic.asp

As for all archery questions, especially those about tech talk, the best place to go is

http://www.huntersfriend.com

look under technical help.

Another place to go if you just want a quick link to determine you bow's FPS and KE is

http://www.thearcheryhut.com/calculators.php

Here is the quote about KE from hunter's friend:

Kinetic Energy: Arrow Mass & Arrow Velocity

So how does energy storage and arrow speed translate into actual hunting penetration? In the shooting sports, penetration is most often expressed as a function of kinetic energy (KE). This topic is covered in great detail in our Arrow Selection Guide, but we'll mention the highlights here in the bow guide as our final thought on bow "power".

In the end, the measurable "power" of your new bow - it's total kinetic energy output - ultimately depends upon just two variables: the mass of the arrow and the speed of the arrow. Kinetic energy of an arrow can be found by using the formula KE=(mv²)/450,240 where m is the mass of the arrow in grains and v is the velocity of the arrow in fps. So if your new bow setup ultimately shoots a 400 grain arrow at a respectable 250 fps (a typical field-output for a modern rig), your actual kinetic energy or "power" will be:

KE=(mv²)/450240
KE=[(400)(250²)]/450240
KE=25000000/450240
KE=55.53 ft-lbs

Thanks guys, i appreciate it.

Man lots of people shoot Hoyts, you did fine. You did exactly what you should do, bought the bow that was comfortable for you. I have shot lots of different bows, some good, some not so good. There is not a really bad bow out there anymore. Every bow company now days makes a great bow that will kill animals.

Good luck and happy hunting!

Yea I agree with 187Elk. You bought what was comfortable for you. Thats the best thing for you to do. You dont have to be shooting what everyone else is. Whatever is most comfortable for you! Hoyts are very good bows though so its a good choice.

I wouldn't worry about KE so much with archery gear. A bullet needs lots of it to cause hydrostatic shock damage since it's poking a small hole, but a broadhead cuts on impact and cuts a wide channel to kill by blood loss. More KE in an arrow really only helps with penetration, and any modern bow shooting 55lbs or more should have plenty for a complete pass through almost every time.