Speed rating these days can be deceiving. Bows are advertised with speeds of 340 + F.P.S ratings. The thing you need to consider about these ratings is that they are achieved using I.B.O standards. Most bows, at least hunting bows, are going to perform closer to A.M.O standards.
I.B.O
I.B.O speeds are determined by shooting a bare bow with nothing on the string set at 70 pounds using a 350 grain arrow with a 30 inch draw. Most bow makers will test their bows with lighter arrows as well but most usually do not drop below a 330 grain arrow for testing purposes.
A.M.O
A.M.O speeds are determined by shooting a bare bow with nothing on the string set at 60 pounds using a 540 grain arrow with a 30 inch draw.
Speed Loss
Speed is lost in a lot of ways. You can lose up to 5 F.P.S for everything you put on your string and 5-7 F.P.S if you use a whisker biscuit rest. So if you have a bow that is set up exactly to I.B.O standards that has a 315 rating and add a peep, a kisser button, silencers, release loop and a biscuit you are now down to 290. If you do not have a 30 inch draw you will also lose some speed. A shorter arrow even though lighter will not increase speed unless you are using an overdraw and still pulling the bow back 30 inches. Drop down to a more manageable draw weigh like 60 pounds and your down to 250 to 270 F.P.S depending on your bow and cam set up.
I own a bow with a 315 rating and set up with all these accessories except the release loop shooting 60 pounds with a 27 inch arrow that weighs 361 grains I am getting 240. I contacted the bow company about this difference and the informed me that the bow had only a 235 A.M.O rating so I should be pretty happy with 240.
Conclusion
When you decide to buy a new bow be sure you have the right information. Ask the right questions. Tell the dealer how you are going to set this bow up and ask what kind of speed your setup will achieve. If he doesn’t know call the bow company they will be glad to answer your questions. Bows are a costly investment so make sure you will still love your bow when you get it into the real world.

It turns out even I can be wrong. When I reviewed the Archer Range range finder I found a few thing I did not like. It turns out it was operator error combined with not reading instructions. I know none of you guys have ever been guilty of ripping a new toy out of the box and running to the woods with out reading the instructions first but that is exactly what I did with this product. If you check out the following web site www.ArcherRange.com you will find helpful tips on how to best use this product. I was using the crank to try to pull up my gear and that isn't what it is designed for. I also reported that the product was not good for uneven terrain but if you check out the website it will tell you how to handle this problem. I also failed to mention that the Archer Range requires no batteries and will sustain alot of abuse. The case is plastic but very tough.
Contact Billy with any questions about the Archer Range. I have been in contact with him and he has done a great job of answering my questions and correcting my mistakes. Updated score 10 of 10 based on quality and customer service.
IKE

This picture should be enough to remind us all of what not using a safety belt can cost us. This is my wife and son and they are the reason I put up with the bulky, noisy, contraptions that could cost me a deer. I think the cost is worth the price. If I had to choose between a B&C buck and going home to my family at night I think the choice would be obvious. Deer are grand wonderful things but the memory of that buck will be overshadowed by first steps, first words, school, sports and a thousand other memories you will make with your family. Falling may not cost you your life but it will change how you live it. Daily pain, unpaid bills, and not being able to enjoy your life are surely a part of any bad fall from a stand. So before you climb in strap in and make sure you return to those who love you the same man that left.

IKE

I don’t have a reputation as a world class hunter that kills giant deer every year. I do have a reputation for being an honest ethical sportsman. People who know me are always willing to let me hunt their land. They know I won’t blaze a trail with a three wheeler or send a bullet through their home. They know I won’t destroy fences or litter the land. Actually most of the time they don’t even know I am there.

These are lessons that all hunters must learn and they are the most important lessons we can teach our children. How to hunt and how to take a deer are important but how to do it the right way ethically and legally are far more important. We teach by example what we do and what we say influence our children. Even the things our friends do can teach a child the wrong lesson. If a family friend, relative, or complete stranger do things that are illegal or unethical, we should tell our children that this is not right. We do not have to confront the wrong doer but we have to make sure that the hunters of tomorrow do not follow their examples.

When I was a young hunter I was forunate to be surrounded by men who were hunters in the truest sense of the word. They taught me to respect the land and the landowner. To respect the animal, and to protect my quarry from those who would harass or harm these animal for misguided fun or for a piece of bone on top of a skull. My father was chief among these men. He used hunting to keep me from trouble, jail, or a young death. He never scored on a world class animal but all of his kills were treated as such. He taught me how to make the most of the animal and how to be a true hunter. He may not have killed a Pope & Young buck, but he did something most hunters never do. He left behind a legacy that I carry in my heart. He left his mark in not only my life, but the lives of many. I like to think that mark looks an awful lot like a big ol’ buck. He has been gone for ten years, and I still miss him everyday and I thank the Lord he helped me become a good man and more importantly a good hunter.

The Carthage Press did a wonderful article about the shop. Click the link below to read it! Thank you to John Hacker and the Carthage Press for sharing our story with the community!

http://www.carthagepress.com/lifestyle/x1369592031/50-Neighbors-Couple-sets-up-archery-shop-in-Old-Cabin-Shop

The Archer Range rangefinder's name suits the product perfectly. This rangefinder can only be used out to 50 yards, and only from a treestand 15ft or higher.

Don't ask me to explain the science because I failed college algebra 3 times. There is some triangulation and geometry involved I am sure. Even though I cannot explain how it works, I am smart enough to operate this device. Acutally I think my 8 year old nephew could probably figure out how to use it. Simply climb into a stand at the set height: 15, 20, 25, or 30 yards, point it at the base of a tree, hold a button for 1 second and release. Turn the rangefinder to the side and you will find a range chart. Choose the height you are hunting, (the Archer Range  has a convenient built-in tape measure) and you will find a needle pointing to the range of the object. Easy as pie.

There are a few drawbacks to the Archer Range, though. To measure your height, you have to anchor the tape measure to your bag or bow. I anchored to my bag and tried ot use the built in crank to bring it up, but no dice. My bag is not very heavy, but I ended up bypassing the crank, and pulling the bag up by hand. Not a big deal though, still worked out very smoothly.

The biggest drawback, and it is a big one, is that it is not accurate on ranges not level with the bottom of your tree. That means if you hunt draws and valleys, leave it at home.

Overall, the Archer Range is easy to use and very accurate on level ground. With a pricetag of under $50, it is affordable even if you hunt the occasional downward slope.

I give it a 7 out of 10. I would have scored it a little lower, however, the price makes it worth a little hassle.

-Ike

 The main stream definition of Professional Hunter seem to have changed over the years. There was a time when a professional hunter was a teacher, a conservationist, and pretty much an average joe. Today they seem to be the rich, trophy hunters, or wanna be rock stars. (No offense Ted you really are a Rock Star.)

 If you have the money you can go to a ranch and pay for the buck of a lifetime. If you can afford this odds are you can afford the equipment needed to film this hunt. Once said trophy is secured and the hunt is successfully lodged onto your video unit you can spend a little more money for some fancy editing and some nice packaging and like magic you are a professional hunter.

 Maybe I am just jaded or maybe it is the little green monster sitting on my shoulder but what ever the case I am sick of watching pretty boy college kids that pay for their deer being glorified.

 Raise your hand if you have seen a professional hunter hunt on public land. Anyone? I see a few gray haired gentlemen raising their hands. I was raised watching men like Roger Raglin, Dan Fitzgerald and Ted Nugent hunting public or private land without high fences not ranches with guranteed shot opportunities. They scouted, glassed, packed, canoed, in short they hunted like a normal man. Of course they traveled to some prime spots but once there they were not lead to a treestand or tree condo that someone else had hung. They did all of the work themselves.

 Times have changed and like any smart business man the old timers have adapted as well. But I can recall watching these men live the true adventures of hunting. One of my favorite memories was a Dan Fitzgerald hunt in which Dan shot a small deer. Skins and quarters the deer giving instruction on what he was doing and why. After the meat was cut Dan then proceeds to cook the deer on an open fire using his treestand for a cooking surface. This is a scene that has happened in deer camps around the country. This is the type of scene that the common man can identify with.

 I am ecstatic to see all of the hunting shows on T.V. I am a big fan of alot of these hunters. Even though I don't stand behind their ways these show have done alot of good. I just miss the good old days and once just once would like to see some of these young pro's work for a deer.

 If any of you pro's need a lesson on how to work for a deer visit some public land with just your gear and no guide and have fun closing in on that moster buck. If this proves too easy call me. I will give you a few lessons on how to hunt the hard way. I have a natural talent for turning a sure thing into the hardest hunt.