Archery is an ancient art dating back to probably the Stone Age, but its earliest recorded use was by the Ancient Egyptian community.
Having been founded for the practical reasons of hunting and warfare, it later evolved into a sport that has gained popularity over the years.
Archery is a great hobby sport for building confidence and giving a sense of accomplishment.
Executing a great shot is a matter of pride. What more if that shot is not only precise but fast.
Well, how fast can you shoot? What’s the fastest arrow ever shot?
Let’s dig deeper and find out more.
The Fastest arrow ever shot
The answer to the question of what’s the fastest arrow shot will theoretically depend on who you ask.
But practically, two main parameters are affecting the speed of a shot, either looking at the speed of the actual arrow or the rate at which an archer managed to throw a given number of arrows.
According to the Guinness world records, the existing record is not one based on the actual speed of the arrow shot, but the fastest time it took to shoot ten arrows, which is 48.63 seconds.
Interestingly, this record was made by six-year-old Arjun Singh.
Unofficial records
Lars Andersen, a Danish archer whose videos have gained online traction, is a self-proclaimed fastest archer.
According to him, he can shoot ten arrows in 4.9 seconds or three arrows in 0.6 seconds.
We hope that this daring archer will put his skills to the test in an official recording one day.
Archery and the Olympics
This historical sport made its first showing at the 1900 Olympic Games, with intermittent appearances.
However, since 1972, the sport has enjoyed a regular position on the Olympic schedule.
Recurve archery is the type of archery played at the Olympics.
It is a measure of the participant’s target accuracy over a given distance rather than the speed at which the arrows are shot or the actual velocity of the shot arrow.
The current Olympic record holder is Korean Bonchan Ku.
Arrows in heroism
Archery has often been associated with gallant heroes with quivers and bow in hand, ready to save the day.
One such earlier depiction is in the tales of Robin Hood.
This sharp marksman was renowned for resolving societal inequalities by robbing the rich and giving to the poor.
It has, however, not been established if Robin Hood’s escapades were based on true stories.
The green arrow is a fictitious comic book character who fights crime one arrow at a time.
Not only is he an accurate archer, but he has a quiver full of exciting arrows that serve different purposes in his quest to fight crime.
Unfortunately, there is no recording of the fastest arrow shot by this hero.
Archery enthusiasts
Archery enthusiasts had tested various compound bows for speed.
The PSE Xpedite (2018) shot the fastest arrows from selected ten bows, reaching a maximum speed of 354 feet per second.
If we are to go by their word, this is the fastest arrow shot.
So, what determines the speed of an arrow?
According to the archery experts, the speed of the arrow depends on several factors related to the arrow, such as:
- The draw weight of the bow
- How far you draw the bow
- Materials used on the bows limbs
- Manufacturer specified energy ratings of the bow.
- The material used for the string
- How much the arrow weighs
- The arrows fletching
Also, the wind conditions at the time of throwing will determine the speed at which the arrow will travel.
Talk about a whole physics lesson in one throw!
In layman’s terms, a lighter arrow will result in a faster throw.
However, there are international standards to adhere to concerning the permissible weight of your arrows.
Using arrows that are too light is dangerous to you and harmful to your bow.
An arrow’s weight is measured in grains (not grams), with the recommended minimum weight set by the International Bowhunting Organization being 5 grains per pound.
This means that the arrow must weigh five times the draw weight of the bow.
Compound bow arrows are deemed the fastest, reaching a speed of up to 300 feet per second, followed by recurving bow arrows, which have reached up to 225 feet per second.
Read our complete guide to archery if you would like to take up a new hobby.
Conclusion
With all the excitement around archery, it appears that participants in the sport are focused more on the accuracy of reaching a target than any other factor related to the sport.
Then, the farthest distance reached is the next popular consideration taken into account.
Archery is an exciting hobby that can make you feel proud of yourself.
There’s so much fun and excitement it’s a great universal hobby- in fact, Lars Andersen’s video gained 15 million views in the space of a few days from such creative archery artistry.
We hope that one of the renowned archers will put their skills to debunking the question of the fastest arrow ever shot.
