[SpotShy]

I have read a gazillion posts on broadheads on AT. Most are the Fixed Blade Vs. Mechanical ones that seem to occur over and over at this time each year. In this post I have to get some feed back on the a question that has been puzzling me for a while.

Why are so many people out there so concerned about how broadheads penetrate bone?

I have tried and tried to rationalize this bone busting thing that some people have, but I can't figure it out. Do these people intentionally try to shoot game animals in the large shoulder bones or are there just that many out there that shoot so poorley that they need a safety net. I have been hunting whitetails with a bow for many years and have used about every style on the market and have yet to have one fail that was placed in the rib cage. The rib cage is where the vitals are located, if you don't believe me crack the next one you kill open and check it out. To shoot a whitetail in the thick portion ot the shoulder blade is not an idea shot. For one it is too high and too forward of where you want to be for success. So my advice is stop worrying so much about what's on the end of your arrow and put a bit more emphasis on putting it wear it will do the best job, like in the lung and heart area. Whitetail ribs are not going to stop any broadhead out there with the KE that we get out of modern compounds. Please, Please, stop the madness of proclaiming that hunters must shoot 500 plus grain arrows with 80lbs of KE, only with fixed blade heads that can stand up to shots through granite walls in order to hunt deer. Its ludicris!

 

[PABowhunt4life]

WOW, it's that simple. Thank you for putting it in to perspective. Here I was looking for the key to being a better bowhunter, but thanks to you, I now know that all I have to be is perfect and not worry about wind, a slight flinch, a deflection or anything of that nature. High winds, freezing cold temps and 12 hour sits in a stand be dam*ed!!!!!!!!!

Stupid safety net, from here on in, I'm PERFECT!!!!

 

[alwinearcher]

the entire shoulder bone put aside.
did you ever think that the ribs of a big mule deer buck,elk or moose are alot bigger then that of a little whitetail :secret:

 

[alwinearcher]

WOW, it's that simple. Thank you for putting it in to perspective. Here I was looking for the key to being a better bowhunter, but thanks to you, I now know that all I have to be is perfect and not worry about wind, a slight flinch, a deflection or anything of that nature. High winds, freezing cold temps and 12 hour sits in a stand be dam*ed!!!!!!!!!

Stupid safety net, from here on in, I'm PERFECT!!!!

Team 6 power

 

[bowhunter44]

last year when i took a qautering away shot and hit the far shoulder blade of a mule deer i was glad that i had a strong bone crushing broadhead.

 

[silverback]

it's not about shooting poorly.
There are many factors that can cause an unitentional hit on bone:
It can be that the animal moves after the release.
It can be that you hit a twig that you didn't see
You could have a mechanical failure and perhaps not even know about it
you could hit your treestand
the wind could blow your shot
you could think the deer is angled differently than it actually is
In cold weather your string and cable can contract causing different peep twist, and windage changes


Yes, most can be avoided by preparation, practice, and good shot selection. But anyone who claims that they have never run into an unexpect situation while shooting a deer either hasn't shot many or is probably not being truthful.

Also, I think the best shot is a quartering away and hitting the opposite shoulder. You pass right through the vitals and take out one of his wheels.

If you have enough KE, your arrow will pass through and you will get a good blood trail.

It is easier to come up with reasons why it is a good idea to have a broadhead that can break bone than it is to come up with reasons why it isn't a good idea.

 

[doogy_7]

Why didnt someone tell me that sooner. Ive spent thousands of dollars shooting broadheads into concrete walls. :sad: I thought it was easier to shoot them into walls, instead of practicing my shot.

 

[silverback]

WOW, it's that simple. Thank you for putting it in to perspective. Here I was looking for the key to being a better bowhunter, but thanks to you, I now know that all I have to be is perfect and not worry about wind, a slight flinch, a deflection or anything of that nature. High winds, freezing cold temps and 12 hour sits in a stand be dam*ed!!!!!!!!!

Stupid safety net, from here on in, I'm PERFECT!!!!

That's right, we all just have to shoot better in all conditions and on every shot.

See, we learned something.

Here's another tip, hunt within 20 yards of where a Pope and Young buck will walk.

 

[SpotShy]

I know for some of you my perspective may be either stupid or too much of the obvious but that's all you hear on this site. Everything is about breaking bone. Chalk it up to my ignorance, that's why I said I wanted feed back on the issue. I had been led to believe that a lot of folk must be trying to hit bone for one reason or the other.

Sure I have lost deer in my time. But I ain't gonna blame it on not enough KE or not breaking a bone! If I lost a deer its because I made a bad shot and I'll own that.

PA,

Really, how many deer you hit in the shoulder? I bet not many. Yeah I can see it happening on occassion for the reasons you stated but can I not get you to admit that it gets to be a bit overkilled on this site.

Alwinearcher,

I have considered it. My set up would be completely capable of taking elk, mulies, or whitetails but many on here would balk at it because I refuse to shoot a 500 gr arrow.

I wasn't lookin to tee any one off or to get flamed. Nor am I perfect. My experience hunting has just not conditioned me to believe all this jargon that some spuew. I was seriously trying to understand the rational.

 

[silverback]

The only reason I switched from thunderheads is because of their poor performance on bone.
They killed deer very quickly and left nice blood trails.


Bone busting is not the primary thing I look at in broadheads, but I won't buy one that can't do it.

 

[alwinearcher]

I wasnt trying to bach, just wondering if you thought about it.
I dont shoot a 500 grain arrow either. Im shooting a 380 grn arrow at 290 fps, and im not going to have any problems with any animal im going to come across.

 

[Bees]

Bone busting with bows and arrows, don't care how far ya crank up the bow don't care how far ya pull it back don't care how heavy or how fast the arrow is going don't care what tip ya got on the end. Busting bone with an arrow is not a very efficient way to bust a bone. it is best to try everything in your power not to hit the larger ones. that might mean pass on some shots.

My experience with bones is when I hit a big one. I did something wrong..

that's the bottom line..

 

[Big D]

Well Said

:thumbs_up

 

[PABowhunt4life]

PA,

Really, how many deer you hit in the shoulder? I bet not many. Yeah I can see it happening on occassion for the reasons you stated but can I not get you to admit that it gets to be a bit overkilled on this site.








I understand what you mean 100% bud. I get the point of your post and yes, it does get overkilled as far as "power to break bone" is concerned. NEVER, intentionally would I or should anyone else aim for the shoulder bone or that tight to it obviously, but at the same time, crap happens lol.

Personally, I am a big believer in "error to the back" as opposed to forward. Missing the mark by a few inches backwards still assures back of lungs and or liver, where as too far forward and the meat of the shoulder bone means trouble.


I also agree with you about the vitals. Only a small portion of the lungs and the heart is actually located in behind the shoulder where as 90% of the lung is away from the shoulder in the wide open and like you said, no deer rib bone is going to stop a broadhead.

 

[heavyarrow]

I shoot a quality broadhead that bust thru bone from my setup because the deer woods aren't perfect and sometime things happen that you need a setup capable of going thru bone to make an efficient kill, and a blood trail that is followable.

 

[bowhunting4fun]

I can only speak for myself when saying I look for the stongest, sharpest, and best bone breaking broadhed that is made. I do not purposely aim for the shoulder of a whitetail, but [email protected]#t happens. A deer moving at the instant you pull your release, Flinching right before the shot( it hs happened to me) :sad: , and just plain making a poor shot( also happened to me) :sad: , are all things that can and do happen while hunting. In my experience, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong while hunting. But, I feel that with a broadhead that can bust through bone it might still give me a chance to harvest that animal, as humainly and as quickly as possible. I feel I owe it to the animal I hunt to do everything I can to do that :thumbs_up . Again, this is my opinion on the matter, because I know I will not make a perfect shot every time I make a shot!

 

[SpotShy]

Can anyone actually give testimony where beyond a shadow of a doubt, being able to crack large bone insured success that otherwise would have not occured?

I don't want assumptions.

Furthermore, does anyone really know for sure what the threshold is on KE that will insure complete bone penetration.

Just to provide info, My set-up is a 340 grain arrow that yeilds between 62-64 fps of KE. I'd just about shoot anything with that combo. I may go with a fixed blade on large big game. But I wouldn't sacrafice any more speed to gain a minimal amount of KE just because I might hit a shoulder.

 

[Tufelhundin]

I would much rather shoot too far foward and hit shoulder than shoot too far aft and make a paunch shot. I have found all of my shoulder shots "not intended, but neither are car wrecks", I have not found any of my gut shots. There for I shoot something that I believe will hold up to bone....why shoot something less?

 

[silverback]

one time I shot a deer that stepped when I pulled the trigger, the thunder head bounced off of its shoulder. I think I was shooting 65 -70 # at the time.


Also, if you are hunting before a possible rain storm, or near posted property, if you break both shoulder blades, you shouldn't have to track him very far.
Not things I would do anyway, but you asked when it ensure success.
That's not really a fair question anyway. When is success ever ensured?

You don't gain energy by using a heavier arrow. If you mean retain it, then that is a different issue, dependant on range. You can easily maintain high speed and still have enough KE at 20 yards to break a shoulder.

Why is everyone so hooked on speed? If you know how to shoot and judge distance, what does it matter?

 

[Tufelhundin]

Can anyone actually give testimony where beyond a shadow of a doubt, being able to crack large bone insured success that otherwise would have not occured?

No not really but I have seen a snuffer completly curl its tip and pratically bounce back from hitting a whitetail square in the shoulder, and we saw that deer numerous times through out the season.