Done with mechanical broadhead!

[breederbuck33]

I've probably seen more deer lost to poor blood trails caused by fixed BH than I have seen a mechanical fail. I have also seen the large mechanicals create blood trails on poor shots that have been the saving grace to find the animal. You can argue back and forth all day long, and it will get nowhere. Shoot what you have confidence in and put it where it needs to go. I gave up worrying about the broadhead issues years ago. I shoot what has worked for me year after year. When it breaks I'll fix it, but until then I'm gonna stick with what works for me.

[Jon B]

I have shot a whole lot of different heads over the years, and I've come to the conclusion that none of them are 100%, even on a good shot. Oh, and a pass through doesn't necessarily equal a great blood trail. IMHO, in order to get a good blood trail, which I think is underrated in terms of its importance, you have to hit the heart or a major blood vessel. I shot a spike two weekends ago with what I would consider a perfect shot placement, slightly quartering away through both lungs with a Black Hornet. There was very little blood trail despite the arrow passing completely through the animal like butter. I did find him about 150 yards away, but he was just 10 yards from a cedar break that I would never have been able to find him in. It is absolutely critical to watch the animal run as far as you can to get a good idea of where to look if you don't get a blood trail.

I agree with the good blood trail and everything else you said except heart shot. I prefer lungs/arteries to heart shot any day. As well as a low in the cavity hit. I shot a spike several years ago.....right in the heart with a rage extreme...no blood. Exited through off side leg/armpit. Absolutely no real blood trail. Thank goodness I heard him crash. He jumped into a pile of brush and with him on his side he bled out right there. When I opened him up the heart was cut almost completely in half.

My own opinion.....take out the plumbing-not the pump.

[meltingfeather]

have you calculated your optimal FOC and momentum and is your bow tuned?
j/k
I prefer fixed as well but the gear head in me bought a few Sevrs to try this season.

[Killer]

Two blade broadhead will always penetrate better than mechanical all things being equal. Now a lot of things can cause what you described happening on the hog with the shot.

[Smart]

Wouldn’t matter if it deploys or not with 15” of penetration. Most mechanicals still have .5-.75” of wings sticking out to grab and tear stuff. If it were through the lungs or heart the animal dies.

Not gonna get an argument from me about that. I agree 100%...may not die as quick but its gonna die.

[tef]

Seems to me like you would have more penetration if it didn't open. Less drag because the blades are closed, similar profile to a field point

I wouldn't think so with no sharp edge cutting it's way through. Not so sure a field point would do that either.

[tef]

Not sure how long you have bowhunted, but I can guarantee that there is no way you can 100% tell EXACTLY where that arrow hit. You have no idea where it hit or if the head deployed. No animal no BH, no way to say with 100% accuracy.
Like Smart said, always the broadhead's fault when an animal is lost! Yea Right!
Sorry you lost the pig, that sometimes is the results of shooting with the stick and string.

Been bow hunting for 40years, can't count all the pigs I've killed. I hunt year round. Shot several deer too. I know where I hit the pig. It's not rocket science lol. I realize I can't determine the exact spot compared to the 2nd one but it would be within inches.

[tef]

shot a hog and couldn't find it? that's ideal perfect pig shot.

Exactly! I just wanted my arrow back!

[HeyMikey]

If it didn't deploy then what stopped the penetration?

Seems to me like you would have more penetration if it didn't open. Less drag because the blades are closed, similar profile to a field point

Both of these statements (which were submitted almost at the same time) hit the nail square on the head.

[tef]

Always the broadhead....never the Indian. My arrows are 30+" long with the broadhead. If you got 1/2 penetration that's 15". If you did your part, that arrow and head got to vitals. Let's be honest....Thinking it didn't deploy after 15" of travel through body parts is pretty much a low percentage wild assed guess really.

Did you video it? Because what your eyes tell you about location and what the eye in the sky tells you are often quite different....speaking from experience here. That being said I switch to the Grim Reaper Micro Hybrid last year. Best of both worlds for me.

I realize the shot killed the pig. It hit vitals, but to note the difference between a pass through and half penetration makes no sense. Even without deployment the arrow would penetrate that distance from a 70lb bow @ 20 yards.

[tef]

If it didn't deploy then what stopped the penetration?

I would think due to not having a cutting edge it lost its ability to "cut" or go any farther.

[Smart]

I realize the shot killed the pig. It hit vitals, but to note the difference between a pass through and half penetration makes no sense. Even without deployment the arrow would penetrate that distance from a 70lb bow @ 20 yards.

Makes absolute sense. These are living beings with different body structures standing at different angles and different distances, There are so many variables that even the slightest difference can produce a different result. clipping a rib with a broadhead ear, thick fat or a tough part of the skin will change penetration. Even so much as a little wiggle in your arrow and how it contacts the animal can change penetration. There are way too many variables to talk in absolutes when it comes to penetration.

[SETX_Insanity]

I wouldn't think so with no sharp edge cutting it's way through. Not so sure a field point would do that either.

Have you ever shot a field point at a broadhead specific target? Tears vanes up pretty quickly because there's nothing to slow it down on the front end

[haas0311]

I would think due to not having a cutting edge it lost its ability to "cut" or go any farther.

If I am not mistaken, those heads have slightly sharpened wings that are capable of cutting..

I once used a 2" shwacker on a big ol'hog and it passed through clean. Hog trotted off and then waited to see what bit him and then he just trotted off.. Crazy how tough hogs are!

[SETX_Insanity]

Surface area=resistance