bow_hunter44

The story I posted earlier about the elk I lost involved a marginal hit. Admiditly it was an ill advised shot, but I hit exactly where I was aiming. When it was all said and done I didn't get sufficient penetration. This after I changed my rig to a more forgiving cam and lighter arrows. I am certain that a heavier arrow would have netted a better result. Again, in retrospect I would have traded myrig at the time for your current one in a heartbeat. But the point is that I would have improved my chance to recover the animal with a heaver arrow.

700 here we come!

TFOX

Most don't aim for shoulders because of the difficulty in passing through them,therefore,making it a marginal hit.

bow_hunter44

Me too. Actually I was aiming for, and hit, a spot just behind the front leg. The problem was that the angle was too steep, quartering toward me (an ill advised shot I will NEVER take again). Had I gotten 18" of penetration I would have been fine. I didn't....

passthru79

Bow hunter44, I read your post from earlier about the lost elk you shot. Maybe I missed something, but from what I read you hit it behind the shoulder and the elk was quartering toward you. Correct me if Im wrong but that shot should have given at least one lung, and more penetration would have just put the arrow further back into the guts right?

TFOX

I tend to agree here.Then what happens,even on a passthrough,the guts plug the hole and no blood.


You might have had enough penetration but just had no blood due to the hole being plugged.

bow_hunter44

Fairly good assessment.The hit was way up front, immediatly behind a front leg. I had about a country mile (give or take) of goodies before the arrow would have reached his gut. But, as you indicated, that is where the arrow would have eventually ended up given the angle of the shot and sufficient penetration. I would have been thrilled for the arrow to have stayed in him. But alas it was not meant to be........ The good news is that it was a learning experience for me.

passthru79

So Bow Hunter44, your saying it hit behind the shoulder. Didnt hit leg bone but there wasnt sufficient penetration to get the vitals?

passthru79

Dont take this the wrong way, Im not trying to be judgmental or anything. I have never shot an elk, probaly never will but Im having a hard time understanding why you didnt get enough penetration to get at least one lung. From how you described it, it sounds like you only needed about 6 inches at most to get that first lung.

davepjr71

First, you wouldn't know if the heavier arrow would have done better unless you took the same shot.

Second, never take a shot unless you know it's a good one. I watched 7 bucks walk by lined up in a row like a shooting gallery one morning.There was brush in the way and when they did stop it was behind trees. I didn't shoot becausethe shot would have been marginal and didn't see a single one of those bucks the rest of the season. I'm happierI passed then wounding an animal.

Paul L Mohr

For starters the block is a poor medium to be doing penitration tests in since it is not a consistent medium. You could shoot several different arrows of the same weight into it and probably get different depths for each one. The only target that would be worse in my opinion would be a bag target.

When I did my tests the aluminums were always heavier than the carbons, or the same. You can weight down the tubes to make them any weight you want or change the FOC. I found that a 2016 tube fits perfectly into a 2213 shaft. I like shooting 450 grn arrows so I cut a length of 2016 shaft that gives me that weight and I glue them in when I put the insert in. It also ups my FOC.

One of the arrows I tested them against was the nitro stingers (greens) and they are the same diameter as the 2213's I believe. Man I love those arrows, if I were to go back to carbons I would probably go with those if I can still get them in my area. I got pretty much the same penitration with those if the weights were equal.

I found with my bow once I got close to 500 grns my penitration started to drop off, 450 seemed to be the perfect weight for my set up.

That's how it worked for me anyway.

Paul