Several Turkey season ago I lost several arrows in tall grass and decided that I’d invest in lighted nocks. After all arrows and broadheads are Expensive so the investment in lighted nicks seemed wise. Last year in pre season I outfitted 4 arrows for my compound bow with lumennocks. I shot a spikehorn at 15 yards - he walked 5 yards and dropped. I could see the arrow in the dirt from the tree but the nock never lit. 5 minutes later another spike came along, which I passed on. But a minute later 2 coyotes came along the same trail - I launched an arrow at one of them and that nock didn’t light up. I rooted around for an hour and found the arrow. The next day I messed with my nocks a s got them all to light more reliably. Fast forward to 2023 preseason - while testing all my gear I realized that the batteries in all my lighted nocks had died over the winter. Perhaps being in the freezing cold garage killed the batteries, or maybe they somehow lighted themselves and drained the batteries?! I was a bit frustrated that I got such minimal use from them. Alas, I replaced the batteries. Enter 2023 season - everything is dialed in and working like a charm. It’s peak rut and I’m in THE spot I’ve been saving for the perfect moment. Just as the sun is rising, the biggest and most desired buck I know of steps in front of me at 40 yards. I take the long shot in low light - my arrow is deflected by a little tiny twig that I didn’t see, and it strikes a 4” diameter rock hard dead oak branch. The giant buck hears the sound and hops away. I call the buck back and a nearly identical scanario plays out with the second shot. The buck walks away…. After several hours pass I go to retrieve my arrows. Both nocks had exploded on impact. Both arrowheads are lodged so firmly in the trees that the broadheads break on removal and both FMJ arrows have mushroomed out at the the insert. I went home, restocked my quiver and got into another hot spot for an evening sit. That afternoon around sunset I put an arrow in a buck. This time, for the first time, I saw the path of the arrow thanks to the lighted nock. I was able to see that the shot was slightly low. But when I went to examine the point of impact I couldn’t find my arrow. I follows the blood trail and found pieces of my broken arrow, including the nock - which had broken as deer fled. The following day I took up the blood trail and had to put a second arrow in the deer to finish him off. I shot him at point blank range. Everything on that arrow was broken.
So after these experiences I find myself feeling like there is no point using lighted nocks, FMJ arrow shafts, or fancy broadheads. I outfitted myself with great gear thinking it provided a number of advantages. It would seem that all the elements of an arrow are disposable and one time use - at least when fired by a fast shooting compound bow. I’m considering going back to generic carbon arrowshafts with cheap stock nocks and budget broadheads that are sharp. Were my experiences anomalous or am i otherwise missing something?
