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Embedded arrow continuous damage

Weldabeast said:
U hear people say that if the animal carries the arrow off that the broadhead is continuing to cut or cause damage. Anybody have any evidence of that?
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Sounds logical. Roger Rothhaar used to tell us to sharpen the trailing edge of a Snuffer so it would cut on the backside also. Not only for whipping around as the critter ran but to cut if being pulled back through the hole as it ran. Makes sense but I love having that big hole out the bottom acting as a drain...
 
Is it really "whipping around".....I can only speculate and try and use common sense and in my imagination I don't think there would be much movement at all unless the broadhead was in an area that moves allot already like where the shoulder muscles connect to the chest area but if the broadhead was in guts or lung I don't see it doing much damage if any.... But I'm guessing
 
I have no evidence and can’t decide if it makes sense or not. I mean it ain’t gonna help the critter, but everything in there moves so I’m not sure you’d have enough resistance between moving animal and moving arrow to do much.

I look forward to hearing from those with better answers!
 
I've never seen any direct evidence, but I have not really looked. It makes sense. I bet it would have a lot to do with how sharp the broadhead is after it enters the animal. Tim Wells has some interesting spear hunting videos where the spear has a GoPro on it (large arrow) is in the animal as it runs off and the spear is smacking into trees and whipping back and forth and sometimes backing out.

I know I would not want to hold one of my arrows by the pointy end and go whack sticks with it.
 
I agree is definetly probably isn't a present feeling.....
Imagine this....what if ur block target was squishy like meat and u shoot an arrow into it and it stops like normal....walk up to the arrow and start smacking the heck outta the end sticking out....I think having the shaft full encompassed with meats wouldn't allow the broadhead end to "whip" around inside
 
Weldabeast said:
I agree is definetly probably isn't a present feeling.....
Imagine this....what if ur block target was squishy like meat and u shoot an arrow into it and it stops like normal....walk up to the arrow and start smacking the heck outta the end sticking out....I think having the shaft full encompassed with meats wouldn't allow the broadhead end to "whip" around inside
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Get a big pumpkin, fill it with jello and let that set. Then jam an arrow about 3/4 of the way in and roll the pumpkin down a hill. Might make a good analog (or dessert).
 
IMO. if the arrow is inserted into the critter up near the front end, everything is moving, especially if it's close to the leg.
 
MattMan81 said:
Test it in ballistic gel. I think that is the end all be all of broadhead testing.
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The only issue I have with ballistic get for testing broadheads is that the gel collapses behind the broadhead and puts a lot of friction on the arrow shaft, slowing penetration. In a live animal, the broadhead cuts the hide, which is under some tension, so it spreads apart after it is cut. Also, tissue is full of veins, arteries, and thousands of little capillaries and as tissue is cut blood rushes into the area behind the broadhead as it passes. This blood lubricates the arrow shaft as it passes. Gel is a fantastic media for testing bullets since they don't have a trailing shaft.
 
Assuming no pass through, the animal will brush arrow against trees/brush etc running off that will move the arrow around regardless of where the arrow is located (i.e. the arrow doesn't require a running leg to move the arrow). Now with that said, I've never noticed any extra damage when that has happened in the past but I don't recall specifically going looking for the extra damage either.
 
About the only scenario that the concepts makes much sense to me is if the broadhead stops in the chest cavity or stops at the off side knuckle and backs up into the chest cavity. In that case, maybe with a carbon but more likely with an aluminum arrow, the back end of the shafts hitting brush could definitely impart additional cutting damage in the chest with a really sharp coc head. If the head is buried in the offside shoulder, it is no longer in the chest with the goodies and any additional damage there is inconsequential.
 
I may have had this happen twice. But was years ago before I had thoughts about arrow penetration and flight. I hit a deer mid body. The string hit my arm on release (was probably over drawing at the time) which kicked my arrow. Thinking back was probably a solid liver hit, with 6- 8" of penatration. Poor flight, low FOC, and probably poor tuned bow. Deer didn't really run. Jogged a few yards, walked off, and heard tip over 50 yards later. Pretty sure that arrow hit a limb and jammed into something more vital. Even if I clipped both lungs at the back, seems he should have went further than that. Bow he wasen't a big deer. But it was not a pass thru. I have no scientific data or pictures to back it up. But seems like it could have happened. I would much rather shoot threw them, than try to replicate that.
Same thing happens few years later, except say back in front of the leg, under the spine. Probably cut up the main arterie going thru. Only went about 100 yards. Not a pass thru. Light arrow, same bow, same broadhead. Fixed head, but not sharpened. Killed them. But think arrow moving probably helped some. Wish I could re examine those after the shot. The stomach was a mess on that one.
 
I shot a turkey at about 20 yards off the ground back in October. It was facing pretty much right at me at the shot but turned and jumped/flew and ended up getting the arrow kind of low and right, in its buttcheek area if it had them. Arrow exited on the left side about midway up the body near the spine hitting the offside wing. She pushed the arrow back through up to the broadhead but it stayed in her. I'm not sure if I caught some spine with the BH but I have to believe the arrow being in it near its spine ended up breaking it when she tried to fly/flee. So not really BH but pretty sure I got much more damage out of that deal
 
I don't think it matters much either way. If you get the arrow stuck because it hits the opposite shoulder you already damaged the good stuff. I don't see how you wouldn't get a pass through if you hit just lungs or guts.
I am also just guessing but think the additional damage would not be a difference maker.
 
I don't have any evidence, but it sounds logical to me. Unless the head is buried in a bone . I can only imagine that if the arrow is just free floating in the deer it would whip around especially as it ran through the woods banging it again trees and saplings.
 
I've been thinking about it all morning... My gut is saying that any additional damage, if any, would be superficial and irrelevant to final outcome....I also think that might be rare situations that it may help....like a frontal chest hit slightly quartering with little penetration...the big muscles running may move the shaft enough to waller out the entrance hole enough to were the broadhead could maybe teeter back and forth potentially cutting deeper but I'm still not sure that I can think the broadhead will even cut. It's fully encompassed so it can't really move and once it's cut it's initial path it's in it own little pressurized meat pocket... If I take a pork chop and lay it on the cutting board, take my arrow and lay the broadhead in the center, take a 2nd pork chop and lay it on top of the 1st, apply downward pressure with 1 hand and shake the shaft around I don't think I would see any evidence of cutting. My wife's gonna get mad at me.. I can tell already
 
I would guess that it moves around a small amount, more if the shaft is near a leg, but it's not like deer are hollow, and the shaft has no cutting edge so it basically stays in the initial path the broadhead cut. there's a lot of tissue surrounding the shaft, so the deeper the broadhead the less it's impacted by the fletchings getting knocked around (or broken off) There's probably some amount of additional damage done any time the broadhead moves but likely pretty minimal/inconsequential compared to the initial shot.
 
Not sure if this really applies to your question but I did get TWO exit wounds once. One penetrated the humerus and the other was just back of the armpit if I remember correctly. Perfect shot, and the buck ran 2 yards and right into a stump HARD. He got up and ran about 50 yards and piled up for good. The arrow broke during the 1st fall but I don't know if it was from the collision with the stump or if the motion of the humerous broke it. I never found the 200 gr Samurai.
I have a pic of the exit wounds at home. I'll try to post it later.
 
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