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Embedded arrow continuous damage

It certainly isn't uncommon to see a deer run off with 90% of the arrow hanging out, looking like we got poor penetration. But when we recover the critter we realize that penetration was good, it's just that the arrow backed out somehow.
A lethal shot can be a game of fractions of an inch. Missing or hitting an artery by 1/4" can mean the difference between a recovery or a non fatal hit. I always want a pass through or at least an exit, but if the broadhead stays in the animal there is always the chance for it to do secondary, and lethal damage.
 
I've seen a deer my father in law shot with his recurve do it. Shot went in behind the shoulder maybe got some scapula and when the deer ran off the arrow was sticking out. Field dressing the deer their was more damage inside then normal from the arrow turning with the shoulder.
 
So with those examples the broadhead exited and shaft stuff inside then got sucked back in and exited again is what it sounds like u saying?

Were the arrows still intact or broke?
 
Sounds a lot like the "energy dump" logic when you don't get a pass through with a rife. I've experienced both situations a handful of times and I believe it's bologna at best.
 
A broad head that passes all the way through will do more damage than one that doesn’t and will give you a better blood trail on average. Possibly you could find a rare exception to this but the idea that it’s advantageous to not pass through is foolish imo.
 
John 35 said:
A broad head that passes all the way through will do more damage than one that doesn’t and will give you a better blood trail on average. Possibly you could find a rare exception to this but the idea that it’s advantageous to not pass through is foolish imo.
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I dont think anyone was trying to say that having an arrow embedded in a deer was advantageous to a passthrough. The question was simply did we think that an embedded arrow continued to cause more damage as animal ran off.
 
John 35 said:
My bad. My answer then is probably a little bit of damage but an inconsequential amount.
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What about if that "little bit of damage" could have been damage to an otherwise undamaged artery on the initial wound channel?
There's no way to measure this, but I wonder how many deer were unrecovered because the wound channel missed lethal vitals by 1/8".
 
Allegheny Tom said:
What about if that "little bit of damage" could have been damage to an otherwise undamaged artery on the initial wound channel?
There's no way to measure this, but I wonder how many deer were unrecovered because the wound channel missed lethal vitals by 1/8".
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I cannot help but think if that head is inside the lung area and being held there by the muscle it has passed through, every time the exposed shaft hits a corn stalk or small tree or brush, the pointy end is gonna get moved back and forth. It's good to read others opinions. I'll keep the back of my Snuffers sharp, just in case it may help....
 
Allegheny Tom said:
What about if that "little bit of damage" could have been damage to an otherwise undamaged artery on the initial wound channel?
There's no way to measure this, but I wonder how many deer were unrecovered because the wound channel missed lethal vitals by 1/8".
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Possible but highly unlikely compared to an arrow that traveled further through the deer and cut more tissue as a result. The more tissue cut the higher the odds of hitting vital parts.
 
I want to think that an embedded arrow does less damage than an arrow than an arrow that makes it all the way through. As far as the deers concerned on hole is better than two. Would the deers body basically close off the wound and incapsulate(is that the word I’m looking for ) the embedded foreign object?
 
John 35 said:
Possible but highly unlikely compared to an arrow that traveled further through the deer and cut more tissue as a result. The more tissue cut the higher the odds of hitting vital parts.
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I get what you are saying and dont disagree in premise however it is highly likely that tons of shots each year do not result in a clean pass through. That is the scenario being considered. This scenario is where I feel the higher end broadheads built of higher quality steel that will hold their edge better and sharpened to a razor edge can make a difference. If the head is not buried in bone, every time the animal bounds and every time the trailing end of the shaft contacts brush, there is opportunity for that head to continue to do damage internally. It may be a small amount of damage relative to the overall cut path of the head but as @Allegheny Tom hinted to that small amount of damage could in fact be to highly important plumbing that results in a quicker death and easier recovery. It goes back to one of Ashby's core tenants, structural integrity. People gripe and complain about the cost high end heads and there are lots of statements of fact that cheaper lower quality heads kill just as well. In most cases, I would agree but this is an evaluation of those not most cases shots.
 
Weldabeast said:
So with those examples the broadhead exited and shaft stuff inside then got sucked back in and exited again is what it sounds like u saying?

Were the arrows still intact or broke?
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It was an arrow one arrow, not arrows. One shot, one entrance and 2 exit holes.
I really don't know how I got 2 exit holes but it most certainly happened. Yes the front few inches of shaft broke off, outside of the buck, not internally so that had to occur after the 2nd hole was formed. I can also say that the buck didn't fall on that side of his body so the 2nd hole wasn't caused from falling on the broken arrow tip/broadhead.
The point that I am trying to make is there can be a lot of things that happen to wounds, etc during the violent reactions after a shot. Deer often fall and/or roll over on an arrow. And the amount of leverage on the arrow itself as it smacks against brush can cause all sorts of forces to occur.
Some guys have resonded that muscle and other body parts would support the shaft and reduce internal damage but they are not considering the amout of shaft movement that moving muscles, and flexing body parts that are exerted upon the shaft.
Shaft material needs to be taken into account as well. A cedar shaft cannot be compared to a carbon when we examine potential leverage. Cedar will snap well sooner than the carbon giving the latter a greater chance of continued leverage.

With that being said, I think that we all agree that having an exit wound is the goal.
 
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Recently my buddy shot a deer that quartered away hard at the shot. Arrow hit high at the hind quarter and embedded its full length in the chest cavity. He was lucky to pick up blood after the deer bedded because the shot was high with no exit. After 4-5 hours and with the help of a dog they found the deer in pretty bad shape and put another arrow in it. When he field dressed it, he removed the whole arrow of the first shot from the chest cavity. Pretty sure that arrow was doing damage the whole time. He felt bad, but he didn’t give up and was able to recover a real nice buck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
BTaylor said:
I get what you are saying and dont disagree in premise however it is highly likely that tons of shots each year do not result in a clean pass through. That is the scenario being considered. This scenario is where I feel the higher end broadheads built of higher quality steel that will hold their edge better and sharpened to a razor edge can make a difference. If the head is not buried in bone, every time the animal bounds and every time the trailing end of the shaft contacts brush, there is opportunity for that head to continue to do damage internally. It may be a small amount of damage relative to the overall cut path of the head but as @Allegheny Tom hinted to that small amount of damage could in fact be to highly important plumbing that results in a quicker death and easier recovery. It goes back to one of Ashby's core tenants, structural integrity. People gripe and complain about the cost high end heads and there are lots of statements of fact that cheaper lower quality heads kill just as well. In most cases, I would agree but this is an evaluation of those not most cases shots.
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True that’s when a good fixed blade will give you the best chance.
 
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