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Was the change worth it? Kill data survey

The biggest advantage I've seen from making the switch is getting great penetration on bad/bone shots and still killing the deer. The 2nd biggest, and the one I really enjoy, is deer having absolutely 0 idea what happened on well placed shots that zip right through them. I thought that going into the season, believe it during season watching a ton of videos, and this thread has really brought the point home. Great thread.

My only bow kill to date was from about 18-20 foot up. 15 yard shot.
Mathews Chill R at 25" DL and 65# DW
Easton Hexx 330, 150 grain Ethics insert, 125 grain cutthroat, TAW 530, probably shooting around 225 fps

Buck was standing still, slightly quartering away, after grunting him in and he could see deer out in front of him. 0 idea I was there.
Shot entered exactly where you want it to, just a few ribs back, and broke through his offside leg. I didn't get a complete passthrough but the broadhead did make two holes. Due to splitting the leg he took off hard. Nevertheless he was dead 50 yards (thanks to him trying to head uphill) and 10 seconds later. Arrow broke on his run and I never found the broadhead side of it.

Field dressed at 168#
 
IMO, a pass thru is defined as the broadhead giving an exit wound. Having an exit wound is huge towards creating an adequate blood trail which is what we need to find an arrow shot critter. In and of itself, an exit isn't all that indicative of a killing shot, but it does create a better blood trail.

Actually, I believe the hits where the arrow remains in the deer (with an exit hole) create better blood trails that does a pure pass-thru where the entire arrow completely exits the animal.
Some of the most perfect shot locations will leave a minimal blood trail when the entire arrow completely exits the animal because the hide, or fat obscures the holes. The animal is surly gonna die but the blood trail isn't always good when the wounds are sealed-up by external body parts (hide, fat). The shafts keeps the holes lined-up with the internal wound. That's a good thing. A complete arrow pass thru is impressive to talk about, but it often doesn't create the same blood trail results as an arrow with 2 holes that remains in the animal.

So, this brings us to what just is exactly the benefit of heavy arrows, high foc, and adequate broadheads.
IMO, it's mostly about getting an exit hole because we are often aiming for the heavy, leg/shoulder bone on the exit side. A quartering away shot is something a lot of guys wait for. In that case, we are actually "planning" on our arrow to contact heavy bone on the far side. This is where I believe the heavy arrow shines.

Then, there's the"oh-o, something went wrong" shots. The critter jukes, ducks, we get a deflection, or we plain screw up, and the shot does not hit as we intended. That's one one more reason why we want to shoot adult arrows. We obviously can't build our arrows so we plan that they will remain in the animal, but we can build them knowing that eventually, we are gonna hit that off side shoulder. If you don't eventually hit that off side shoulder, then you probably are not hitting where you should have.
Those perfect scenarios, perfect shots, perfect hits, aren't really the purpose of why we use "overkill" arrows for deer-sized game.
We do this for when things go wrong, and sure as poop, eventually things will go wrong.
 
Previous Years: Hoyt Faktor 30 at 70lbs. Killed two bucks at 30 and 35 yards from 19 feet up, with a GT Kinetic Kaos 340, shooting 100 grain slick trick standards, arrow weight was about 425 grains and heading about 315 fps. Both pass throughs, deer #1 ran 30 yards, the other made it 60 yards. I liked my set up, but decided to make some changes, almost think I was just bored with my set up.

A little out of the loop on the youtube philosophers, but do enjoy some of the elk hunters, and being an elk hunter myself, decided for fun that I would build a heavier arrow.

Picked up a PSE EVO NXT 33 this year at 70lbs, and decided to change my arrow set up, and really dial it in. So I went with a GT Kinetic Kaos 300, with a 125 grain slick trick standard, micro 4 fletch on the back, new arrows were 500 grains heading about 290 FPS.

Killed my elk in Montana with a bit of a long shot, 50 yards, the elk took a step forward and turned away as the shot went off, but no matter that heavy arrow went up through him, and lodged in the other side. He ran 60 yards and died. My buddy and I were standing where he was standing when I shot, looking at the first blood and wondering if we should give him more time, looked up and there he was stone dead.

That same trip I killed a doe Mule Deer in a bad lands area at 30 yards, I was on top of a cliff and she was below, pass through, she want 40 yards.

I wonder if a 70lb bow will give you a pass through no matter what (within reason of course), but that elk convinced me to stay heavy into the future.
 
There are advantages and disadvantages to both sides. The penetration and durability of heavy arrows is awesome. The blood trail of mechs are awesome. People have had issues with mechs but also saved by them too. People have lost and broken fixed blades. To me is really about confidence. I shoot a ram cat that a lot of people say are too weak. I have confidence in them and know they work. I’m changing a little but that more due to leaving the deep six platform but I know the head is good. I find more success with confidence than I do with wondering and the unknown.
 
500 grain arrow with kudu contour plus shot completely through spine and hung up in fletching. In the past I’ve spine shot 2 other deer and the broadhead did not sever the spine.


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I should add my arrow speed was roughly 260 (62 lbs 27” draw length)


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