Pass-throughs????

[joe skipp]

Back in the late 60's early 70's we shot bows 45-55#, Cedar arrows and Bear Razorheads. I never had a pass through on any deer I arrowed. Most shots 20 yds...I was more concerned with shot placement.

I started shooting the heavier, smaller diameter Forgewoods after talking to Doug Kittredge...90% of all my kills were pass throughs still using the Bear Razorhead, 15 yds and under. At 20 yds, the Forgewoods usually were buried to the feathers.

Today's bows are much more efficient. I switched over to barrel tapered Ash. Pass throughs were common with my 53 and 57# bows. Again, 20 yds and under. A lot factors involved when the arrow is released, don't care what material, carbon or aluminum and these factors will determine whether your arrow passes through or penetrates sufficiently.

I'd be shooting barrel tapered ash today if my supplier was still in business. I really don't care if the arrow passes through or not as long as those bright pink feathers are solidly embedded in the vitals.

[ti-guy]

I've had pass through with wood also.  

[frassettor]

Originally posted by Bob B.:
Last year I was shooting a 66 inch Mowhawk, 54 pounds at 30 inches.  I had a fast flight string with silencers.  My wood arrow was heavy, around 650 grains with a single bevel head - a tusker concord.  The shot was 35 yards, pretty far fo my abilities.  The arrow went completely through the deer and split a wrist sized log after exiting the deer.  She was a mature doe, never heard the bow or the arrow and did know what jsut hit her.  She looked around, walked about 60 yards, laid down.  Eventlually she put her head down and she was done.
 
Bob.

That's a neat story!

My wife has had four pass throughs and one that went from the right rear rump to the front shoulder blade all with woods, and bows less than 40 pounds at 26.5" shooting from the ground. Her trick is timing and shooting arrows that straighten out very quickly with Grizzly or Eskimo two blades.  I have had two that were not pass throughs, one hit both front shoulders and was sticking out about half of the arrow, the other clipped a branch and went through the liver not flying straight at all. All of the others were pass throughs. I know my average is higher than most for pass throughs, other than getting as much spin as I can out of my fletching and picking spines very carefully, I am not doing anything special.  I have used shaving sharp Deadheads to serrated Hills with about the same effects. It must be because I hunt on the ground, my arrows are straight behind the broadhead, and most of the shots are more than 18 yards out.

[overbo]

Reasonable weight,well placed arro of any material will pass thru,but I agree w/Shawn about carbons penetration advantages.I would like to add,that alum. and carbon are less likely to snap at the broadhead on tough impact,as softwood arros like cedar and sitka will.

[Roger Norris]

A few years back up at ShrewHaven, I purposely killed 2 does, one with a cedar shaft, the other with carbon. They were almost identical in size, and body angle. I was in the same tree, and hit them in about the same spot, double lung. I used the same broadhead, a Magnus 2 blade. I do not remember arrow  weight, but they were almost identical, I was shooting them out of the same bow.

Both arrows completely penetrated. The carbon stuck in the dirt, the cedar shaft broke on a sapling.

[varmint101]

I've killed 5 deer with wooden arrows.  All were pass through with a Woodsman or Snuffers.  Of course if I had hit them in the shoulders it wouldn't matter if it were concrete arrows with an Ashby head on the tip.  Shot placement and a sharp head.  

[Bowhunter4life]

I used wood arrows for one year.  Took a black bear and a mule deer (the one in my Avatar) with the same arrow... 30" tapered lodge pole pine with a Woodsman on the end...  58", 57# @ 29" Morrison Dakota...  Complete pass through on the bear (8 yards from the ground) and it stuck half way up the Woodsman into a Pine tree.  The mule deer was a hard quartering away shot at 23 yards if I remember correctly... entered at the last rib on the right and broadhead came out right behind the left leg... arrow stayed in the deer and broke when he fell over on it.  

Tried to get my money back from my friend Troy Breeding (he made the arrows) for the arrow failure...     But, he told me arrows were like coffins, one to a customer...  And I actually owed him money for getting two critters with one arrow.   :D

[longbowman]

I've actually had more with wood than aluminum.  They seem to absorb the limb stroke better.

[Running Buck]

Regardless what material your arrow is made of, tuning to get the best possible flight will be one of the biggest factors in a pass through or not. Carbon and wood react to paradox pretty much the same with carbon dampening a little faster. All the energy and weight in the world has little meaning if the arrow does not strike the intended target squarely.

[Bill Carlsen]

Razor sharp heads and a STRAIGHT FLYNG arrow is the ticket. Heavy FOC also helps a lot. I'm with Shawn on this one. If the animal is moving when the arrow strikes chances for a pass thru diminish.

[mcgroundstalker]

I'll let you know when (if) I ever get a deer this year.   :rolleyes: