Arrow Penetration-?

[Traditional-Archer]

Scafer silvertip 55 lb @ 27" I draw 25 1/2 " I figure I'M drawing 49 LB .I shot two Deer this year one at 15 yards back rib 100 125 lb Deer did not go through the Deer.The other at 25 yards back rib quartering away 125 130 lb Deer. 35-55 goldtip 3 lb weight toob insert 50-G tip insert 125 razarcaps total arrow weight 503-G.
Am I expeting to much from my arrow.
What can I do to improve penetration.

[BLACK WOLF]

Make sure your bow and arrows are tuned to the best of your ability.

Increase FOC by going to a heavier head, which will also require that you shorten your arrows or go to a stiffer spine.

Ray  

[cvarcher]

The most important part of the equipement is the broadhead. That is what does the killing.Im not up on all these fancy profit producing heads these days.I use the simple 2 blade design that I touch up with a 6" mill file every morning before I go out. You said with 49-50 lbs at 15 yards and a near broadside hit you didnt get complete penetration. I made the same shot with a 45 lb bow at that distance and got complete penetration on a small buck the same size.  . So I dont think its the bow poundage.

[Traditional-Archer]

O.K I've tuned my arrows before the season at 20 yards with a bare shafts.They were perfect no left no right up and down right on. So the only other question is doe's anyone out the use rasercaps and did you have any problems with penetration.I agree I don't think its the bow or tuning is there any thing that could help.Broad head weight O.K will this chang my tuning suggestions on arrow and tip will help.

[Bill Carlsen]

I love my Razorcaps. I have found after doing this for half a century that the newer thinking about going to a heavy FOC arrow really makes penetration better. My wife shoots 43-46# and shoots four blade Phantoms.  Her arrow weight is 500 grains. She gets two holes or pass thrus. Her arrows are Beman Max 4 with 100 grain brass inserts and 100 grain broadheads. That is 200 grains up front. RC's come in a 200 grain model and I use that weight or the 100's or 125's on those shafts that have 100 grain inserts. I have never had such good penetration, even with two blade heads.

[deermaster1]

i agree with the light arrow, heavy head thinking for lighter weight set ups.  i am using a light 50 lb bow, gold tip 35-55 arrows and super heavy 250 heads up front.  to get a head that heavy, go somewhere like the 3 rivers archery site and for example a 125 grn glue on head and a pack of 125 screw in adapters.  then you suddenly have a super heavy head that will blast through anything.  make your practice points the same way using glue on field points with the same adapters.  one tip.  use slow drying epoxy so that you have time to make sure the heads spin true with no wobble.  congrats on the trad killed deer!

[SlowBowinMO]

At 49# and a 25 1/2 inch draw, I'd not expect pass through performance with a 3 blade, even one as good as the Razorcap.

Point loading like mentioned above will help, but I think your set up has 2 blade written all over it.

[Sharpster]

Originally posted by SlowBowinMO:
At 49# and a 25 1/2 inch draw, I'd not expect pass through performance with a 3 blade, even one as good as the Razorcap.

Point loading like mentioned above will help, but I think your set up has 2 blade written all over it.

Exactly right!!!

-Sharps

[Pinecone]

Increase your FOC, make sure the arrows are perfectly tuned, and the BHs are scary sharp.  You should have no problems getting optimum penetration at your poundage.

Claudia

[Mr.Magoo]

The question is, what did the razorcap hit on the way out?  If you didn't hit a big leg bone or the shoulder, then you should have 2 holes.

Assuming your bow / arrow is tuned and you're not getting a bad release ... then are your heads really sharp?

Lastly, take out the weight tubes and up the point weight.  My GT 35/55's are carrying 285gr up front and they're 545gr. total (my bow is 53@29).

[Snakeeater]

Did you bare shaft tune with a broadhead on the shaft? If not, then they may not be flying straight like they did with the field point. I would shoot some with broadheads on into a target and see if they are hitting perpendicular or at an angle. Any angle will rob you of energy and penetration.

[Traditional-Archer]

Good  points all. I will try some of the suggestion you are telling me to do. I love the gang.Snakeeter thanks I did not think to bare shaft the broadhead just a rookie mistake.

[Traditional-Archer]

The caps hit rib on the other side. They just broke the rib but did go through.

[Traditional-Archer]

I like the idea of two blade. I have some 125-g mangus I believe they are called.They shoot great what is the difference less blade drag or something like that.

[Traditional-Archer]

What is FOC.

[Sharpster]

Originally posted by Traditional-Archer:
I like the idea of two blade. I have some 125-g mangus I believe they are called.They shoot great what is the difference less blade drag or something like that.

Yes there is generally less "drag" with a two blade than a multiblade head. Another advantage of a two blade is that when bone is encountered, a two blade only has to break the bone once to get through. A three blade has to break the same bone in at least two directions to get through it. Breaking any bone once uses less KE than breaking it twice.

You should read Dr. Ashby's reports on broadhead leathality and performance. Good eye opening info!

-Sharps

[SlowBowinMO]

The 2 blade has less  cutting surface area, and far less work to do when bone is hit, which can give you a big advantage in penetration.

Bare shaft tuning is great, but you were right NOT to do it with broadheads, just use field points and bare and fletched arrows.

You're getting pretty good penetration, I don't personally think it sounds like a tuning issue, you just don't have a lot of steam.  A 2 blade will help you with 2 holes.

FOC is Forward of center, regarding the balance of the arrow.  Most agree you want at least 10-12 percent FOC for broadheads, carbon arrow shooters have been point loading arrows way beyond that with good results.  Lack of FOC is seldom a problem with Trad set ups.

Good shooting, Tim

[STRAYARROW]

did the deer jump the string and deflect arrow on entry?

[Mulberry River]

According to Dr. Ashby, the optimum penetration will be obtained with a cut-on-contact head having only one side sharpened, such as the Grizzly or the newest Zwickey. Of course, that should be qualified with all the other factors being equal: properly tuned, proper FOC, matching feather twist (RH for Grizzly), "scary sharp" as stated, shaft as slim or slimmer than the ferrule, etc.  I highly recommend the latest Ashby reports! Congrats on the kill!!   Dan

[Mulberry River]

I should have specified a TWO-BLADE cut-on-contact head.  It's been previously demonstrated that the 2-blade types yield better penetration than 3 or 4 (or more) blade type heads.  Some people refer to the Zwickeys & Grizzlys as one blade broadheads.
Best of luck,
Dan