I've had numerous conversations with a lot of mechanical broadhead users...some make me shake my head others make me shake their hands. All the conversations, videos watched, threads read and research on my part has me curious as to how often full penetration/pass through shots are accomplished shooting mechanical heads. So hence the poll. THIS POLL HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RECOVERY PERCENTAGES....MANY TIMES PEOPLE RECOVER DEER WITH EASE DESPITE NOT GETTING FULL PENETRATION/PASS THROUGH SHOTS. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS THREAD ONLY FULL 100% PASS THROUGH COUNT, MEANING ARROW NOT STILL IN THE DEER AT ALL EVEN IF AN EXIT HOLE DID OCCUR. This is not meant to start some huge argument so keep it civil boys, this is more of a curiosity thing on my part. *for the sake of the argument, ignore confirmed 100% for sure shoulder hits. Don't blow off the one that didn't hit shoulder but you'll say it did to make mechs look better, just answer honestly please, Thanks! Besides only single beveled heads, high FOC and heavy arrow (with enough lbs pull too) will have a chance to blow through shoulders.
Great topic Ty. I am interested as well in the results of this thread. The issue is one of my hang ups on mechanicals.
If I don't catch the shoulder or spine I get pass through 100% of the time, if I do hit shoulder or spine(only 3 or 4 times) I am 0% pass through. I'd venture to say this would be identical regardless if using mechanical or fixed heads. I use Rocky Mountain Snyper and Rage 40KE at 28.5" and both 50 and 60lb bows. I don't think it would be 100% if I used 2" Rage, especially with my 50 lb bow.
I have never not had a complete pass-through with a mech. In fact, the only shot I've ever taken that didn't pass through was with a Slick Trick, but a spine shot tends to have that affect on any broadhead.
I have shot 5 deer w/ my Red Head Gator BHs. 3 does and 2 mature bucks. on 2 of them, slightly quartering to shots, I have gotten BH pass-thru but the fletching catches on far side of animal. So they both died w/ my arrow and BH sticking 30" out of them. On 3 perfect broadsides, 100% passthru. Completely severed ribs on both sides. Just shot a 9pt last Saturday @ 20 yds, perfect shot, complete passthru, he went about 30 yards, had a blood "highway" instead of a blood "trail" to follow. I'm shooting a Bear Empire, 65#, 31" DL, 340 arrows.
Couldn't blame ya with your case voting 100%...just fletchings is one thing totally different then one where just the head breaks skin on an exit. Which way did you vote just for reference?
I shoot rage 3 blade chisel tips and unless I hit the front shoulder I've gotten 100% pass thru. I'm shooting a Hoyt Vulcan at 27.5" 70#. Side note on deer that I've hit the front shoulder I've gotten 0% pass thru. And I've only lost 1 deer in 7 yrs.
I've had 100% pass throughs with mechanicals(rage) but my bow is cranked up to 73#. Ive always had pass throughs with fixed and mechanicals , unless I hit shoulder.
The only reason I couldn't say 100% is because of two deer. but it's well over 50% complete pass through. I shoot NAP spitfires (front deploying) and draw about 62# at 28". 35 yards was the farthest shot on any of them and I did get a complete pass through on her. One of the two deer that caused me to vote "50% or higher on 3 or more" I hit a limb and struck his hip. never found him or my arrow. The other was my buck last year ran off with 20 of the 28" sticking out of the opposite side.
I'll start by saying I shot Muzzy 3 blade 100gr for 10+ years and loved them - would not hesitate to go back. I Shot 3 animals with mechanicals before the Muzzy phase, and 4 in last couple years since switching back. Now shoot mechanicals for multiple reasons. Pass thrus are 5 for 7 (I answered over 50% for 3 or more shots). Of the 2 that did not pass through, one was a doe shot through both legs and she snapped my arrow right at the fletchings, so all but 4" passed through. The second was the 700+lb bull elk I shot this year that I would not expect a pass thru on anyway. Of the 4 animals I have shot since switching back to mechanicals - no tracking required - I'm afraid I'm going to lose my art of blood tracking animals I should add that the first 3 I ever shot with Mechanicals were out of 58lb bow shooting 200fps and all pass through. Last 4 are with 70lb bow...
Never on 2 or fewer shots. I used some mechanicals for one year that had the kicker deployment feet facing forward...don't recall the brand but they sucked and cost me a 180" buck that year due to kickout from an angled downward shot. Haven't shot any others through deer but I have some I'm trying again this year....NAP Bloodrunner-3's.
I'm on my phone, so I can't see or vote in the poll. But I am shooting Killzones this year, and I have had 2 complete pass throughs that have stuck 5-6" in the ground behind the deer. I hit one doe in her shoulder blade, it penetrated enough that when she ran the broadhead turned her lungs into mush, but not a pass through. In previous years, I have had 8/8 pass throughs on deer shot with mechanicals. I have only ever had two arrows not pass through completely, one with the Killzone this year and one with a Slick Trick standard 3 years ago. Both were due to poor shots though. Just for fun, here is the first doe shot with the Killzone this year. Entrance- entered behind her last rib on a severe quartering away shot Exit- complete pass through My set up makes this possible. I shoot 70 pounds at a 30" draw length, shooting a 440 grain arrow at 284 fps.
Not including 1 shot where no broadhead would have passed through i'm 100% for pass throughs on around 20 whitetails and 3 black bears using mechanical broadheads.
Out of the 7 deer i've shot since switching to the rage 2 blades i've only not had a complete pass through on 3 deer 2 where through the both front shoulder and the other was a quatering away shot that entered through the ribs and hit the oposite front shoulder. Every other shot the longest at 45 yards (this weekend) has been complete pass through.
I have no idea what the OP is trying to accomplish with the poll. However, I believe MOST of the "mechanical haters" have either never tried them and just hate the idea of them or tried them once and got poor results due to a badly tuned bow. The failure rate of mechanical is also exaggerated I believe. In 10 years of hunting, I've shot mechanical heads for 9 of them, taking a few deer each year. I have yet for a broadhead to "fail". Poor shot decisions, poorly tuned equipment, and lack of practice lead to lost deer. Not a type of broadhead.
I have shot a few deer with mechanicals but really like Muzzy heads... which I preface with don't always give complete penetration either. My totals: with Meat Seekers 2 inch three blade heads. Three dead deer... One good blood trail... zero complete pass throughs. With Sidewinder 1.5 Inch three blade, with chisel tip. Two dead deer... one complete pass through... one good blood trail... the other was spined. All five shots hit my point of aim... except the spine shot was obviously a bit high. I had zero deployment failures and would shoot either of them confidently. That being said... I love my Muzzy heads and I get about a 90% pass through rate. Sometimes I hit a leg bone on the exit or something similar. Sharp + accurate + not rushing the tracking job equals success. I am convinced most lost deer are caused by poor shot selection, poor placement, poor decision making after the shot and lack of humility to stop and ask for help before a deer is jumped and lost. Unless you know the deer went down... wait. Even then... go slowly.
I have shot a few deer with mechanicals but really like Muzzy heads... which I preface with don't always give complete penetration either. My totals: with Meat Seekers 2 inch three blade heads. Three dead deer... One good blood trail... zero complete pass throughs. With Sidewinder 1.5 Inch three blade, with chisel tip. Two dead deer... one complete pass through... one good blood trail... the other was spined. All five shots hit my point of aim... except the spine shot was obviously a bit high. I had zero deployment failures and would shoot either of them confidently. That being said... I love my Muzzy heads and I get about a 90% pass through rate. Sometimes I hit a leg bone on the exit or something similar. Sharp + accurate + not rushing the tracking job equals success. I am convinced most lost deer are caused by poor shot selection, poor placement, poor decision making after the shot and lack of humility to stop and ask for help before a deer is jumped and lost. Unless you know the deer went down... wait. Even then... go slowly. At either rate... I tried mechanicals to make up for my vision issues, thinking maybe a bigger hole would make tracking easier. LIke everything in life, there are no shortcuts to hard work.
