I shot this buck at 40 yards using a 125 grn Swhacker 2 blade out of a Xbow. After the shot the buck took off with tail tucked. Waited a reasonable time then checked the shot sight, no hair no arrow but a few drops of blood. went about 40 yards just a drop here and a drop there. It made me think of either a high hit or nick. Went back for a change of clothes and got back on the trail. After a hundred and fifty yards I was convinced of a non lethal wound, gave her another 50 yards and ready to give her up and there lies the arrow, blood soaked with a peace of muscle. Had some decent blood for the next 20 yards then back to a drop ever so often. On the trail for another 40 yards or so and bingo I walk up on this fairly big bodied 8 pt spread eagle and dead. The wound resembled what I would consider an axe wound, maybe 10" long from an angle forward quartering shot. all the blodd was inside the animal and he still went approxiamately 225 yards

://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/100_1897.JPG[/IMG] ] [/URL][URL=

Is there a chance that the bolt hit something on the way, got deflected, and hence did not penetrate very far? Fletching still there? Good size buck though!
Peter.

He must have been quartering away? How much penetration did you get? From the distance he covered, maybe into the liver?

I have to admit I'm a not a fan of mechanicals of any description. They tend to do particularly poorly on quartering shots in my experience, so I think that even though it was a well-aimed shot, you were still lucky to recover him.

You might look at the G5 Montec broadheads. They tend to fly well, and have killed everything I hit.

My ten point Lazer shouts the Swhacker exactly to the same point of aim as a field pointed bolt of the same weight. What made it easy I bought one of those Bushnel ARC1200 that compensates for the elevation, I am at 24 feet when I shot this deer and the ARC established 40 yds even though I swear it was 50.
The property I have in Southern Illinois has some of the most impenetrable underbrush consisting of wild roses and vines up to about 5 feet and thick. I leave it that way since the deer bed down in it and you would need a good reason to go into it . This deer ran about 50 yards and went into the thick of it then cut through the thick stuff for the next 100 yds at the end of the thick stuff was where I found the arrow. I believe it was in him pass the vanes since I use brightly colored vanes and I watched him run away and I was convinced it was either a pass through or a complete miss. The vanes was coated in thick blood with a peace of flesh so it looked like it was in him deep. His liver was hit and one lung, but no exit hole so blood stayed in him. These animals are tough to go that far but they can cover a lot of distance in 10 to 15 seconds on a death run which is what this guy did as he looked like a deer rug when I found him, no kick or struggling marks whatsoever.