Bfrshooter wrote:

Quote:

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You can always tell a liver hit, the deer will jump high and hump up. It will only run a short way and will walk a straight line until it drops.

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Yea, EVERY time. You should come hunting down here sometime. I have shot a pile of them through the liver, they seem to have dropped low and ran fast in all different directions before expiring.



Good Luck!



Reloader

Snider,

Have you thought about Expandables?

They leave a much Bigger hole and deer run far less(Much more internal damage).

The Spitfires and the Shockwaves by NAP are pretty good heads. I like the Gametracker First Cuts too.

Good Luck!

Reloader

Snider,

The problem with larger cutting diameter heads is they are really hard to keep from planning. Usually with fast bow setups you lose arrow consistancy and accuracy. Usually a larger more helical fletching will help stabalize larger broadheads, but then you have to worry about fletching clearance with your rest.
My suggestion would be to shoot whatever fixed blade broad head flies the best with your set up regardless of cutting diameter. Or just go out and get you some mechanical heads and never look back. I shot Rocket heads for a long time and never had any failures with these heads. They are very durable and they opened on impact 100% of the time.
Broadhead accuracy is alot more important than cutting diameter, so shoot the heads that fly the best with your set up and youll be successful.

Fordfreak

Yup, been shootin bows for 60 yrs. Huntin deer for maybe 40 yrs. Have over 350 deer, about 220 with bows.

bfrshooter,

Deer react differently when shot.

You got that right! Some times it seems like they hardly react when hit and others they do a back flip.

Some deer just have more "go" than others. Some are just plain tough even when hit through the vitals.

I don't think Broadhead selection is as important as having Razor sharp blades on the head you choose. Some of todays heads aren't very sharp even when new.

Reloader

From what I understand, A liver hit is extremely painful for them. The ones I did this too ran fast for a short way then walked because of the pain. But, then, every deer is different. One will drop in it's tracks and the next, hit exactly the same will run for 100 yds or more. The most memorial ones are those that ate apples again after an arrow went through their lungs. They start to fall asleep and shake their heads trying to stay awake. Panic will set in and they take about 2 leaps and collapse.

yeah, that new NAP has a cut on entry blade that is TOUGH! 70# is adequate for expandables.
I have seen a lot of deer shot with the light short heads and they do go farther. I only tried one once and retired them. The length of the cutting edges are too short even though the bades are wide. Howard Hill always said the cutting edge (blade length) has to be three times the width.

No disrespect intended here.....It sounds more like a shot placememt issue VS. a equipment problem. If your bow works...DO NOT start "fixing it" because you got a less that perfect shot off. It happens.....and it ....happens to all of us from time to time.

The hardest part...and most rewarding part...IMHO...is waiting it out. The measure of a true hunter is the maturity to NOT take some shots.

Don't beat yourself up or make yourself crazy...hunting is suposed to be fun. Leave your set-up be....adding an aditional 1/8" cutting diameter ain't gonna make a difference it the shot isn't in the bread backet.

Have a great season, Kill a big one!!!