bolt and broadhead help, help, help

[jacktar]

Last season I was shooting an exocet, excalibur carbon fiber bolts and 100 gr. G-5 broadheads. Sorry I don't know the total weight of bolt and head. I shot a nice six point from 21yards I think I got a little too close to the shoulder but still had good blood. I trailed him for a little better then a mile with no recovery. When I got back to where I started I found the rear half of the bolt which was broken off about six inches from the braodhead. Now the wierd part I also shot a turkey from a ground blind at about four or five yards. I did recover the bird but the bolt was broken in the same area as the first one and no pass through I found the broadhead and about six inches of bolt in the bird. I'm buying a new equinox or vortex ( still undecided)and the dealer is telling me to only use the excalibur 150 gr bolt cutter. I like the way the G-5 is made and have a few 125gr. Has anyone got any input on this? I will be hunting deer and moose this season.

[one shot scott]

When shooting a "lighter" arrow like the excal firebolts with the alum insert its wise to have a heavier broadhead. But to say only the boltcutters? I think your safe to try others. Slick Tricks is bringing out a 175g head as an example. Might be worth a try. But I have used the boltcutters and they are a well designed head that fly well.

I have no Idea why your breaking arrows. It seems your set-up is ok, I have no experience with the heads your using though.

[hawg hunter]

I've done the sme thing when shooting hawgs using the sme setup that you have .on deer I've lost one with this set up and killed 10. love montec g5 easy to keep sharp and are very strong.

[Horizontal Hunter]

I use an Exocet (200lb) and I am shooting GT Laser II arrows with the brass insert tipped with a 125g NAP Spitfire or Slick Trick. My arrows completely pass thru the chest cavity of a whitetail and can usually be bound buried in the ground nearly up to the fletchings. The only broken arrows I have had were the ones that hit a rock.

Bob

[wabi]

I'm going to chance offending a few (or a majority) of members here, but I'll give my opinion.

The FOC importance is quickly becoming a matter of top priority with archery hunters and as much of the details can easily get over stressed as a matter of selling new accessories. Back when aluminum shafts were marketed as the "latest & greatest" addition to equipment bowhunters found they worked very well and quickly adopted them. My first crossbow arrows were 2219 aluminum shafts cut to 20" with point inserts installed in both ends and fletched with 5" feathers. These shot very accurately from my Vixen and I killed a lot of deer with them using both fixed blade heads & mechanicals. FOC was horrible (probably 7%), but the Vixen and 2219s didn't know they weren't a perfect match and they kept putting the arrow right where I was aiming.

I switched to carbons for the "faster is better" mindset, and used G-5 Montecs on a few deer. No problems if I put the arrow where it was supposed to go, but I did break a couple shafts and became concerned about meat contamination so I went back to aluminum arrows. This time I used a bunch of 2215 shafts I had and they worked just as well as the 2219s with 100 grain points and the lousy FOC.

I found a broadhead with replacement type blades I liked (no longer made ) and switched to hunting with them instead of the Montecs.

The landowner where I hunt (also a hunter) bought a new Phoenix, so I gave hum my carbons (Gold Tips) and Montecs. He loves the Montec and doesn't mind spending time to keep them sharp, so he hunts with them. Last November he managed to shoot a nice buck with that combination and made a good hit, but the deer was in the edge of an open field and as sometimes happens the deer did manage to put on that extra burst of "escape" energy to reach cover on the other side. Probably made it 150 - 200 yards before it reached cover, stopped, began pouring blood from the wounds and collapsed. I've seen this happen before, and I have found they can make a "run for cover" with a perfect hit (both lungs) from a great broadhead and cover an amazing amount of distance before they drop. I've had the same thing happen when I hit a deer in the open, so I don't blame the broadhead.

The results of a carbon arrow tipped with a 100gr Montec put through both lungs of a dinky-racked buck.

garys deer.JPG

With deer like this coming from our county, his buck looks kind of "dinky"

(this is the one that was poached last year and cost the poacher $23,572. in restitution, plus fines, plus a lifetime hunting right suspension)

[jacktar]

Guys,

Thanks for all the help on my post

[lvt01]

I hunted a few years with a Horton crossbow with the Horton Carbon Strike MX arrows and the Horton FX 100g broadhead. The Horton FX 100 broadhead is very similar to the Montec G5 Striker. Probably because I believe that Montec made them for Horton. I harvested a few deer with that setup, but did have a couple arrows break similarly to what you described. No reason for it that I could figure out. I have since switched to Excal CB's and shoot the Excal FireBolts with the 150g boltcutters and they have done well for me. I also shoot the Firebolts with a 125g NAP XP Pro mechanicals and they fly nearly the same for me as the boltcutters. Its like has been said before...if you keep your FOC up using a heavier BH with the lighter arrow you will be fine with either Excal CB you decide on. I'm at a loss as well for what causes the carbon arrows to break like that. I can say that since switching to the Excal CB's and using the Firebolts I haven't had anymore arrows snap like the 2 Horton arrows did for me before.

[vixenmaster]

So fer i haven't had any of my GT II's break, i have used Montec G5. Fer some reason the G5 tends to blow thru, or pushes the tissue ahead of it. Sometimes blood trails are almost none til they expire. I have used S T's with great success & this yr. i will be using spitfire 100 with my vixen & 125 snuffers with my phoenix.

[SwampFox]

I am a little late getting in on this discussion but I am glad the question was asked. I am shooting the easton excal. firebolts with the 150 boltcutter out of the Equinox and really love the combination..but then again I wouldnt know any different. and this is coming from a guy who doesnt change much if aint broke so to speak. I did realize that I couldnt replace the inserts in my carbon arrow . i have always shot alumin. so didnt think about that issue.. So my question is.. what arrow is similar to the quality of carbon firebolt that i can add an insert to or not add one and shoot lets say a 100 or 125 grain bh but still be close to the weight I have now? My CB is dead on and I dont want to change the weight. .i just was wondering to have more options to try for turkey, goose, small game etc.. It seems every bh out ther is either 100, 125 or 175 except the boltcutter. .. thanks for any replies

[SwampFox]

ok..after I read my last message even I scratched my head. So take two ... i want to use the firebolts and boltcutters for deer, coyote, fox etc.. but the fisherman in me has to have target focused gear for certain situations .... i would like to have a box of arrows and bhs that I can reach for for big game and then grab another box of arrows and bhs best suited for small game , then one for turkeys etc... but at the same time not have to re-sight in the cb for different weights.. I just would hate to shoot a 150 grain bh at a squirrell I want to try and use it as much as possible so if anyone hunts everything with their cb it would be great to hear what ya think...

[Horizontal Hunter]

ok..after I read my last message even I scratched my head. So take two ... i want to use the firebolts and boltcutters for deer, coyote, fox etc.. but the fisherman in me has to have target focused gear for certain situations .... i would like to have a box of arrows and bhs that I can reach for for big game and then grab another box of arrows and bhs best suited for small game , then one for turkeys etc... but at the same time not have to re-sight in the cb for different weights.. I just would hate to shoot a 150 grain bh at a squirrell I want to try and use it as much as possible so if anyone hunts everything with their cb it would be great to hear what ya think...

I think that you can do all of that with one arrow and just change the broadhead for what you are doing.

Bob

[sumner4991]

Good comments . . .here is mine . . .

A solid fixed blade broadhead can glance off bone which creates a change in direction. If you hit bone and the broadhead changed direction, then that could easily have caused your arrow to break. It's more of a fluke that the arrows broke in approx. the same place(may have more to do with the length of the arrow than anything else).

A broadhead with the thinner "replacement" blades will glance off bone and typically not change direction because the blade bends instead. The blade bends and just keeps cutting.

Of course, either broadhead will stop if it's a direct hit into the bone and there isn't enough KE to cut all the way through.

If you don't like long tracking jobs on good solid hits, then try a large cutting broadhead. I use the Trophy Ridge Stricknines. The 3 blade, 2 inch cut does a lot of damage. I still have not had a deer travel over fifty yards after being hit with a 2 inch cut, 3 blade.

More cutting surface is what you need.

Use the replaceable blades . . .there is no blood in the bones.

[SwampFox]

ok..after I read my last message even I scratched my head. So take two ... i want to use the firebolts and boltcutters for deer, coyote, fox etc.. but the fisherman in me has to have target focused gear for certain situations .... i would like to have a box of arrows and bhs that I can reach for for big game and then grab another box of arrows and bhs best suited for small game , then one for turkeys etc... but at the same time not have to re-sight in the cb for different weights.. I just would hate to shoot a 150 grain bh at a squirrell I want to try and use it as much as possible so if anyone hunts everything with their cb it would be great to hear what ya think...

I think that you can do all of that with one arrow and just change the broadhead for what you are doing.

Bob

I think i am going to try and see how the Goldtip laser IIs are.. after reading so much about them i looked and they have a lot to offer as far as changing around weight . I think I can play around with different mechanicals or fixed blades and still be around 10 or so grains from my current set up that i am happy with ..it will be fun learning however it turns out....anywho, thanks Bob for the reply .. catch ya later