Excessive penetration.

Crossbow Hunting

Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude

Post Reply
User avatar
DuckHunt
Posts: 2162
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2006 2:07 pm
Location: Harpers Ferry, WV

Excessive penetration.

Post by DuckHunt »

I just got back from a very long flight and was preparing for the Virginia either-sex archery opener tomorrow. I've been shooting doe for a month, now the bucks are fair game.

I decided to toss an arrow at 20, 30 & 40 just to check the zero of everything since my son used my Exomax at an archery shoot this past weekend. At 20 yards, perfect. At 30, perfect as I can get it after being up 20 hours. At 40 yards, oops. I jerked the trigger like I was shooting an elephant gun and ended up just missing my block target to the side. I heard the arrow skip off of the grass and contact the privacy fence about 15 yards behind it. Good, at least my errant shot was contained to my own yard. I took my time with the next shot at 40, perfect.

When I went to retrieve the arrow that was stopped by the fence, I expected to see it just short of the fence assuming it bounced off the rough 1/2" pine boards. I've had experience with using trees as a backstop on various occasions. :roll: I was surprised to find my stock FireBolt with the last four inches of the bolt sticking out of one of the boards on my side of the fence. :shock: Heck, I even use rounded field points instead of tapered ones in an attempt to limit target penetration. I don't think it helped me. I was able to wiggle the carbon arrow around to make a little room and eventually pulled the arrow out of the board. The vanes are quite wrinkled about half way and the field point and insert are probably still moving. :) As I pulled my other three arrows, one of them lost a front insert as well. Dang it.

I've got some spare front inserts, but don't have the time today to fix them as I like. So my Exomax is shelved for tomorrows opener. I'll be vertical only for a few days. A fresh set of FireBolts from Bass Pro are on their way as they should have been months ago.

The ExoMax never ceases to amaze me at just how much penetration is really has. I almost had a skipping pass through on a rough 1/2" pine board at 50 yards. I love my Max, but I'd certainly be confident carrying one of the 150# models to my tree stand. I can understand why so many folks love their Phoenix.

DuckHunt
Micro Wolverine/Matrix 350 SE
Recovering Excalaholic :lol:
User avatar
secret
Posts: 1021
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 12:13 pm
Location: southwest Pa United States

Re: Excessive penetration.

Post by secret »

You need to buy "The block" [crossbow] .you will never have that problem again.
Exocet 200
gt lazer 2 [turkey] gt lazer 4 [deer]
wasp sst hammers
groundpounder
lumizone
ff string
FredBear
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 8:56 pm
Location: NW,Ohio

Re: Excessive penetration.

Post by FredBear »

secret wrote:You need to buy "The block" [crossbow] .you will never have that problem again.
You can't miss the crossbow block :?:
JimM
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 7:07 am
Location: Leesburg, va

Re: Excessive penetration.

Post by JimM »

Good luck today Duckhunt. It's about 4:30am I'm drinking my only cup of coffee this morning. I limit my self only one before going to sit in my tree stand. I Havent hunted for the last two weeks, not wanting to disturb the deer in my 40 acres here in loudoun. I hope to have good luck.
bwagss
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2010 6:27 am
Location: On the lake, Ohio

Re: Excessive penetration.

Post by bwagss »

My 175 lb. Phoenix surprises me on the amount of penetration my Firebolt shaft provides. I can't imagin the Exomax 225lb! I've only experienced one time that my bolt didn't completely pass thorugh a harvested deer. And that was a small buck last weekend with a 20yd shot. Not a perfect shot, but it was heart lungs and he only went about 40yds before bedding down. The Block backstop does offer a good alternative for higher poundage crossbows.
When you think you know everything, you find out how much you don't know.
sumner4991
Posts: 6989
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2006 12:16 pm

Re: Excessive penetration.

Post by sumner4991 »

FredBear wrote:
secret wrote:You need to buy "The block" [crossbow] .you will never have that problem again.
You can't miss the crossbow block :?:
I was thinking the same thing. :lol: :lol: I've seen some things I couldn't hit, but, heck, there isn't anything I can't miss. :shock:

I have hit my fence and achieved a complete pass through. I have to admit, the fence had been up for 15 years, but, it was still a fairly solid board. The Max has some power.
I'd rather wear out than rust out.
Perception trumps intention.

2006 Exomax w/Agingcrossbower Custom Stock
20" Easton Powerbolts w/125gr Trophy Ridge Stricknines & 2"Blazers
Boo Custom Strings
2006 Vixen
DirtyGun
Posts: 614
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 3:44 pm

Re: Excessive penetration.

Post by DirtyGun »

Saw the thread title and the juvenile part of my mind could only come up with...

...'that's what she said...'

Nyuk nyuk nyuk.
gad
Posts: 538
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2004 10:37 am
Location: br

Re: Excessive penetration.

Post by gad »

I love to shoot my exomaX.

Last sunday, I have made a mistake to take one of my broahead tipped arrow in place of a field point. Well sharpened wasp boss broadheads tipping one 2219 aluminum arrow.

I send the arrow to the target at 90 meters (yes, I have this target to shoot my compounds to it at that distance), and, HAD A PASSTHROUGH. NEVER found that arrow again !

This is a kind of a giant bag target, filled with plastic bags very well compressed. The arrows from my hoyt katera at 77 ft/pounds does not out penetrate it, but
the exomaX made a passthrough.

I confess that the only part that I disliked about it was to lost the arrow !
I'm all for gun control. To me, gun control is putting 2 bullets in the same hole... UNCLE TED
User avatar
Stash
Posts: 510
Joined: Sun Aug 27, 2006 6:40 pm
Location: Mississauga, ON

Re: Excessive penetration.

Post by Stash »

A more serious issue....

Are there people on the other side of that fence? Would you want your children playing in a yard where someone was shooting a crossbow in their direction?

You need to make sure your practice range is absolutely safe.
sumner4991
Posts: 6989
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2006 12:16 pm

Re: Excessive penetration.

Post by sumner4991 »

Stash wrote:A more serious issue....

Are there people on the other side of that fence? Would you want your children playing in a yard where someone was shooting a crossbow in their direction?

You need to make sure your practice range is absolutely safe.
I agree. Just a wooded lot on the other side of the fence for me. The arrow would have to manuver through 100 yards of woods to find itself close to another house, not to mention getting through the 6 ft. fence. I thought all that out before I ever made the first shot.

If the fence was the only thing between my yard and my neighbor's yard, then there is no way I would launch an arrow.
I'd rather wear out than rust out.
Perception trumps intention.

2006 Exomax w/Agingcrossbower Custom Stock
20" Easton Powerbolts w/125gr Trophy Ridge Stricknines & 2"Blazers
Boo Custom Strings
2006 Vixen
Pydpiper
Posts: 6148
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 4:56 pm
Location: Woodstock, Brantford'ish, ON
Contact:

Re: Excessive penetration.

Post by Pydpiper »

I missed my target once, arrow went clean through the wall of my camper, through the toilet seat that was in the up position and stuck in the far wall.
Wife manages to remind me of that every time she heads in there, we camp a lot. :D

Looking back, it was a recipe for disaster. :wink:

Image

Image

Image

That was many years ago, the 17 kids, 2 nuns and dodo bird that usually sleep in the camper were gone for the day. Actually, the targets were there during a one day construction of our home range.
Now, with 4 out of 5 of us as regular shooters we have built an archery stand with miles of clearance behind it, added a firearm range too. With so many of us out there we have developed the use of flags, pylons and a few other measures to ensure everyone is safe. The big blue thing is a hot tub cover, works awesome for the kids arrows, we just drag it around when they shoot, works as a winter cover or our bag targets too.

Image

Image
If you are not willing to learn, nobody can help you, if you are willing, nobody can stop you.
A bowhunter with a passion for shooting firearms.
WMU 91
Boo string
User avatar
wheelie
Posts: 3886
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2008 3:01 am
Location: Meaford, Ont.

Re: Excessive penetration.

Post by wheelie »

Stash wrote:A more serious issue....

Are there people on the other side of that fence? Would you want your children playing in a yard where someone was shooting a crossbow in their direction?

You need to make sure your practice range is absolutely safe.
very true. I shoot at my house from the back of the yard. Used to do it the other way around till one day my nabour peeked over the fence and her head was one foot directly over my shooting bag. I put bow away until I made changes. Kinda freeked me out cause I was shooting the bow when she looked over.
Post Reply