Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

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cevans
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Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by cevans »

I have preached it before and will say it again. Me and mechanical broadheads just don't get along. Been passing up small bucks, finally a nice 8 that field dressed about 175, I would guess 2.5 yrs old s15" rack spread. Good eater come walking up to my stand within 20 yrds, had seen him 3 diff. times and decided to pop him with my NEW NAP FOC's that I had sighted in according to SEW's specks with no problems (thanks SEW it was easy peasy sighting in. When I shot this buck,,it was at 20 yds, and the BLADES DID NOT OPEN. Arrow was sticking out both sides. This buck was on the move,,and wouldn't stop for my grunts,,so I picked a window out,,he walked into it, I shot him broadside and missed the lungs,,but blew his liver out and the rest,,with both blades that didn't open, he bled good, but went about 300 yds in the deepest ravine around all the way to the bottom,,and it took me and a bud of mine over a hour with a deer cart just to get him to the top after we gutted him at the bottom. What a workout! I do have pics,,and the arrow, and broadhead was still sticking thru both sides, but to trashed to post right now. This all took place as the shot on the deer was at 10:30 am,,we were till 2pm getting back to hang him,,and spent about a hour resighting my Slick Tricks back in....perfectly dead on nuts again,,,,and have to still wash a bunch of clothes before hunting again tonite and its now 9ish pm. Screw the mechanical FOC's...I have said this before,,but I really mean it,,never shooting another mechanical broadhead ever ever again. Just is my luck,,they don't like me. :lol: At least with my slick tricks, I don't have to chase a wounded deer. Good luck to all that likes mechanical broadheads,,I know you love them,,BUT!!! There is always a chance,,they will screw up sometime,,someplace,,somewhere,,but not me again. Done with the rant. :lol: Good hunting everybody! :)
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Carnivorous
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Re: Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by Carnivorous »

Sorry to hear that the FOC let you down.

I have taken 3 deer a Bear & a coyote with my FOC's this year with my Matrix 355 & I could not be happier with the entry & exit wounds. All resulted in very short recoverys...

Here is sample of the devistation after my arrows left the deck.. Sorry in advance for the gore!! :)


Image


Image

Image

Heart shot from my 10 point buck!
Image
A touch of frost has heightened your awareness and your heart steadily beats in anticipation. Your senses are suddenly alert to the movement on the forest floor and you realize that the moment of truth is at hand.
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cevans
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Re: Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by cevans »

I know...I am truly disappointed....you guys posting all the great pics of the great devestaion of the FOC's..but I guess,,they just don't like me. I took that broadhead and it opened pretty easy even with all the blood and hair on it and shut perfectly and cliked easy too when shut,,never shot it as its new and didn't open,,I was shocked. I will stay with fixed blade,,and not worry about it knowing I don't have a problem or worry with fixed blade. where I am hunting in some of the most rugged country,,I was hoping that the FOC would take them down and I wouldn't have to trash myself dragging up steep hills and out of 400-500' deep ravines and danged if that buck didn't wobble all the way to the bottom blowing blood everywhere even tho the blades didn't open...Only great thing is the Zombie Slayer shaft is still like new after the beating of the brush it took is super great and still usable. :| And,,I jumped my big monster 12 at the bottom also,,he was watching us gut his buddie. :|
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Re: Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by Carnivorous »

That really is a bummer but on the bright side you found him & he was not lost.

Use what works for ya. Its all about being confident in your equipmement...

Jeff
A touch of frost has heightened your awareness and your heart steadily beats in anticipation. Your senses are suddenly alert to the movement on the forest floor and you realize that the moment of truth is at hand.
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cevans
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Re: Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by cevans »

What are my true feelings about FOC's? And mechanical broadheads in general??? Want me to dig them out the trash???? Heck no. If there is a one in million chance on 1 shot only,,of killing a super buck,,I ask myself,,am I willing to gamble on a mechanical maybe not working just one time? Again? I won't make the same mistake 3 times ever again. I have bow hunted over 45 yrs or more,,and now 3 times,,mechanicals have failed to open on my shots,,no more again.
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Re: Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by vixenmaster »

Congrats on the deer & great recovery. Take pic's of entry n exit post them fer us to see the job the FOC didn't do please
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Re: Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by Carnivorous »

cevans wrote:What are my true feelings about FOC's? And mechanical broadheads in general??? Want me to dig them out the trash???? Heck no. If there is a one in million chance on 1 shot only,,of killing a super buck,,I ask myself,,am I willing to gamble on a mechanical maybe not working just one time? Again? I won't make the same mistake 3 times ever again. I have bow hunted over 45 yrs or more,,and now 3 times,,mechanicals have failed to open on my shots,,no more again.

I will take your FOC's off your hands if you are going to throw them in the trash... :)
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Re: Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by Species8472 »

Sorry about you luck man.

Been working for me:

Image

Pretty similar exit wounds to BRCH.
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Re: Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by 884savage »

What makes you certain it didn't open? If it was still opening and closing so smoothly, how do you know for certain that the stopping force didn't shut the blades? Kinda like slamming the brakes on in a car can send your coffee flying forward, that much stopping force could have shut the blades. A liver hit deer can go 300 yards....especially if pushed any at all. Before I'm told how you've hunted since Jesus and shot 6 trillion deer, I'm not making accusations, I'm asking a question for my own curiosity. I'm not saying you're wrong.
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Re: Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by Carnivorous »

Species8472 wrote:Sorry about you luck man.

Been working for me:

Image

Pretty similar exit wounds to BRCH.

Yep like throwing an axe though the deer!! That is a heck of a hole...
A touch of frost has heightened your awareness and your heart steadily beats in anticipation. Your senses are suddenly alert to the movement on the forest floor and you realize that the moment of truth is at hand.
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Re: Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by cevans »

884savage wrote:What makes you certain it didn't open? If it was still opening and closing so smoothly, how do you know for certain that the stopping force didn't shut the blades? Kinda like slamming the brakes on in a car can send your coffee flying forward, that much stopping force could have shut the blades. A liver hit deer can go 300 yards....especially if pushed any at all. Before I'm told how you've hunted since Jesus and shot 6 trillion deer, I'm not making accusations, I'm asking a question for my own curiosity. I'm not saying you're wrong.

I had a shock,,when hearing the shot of the arrow,,,hitting the deer,,a loud kawhack,, it actually stopped him for a second as he looked up at me and then he trotted off..,and seeing the arrow sticking out the side of the deer running thru the woods,,that it didn't open. First time I have ever seen a arrow out of a crossbow sticking out of a deer as they are so fast you normally don't see the strike of the arrow or at least I don't especially when they are all pass thru except this time. All kills so far, past 3 yrs have been pass throughs completely shooting slick tricks and not that kind of noise or most the the time,,not seeing where the arrow sticking out. How about the tiny hole,,no sliced openings which I am surprised to even have a blood trail. Jesus loves me as I am a sinner or have been when it comes to my lifestyle of deer hunting :D ,,,I am 64 and been deer hunting since my dad took me in 65 as back then,,you had to be drawn,,and I just tagged along till getting drawn for a license and learned of him and my uncles.,,so if you have a hand calculator,,,add it up or get someone else to add it for you. Buddy was also with me,,and when he saw the broadhead and arrow after we found the deer,,it was still closed as well...so I have a witness. It was closed,,no super cut or wound. Seeing as how I have a hand held gps , a delorme pn-60,,even tho I normally don't carry it hunting but have when playing around in the woods...our elevation on oour hills are 875 with a couple of them cracking alittle over 900..bottom ground around the creeks and rivers below my house is 450,,my house sets in a wooded saddle of 600..This buck did travel about 300 or more yards as it ran, after being smaked broadside about 150 yrds parallel to the top of the ridgeline,,before making a 90 degree turn and heading straight down to the bottom of a deeps ravine and if he would have made it another 3-400 yds down the cut,,ended up in the most wooly god forsaken cutover country imaginable that I hunt around. I'm a meat hunter and every few years score a big buck as I like chasing them till I get worn down like about now,,so yep,,I have shot my share of deer over time,,maybe upwards 250 or so and everybody round here knows it too. Getting older so I don't shoot as many as I used to only 3-4 per year now as that is all I need..but if someone or a family is hungry,,will drop one. Heck,,not hard when they give us 7 tags this year in this county and you could legally kill over 200 if you want to hunt every county in Indiana, and before,,had up to 15 when DNR was passing out Doe tags for 6-8 yrs a while ago. There was lots of years I wacked 10 or more a year legal. Now if you want to have a discussion of my drinking days of a various hunting style of deer hunting years ago..fire away. I am not without a wild past of hunting and sin. :lol: You can call me a redneck if you want and proud of it. Hope this answers your questions and if not,,fire away.
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Re: Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by cevans »

Do you need to open and close FOC's before using? Just once? I really from all your postings and pics of the great holes they deliver wanted them to work for me. So disappointed at this shot and feel like I am danged lucky even to retrieve this deer. One thing I learned about this Exomax crossbow. The foot poundage and energy to drive a FOC broadhead unopened, thru both sides of the deer are totally amazing as I didn't expect to find arrow thru both sides of the deer when we found the deer. But it did hit the deer with such a loud wacking smaking noise unlike any bow kill I have ever created previously hunting with recurves, custom make long bows, being a previous Hoyt Staff shooter from days ago of shooting NFAA and IBO shoots, Bow hunting in Idaho, and New Mexico, and Indiana and having shot Havilina, 450lb Russian Boar, Elk, and numerous deer.
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Re: Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by cevans »

Not sure if this works..this is link maybe to album on photo bucket of a few pics of the broadhead and deer.

http://s48.photobucket.com/user/cevans77/library/
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Re: Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by racking up points »

I have to see this.

I believe it's possible, I had a banded Rage broadhead that opened prematurely on a deer before and that's why I swore off mechanicals. I am really thinking about adding FOCs to my arsenal though. I'll try to post your pic.

Sorry about your experience, but at least you found him.
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Re: Mecanical Broadheads (FOC's) Suck!

Post by racking up points »

Image

Maybe someone else can try...
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