TV penetration issues

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
So I was watching some ‘Chasing November’ this weekend, and the amount of arrows hanging out of deer was appalling to me, especially while they tout the penetration of FMJs:ROFLMAO:

Are their setups just that bad or what? I’m shooting a light arrow(~400gr) with an over the top 1.5” Spitfire, and I’m burying those broad heads 6” deep in the dirt behind the deer.

They don’t have any good tuners out that way? They dropping poundage so they don’t look like candy :donk::donk::donk:es on tv? What’s the deal?
 

dlbaile

Ten Pointer
could be that the deer up there are considerably larger than those around here in body size, i think Bill Winke states he is shooting 70 pounds in his 60 yard challenge blog out there now.
 

rescue934

Twelve Pointer
I have been shooting a Hoyt Ignite for the past 4 seasons, 70lbs heavy arrow and G5 expandable broadheads.

I have shot three very nice bucks and some does. Haven't had a single pass thru, all very well placed shots and all but one expired within site.
 

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
could be that the deer up there are considerably larger than those around here in body size, i think Bill Winke states he is shooting 70 pounds in his 60 yard challenge blog out there now.
Not buying the bigger deer thing. Yes, they are bigger, but they’re not THAT big. I personally saw no difference in penetration between Ohio and NC bucks.

Winke is not one that appears to have issues.
 

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
I have been shooting a Hoyt Ignite for the past 4 seasons, 70lbs heavy arrow and G5 expandable broadheads.

I have shot three very nice bucks and some does. Haven't had a single pass thru, all very well placed shots and all but one expired within site.
This is what I’m talking about. Something doesn’t sound right to me. Not saying there’s anything wrong, just doesn’t make sense to me.
 

Guybo

Eight Pointer
This is what I’m talking about. Something doesn’t sound right to me. Not saying there’s anything wrong, just doesn’t make sense to me.

Makes no sense to me either. I see penetration issues all the time on the hunting shows and IMO most of the time on TV it's from bad shot placement, bad angles and or expandables. I've never shot expandable broadheads only fixed so I can't comment on what they will or won't do. If the shot placement is good I have no clue why it wouldn't pass completely through a deer especially at 70lbs with a heavy arrow.

I don't think it's a poundage issue at all.
I shoot an 07 Allegiance 50lbs with a 350gr arrow and a Thunderhead 100 and I have no problems what so ever with pass thru's on deer. Before that I shot an 04 Liberty 60lb with a 383gr arrow and a Thunderhead 100 with the same results only the arrow was a little deeper in the dirt on the exit. My daughter hunts from a ground blind and has taken 2 deer with her bow at 15yds and she shoots 42lbs with the same broadhead and both blew through like butter and were laying on the ground behind the deer.

I've been involved in archery a long time and I can only recall several deer that I shot over the years with a bow that didn't go through and it was a very poor decision and shot on my part. I'm not disagreeing with anyone here as I know all deer are different and react differently when shot, I just like pass thru's when i shoot one, especially if I know I did my part and made a good high percentage shot.. Just my opinion. Mike
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Can't stand to watch the TV shows. Their were only a few, very few that were good and what you would not be wasting time to watch.
 

Ol Copper

Twelve Pointer
Back when I shot heavy poundage, heavy arrows and ott heads like spitfires, I blew thru every deer that I shot. When I tried rearward deploying heads like rage and nap killzones the pass-thrus stopped.
Now I shoot 400 gr. arrows at 59 lbs with fixed coc heads like slick tricks and the arrows are back to being buried in the dirt 10" on the off side.
Hate those rear slip cam heads.
 

Crazyhunter

Button Buck
I agree I have stopped watching the hunting shows. It was bad shot after bad shot and them saying that they smoked them. Then they would wait till the next day to look for the deer. I have shot all kinds of broadheads and some have passed through and some not. Most of the ones that didn't were expandables. I
 

timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
It's mostly from poor shots. Those TV guys while stick one high in the shoulder all the time. Hard to penetrate that part of the deer anatomy, especially those 250lb midwest bucks. Or they take shots at deer that really quartering hard one way or the other. I have seen so many bad shots on TV shows that I can't stand to watch most of them anymore. Also, you have to wonder how well these guys and gals bows are tuned. I would bet a case of beer that many of them just take whatever bow/arrow/broadhead combo is given to them for free, sling a few arrows in the backyard and then go hunting. They are not spending much if any time tuning and testing different set ups to see what works the best.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
^ same here. I wasn't sure what I was going to read when I opened this...

I'd bet most aren't shooting 70 lbs., and it's probably a combination of things. Lower poundage, expandables, light arrows, heavy deer, longer shots. What I have noticed in the past is most of them still get pass throughs on the short shots, but not on the longer ones.

I agree that they are probably fixed on one setup, but I disagree that they just sling a few arrows and go. Their entire life depends on this moment of truth. Most of them practice.
 

rescue934

Twelve Pointer
I have even taken mine back to a Hoyt dealer to have them look at the issue ( for all the help I got there, I could have asked my three year old grandson) all they said was to upgrade. The only explanation I have is the expandable blades, but I dont even buy that. I am killing deer with it so I guess that a complete pass-through is not an issue.
A good friend of mine was listening to some guys talk about how their MZZL bullets had failed when the took them out of the deer they were cleaning. He asked them just how they failed while examining the deer. nothing but crickets.
 

Weekender

Twelve Pointer
I see penetration issues all the time on the hunting shows and IMO most of the time on TV it's from bad shot placement, bad angles and or expandables.

IMO, these are the hallmarks of the majority of TV hunters. And they'll inevitably celebrate like they just cured cancer, hit the winning field goal, and married a voluptuous blonde billionaire [instead of the above emboldened words].
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
IMO, these are the hallmarks of the majority of TV hunters. And they'll inevitably celebrate like they just cured cancer, hit the winning field goal, and married a voluptuous blonde billionaire [instead of the above emboldened words].

I'm not surprised that some of them make a bad shot, or take a bad angle when it's a now-or-never moment. What does surprise me - over and over - is how they claim they "smoked 'em" when it's obviously a terrible shot. If it's a bad shot, just say, "I'm not sure about that shot." Instead, they celebrate as above, when it's a crapshoot whether that deer is dead or whether they will ever find it. Of course they don't show the hunts where they celebrate and then they don't find it.
 

Lucky Clucker

Old Mossy Horns
I've killed a,ton of deer with a bow,shoot through everyone, except spine or shoulderbone hits.Those Drurys shoot about 40 pounds and deer in a pen can't go to far.
 

5 Shot

Ten Pointer
Lot of those TV shows use the rage heads also. I would be mighty upset if my arrow was hanging out of a deer like most of the shots on tv. Rediculous
 

mjbrady

Twelve Pointer
I’m of the opinion that a good number of those guys that have penetration issues are (1) shooting lower poundage <55lb (2) using lighter arrows <380gr (3) using large cutting diameter expandable broadheads.

The broadhead is the easiest part of the equation to get the “blame”. Facts are it’s only partly to blame. Arrow weight and adequate poundage are just as important to overall success. Most of the hunters we think have penetration issues are Midwest hunters. Having said that, a 280lb 5.5yr old buck is far tougher than a 150lb NC deer and that itself has some bearing on this topic.

I personally shoot mechanical broadheads and have zero penetration issues, but l shoot over 70lbs and an arrow that weighs 490gr. I would shoot anything from a turkey to a Moose with my setup. It’s tuned properly and my arrows hit behind the pin. Hunters need to have realistic expectations for the equipment they are using.
 

Tipmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
It's likely an expandable issue with lower poundage. I will shoot a rage out of my crossbow but not my upright. It's an old Matthew's from 12 years ago. 240 fps at the most. I shoot fixed blade CS Montecs out of that.
 

30/06

Twelve Pointer
I see same shot selection issues others do, but they always recover the deer. Wonder how many they don’t recover that never gets aired. Saw an episode of whitetail properties the other day that really annoyed me. They killed 3 bucks on same property, months apart. The last scene they were all sitting behind their deer. Basically shot those deer for marketing material, no interest or intent of using the animal for anything more than a photo op to sell more property.

I shoot rage hyperdermics with a heavy (500+ gr) arrow and it blows through every deer I’ve shot. Even if I shoot an NC deer square on through the shoulders I’ve had nothing but pass thrus. Huge Iowa buck blew thru off side shoulder. It’s more about overall set up than broadhead selection.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I watched a show the other night. Jay Gregory's daughter who is a little :donk:donk:donk:donk shot a huge buck broadside at 46 yards. Yep 46 yards with a bow he said he really had no idea what it was set on exactly but he thought it was around 32# . Penetration looked to be 6-8# dead in the ribs. The dear tore out of there and appeared to make it about 75 yds and piled up.

To me that was too far but you can't argue with the end result. But I figure anything less than a perfect shot at that distance and there would have been some slow walking and sad talking.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Ya think? Don't forget a very short draw and light arrow for sure...

That kind of setup is barely sufficient at 20 yards. At 46, it's irresponsible. I don't care what the outcome was.
 
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