A broken arrow and a broken heart

[jenbickel]

It broke about 8 inches down the shaft. In all honesty, I don't know where I hit him. I thought I missed him.. That's the crappy part!

 

[JNDEER]

Huh.

Not sure why exactly then. But, I will say that my brother shoots a 27" draw and he can nick a small branch (like 1/4" diameter) in mid flight to his target and it will snap his arrow in two. I think it has something to do with the oscillation of a smaller length shaft compared to a normal (28+) size shaft. At 30" I have never broke a shaft in an animal, I have missing them though.

 

[sjsmallfield]

Sorry to here about you loosing that deer Jen. My budy lost the biggest buck of his life last season. I lost one when I was 14. It is a sick feeling and just plain sucks, but if you do what we do long enough it is bound to happen. As far as the arrow snapping problem I don't have an answer. I shot a buck two years ago right behind the sholder at 23yds and the arrow snapped in half. A few years before that I shot a coyote at 6yds. Complete pass through, off a rock at a 45 degree angle and into a tree at 12yds and the arrow was fine. Who knows? Good luck!

 

[HuskyMusky]

I bet it's because you shoot like a girl

honestly broken arrow vs dead animal have no correlation in my view... arrows break, often when hitting animals...

 

[jenbickel]

Thanks sjsmallfield! It definitely sucks!

Husky- I know. It just seemed weird and frustrating that I have shot two things and both times my arrow broke and that's never happened to me before. It also bothers me because I hate to think that if my deer is still alive, he's suffering with part of my shaft and broadhead still stuck in him. PS I love shooting like a girl.. Why do you think I kill so many things?! lol

 

[labman]

I have not broken a FMJ Easton in a animal, but I did stop using them. In my experience they are not a very durable shaft, you would think so being wrapped in aluminum. Every time I would nick one or put a dent in the shaft by accident that shaft was done could not be used anymore. So I just went back to the regular Easton ACC wrap and not problems. I do shoot a 30" arrow and my total arrow weight is 440. Sorry about losing your animal that feeling is the worst, but is happens!!

 

[Caseyu]

There is no broken heart about that matter hun! a broken arrow for a trophy.... I'd give six I've broken ALOT of arrows. It hurts when i think about it. but really the only time i kill an animal witout damaging an arrow is a pass through. that arrow hanging out at a dead run with the chance of laying on it, or slamming it into something is an almost guarantee. keep shooting those fmj's!! those aren't the problem! best of luck

 

[jenbickel]

Lol! Thanks again everyone. Like I said, I was just super frustrated. Thanks to all of you I am feeling better about it now. Still bummed but I'm better! He wasn't a huge buck or anything.. But he was cool! He had a typical 4 point side and then the other side was just like 4 horns just sticking straight up. I haven't given up complete hope of finding him. My dad said he would watch for magpies while he is out working the ranch. Haha

 

[trkytrack2]

Gold Tips all the way. Never broken......ever.

 

[dito]

I'm with labman the FMJ's bend really easy.

 

[justinthedoc]

Ha ha thats awesome. Have a maxxis 35 90pounder, brutal bow. I have never fully recovered a arrow in tact that didnt go through. There muscles tense up so bad they basically snap the arrow for you, escepcially if its tight to the shoulder. Nothing to do with equipment or (i do agree with hoyt) the bow. But you should Get Serious...

 

[THelms]

Hit em where it Hoyt's!

 

[Six-Gun]

If your arrow impacts tight to the shoulder i don't think it's unusual to break off a shaft when the animal bolts, broadside or quartering away. I've heard aluminum shafts break and have had whitetails break off both sides clean on a standing broadside shot and found only a shaft the width of the chest cavity still inside( no trees involved). A lost animal is a heartbreaker no doubt but don't beat yourself up over it.

^^This. It's fairly common for the shaft to break when the animal bolts if you hit at or around the shoulder without passthrough. Afterall, you're getting every bit of that animal's jerk reflex into a heavy bone area and shearing into the shaft. The exact same thing with my buddy's Nebraska whitetail. He hit it at 63 yards with no passthrough and the shaft snapped the instant the deer bucked and bolted. The damage was already done, even in that split second and the deer was down in 140 yards.