Killer broadheads

[Azazel]

Just wanted to add a tip that I hope can settle the nerves of an insecure hunter when it comes to broadhead selection. I am new to bowhunting and this year is my first year hunting Elk. I selected for my first bow a Mission Craze set at 28" draw at 70lbs . I was super insecure about what broadhead to use knowing that I selected a bow that is for a beginner and probably not allowing me the proper speed for hunting elk. My first selection was a fixed blade braodhead from a popular company and was 100gr.... I quickly set them back on the shelf because the accuracy wasn't even close to practice tips. Then a bow technician suggested that I try the Ulmer Edge. I instantly fell in love with the "common sense" design of it, and spot on accuracy. Day 2 of Elk season in Washington state I got a shot at a huge cow that I had been watching all summer. 14 yards away and 17 feet in the air suspended by green White Fir tree limbs I took aim and let her fly ! (as I have heard fellas say) The cow turned away from me and walked ten feet then turned back to broadside to me again. I could see the rear of the arrow sticking out the side and could tell it was the shot I had aimed for. Then she walked about 30 feet and turned broadside to me and to my rookie dismay the arrow was no longer present and in view. The next moment had me looking at a dark black looking hole where the arrow used to be and her knees started to quake. Then she went down! You can imagine my excitement. She quickly gained an upright position. This time, what looked like a tube of bright red blood was pouring out at what seemed to me a rate which was fatal. Lets re-cap. Beginner bow, beginner bowhunter, 100gr. Ulmer Edge at 14yards from 17 feet up, and she has only gone 13yards (give or take a yard) and had fallen on her side twice without a complete pass through. At this time I regret to tell the mature Elk hunters that may have had the poor judgment and or the misfortune of stumbling onto this terrible draft from a horribly inexperienced Elk hunter. I hung up my bow in haste and ran down ,,, nay ,, flew down the tree and ran home as fast as I could only to raise my poor sleeping wife and two sleeping dogs with the exclamation " I DID IT!!!!!."

When I returned with a mentor to help show me how to gut this animal and retrieve the portions due. We witnessed a scene liken a horror movie. Though the Elk had gotten up and walked another 20 yards to her final resting place. The blood trail was anything but a trail and more like a swath. Now I will tell the unfortunate reader of this swill that I am awaiting a brand new bow with much better speed that will render me a more responsible hunter. So you can stop shaking your heads. My point to this whole dictation is that the Ulmer Edge placed well with a bow , probably not meant for killing Elk, made this inexperienced hunter look very good and feel extremely proud.

Azazel

[flatlander507]

Congrats on successfully killing an animal with a bow! This will be my 3rd season attempting to do that. I, myself was much like you and was very insecure and uneducated about broadhead selection. I stumbled across a youtube video from Tex Grebner (say what you want, but he has some sound logic when it comes to archery). This video was an hour long discussion about Dr. Ed Ashby and his research. Which then led me to actually read Dr. Ashby's research in raw form, and also watch some of his presentations on youtube. After diving down that rabbit hole and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, my views on archery lethality changed completely.

The way I look at it is this:

I'm a newbie archery hunter, although I can hit a 2"x"2 square with my single bevel broadheads on a cold 1st shot @ 30yds holding my draw for 1 minute, almost every time. I do not feel this is a scenario that would replicate hiking in rugged country all day, cold, hot, windy, etc and drawing back on an animal. I have 2 pins on my bow, set to 20 and 30 yds. I do not have a 40yd pin because I am not consistent at that distance yet.

So, with that said I choose to hunt with this setup: 72lb compound bow, 667 grain total weight arrow, 21% FOC, single bevel broadhead (Strickland, they fly like field points with my setup). I do not believe there is such a thing as archery overkill, I do not believe I am experienced enough to shoot a lighter arrow with the consequences when things go wrong. If I hit bone, I want to penetrate enough to hit vitals, or make the animal bleed to death (Single bevels will cut a spiral through tissue, ie: more cutting surface area).

Speed is only 1 variable, in the multi variable equation of archery lethality. What setup has more penetration? 80 lb bow with a 350 grain arrow or a 65 lb bow with a 650+ grain arrow?

I think you executed the most important step in archery hunting, a well placed shot. It trumps all. Congrats again man!

[Azazel]

No I agree Flatlander. In fact I trusted someone else to educate me, and he taught me that speed isn't everything. So when I purchased the obsession Delta 6 he matched arrow weight and draw weight on a computer designed to maximize a bell curve to get the optimum penetration with that speedy bow. Thank you so much for the congrats. I too only have 2 pins marked out, and one advantage I have is private land and treestands. So far I am not having to stalk any game though I look forward to graduating to more challenging hunts.

[six]

Nice story. Lot of guys on here were in your shoes at one point. Myself included. I agree there is no such thing as overkill when it comes to hunting anything with a bow. Great Job!!! I have learned so much over the past 10 years or so hunting elk, and I have been hunting whitetail for 35 years. Welcome to the addiction.

[Azazel]

Nice story. Lot of guys on here were in your shoes at one point. Myself included. I agree there is no such thing as overkill when it comes to hunting anything with a bow. Great Job!!! I have learned so much over the past 10 years or so hunting elk, and I have been hunting whitetail for 35 years. Welcome to the addiction.

Thanks for the comment, encouragement and congratulations. Hunt well this year