Arrow failure

[LightFoot]

I am feeling pretty lucky. I was getting ready to go on a hog hunt this afternoon and needed to dial in my bow. An arrow broke mid-shot on the 6th or 7th shot.

Wasn't shooting the same spot so I wasn't scuffing arrows. I don't see how I created a weak spot. Collecting the pieces seems to indicate a break an inch forward of thw fetching.

Lost my peep
Broke my rest
Broke my sight
Broke a really expensive watch
But...
Bow seems to be structurally sound
That watch may have saved my wrist/arm from something much worse

Bow is at the shop now and I will be shotgun hunting hogs this weekend.

I didn't think to take pictures of the aftermath. Here's my wrist... lucky, huh?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[Mtnboy]

Dang man, I switched to FMJ for a couple years out of fear of that happening. Bummer your stuff broke, glad it didn't hurt ya worse!

 

[maninthemaze]

What arrow spine, length and bow poundage were you shooting? Definitely lucky. My fear was always having an arrow shoved threw my forearm.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[Idahomnts]

Not wanting to start a bash thread but I had a friend with a weird experience this last bow season with a brand of arrow , just curious which branch it was , pm is preferred, like I said don’t want to start a bad rep ,
By the looks of it you were extremely lucky there ,

 

[Huntindog45]

This is where the back half of an arrow entered my arm. It traveled all the way up into my hand, hit a bone in my hand and bounced out.
It was the most pain I have ever been in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LightFoot]

I shoot an Elite Impulse 31 29/50 (never been morw glad that I only shoot 50lbs)

The arrow was a GoldTip Hunter with 100gr field point.

I still think GT is a quality product. I am not sure what happened in this case. I am going to a new batch of arrows... just in case.

Thanks for the comments, fellas.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[Tony Trietch]

Best reason ever to wear that expensive watch!

Lucky as hell! Glad you are ok.

Roll those shafts over your knee!

 

[5MilesBack]

How'd you lose your peep, was it not tied in?

This may be the first I've heard of a GT Hunter doing this, but these Kinetic XT 200's are pretty brittle. I've broken more of these arrows in the last two years than every other arrows combined in the previous 10, and none of those were from misses.

 

[Jbehredt]

“Flex it first”. Used to be printed in the shaft in GT labels. I do it often to help avoid this. Have only ever hand one make a crackling sound.... right in the trash. I’ll be sure to do it before it shoot today, thanks for the reminder!

 

[JP7]

Had a GoldTip Hunter 400 break on a shot. Went into my forearm. Like Huntingdog said it was very painful, felt like severe road rash on the inside of my arm in combination to letting mark mcgwire hit my arm with his bat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wapiti1]

I've damaged a few arrows pulling them when I buried them almost to the fletching. Not too hard to twist and split or crush a shaft. I figured that out a similar way, but thankfully, the arrow went up and took out my sight. Scared the every lovin' heck out of me. I thought the bow let loose.

Glad you didn't sustain real damage. Good reminder to the rest of us to check those arrows out before shooting.

Jeremy

 

[kingfisher]

I have some arrows I have shot hundreds of times over. Rarely if ever do I check them for structural integrity. I think now Ill have to get in the habit of checking them after each shot. Sucks it happened, but thanks for posting. I feel like I learned a good lesson here.

 

[Gumbo]

^^^^^^ Me too! This is terrifying. Really glad you are OK. I think I will be even more diligent about flexing and tossing out arrows with ANY damage. I occasionally use cracked shafts for grouse arrows, mostly ones that I hit with another arrow. No more!!! I'm REALLY glad it wasn't a Black Eagle Rampage!!!!

 

[colersu22]

Guy I work with had that happen last year and had to have a couple surgeries to pull carbon splinters out of his hand and he missed bow season and a lot of work. I never really flexed shafts before that happened to him and now it is just second nature when I shoot to give them each a quick flex.

 

[jlaner0408]

My god. Thankfully my wife never gets on this site or else I’d probably have to sell my bows. Glad you’re okay and it wasn’t worse

 

[Beendare]

Yeah, you were lucky.

I'll spare you the photo my buddy took of an arrow through his hand in the same situation

 

[LightFoot]

Thanks again for the comments and support.

New routine in place and glad to put everyone (and myself) back on their toes.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[JLH208]

Shot 120 arrows today and didn't flex 1. I know what I'll be doing in the morning. Thanks for the reminder and glad it didn't end up worse.


- Jesse

 

[BlackFlag]

Damn, that's a big fear of mine. Glad you're okay.

How exactly does one inspect the arrow for damage? Aside from obvious visual cracking, what do I look for when flexing the arrow?

 

[boom]

first, i am so glad you are relatively okay.

second, thanks for the reminder. i am down to my last 4 of my blue fletch arrows..the ones i consider lucky. i am gonna flex all four of them today!! i have several dozen more newer clones. maybe time to start working newer shafts into the rotation. mine are all GT as well, i am 99% sure that note to flex first is still on them.

i had one crack when it went into an archery range target. there must have been something hard inside the bail. i flexed walking back to the shooting line and heard/felt the click..i pulled the head and tossed it.

and i gotta ask!! what wristwatch saved the day?!