Target Bow for Hunting?

[Beendare]

Well just know that is opinion based on my experience.…and a LOT depends on the shot location.

A guy claiming a gut shot or soft tissue shot is better with big mech head…is probably right!

Like I said, they all work. I do think a guy needs to consider all of the factors…and many buy their BHs due to the ‘BIG HOLES’ advertising. IME, blood on the ground is totally dependent on shot location…lower in the body or a low exit puts more blood on the ground….a high shot doesn’t put as much.

An animal that runs fast leaves a tougher blood trail. I used to shoot those big Rocket 2” openers and they gave me crime scene type blood trails. One black bear I shot in Ak went up a tree 30’ after the shot- and then just did a reverse parachute jump, dead before he hit the ground. The thick foliage was literally covered in blood for about 12’ out from that tree- pretty gross.

Other times, I had very little. Those big mechs did always give me a critter that took off like his tail was on fire. I don’t like that they are one and done. I’ve had numerous $6 GJ 2 blades I‘ve killed 3 critters with. Easy to spin and resharpen as part of a system of; spin check, shoot each hunt arrow for tune and grouping ( trust but verify) touch up with a diamond stone and ready to hunt.

Its the KISS principle….once tested..nothing to go wrong…no bad nok, no bad spine, no assembly issue, no chance of a blade coming loose pulling it out of the quiver- none of that. Simple, easy, cheap.

Heck, I like to shoot in the field to stay sharp, I can spin and touchup without totally wrecking a bunch of arrows as long as it doesn’t hit a rock.

 

[Backcountry_Preacher]

Well just know that is opinion based on my experience.…and a LOT depends on the shot location.

A guy claiming a gut shot or soft tissue shot is better with big mech head…is probably right!

Like I said, they all work. I do think a guy needs to consider all of the factors…and many buy their BHs due to the ‘BIG HOLES’ advertising. IME, blood on the ground is totally dependent on shot location…lower in the body or a low exit puts more blood on the ground….a high shot doesn’t put as much.

An animal that runs fast leaves a tougher blood trail. I used to shoot those big Rocket 2” openers and they gave me crime scene type blood trails. One black bear I shot in Ak went up a tree 30’ after the shot- and then just did a reverse parachute jump, dead before he hit the ground. The thick foliage was literally covered in blood for about 12’ out from that tree- pretty gross.

Other times, I had very little. Those big mechs did always give me a critter that took off like his tail was on fire. I don’t like that they are one and done. I’ve had numerous $6 GJ 2 blades I‘ve killed 3 critters with. Easy to spin and resharpen as part of a system of; spin check, shoot each hunt arrow for tune and grouping ( trust but verify) touch up with a diamond stone and ready to hunt.

Its the KISS principle….once tested..nothing to go wrong…no bad nok, no bad spine, no assembly issue, no chance of a blade coming loose pulling it out of the quiver- none of that. Simple, easy, cheap.

Heck, I like to shoot in the field to stay sharp, I can spin and touchup without totally wrecking a bunch of arrows as long as it doesn’t hit a rock.

My father-in-law, who has bow hunted since the dawn of time, was the one who showed me how little of force was actually needed to penetrate when using a really sharp broadhead that cuts on contact. He still shoots the plain old Muzzys from way back and shoots #55 bow on an old Mathews and has killed more deer and elk than I probably ever will. He doesn’t use a peep sight or release while shooting haha; he keeps it really simple and is always successful.

 

[Beendare]

Yeah, The chisel point Muzzy head is not a coc head. The chisel muzzy’s also have a bad blade angle. They work…but not the efficient design i am talking about.

COC heads have a leading edge blade with a And those are the most efficient.
Here are 3 very efficient heads

 

[Beendare]

Extremely efficient on the left…less efficient on the right

If you have energy to burn…it literally doesn’t matter….but if you want to max out penetration it does.

 

[Backcountry_Preacher]

Update…
I promised earlier in the year that I’d follow up with my thoughts on using a target bow for hunting. This year’s archery season, I backpacked into one of my favorite wilderness areas, where I spent 10 days chasing bugles. And although I ended up eating tag soup, I did have the opportunity to hunt the biggest bull I’d ever seen; making the trip a blast.
But my bow, a Mathews TRX 38 g2, was not the reason for my failure. Due to its “paper stats” you’d thought I was crazy carrying a bow this big around in the mountains for 10 days. It’s heavy and extremely long compared to conventional compound hunting bows. But I never noticed the difference and when running around, it felt the same as some of my previous bows (Hoyt Rx-4 Ultra, Mathews VXR 28). The only con I can find to this bow is when strapped to my pack, it was a chore keeping my top cam out of limbs when going through timber and that’s not that hard to fix.
Performance wise, 70lbs DW @ 28” DL, it shoots 265 fps when shooting a 483 grain Easton Axis 4mm. Extremely accurate and it gives me all the confidence in the world. I love it.
Now that I’m back home in Louisiana, I’ll try hunting with it in a blind and/or climber and give more feed back.