Toughest Elk Arrow?

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Feb 7, 2017
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Great question here! Snapped an Easton Axis 340 off at the broadhead right around the ball and socket on a herd bull at 24 yards last September. The only silver lining is that a ball and socket shot that breaks at the broadhead probably felt like a bee sting and they'll be fine if it doesn't get too infected.

Let's be honest here, poor shots don't do any arrows favors.

View attachment 200099

I'm missing something here.,,, How did the insert stay in the shaft? Did the broadhead get pulled?
 
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treillw

treillw

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Just put together a dozen Victory SS with the full Valkyrie system. Can't wait to find out what they'll do to an elk..

7 more weeks...

I've heard that people shoot the SS through cinderblocks etc, but couldn't find any videos online. Do you know of any torture tests?

.... Maybe you should make one 😛
 

fatlander

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My point is that if he's smart enough to design carbon fiber risers for flagship bows at a major bow company, he should be smart enough to know a thing or two about arrow strength and not do something stupid arrow design wise.

Sincerely,
A fellow engineer.

Thank you for affirming my point. If he’s smart enough to “not do something stupid arrow design wise,” then he should stop hitting really hard shit.

Sincerely,
Not an engineer


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Ten Bears

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I've heard that people shoot the SS through cinderblocks etc, but couldn't find any videos online. Do you know of any torture tests?

.... Maybe you should make one 😛

I actually have an old post on here shooting the Valkyries through chunks of ice.

I’ll see what I can find around the house to shoot through. 1st shot with these arrows I blasted through my somewhat worn out Rinehart elk and 3/4 inch horse mat. Lost the arrow somewhere in my swamp.
 
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In my experience an arrow that broke off at the insert is an arrow that had stopped it's forward progress and was broken from movement of the shaft against something, like the animal itself or from hitting something in the environment while the animal is running.
 
Joined
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Great question here! Snapped an Easton Axis 340 off at the broadhead right around the ball and socket on a herd bull at 24 yards last September. The only silver lining is that a ball and socket shot that breaks at the broadhead probably felt like a bee sting and they'll be fine if it doesn't get too infected.

Let's be honest here, poor shots don't do any arrows favors.

View attachment 200099


Looks like that broadhead would have unscrewed a fair amount, then snapped the end of the shaft once the threads weren't totally engaged.
 

nphunter

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How many people have actually broken an arrow on an elk?

If I burry it in the opposite shoulder joint it's going to break. Not too worried about it. As much cost goes into an elk hunt I'll gladly give up an arrow when it comes to it.

I’ve broken 2 arrows in elk. A Victory RIP TKO with a 75gr brass insert and a 25gr IW collar last year on a follow up shot and a Easton Injexion which i shot into the bulls shoulder. When there is an arrow sticking through the shoulder and then between the ribs they don’t fair well when the elk run. The follow up shot that broke last year the bull rolled down a hill with my arrow sticking out. I also broke a Easton A/C injection in a mule deer, he took off as the arrow was going through him, somehow the carbon cracked and the entire carbon shaft was stuck in the buck burried the the fletchings. The aluminum center and broadhead continued through the deer and i never was able to find it? Honestly I could care less if I ruin an arrow while killing an animal, very small price to pay.

IMO the most durable arrow would be a Victory RIP TKO with a SS IW insert and an IW collar. I missed a target and hit a 50lb boulder with my TKO’s and ruined the collar, broke off the field tip and bent the 75gr brass insert. The arrow was still good for field tips but with the brass insert slightly bent it didn’t spin true.
 
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treillw

treillw

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Thank you for affirming my point. If he’s smart enough to “not do something stupid arrow design wise,” then he should stop hitting really hard shit.

Sincerely,
Not an engineer


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1. The world isn't perfect. If it can go wrong, it will.
2. People (this thread included) have had them break on ribs. Good luck shooting between em.
 

fatlander

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1. The world isn't perfect. If it can go wrong, it will.
2. People (this thread included) have had them break on ribs. Good luck shooting between em.

1. Something was probably done stupid arrow wise.
2. Something was done stupid arrow wise.


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SlickStickSlinger

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Of the three brands of arrows I have shot, Gold Tips have stood up to way more abuse than other brands. Other brands have snapped, fractured or exploded in far less impact than Gold Tips ever have.
 
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1. The world isn't perfect. If it can go wrong, it will.
2. People (this thread included) have had them break on ribs. Good luck shooting between em.


I think the point is that if your arrow hits something solid enough to stop it in the elk and it's stuck out of the animal, nothing is going to hold up to the abuse it's going to take. I don't think arrows are fracturing on impact,if they are you definitely hit something wrong.
 

5MilesBack

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I think the point is that if your arrow hits something solid enough to stop it in the elk and it's stuck out of the animal, nothing is going to hold up to the abuse it's going to take. I don't think arrows are fracturing on impact,if they are you definitely hit something wrong.

I once hit a limb and it deflected the arrow up and left and it went through both shoulder blades of a bull but stayed inside him. I tracked that bull a long ways before it fell out.........fully intact without the BH attached......it had unscrewed. I used that same arrow the next year to shoot a bull. That was a TR Crush 300, I'm not sure many other arrows would have stayed intact with that.
 
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I once hit a limb and it deflected the arrow up and left and it went through both shoulder blades of a bull but stayed inside him. I tracked that bull a long ways before it fell out.........fully intact without the BH attached......it had unscrewed. I used that same arrow the next year to shoot a bull. That was a TR Crush 300, I'm not sure many other arrows would have stayed intact with that.

No, but did it matter? Did you recover the bull? I would assume you did since you know it went through both shoulder blades. Don't think many arrows would break on a deflection, especially one the arrow still retained enough energy to penetrate that much. Once the broadhead reaches it's final resting destination the shaft doesn't have much purpose anymore.
 
Joined
Jul 23, 2013
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Great question here! Snapped an Easton Axis 340 off at the broadhead right around the ball and socket on a herd bull at 24 yards last September. The only silver lining is that a ball and socket shot that breaks at the broadhead probably felt like a bee sting and they'll be fine if it doesn't get too infected.

Let's be honest here, poor shots don't do any arrows favors.

View attachment 200099

Got bad news for you. It really isn’t possible for your arrow to snap off there without one of three things happening.

1. your arrow breaks and the broadhead ferrule breaks leaving the thread end of the broadhead in the insert.

2. Your arrow breaks and the broadhead or insert threads strip out allowing the insert to stay in the arrow but the broadhead break off.

3. Your broadhead was loose enough that it was able to break there not damaging the threads of the insert or leaving a piece of the broadhead.


Basically if your broadhead is screwed into that hit insert the whole insert has to break out of the arrow shaft. And by the looks of the threads on that insert and the lack of a ferrule I think I know which one.


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Got bad news for you. It really isn’t possible for your arrow to snap off there without one of three things happening.

1. your arrow breaks and the broadhead ferrule breaks leaving the thread end of the broadhead in the insert.

2. Your arrow breaks and the broadhead or insert threads strip out allowing the insert to stay in the arrow but the broadhead break off.

3. Your broadhead was loose enough that it was able to break there not damaging the threads of the insert or leaving a piece of the broadhead.


Basically if your broadhead is screwed into that hit insert the whole insert has to break out of the arrow shaft. And by the looks of the threads on that insert and the lack of a ferrule I think I know which one.


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Besides the fact I knew it was bad news already and I fudged up more than a few things Last year, I appreciate you and @Billy Goat ’s input here. Gotta always check them broadheads, clearly!
 

mcmurder77

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I have been amazingly impressed with the victory vap tko's and the 75g SS collar.
I did a torture test with them and day six. Both performed exceedingly well. The VAP was just better.
I shot my bow into a 1/4" thick chunk of steel at 20 yards with both arrows.

Shot 1
The VAP I unscrewed the blunt field tip, flexed it, and spun it. It still spun true.
The day 6 insert bulged out and I couldn't remove the tip. Flex it and it was good, didn't spin true anymore.

Shot 2
VAP, unscrewed blunt field tip, flex, spin. All is good.
DAY 6, flex-good. More bulging on the insert. Spins bad.

Shot 3
VAP, unscrew blunt tip, spin, flex. All is good!!
DAY 6, insert failed and shaft broke at the tip.

One of the bow technicians at my local shop filmed it and put it up on their page.
I couldn't believe how strong the vap was. I didnt shoot a 4th time, I figure I better not push my luck. But I still shoot the arrow into foam and have had zero problems. I will see if I can track down photos.

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treillw

treillw

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I have been amazingly impressed with the victory vap tko's and the 75g SS collar.
I did a torture test with them and day six. Both performed exceedingly well. The VAP was just better.
I shot my bow into a 1/4" thick chunk of steel at 20 yards with both arrows.

Shot 1
The VAP I unscrewed the blunt field tip, flexed it, and spun it. It still spun true.
The day 6 insert bulged out and I couldn't remove the tip. Flex it and it was good, didn't spin true anymore.

Shot 2
VAP, unscrewed blunt field tip, flex, spin. All is good.
DAY 6, flex-good. More bulging on the insert. Spins bad.

Shot 3
VAP, unscrew blunt tip, spin, flex. All is good!!
DAY 6, insert failed and shaft broke at the tip.

One of the bow technicians at my local shop filmed it and put it up on their page.
I couldn't believe how strong the vap was. I didnt shoot a 4th time, I figure I better not push my luck. But I still shoot the arrow into foam and have had zero problems. I will see if I can track down photos.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

Good to hear. I would imagine that the VAP SS version would be even stronger... I'm leaning towards them.
 

Elkangle

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Jun 16, 2016
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I try building the best arrow I possibly can...i know the internet experts say if your Accurate it doesn't matter but in my little experience accuracy and hunting don't exactly go hand in hand sometimes....things are moving...wind is blowing...steep angled shots...shit happens...il take every 1% increase i can get regardless "if it matters"

Black eagle revalation with stainless components for me
 
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