Atlasman: I have asked myself many of the same questions that you have asked. Yes, I was pretty nervous about the shot and that could certainly have been a factor. I group well enough in practice to shoot a deer at 30 yards, but I had previously set a limit of 25 yds. to stay well within an equipment and personal comfort zone. I believe that I hit too far back because during the follow through I think that is where I saw it hit. Everything happened too fast. I shot, two other deer came running toward my deer, I heard a sort of "thump", my deer sort of bucked in the air and then swapped ends(hence I couldn't see the arrow sticking out of her) and went running hell bent for leather along with one other deer straight up a hill. It is possible that we bumped her. We waited an hour before starting to look for the arrow, then because of darkness we started tracking when we couldn't find the arrow. I'm pretty darned convinced that I didn't hit bone because of the perfect condition of the broadhead. I have one week of season left and I just don't think that I feel comfortable enough to go back out. I really think that I want to work on raising the poundage on my bow and perhaps going to a two blade cut on impact. I don't know how to fix being nervous about taking a shot. I hope that in time I will get used to it.