A better gauge in my opinion would be to practice on a small 3-D target from different angles and distances. And see if the shots you make are lethal and in the kill zone. Remember to take into acount for shot angles and what the arrow will actually hit on the way thru. Shooting 3-D for score is not the same thing as hunting live game. A good scoring shot is not always the correct shot for live game. You have to shoot for the exit wound and picture the path of the arrow thru the game.

I don't shoot broad heads very often either. My bow is tuned well enough that my hunting arrows group as well as my target arrows do. I verify that all my hunting arrows shoot well and set them aside. I do not practice with the shafts and tips I hunt with. I don't want to take any chances of messing them up. I test all my arrows and set the best three aside for hunting. The rest I use for practice.

Kevin, I would tend to not agree with this statement:

"I've been taught that accuracy is the best test of a bow hunter , and that all else is secondary . Is that wrong ? I don't think so , I feel we owe it to the quarry ."

I will agree that accuracy is important and should be strived for, but not the most important and the singular thing you should be concerned with. I think knowing the animal is much more important. Studying the anatomy and how the animal moves is just as important as being able to make the shot. If you don't know where to properly place the arrow or when to take the shot, or more importantly when not to take the shot being accurate really isn't much good. Putting the arrow in the spot you aimed for doesn't do you much good if it was the wrong spot or the deer moved during the shot.

Hunting is so much more than flinging arrows in a tight group on a target. I can outshoot most of my hunting buddies, but they are much better hunters than I am because they have more experience at it. And I have a few friends that are excellent shots, both spots and 3-D but have yet to take a deer cleanly. They are great archers but just don't get the big picture and take time to be effective hunters as well. First you have to do your homework and be where the deer are. Then you have to be paitient and wiley enough to let them get close. And after that you have to have know when to draw the bow and take the proper shot. As well as know when to just sit still and let it go if things are not right.

That is my opinion any way.

Paul