So arterial shock sounds good until I think about the deer and elk I've seen fall like they have been hit in the head with a hammer from an arrow. I was told that if you hit the connection of the arteries and top of the heart the instant pressure drop makes the animal collapses and in essences die instantly (since I don’t have a way to verify the heart beat at that time I say die).

Even excellent shot placement will provide many different results and I normally try for the heart/lung/liver shot to get maximum bleeding. Knockdown power comes in many forms and I for one am pleased when an animal falls in its tracks and equally pleased when I have made an excellent shot and have a short tracking job to do.