Put it this way Bry, I know I'm not the first or the last guy here to take a straight-down, walking straight-awaychip shot (10 yds or less) into the spinal column. A couple inches left or right puts it straight down through the chest cavity. A dead center hit crushes thevertebral bodies at impact, separating the spinal columnand immobilizing the deer in its tracks. The vitals from directly above areclose tothe same size as they are from abroadside treestand shot. There's really not all that much less to aim at.

Not everyone will admit tointentionally taking a spineshot. But, there are plenty of readers out there who will read this post, take a quick glance up onto the wall at a rack with a bent-up aluminum shaft hanging in the points and givea nodacknowledgment that it is quite effective.

Believe me, if I think I'm about to get an 18 yard quartering shot, I'll wait. But if I don't, then I won't. It's that simple. Every opportunity is different.

My Muzzys, at 76#, 29.5" will reliably chew through a spinal column like a hot knife in butter at close range. I learned the hard way that some broadheads (at least the Trisk SK125) will not. Like I said before - complete mechanical failure.

So, I'm sure that if you want to hunt with a quiver full of Triska's, and wait for a perfect broadside 20 yarder, then by all means do. I'm sure they'll perform wonderfully, and you'll be left with a bloodtrail that a blind man could follow. All I'm telling you is not to expect it to reliably crush/penetrate the spine in all circumstances, because there was at least one circumstance where it failed miserably.

Ijust won'twait for a perfect shot to present itself if I don't think it's going to happen. Maybe that makes me unethical, maybe it doesn't? I just expect my broadheads to be able to decimate a vertebral body at close range and separate the spinal column after a well-placed spine shot. I expect them toshatter an adult whitetail shoulderblade en route to the vitals, or saw through a couple ribs on impact. That's why I hunt at 76# instead of 56#. That's why I threw away the Triskas.