TFOX, what I've gone and figured is that if you were trying to do that light, fast arrow and high KE stuff with very thin walled, light aluminum shafts, the arrows were likely collapsing and folding up on contact with the animal. And that is probably why you weren't getting full penetration. Like throwing a beercan at a brick wall. And then it's also just possible that, along about the time you switched over to carbon and mechs, you learned to tune your bow better (or the extra tuning forgiveness one gets with mechanicals helped you out), or you learned how to shoot better for better shot placement, or more experience taught you to make better shot selections.... Or a combination of all three.

If I were you, I certainly wouldn't be going out on a limb and insinuating that carbons and mechs are a magic bullet that will fix everyone's hunting problems. Along about the middle of the season we'll start seeing the dreaded 'mechanical broadhead failure" threads and half of 'em will start out their gripe with, "TFOX said...."

Well, my definition of moderate arrow weight doesn't jibe with yours, and so you go to AMO's chart for MINIMUM arrow weights. MINIMUM is nothing near MODERATE. Ain't that word 'minimum' just another way of saying 'right at too danged light'?

Again we have a difference in philosophy. You would switch arrows for different game. I use the same arrows for all game, for target shooting and for 3D. Life's complicated enough without tuning a bow for deer, then to elk, then to antelope or mulies. One size arrow means one tuning job, one target picture to get accustomed to and one trajectory to learn. With my setup I can hunt anything from cottontails and squirrels, to deer and antelope, to bison and brown bear with no changes.

At least you do admit that arrow weight and momentum are more important than speed and KE for penetration. Otherwise you wouldn't dream of switching to heavier arrows for larger game where you need more penetration.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>