BH didn't open, pics added
 

I wasn't sure if I wanted to post this or not, due to the pissing match that will probably ensue. Sunday evening I hunted across the road from my house. 80 acres with a winter wheat field next to a creek bottom. I've been seeing anywhere from 8-12 does in the field at dusk every evening, so Sunday I decided to try to fill my last tag. Around 3:30 I hear something running in the timber behind me, does running everywhere. A fawn is towards the back with a coyote closing fast. The other deer scatter and leave the fawn and coyote to run out in the field alone. I dig out a fawn bleat and hit it a few times, hoping to call the yote back in for a shot. A few minutes later I hear something trotting in the timber behind me, its a yote with 2 others about 50 yards behind it.[>:]It is slipping through some brush and finally gets to an opening at 30 yards. I draw, pick a spot and shoot. The yote hardly reacts and slowly trots off the same direction it came from.Clean miss I'm thinking. I head over there and start looking for my arrow, which I find. Complete pass though, covered in blood. I'm kinda happy at this point, since its the ONLY passthrough I've had with these BH's. Then I get to looking at the BH....it didn't open![:@]The o ring rolled back on the arrow shaft, but the blades are spotless. I'm am pissed to the highest level!! I go back, get my backpack and follow the very sparse bloodtrail. I looked until dark, never did find it.
I've shot 2 deer with these BH's and the blades opened, but no pass throughs on either one. I get a pass through at 30 yards, the o ring rolls back and the blades have no blood hair or dirt on them. The fletchings and shaft are soaked in blood and hair. Did I shave its belly/neck? What gives? I will take pics on my lunch hour and post them. I'm stumped.[&:]

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

I noticed a similar issue with some mechanicals I had. While practicing with them on an inch and 1/2 thick foam target they were not opening but nearly passing completely thru. On deer however I got pass-thrus with the blades opening. I'm guessing you hit the yote where there wasn't much resistance and they didn't open.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation,every one knows that by usingtodays modern laws of physics it is an impossibility for a mechanical head not to function properly every time.[8D]

Could itof been the make, yearor model of bow. Maybe the bow is tunned to poorly for proper function of head.
What kind of tree were you in? Was it a mechanical broad head friendly species?
Was your safety belt used properly for the type of tree stand you were in?
Was the outdoor temperature within the operating range of this broad head?
Carefully place the broad head on your table ,then turn your head and look at every other aspect of your hunting package for possible problems, it might take some time but eventually you will locate the source of your problem.:eek:

There are some guys out there that can point you in the right direction with a broad that will function every time.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

what brand bh?

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

Jim, I know you hate mechanicals. I've already said I'm likely going to change to fixed blades next season. I'm trying to figure out whythis head failed to open, what I would have hit etc. Thanks for your normal smartassed reply though. I expected nothing less.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

Hypershock 125

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

sorry double post

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

I just don't understand why it takes so many failures for people to learn, sure they work most of the time,but a fixed blade works every time.
People spend thousands of $on the fastest bows,hundreds on the best arrows and god knows how much of sights ,releases and assorted gadgets.
Yet some still take a chance with broad heads.:eek:

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

Ive used NAP Spitfires and they are awsome, i also used a rage 2 blade on a doe this year and got a passthrough and she fell at 40 yards. I think im going to stick with the spitfires in the future, we will see.

As for your situation, i would think that you still have a dead coyote out there somewhere, as long as you git a vital organ. A well placed arrow will kill an animal even with a field tip on it.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

I use them and one reason why is they pattern better than fixed broadheads for me. That's all.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

I've killed approx. 40 Deer using mechanicals, and 99% of the time they work great.

I still like a lot of things about the mechanicals, but I figure my Luck they willmalfunction at the wrong timeso I use broadheads that Cut on impact, but don't have to open;)I have seen mechanical malfunctions first hand. So I do know they happen.

Dan

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[Deleted by Admins]

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

That is more than likely a tuning issue.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

If the arrow passed through did is not go in the ground? If so, is it possible the blood came off going into the ground?

Sorry if I'm a skeptic, but until I see an animal that is dead shot with a mechanical with field tip sized holes on both sides I'm leaning more toward hunter failure than broadhead failure.

If blades break off, or a ferrule snaps that is one thing, but it is a near impossibility for a broadheads blades to not open. Especially given the design of the broadhead you are using...



I just don't see how that broadhead could pass through even cardboard without those hooks catching.

Like I said, call me a skeptic.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

The arrow was laying on top of the ground, I was hunting on the ground. I'm eating lunch now, gimme a few minutes and I'll post pics.[8D]Hell I'd be a skeptic too if I didn't witness it .

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

For the skeptics.

Full length arrow



Closeup of fletchings

(note the hair)

BH closeup



This is exactly how I found it. The blades aren't bent or stuck, no dirt on them.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

How does the little rubberband get past the blades and onto the shaft if those blades didn't open and then shut?

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

Unless I am not seeing something correctly, it is physically impossible for the blades not to have opened if the o-ring is pushed back to where it is. If it starts in front of those “wings”, it can’t get past them without pushing them out of the way (in turn opening the blades). I believe the blades appear closed, because when the arrow passed thru, the fletching stuck (last thing out of the animal) and the blades swung forward (closing) and that is how you found the arrow.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

Blades are clean guys. That head has a 2 3/4" diameter. I've shot 2 deer with them and the heads were full of hair, meat fat etc . These are clean. As far as the o ring....no fricking clue. I agree that something isn't right, like a coyote barely bleeding for several hundred yards. If it opened, he would have bled ALOT and died soon. I don't have any answers or tricks up my sleeve, this is a head scratcher to me.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

After seeing the pics, I think Rybo nailed it.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

dont forget a yote has thick fur....its going to soak up blood leaving less blood than normal many times....

i too dont understand how the o-ring got to where it is without the blades opening...though i dont know how that broadhead operates....

looks like a good hit with the fletchings soaked like that....but hard to say...and they are very tough critters and have been known to go a good distance and will get to cover before dying if they are given the opprotunity....

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

I design and build things for a living,every think from simple mortars to drive parts for nuclear submarines.
If it is a man made mechanical produce with or with out moving parts it has theabilityto fail,fixed blades just have allot less chance of something going wrong.
Mechanicals have inherent faults that come with material and monetary restraints setting the production boundaries, the percentage of failures is not onlylimited to the manufactures quality control standards but also the assembly process.
Many of these faults are undetectable to the human eye and are only found after the product fails during use.
With a fix blade head a simple spin test will tell you if the ferrule is straight and if the blades are held firmly in place its a pretty good bet that the head will function as designed to.
For the typical shot on white tailed deer I see no benefit mechanical heads.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

Now thatsgood stuff,LOL. :D:D:D

I was thinking it could have failed before I seen the pic. Now I'mcleaning pop off my key board.:D:D:D

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

I would either pick someone from Michigan or Pennsylvania and blame them for it [:@]

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

Are you an Engineer???
Derek

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

Not the kind that gets to drive those cooltrains.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

I'll explain how the oring is on the shaft of the arrow if you can explain how it went through an animal w/o getting the blades bloody. :eek:

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

I'm not so sure that the blades didn't open, and make get cleaned by Saskwatch just so he could mess with you for a change!!!! Seriously though, unless several of us have TOTALLY missed something, I don't see how the o-ring could get where it is and the blades not have opened. No offense, but that's just how I'm seeing it. If you're skeptical of those heads, get some Slick Trick Magnums, 4 blades comprising 1.125" cut is gonna be about as good as a 2.25" 2 blade on a sturdier frame that flies PERFECT!!!! I'll likely never shoot anything but a ST again unless my mindset changes, because I'm totally satisfied with their performance!!!

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

Awesome!!! Thats what im going to school for.

It sounded like thats what you did, just wondering. Nice response to btw.
Derek

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

My bow is tuned just fine. I'm in the bow shop quite a bit for tournaments and am constantly trying to keep my accuracy. The mechanicals just shoot better with my setup.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

None taken, just strange that the head is as clean as the others in my quiver. I have some used BH's that are a total mess. Just a total oddity, and if the head opened, how did a yote make it several hundred yards with a bloodtrail that resembled a picked scab?

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

Put a piece of paper directly behind your foam target, and you'll find that the bladesARE actually opening then closing. It doesn't make sense but you'll see it's the case.;)Oh, by the way, every deer I've ever shot(CB) using Spitfires (blades ALWAYS opened) the blades were closed when I retrieved the bolt. Strange isn't it?:D

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

The only thing I can think of on the blades being clean is that passing through the outer layer of fat and heavy fur cleaned them off. Now that you have posted that pic with the O ring behind the wings there is absolutely no way that broadhead failed. David Blaine couldn't even pull that off.

Look at it this way, you ridded your area of one yote. Because that thing sliced a 2 3/4" hole in him GAR-ON-TEED.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

Now I must say I am a mech shooter I shoot the grim reapers and swear by them as the best head out there but this isn't what this thread is for. If I had to make a guess maybe the shot placement wasn't as good as you thought it was and that yote not shot through the boiler room could go a ways. Depending on where the hit was could be why there wasn't alot of blood. Walt

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

No,fixed heads do not work everytime.The blades break and bend on them as well,imo,that is a failure.

I had a fixed head cost me a deer once.[&:] Or maybe it was the shot placement.;) or maybe my poor tracking job at the time.[:o]


I will most likely be shooting fixed heads again next year,mostly because of price and noise issues with mechanicals.


I am also having a hard time understanding how the o ring could jump the ears without the blades opening.

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

Curiosity question on these broadheads. It may sound a bit stupid, but I've never used them or even seen them up close. I know that with Grim Reapers, when I was shooting lower quality foam targets, the broadhead would be on the other side of the target and it was closed. The inertia from the sudden stop slams the blades closed. Any chance of this happening with this broadhead? Could it be possible that it passed through something tough and the blades slammed back forward or do they lock in the deployed position?

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

This was what I tried to covey on my last post.;):D

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

I'm wondering why the blades were spotless. No hair, no blood, no meat, no dirt.....nothing. Not to mention the fact that there was very little blood other than on the vanes. I would post a pic of the blades, but at this point I'd probably be accused of washing the blades off .[&:]

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

i agree, this is the only thing i could think of

RE: Sunday evenings hunt- BH didn't open
 

Well, that's what I get for not reading all of the posts.[&o] Still, my bet is that's what we have going on here. My brother looked at my arrows in the above scenario and said my broadheads didn't open. I simply grabbed the target and showed him the 1 3/8" diameter exit cuts. 'Nuff said.