Need advice for a sheep hunt
 

Hey guys, I'm new here and trying to get some thoughts on a future sheep hunt I have this november.
I have always shot fixed blade broadheads but I have a sheep hunt this winter for bighorns in Alberta Canada. From what I hear longer shots are possible and it is real windy. I will be using VAP arrows because of this but I am worried about what to use for broadheads. I like a fixed broadhead for better penetration at longer distances and also if the wind messes up a shot or I make a bad shot I wonder if a fixed broadhead is best?
What are your thoughts on broadhead types? Should I use Fixed or not keeping in mind the wind and possible longer shots and the penetration I will get? I'm open to ideas
Thanks

Long distance shots with a bow especially in windy weather seems irresponsible to me no matter what kind of broad heads you are using. Sticking a Big horn sheep anywhere but in the vitals where they live is almost a sure loss of a wounded animal.

Yes you are correct on that Oldtimr and we try to do our best to not go beyond what we are capable. And even at times things don't end up as the way we want them to. We all know this and understand that...but with the right equipment we can try and make that chance of loss even less and turn something that could have been a bad deal into a happy ending. Heck things can go sideways at 20 yards easy enough....
Just trying to get a little info on what might be best for this situation and didn't want to get into an ethics debate. There is a lot of experienced guys out there and some thoughts on a few of my questions might be helpful.

I would shoot what ever head fly's best from your set up
if you like to test in cross winds
get a leaf blower and have someone blow a cross wind at assorted distances both YOU from target, and them off to the side with blower, (NO need to use MAX wind here either, but it can be a way to see what fly's differently!
I personally am NOT a fan of long shots with a bow, yet I know countless guys that take them and have success!
its a personal game to be honest, stick to your comfort zone and set distances you WON"T shot past and stick to them, shooting anything rifle bow or?? past your skill and comfort level, will never be good more times than not!, why risk it, and YES I know a sheep hunt isn';t cheap
I prefer to do what's right than not, and I practice what I preach, I shot a wounded buck a small buck on a very costly Alberta deer hunt, due to, to me it was the right thing to do
being right/fair/ethical isn't always cheap LOL

Long shots at any game are NOT the way to hunt with any type of equipment. If you can't get close enough to ensure as close as possible to a 100% chance at a kill, then don't shoot! Use the fixed blade and don't shoot any further than you know you can put the arrow in a pie plate no matter what the weather conditions are!
PS: You question itself is definitely an ethics question and you got correct answers whether they are what you wanted to hear or not!

Well some of you are taking this as an ethics thing. I'm not asking what to use because I want to be flinging arrows at impossible distances all day long. I know what the limits are. You could say the same thing for guys shooting out of a treestand at 20 yards or shooting a 40lb bow or a million different scenorios...
I'm asking some of you with some experience on sheep hunting what has worked and most inportantly if you have had experience with wind and longer shots. Some suggestions to would be great to have less chance of any screw ups.

Would you ethics police prefere I don't do any homework on the subject and possibly go make a bad shot because of equipment choices?

So no I don't find it an ethics question at all. I know my limits and what I consider a long shot at 40-50 yards others may not think so.
It's a question about wind and what to put on the end of an arrow. The rest of the story is up to me in whether I pull the trigger or not on a specific shot....

Please don't be a smartazz just because you got answers you didn't care for! It's not becoming, especially from a person that is brand new to the site! You got your answer from me and the others to shoot what flies best from your setup and if you don't like our answers then too bad! YOU should know what your limits are with ANY equipment you're using and asking anyone out on the net just makes it sound to me like you're asking for people to condone stretching the distance past the limit you should have for yourself. When you're on the hunt you'll know what the conditions are each day and what you can do or not do depending on the distance and wind!

You are the one who seems not to like other's answers. Just because the person is new to this forum, does not make them new to hunting. I would guess quite the opposite if he is serious enough to head to Alberta to hunt sheep, not only $ involved but being in physical shape and mental shape for that kind of hunt. I do not have an answer for the op, I live 50 miles from the Missouri Breaks in Montana, I have friends who have drawn this coveted tag and hunted with a bow, successfully. Do your research, perhaps reach out to a forum by your bow maker and see what other's have used for sheep, goat, even mulies and elk, they are animals where the wind blows. One correction I will make to your original post, I am guessing you will be hunting this FALL...not winter....fall will be cold and snowy enough in Alberta I am sure, good luck with your hunt.

Say what?! So why are you commenting at all if you have no answers for the OP? All the answers that were given by the members, including myself, were right on the button whether the OP liked them or not! There were also no comments that stated the OP was new to hunting, so I have no idea where you came up with that one since I said he was "brand new to the site" and not to hunting!

In reality, no one has even come close to answering the gentleman's question. What he is asking has absolutely nothing to do with ethics. He is asking from people with experience hunting in windy conditions at range. And nothing long range at that if he is considering 40-50 max yardage. He is asking for information on wind effects on various broadheads. To me, it would be unethical for him not to ask these questions. Now granted, his first post didn't specify his range limitations so Oldtimr was point on correct in his answer. But his answer didn't include anything helpful for the gentleman's question.

Now for nube, what blades are you currently using? I'm not a fan of any of the mechanical broadheads though some do work and work well, to me it is just something else to possibly fail which I try to eliminate all those possibilities that I can. Especially when going on a hunt that is as expensive as the one you are planning. We get some fairly stout winds around here at times and I have found that the Slick Trick broadheads seem to fly fine in them. Wind will affect anything you shoot. But they seem to fair the wind better than most other fixed blade broadheads out there. They penetrate exceptionally well and because of the angle of their blades they create a pretty devastating wound path. I've never had a non pass through with them and I don't shoot anything special Bow wise. Whatever you choose, and from your questions I am sure you will do this, make sure you practice with them and know your setup better than you know the back of your hand. Slick trick sells practice blades as do most of the reputable broadhead manufacturers. Good luck on your hunt. Hopefully this helps you.

Excuse me, but your reading comprehension must be lacking tonight because he was told to use a fixed blade BH that flies best in his setup. Seeing as how each setup will work differently that means he'll have to try several different ones if he doesn't like his present head just like if he was trying new loads in a rifle. He was also told to stay within his maximum distance limits each day because only he knows what that is and the weather he runs into each day will tell him how far he can shoot and he shouldn't exceed that. What don't you understand about those comments that would lead you to say nobody has answered his question?

Hunterslife thank you and really is the way I am thinking but like I said I do not have experience with wind.

Funny thing today tho is it was raining and had 35mph wind gusts so I went shooting.
At 60 yards I was a whole 10 inches in a sidewind. At 40 yards was about 4 inches. 30 and 20 yards was not enough to worry about. It taught me a lot.
My group on the 60 yards was about a 6 inch group. Not great but I have not shot in a while and never in wind like this. I feel like my max range today was about 50 yards on animal and was consistant.

That was with field point though and hopefully when I get some broadheads tuned up I will give it a go again.

To answer one question, it is in November and very cold. It could be minus 15 or more.

I plan on using a Grizztrick or a Grim Reaper Razortip for this sheep hunt.

Pros on the Grizztrick are passthroughs. Negatives are a smaller hole and wind drift possibilities.

Grim Reaper the pros are less chance for wind drift. Negatives are less penetration and a chance for a broadhead failure in opening.

I also think a fixed will be better if I do make a bad shot and hit it not in the most ideal areas of the body.
Those are my thoughts and what I am thinking. It is nice to talk to guys with experience about these types of things.

Topgun--- Again.... this is not an ethics thing. Its about wind drift and use of broadheads. I live in Alberta. I have shot 9 bighorns in my life at the age of 41. This draw I have is one of the top draws in the province and the chance to shoot a 180-200" ram is pretty good. I will never get this draw again. When I hunt I do things right.
I have hunted all around the world on multiple hunts. I'm headed for Marco polo next November in fact. I have some experience hunting and have killed more Boone and crocket bucks than most people see in a lifetime. I know about ethics so you are preaching to the wrong guy. You can twist that however you want and types like you usually do.

Anyone with some experience on shooting high wind and the use of broadheads is greatly appreciated. Any thoughts on anything to try out I am open to ideas and I am not afraid to try it out or take suggestions. Thanks for all those that have given some info

nube, give the Slick Trick Standards a try. They have a smaller profile than the Grizz and buck the wind better than most any other broadhead I have tried out. A few years ago the old man was asked to try out a new design. It was the Solid broadhead legend or something like that. He had nothing but praise for it as far as accuracy and all. But the price they were considering was pretty up there. As far as you thinking the Grizz or any of the slick tricks having a smaller wound channel, I have never had a problem with that. They bust out a pretty substantial exit and I have yet to have less than an excellent blood trail. As far as those reapers, that is a lot of blade to push through 2 sets of ribs. Unless you are planning on putting them on some seriously heavy arrows, I wouldn't try them. Takes a lot of energy to push almost an inch and a half of blade through an animal. That's just my opinion, I'm not the archery expert the old man was but I have a pretty firm grasp on the stuff.
As for your statement Topgun3006, my comprehension is just fine. The gentleman asked about broadheads and wind. Not about what shoots best in his setup. He was asking about peoples experiences with different broadheads in higher wind situations. That has absolutely nothing to do with his setup. He is trying to pin down a broadhead to try that people have experience with in windy situations. He seems perfectly fine in his experience level to know the other stuff as far as shooting within his range limits and knowing how to set his rig up.

Thanks and I will look into the Standards. I'd rather have an arrow go through both sides than not

Sorry, but I figured as experienced as you are that you'd be practicing at all different kinds of distances and wind speeds like you just mentioned well before your hunt and that's why I kept repeating that we answered your question! I still maintain that all of what we're talking about definitely involves ethics in doing your practicing in all the elements and knowing exactly what you can do on any particular day depending on what the weather is with your particular setup, so again sorry if you and hunters_life don't feel that is correct! Now practice, practice, practice and go kill a monster without freezing to death up there! :party0005: