Post by Twanger on Nov 27, 2006 10:14:31 GMT -5
I had the opportunity to evaluate the on-game performance of the Steel Force Premium 125gr broadhead (see pic below) on 4 whitetail deer this weekend. I'm not real proud of the shooting, but here goes...
Rig - Bowtech Old Glory, set for 76lb, 27.5" draw length. Beeman ICS 340 Arrows, 450gr total weight with 125 gr BH's. I have not shot these through the Chrony, but will do so when I get a chance. It will shoot 425 gr arrows about 270 fps (if my fallible memory is correct).
Deer #1 - 70lb Button buck. Steep shot from 35-foot tree-stand at 15 yards. Shot hit a little far back - liver. I still have shoulder-phobia. Deer ran only 40 yds and dropped. Arrow passed competely through and stuck 4" in the ground. Broadhead still looks good, but I've not yet spin-tested it.
Deer #2 - Alert doe at 28yds. Jumped the string at the shot. It hit with a loud crack. Clearly broke the leg bone. Found arrow lying on the ground. BH still looks good. Tracked for 400yds over 3 hours before losing trail in someone's back yard. Bummer this deer was lost, but hopefully we'll have another chance to take her out.
Deer #3 - Huge P&Y 9-point buck, about 200lb, at 20 yds. Again from 35 feet up... I REALLY messed up and hit this deer too far back and a little high - still, the arrow passed completely through the body of the buck and dropped on the ground. This was a fatal shot, but it was going to take a very long time for it to kill this buck. These heads really penetrate! Buck went 300-400 yds and passed the stand of another hunter in our group who made a nice quartering-towards shot, and dropped the buck within sight. Whew. I never would have found this buck (blood trail ended only 150yds out when we followed it up 4 hours later) and I'm VERY glad the other hunter had the chance to fix my screw-up and take this buck down. It's rightfully his, and I'm very happy that he got it. Beautiful buck that he'll get mounted. BH still looks good.
Deer #4 - Large 150lb 8-point buck at 20 yds, from 35 foot tree stand. Looking for redemption I shot a good 8 pointer (but not even close to P&Y quality) about 20 minutes before dark. Made a perfect text-book shot for this height of tree stand - high on the near-side, and low on the far-side, taking both lungs 2-3 inches behind the leg. The arrow passed completely through this large buck and stuck in the ground about 4-5 inches. Steel force BH still looks good. Buck went about 60 yds and collapsed in-sight.
Summary - These heads will kill deer quickly when put in the right place, and seem pretty tough. The cut-on-contact design really penetrates. They looked pretty good with casual inspection after all the shots, but I'll look at them alot more closely when I get some time, and spin test them. I'll also post the arrow speed and KE.
Right now I'm short on sleep and my back is killing me from all the tracking and humping deer in and out of the truck.
Rig - Bowtech Old Glory, set for 76lb, 27.5" draw length. Beeman ICS 340 Arrows, 450gr total weight with 125 gr BH's. I have not shot these through the Chrony, but will do so when I get a chance. It will shoot 425 gr arrows about 270 fps (if my fallible memory is correct).
Deer #1 - 70lb Button buck. Steep shot from 35-foot tree-stand at 15 yards. Shot hit a little far back - liver. I still have shoulder-phobia. Deer ran only 40 yds and dropped. Arrow passed competely through and stuck 4" in the ground. Broadhead still looks good, but I've not yet spin-tested it.
Deer #2 - Alert doe at 28yds. Jumped the string at the shot. It hit with a loud crack. Clearly broke the leg bone. Found arrow lying on the ground. BH still looks good. Tracked for 400yds over 3 hours before losing trail in someone's back yard. Bummer this deer was lost, but hopefully we'll have another chance to take her out.
Deer #3 - Huge P&Y 9-point buck, about 200lb, at 20 yds. Again from 35 feet up... I REALLY messed up and hit this deer too far back and a little high - still, the arrow passed completely through the body of the buck and dropped on the ground. This was a fatal shot, but it was going to take a very long time for it to kill this buck. These heads really penetrate! Buck went 300-400 yds and passed the stand of another hunter in our group who made a nice quartering-towards shot, and dropped the buck within sight. Whew. I never would have found this buck (blood trail ended only 150yds out when we followed it up 4 hours later) and I'm VERY glad the other hunter had the chance to fix my screw-up and take this buck down. It's rightfully his, and I'm very happy that he got it. Beautiful buck that he'll get mounted. BH still looks good.
Deer #4 - Large 150lb 8-point buck at 20 yds, from 35 foot tree stand. Looking for redemption I shot a good 8 pointer (but not even close to P&Y quality) about 20 minutes before dark. Made a perfect text-book shot for this height of tree stand - high on the near-side, and low on the far-side, taking both lungs 2-3 inches behind the leg. The arrow passed completely through this large buck and stuck in the ground about 4-5 inches. Steel force BH still looks good. Buck went about 60 yds and collapsed in-sight.
Summary - These heads will kill deer quickly when put in the right place, and seem pretty tough. The cut-on-contact design really penetrates. They looked pretty good with casual inspection after all the shots, but I'll look at them alot more closely when I get some time, and spin test them. I'll also post the arrow speed and KE.
Right now I'm short on sleep and my back is killing me from all the tracking and humping deer in and out of the truck.