Where's my bolt?

Grizzly-Papa · Post by **Grizzly-Papa** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:03 am

The only thing I recovered from a complete pass through on a deer last Saturday was the broadhead with insert attached lying on the grass about 4 yards beyond where it had been standing. I inspected the body cavity when I field dressed it but no sign of the bolt and there was clearly an entry and exit through the rib cage. I'll be darn if I can find it anywhere unless it buried itself real deep and ejected the broadhead?

From experience, I have found the Gold Tip Laser 2 good in delivering accuracy but fragile and prone to failure.

Time for a swith to aluminum or does someone recommend another manufacturer?

[img][img]http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r211 ... 0_0615.jpg[/img]

Grizzly-Papa
[/img]

vixenmaster · Post by **vixenmaster** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:20 am

I use alum mostly but have some carbon arrows. I like the easton power bolts well enough.

kevin · Post by **kevin** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:21 am

funny you should mention this. I got another large Doe Sunday evening. Shooting a Phoenix with the newer (larger diameter)GT's, brass inserts and 100gr ST's.

I hit her a little forward at about 12yds. going through the near shoulder and exiting the lung on the off side.

It did'nt pass completely through, the shaft snapped at the flecthings on the far side. I found the other half and the insert and Broadhead were missing

? Looks like the glue did'nt hold? She only went about 30yds. and dropped.

I'd tried the set up on my broadhead target without loosing any inserts.

bait pile willie · Post by **bait pile willie** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:29 am

samething happen oct 3,but I found both partsI account it as I made up the arrow myself and probably didnt prep the inside of the shaft enough before gluing it in.gold tip shaft 18.5 in. blazer vane.125 gr,g-5 stryker point, fly like a dart to 50 yds.loctite ssuper gel glue.

Cossack · Post by **Cossack** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:36 am

Looks like glue failure. Alums may not be any better. You may find the bolt after the kill but it won't be useable because it's bent. You have a sample of one so I wouldn't draw any conclusions just yet. And after all, the deer was killed. If that costs a bolt a time that's not too high a price IMO.
I have one Carbon Express and 100gr ST that has been through TWO deer and needed nothing more than a little water to clean it and a sharpening to go to work one no 3.

sumner4991 · Post by **sumner4991** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:43 am

Just by physics . . .your bolt stopped just short of your broadhead . . .something grabbed it, but the broadhead kept going. I would guess the bolt barely passed thru the deer and the broadhead left the bolt about the time the bolt was leaving the deer. The broadhead would travel a little further . . .in most cases. Doesn't make sense that the bolt would pass your broadhead. Look in the dirt/grass prior to where your broadhead showed up.

That's still odd.

kevin · Post by **kevin** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:52 am

I use some bolt's made from 6075 Carbon Terminator Lite shafts cut in half, in the Vixen. 16.5 length with 2" Blazers and 125gr. heads total weight at 327. grs. Being such a short bolt there very stiff. I was surprised how accurate they were being this short.

there small diameter shafts and have held up really well in 3 deer taken all have been pass throughs at fairly close yardage. I've only found 2 of the bolts though,one got lost.

I think I'll have another 2 doz. made up as I've been very impressed. Bad thing is the bury to the nock in a broadhead target and you need a puller to remove them. The Bazer vanes a very tuff though and don't deform.

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:55 am

sumner4991 wrote:Just by physics . . .your bolt stopped just short of your broadhead . . .something grabbed it, but the broadhead kept going. I would guess the bolt barely passed thru the deer and the broadhead left the bolt about the time the bolt was leaving the deer. The broadhead would travel a little further . . .in most cases. Doesn't make sense that the bolt would pass your broadhead. Look in the dirt/grass prior to where your broadhead showed up.

That's still odd.

Along the same line as my thoughts. Could the shaft have hung up in the deer sticking out enough to dislodge as the deer ran off?
How far did the deer go after the shot? I'd look along it's travel route for the shaft.

kevin · Post by **kevin** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:10 am

Grizzly said he had a pass through.

My Doe dropped in sight at 30 yards if that. There were no strands where the bolt snapped at the fletching,nice even break. Bolt was the complete length when held together, just missing the insert and head. Real nice blood trail and busted the close shoulder up.

The leaves are so thick on the ground I did'nt look long for the head as she was in sight. I did do a good inspection inside her when dressing her for strands. For sure the head made it through just looking at the exit wound.

jay73 · Post by **jay73** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 4:49 pm

Claude, I'm sure one of you guys will run it over discing the food plot next year.

All joking aside, that's one of the reasons I switched back to alum's last year - god damn inserts. I also prefer the harder hitting aluminum bolts out of my Exocet.

Jay

widowman · Post by **widowman** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:42 pm

I have had good luck with the GTII's that I made for myself.

Of all the pre-made GT II's (excalibur & tenpoint) I have used, the inserts always fall out.

When i build them I take my time to not only clean the interior of the shaft wall but scuff it with a wire bore brush as well.

Scuffing the interior wall will give the epoxy something to hold onto.

I still shoot the GTII's as I don't know of anything else that would be any better. Also, $36 for a dozen shafts, I am willing to deal with re-gluing an insert or two.