Small Game with Matrix 380?

[Dash]

You may be right. I have used them for Squirrels with my vertical bow. Brand spankin new to crossbows. I just got a matrix 380 and while I'm working out some kinks, I have come to appreciate the wicked force she'll deliver. I once had a bludgeon head (blunt head) go through a squirrel and it was like blasting it with a shot gun. Took a lot of the meat away. While with squirrels no worries cause it take a few anyhow to get a meal, I was kind of worried about it passing through with a blunt head (most shots where I hunt is only 20 yards cause it's think as heck back there) and ripping the skin and destroying more meat. Maybe just over thinking it...

[/quote]
Yeah a pass through is a possibility with the 380, even the equinox can almost pass through small game using the narrower style blunts. But, the more surface area on the blunt the less chance of follow through. I see what you mean about more meat damage on very small game, but using a 380 on small game with a broadheads would get extremely expensive. Which ever way you go about it, get back to this post and let us know how it goes. Due to recent work commitments, I don't think I'll get a chance to test my 380 on small game soon. But when I do I'll put a post in with the results.

[mike w]

Yeah a pass through is a possibility with the 380, even the equinox can almost pass through small game using the narrower style blunts. But, the more surface area on the blunt the less chance of follow through. I see what you mean about more meat damage on very small game, but using a 380 on small game with a broadheads would get extremely expensive. Which ever way you go about it, get back to this post and let us know how it goes. Due to recent work commitments, I don't think I'll get a chance to test my 380 on small game soon. But when I do I'll put a post in with the results.[/quote

I hear you, that is one pricey Squirrel / Rabbit! I'm gonna go Squirrel plunking this weekend, but my .22 air rifle is much more economical choice for this go round! Good luck with work and the off season prep!

[Significent]

After all of the discussion and looking at all of the suggestions, I bought a three pack of Vantage Point Archery's "Small Game Thumpers". (VPA SGT). They appear to fly and function much like the G5 SMHs but should be more resilient. They're a little less pricey too. As long as the SGTs fly straight and aid in quick deceleration, without destroying my bolts/arrows, I'll be happy with them.

I'm only planning to use the SGTs on red fox while out deer hunting, so it may be a while before I can report back on their efficacy out of Sheila. Since I'm not planning to eat red fox anytime in the foreseeable future , I'm not too worried about wasting meat.

[Pydpiper]

I shot a squirrel with a blunt, the big rubber style, almost an inch wide.
The squirrel was standing on a wooden fence, with my Exocet the arrow passed clean through the squirrel, so fast that it did not knock the little fellow off. For a moment, I thought I could see daylight through the hole in him, then he fell.
The only way you are not going to get a pass through on small game is if the arrow makes contact with something solid before the arrow exits your quarry.
This is some of my small game heads, the black blunt is what passed through the squirrel. My favorite is the Zwickey grapplers, I use them on field points, in my opinion, it is the most effective at slowing the arrow, as well as finding it. I use them behind Slick Tricks for turkeys too.

[MJK]

Some of these look promising.
http://www.zwickeyarcheryinc.com/ecomme ... points.jsp

[mike w]

@pydpiper, great feedback, thanks!

[cdn.redneck]

I shot a squirrel with a blunt, the big rubber style, almost an inch wide.
The squirrel was standing on a wooden fence, with my Exocet the arrow passed clean through the squirrel, so fast that it did not knock the little fellow off. For a moment, I thought I could see daylight through the hole in him, then he fell.
The only way you are not going to get a pass through on small game is if the arrow makes contact with something solid before the arrow exits your quarry.
This is some of my small game heads, the black blunt is what passed through the squirrel. My favorite is the Zwickey grapplers, I use them on field points, in my opinion, it is the most effective at slowing the arrow, as well as finding it. I use them behind Slick Tricks for turkeys too.

that's what I used too, perfect for small game, always have two for small game and two for big game in my quiver

[ch312]

I shot a squirrel with a blunt, the big rubber style, almost an inch wide.
The squirrel was standing on a wooden fence, with my Exocet the arrow passed clean through the squirrel, so fast that it did not knock the little fellow off. For a moment, I thought I could see daylight through the hole in him, then he fell.
The only way you are not going to get a pass through on small game is if the arrow makes contact with something solid before the arrow exits your quarry.
This is some of my small game heads, the black blunt is what passed through the squirrel. My favorite is the Zwickey grapplers, I use them on field points, in my opinion, it is the most effective at slowing the arrow, as well as finding it. I use them behind Slick Tricks for turkeys too.

That's weird. I've shot a bunch of rabbits, squirrels, and grouse from 3-4 yards out to 40 yards with the exomax with rubber blunts and have never had the blunt penetrate an animal.

Maybe I'm using lighter arrows and heads?

[Pydpiper]

Don't know.. But when I hit small game with a blunt it is as though the arrow never touched a thing, just carries on.
Now, if the shot is coming from an elevated position the arrow stops when it hits the ground, but the animal has no affect on the arrows need to keep pushing forward.
I don't shoot the fastest bow, or odd arrows, just the standard stuff.
Shot a squirrel that was against a wood wall once, the blunt passed through both the squirrel and the barnboard, and had a "coring" effect on the squirrel.

[Dash]

Don't know.. But when I hit small game with a blunt it is as though the arrow never touched a thing, just carries on.
Now, if the shot is coming from an elevated position the arrow stops when it hits the ground, but the animal has no affect on the arrows need to keep pushing forward.
I don't shoot the fastest bow, or odd arrows, just the standard stuff.
Shot a squirrel that was against a wood wall once, the blunt passed through both the squirrel and the barnboard, and had a "coring" effect on the squirrel.

That would be a laugh to see
I'm not sure how small the squirrels are but it doesn't sound like there's not much meat in one. I haven't passed more than a few inches through a rabbit or fox ever using the equinox, but I suppose it all comes down to the combination of blunt surface area/arrow speed/ arrow weight/animal width & density. I'm sure the 380 is pushing the limits on anything too small though. Them 125gr saunders point in your pic only have half the surface area of the 145grain. It's worth trying out the bigger surface area if your passing through rabbit sized game.

[Pydpiper]

It's only squirrels that I get pass thru's on, and my thought on that is the fact that they are elevated. I am sure if I shot one on the ground the arrow would not pass through because of the contact with the ground.
Both complete pass throughs were on shots where I was aiming "up", removing the ground from the equation.
I am not sure how well that would work on a rabbit, we don't get many of them in trees around here, if I did see one up there I likely wouldn't shoot it, just out of respect..

[Robinredbreast]

Hope you don't mind me asking but how do you attach the plastic stag to the arrow, i assume there's an hole at the back bet those antlers will grip and snag the rabbit a treat sorry couldn't resist that