(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/jbrandenburg/P1010783.jpg)
I thought Grizzly's were supposed to be tough?OK,OK.Yesterday was supposed to be an antelope hunt.The antelope decided not to participate so it morphed into an almost whitetail hunt till the wind intervened.Then it turned into a bear scouting trip.Heading to check the status of a service berry patch,I jumped an antelope buck with 4 does.
Now I'm antelope hunting again.That didn't go so well and they got under a fence and headed for the open prairie.I went up to find where their escape hatch was and that is when I jumped the rabbit.Now I'm rabbit hunting.Our cottontails are very small compared to Easterns,and are very spooky.There are a lot of predators here and they are on everybody's menu.They are great eating though.People here don't know that so please keep this to yourself.I have sole rabbit hunting rights on this ranch.
I had one Judo tipped arrow in the quiver so the cat and mouse game began.He slipped from one huge cedar bush to another several times till finally he stepped in the open and stopped.My Judo hit a rock just to the right of him,went airborne,down ,over the hill.This ground is basically a rock pile,about 50% covered with a layer of top soil,moss and pine needles.I was pretty sure that arrow was trashed.
I moved forward and he was sitting in the open again.I'm sure he knew I only had one Judo and all that remained were my expensive hunting arrows.I looked down at the 4 finely tuned,700 gr,Grizzly tipped arrows and the quick,mental conversation went like:"You're either hunting or you're not".The arrow went on the string and I tried to make the shot count.
At the shot,the arrow flipped to the right and the rabbit flipped in the air to the left,behind a bush.I eased up and he was still.I guess I had enough arrow!The broadhead opened the right side of his chest,full length and severed the shoulder and front leg.There was a rock under the dirt he was sitting on and you can see what that did to the Grizzly.The arrow,miraculously,was unbroken.
I wouldn't have been happier if it had been an antelope and my back didn't hurt after packing it to the truck.
I did a little search and found the Judo tipped arrow.The Judo was bent and the nock was gone but this arrow also was not broken.I'm 100 % sure that the aluminum footings saved both these arrows.Those were some hard hits.A smarter person would have had cheaper arrows in the quiver just for this purpose.Note to self...
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/jbrandenburg/P1010786.jpg)
Oh,and the rabbit dinner was great.
It happens! I've had Grizzlys do this (and every other broadhead as well). A broadhead can hit at just the right angle to get this kind of tip bend/curl, especially on a rock and with a "heavy" shaft. Also...yeah, the reinforced collar probably added to the angular force exerted on the Grizzly where it otherwise may have just broke the shaft at that point. I also have a bunch of Judos that have bent exactly the same way. Of course, shooting my 100# longbow doesn't help either. NOT!
One question might be; did you ever over-heat this broadhead, potentially changing the temper of it?
Nice bunny!
Kris
No heat.I only use epoxy and hand hone the edges.
My comment about the Grizzly was tongue in cheek.They have proven to be plenty tough when used as they were designed.They weren't meant to shoot rocks.
I would hammer it out paint it a different color and use it on somemore bunnies. Good shooting. :thumbsup:
Rob
When a "Unstoppable Force meets the Immovable Object" somethings got to give. No surprise. Still one of the best broadheads out there. They could make it around Rockwell 55-58 but then everyone would bitch you can't sharpen it and it would shatter when hitting rocks. Can't please everyone.
I understand the rock-piercing optiion is rather expensive!
Heck I'd cut the curl out with a dremmel and make a big tanto and use it on well more bunnies. :) Nice shooting
Good job!
Man those are some tough bunnies you have there! :scared:
Grizzlies aren't very hard, but they do seem to kill lots of game. I've seen guys complain about bent broadheads they recovered from animals they killed and have to wonder why. When you could find them, Grizzlies were about $4 each. Compare that to the $30+ broadheads you could be shooting, which may or may not bend. I hunt mostly whitetails and turkeys. I usually shoot Zwickeys or Grizzlies, so if I bent one (actually I haven't yet) with each deer or turkey I shot, I could pile up about eight critters for the price of one of the high priced heads. Barring impacts with rocks and such, the "cheap" broadheads you and I are using make pretty good economic sense, not to mention the fact that they just get the job done.
QuoteOriginally posted by Rob W.:
I would hammer it out paint it a different color and use it on somemore bunnies. Good shooting. :thumbsup:
Rob
x 2 :thumbsup:
Judo point---6.00
broadhead----20.00
arrows-------25.00
Great shot-------PRICELESS..........
nice shooting... The second time. I've had a grizzly bend like that from a rock. It broke when I tried to hammer it back. Still the best heads I've ever shot.
QuoteOriginally posted by Cyclic-Rivers:
QuoteOriginally posted by Rob W.:
I would hammer it out paint it a different color and use it on somemore bunnies. Good shooting. :thumbsup:
Rob
x 2 :thumbsup: [/b]
+3
I had a grizzly do this to a degree on an elk rib! My partner about died (as did I). We were both under the impression they were bombproof. I still think they are great broadheads, but since then I have been on a quest to try other heads.
What footing material did you use to sleeve that shaft?
It might have bent but you got great penetration and a dead bunny! Good shooting
Glenn
Musta hit the shoulder bone on that wabbit to bend 'er up like that. do all your wabbits wear body armor?
Jim,for sure not many people is as good as you to sharpen those Grizzlies!Thanks for sharing your story.
nice bunny!!! sorry about the head.
A grizzly IS a tough head. I've shot hundreds of grizzlies at all kinds of critters- never had one bend like that....I had one break one time...I even shot cinder blocks and concrete walls and screwed up the edge a little but they didn't bend.
I have to wonder- how do you sharpen those? Do you use a belt sander or grinder? If so, that may be the culprit. Grizzlies are tempered to be extremely hard....and are made with great steel.
If you heated the head up at all, you may have taken the temper out of the head...softening the steel.
Just a thought.
Ask one of our great knifemakers on here how to heat and hammer it back out. Great bunny.. :archer:
Again,I wasn't knocking the Grizzly's.This was a 700 gr,32% FOC arrow drawn to 54#'s that made a solid hit on a rock.
I said earlier Ray,that I don't put any heat on my blades,know mechanized sharpening.If you look in the How To resources section,I explain how I hand hone each Grizzly start to finish.I'm a fan of the Grizzly's.
The other night I decided to see what I could do with this head,mostly out of boredom.I knew part of the tip would snap and it did,as I slowly tried to uncurl it with pliers.I lost 3/8" of the tip.
I had no intention of applying heat.there is no way to retemper steel properly without knowing what steel you are dealing with.It is only a $5.00 head to begin with.
I hammered out the curl of the blade using my tip alignment jig to tell me when I had it perfectly straight.I then turned it 90 degrees in the jig and marked the exact center so I could re-file the tip.
The tip is perfectly centered and surprisingly,the head only lost 6.2 grs of weight.And yes,I weighed carefully,before and after.Those heads are pretty heavily weighted already but I think I could replace that 6 grs with some tungsten putty.
I doubt if I'll hunt with it but I have no doubt it would do the job.
Autumnarcher,it was one tough rabbit but I was careful not to hit the shield.
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/jbrandenburg/P1010788.jpg)
Jim,
No scathing intent here, bud. I went through the whole thread and there were a bunch of "me too's" on the bending of the heads...so it was more directed at everyone...not you...
I'd definitely use it on wabbits!!
No problem Ray.I was a little surprised at how much it bent but I just know that every other 2 blade head I have used over the years would have been damaged much worse.I have about 5 dozen arrows made up for my bows and all wear 190 or 200 gr Grizzly's and I probably won't change until I have to.
I took those shots knowing how bad the rocks were but was thinking more of breaking the arrows.I was real happy to be able to keep using both arrows.I do hate to lose any Grizzly's right now,not knowing when they will be available again.Next stop,Tuffheads.
If you don't tell any deer or elk you shoot, that the broadhead has been ground down and ruined, they probably won't know the difference. I bet you cannot get it to bend again in its current shape.
I believe you are right Pavan.
Good story thanks for sharing, I just purchased grizzly heads they are on way. I will hunt with them next year I am set up with Tuskers for this season.
emac396,where did you purchase the Grizzly heads from?
At least you're hunting already. I'd sacrifice antelope/bear/deer arrows pdq! Thanks for the story & pix.
I used a few dozen Grizzlies back in 2004. I found that the hardness varied a lot from head to head. They also seemed to vary in hardness from tyep to type, with the 190 gr Grande's being the hardest.
I shot over 2 dozen test arrows into the two bulls I took with a rifle, and had one head bend on the scapula. I also had two steel ferrule/adapter failures. I don't want to fly under a false flag: I was and am a compound shooter, not trad.
The three arrow/BH failures did not achieve killing penetration. All the rest got to the far chest wall, including three through the scapula. Three arrows pierced both sides of the chest, with one hanging on the fletches.
Arrows were right at 880 grains total. CT Rhino Safari (32") + 190 Gr Griz + steel adapter+ original insert and 5" vanes. From an 80# Bowtech Allegience at 220 fps. 0.86 momentum and 95 ft-lbs KE.
Never got a shot opportunity on a bull with the bow.
Getting ready to go back, hence the renewed interest.
By shooting an Ultra-EFOC arrow, you have upped the ante. The 700 grain arrow in effect according to Dr. Ashby's calcs would be equivalent to a ~ 940 grain normal FOC arrow.
As already repeated all too often, I shot a 32% Ultra-EFOC 611 gn arrow from a 51# bow into a 18 in 1 Rhinehart target , which is warranted for one year. The target survived 3 ½ weeks.
QuoteOriginally posted by JimB:
I hammered out the curl of the blade using my tip alignment jig to tell me when I had it perfectly straight.I then turned it 90 degrees in the jig and marked the exact center so I could re-file the tip.
The tip is perfectly centered and surprisingly,the head only lost 6.2 grs of weight.And yes,I weighed carefully,before and after.Those heads are pretty heavily weighted already but I think I could replace that 6 grs with some tungsten putty.
I doubt if I'll hunt with it but I have no doubt it would do the job.
Autumnarcher,it was one tough rabbit but I was careful not to hit the shield.
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/jbrandenburg/P1010788.jpg)
Jim, do you have a picture of your "tip alignment jig" or could you explain it? Sounds like a handy item to have.
Steve O,this is the jig.The rollers came with an arrow saw.You can build one using wood and just cut two "V" bocks or use some metal angle to make the "V's".When aligning broadheads,I mount a field point that I know is straight and true,and you can spin it to verify,establish a dot and that is what my broadhead is aligned to.
I'm using 2 blade heads right now.I put the arrow on the rollers with the blade vertical and I am looking down on the edge.I get the point aligned with that dot.
I then turn the arrow 90 degrees so I am looking down on the flat of the blade and then get the tip aligned.Once that tip is aligned from both directions,it is perfect,assuming the point is centered to begin with.Aligned like this,from a tuned setup,those broadheads often group better than my field points.Don't ask me to explain why.I don't know but it happens fairly often.
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/jbrandenburg/SpinTester.jpg)
Keep in mind,if you change shaft diameters,the "dot" will move up or down but not side to side.
Perfect...I have some rollers just like that.
Another project!
Thank you.
Steve,I used to spin my broadheads on their point,for decades and always knew some weren't perfect but I fought with them and got them as close as I could.After making the jig,I checked some of those old arrows and it wasn't good.With this,you can see if the point is a minor fraction of an inch off and fix it quickly.I align broadheads quicker now and much more precisely.It is a fun little project too.It never occurred to me I may need it to re-establish a point.