If you are shooting an arrow and it reaches its peak of the arc and starts to fall to its target...will this arrow have enough power to kill big game....I guess My question is this how far is too far to shoot...If you could shoot accurately at forty Yards with a 50# bow could your arrow have enough power to kill a deer...even though it has reached its arc and is sloping down? Thanks guys...It has been on my mind and just wanted to know.
I'd say that arrow weight and the momentum a heavier arrow carries would be the key to penetrating lethally. Problem there is shooting a heavy arrow accurate at that distance. Not the kind of experiment that I like doing!
I'd say as long as the arrow is moving it could seriously hurt or kill something. Try simply dropping it point first (with a sharp broadhead of course) from maybe 4 feet onto a piece of roast and see if it penetrates at all. Now toss it like a dart and see what it does. "reaching its arc", is a different thing. Gravity is pulling the arrow to the earth at all times.
If you truly launch the arrow (or bullet) parallel to the earth, it will continue to "drop" the whole way until it hits the ground, no arc, just drop. Meanwhile, the arrow is still going fast. . fast enough to hurt or kill. Even at 100 yards.
ChuckC
I went to the olympic range for hoots the other day. Thought it would be fun to launch arrows from 80m out. I shot my hunting bow with 650gn woodies. It took me a while to get on target and in the process I hit the 6x6 support beam holding the target. The field point was completely buried in the beam, that's about 1.5". I'd say that bow/arrow is lethal beyond 80m if you can actually hit anything at that distance.
In my life I've shot a couple of big game animals near 70 yards. I've also seen others hit at 100 yards plus (not by me). In those cases the arrows have penetrated just fine.
While not quite the same I've killed several rockchucks (groundhog size)at 100 plus yards and penetration was as good as close range.
I sure don't want someone shooting a broadhead at me from those distances.
QuoteOriginally posted by Charlie Lamb:
In my life I've shot a couple of big game animals near 70 yards. I've also seen others hit at 100 yards plus (not by me). In those cases the arrows have penetrated just fine.
While not quite the same I've killed several rockchucks (groundhog size)at 100 plus yards and penetration was as good as close range.
Dang Charlie! Teach me to shoot will ya? :eek:
When you read this remember that I started bowhunting way back in the old days. My second bowkill was made with a 45# recurve at approximately 85 yds. My arrow was dropping from the apex when it struck the deer, going completely through the chest and hanging up on the feathers. So, yes, that dropping arrow with a razor sharp head is deadly!
double posted somehow...
do ya get more tries at those ranges? :laughing: i suppose if you miss at 85 yds the deer wouldn't even know it had been shot at, would probably just think the arrow was some kinda weird acorn or something. i imagine if i could unload a dozen arrows at a deer that far i would have pretty good odds of hitting him eventually. not going to be trying that by the way. i can't even see 30 yds where i hunt.
There are stories of Pearson and Hill and others shooting WAY out there, well over 100 yards, and killing animals. That was back in the day of course. Sharp arrows are lethal objects. Never trust one.
Chuckc
I'll start this out with this statement- "I read this, I don't know it from experience" I read that if you shoot an arrow straight up and it reaches apex or apogee or whatever it's called and comes to a complete stop and falls back to earth that it won't have enough energy to penetrate much. I think we'd all agree though that a sharp broadhead would still cut the heck out of you regardless. The story also went on to say that if the arrow never comes to a stop and is always moving forward, that it is completely deadly at whatever range it reaches.
Very interesting post! Thanks for sharing. We can't all shoot as good as Charlie does, so i'll just keep my max shot at about 30 yards.
Thanks guys that puts my mind to ease.
Please don't test the straight up shot unless you are 100% positive you can be out from under it when it comes down...it'll do it's damage if it hits you.(even a field tip)
God bless,Mudd
I miss the days when I could still SEE 85 yards let alone shoot that far!!!
I'm not 100% sure on this but I think, even at 20yds, your arrow is falling by the time it gets to its target. Sooooo, YES, an arrow falling will kill animals.
Bisch
Way back when my longest shot was 45 yards with a 50# recurve and yes it did kill and penetrate just fine.
QuoteOriginally posted by paoliguy:
I miss the days when I could still SEE 85 yards let alone shoot that far!!!
This had me cracking up!
In short...YES
(http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn125/frassettor/096.jpg) (http://s303.photobucket.com/user/frassettor/media/096.jpg.html)
When an arrow hits a target/animal the point is pushed in by the shaft that is behind it.
If you shot a bullet straight up, when it came down if it hit you it would hurt/bruise. An arrow shot straight up, when it comes down it will penetrate you. I would say if it has a broad head it may kill you.
The old English longbow (warbow) was the most devastating weapon of its time. And it was often fired indirectly at targets over a couple hundred yards away. The arrows still penetrated armor and chainmale, so yeah I don't want to be anywhere near one coming down.
My father shoots the same old Browning wheelie he has shot for 40 years. His arrow is on the drop after 25yds. He has killed many deer with arrows that have entered the down side. I assure you the deer did not know the difference.
It is kinda fun to watch the trajectory.
Don't quote me on this but...I believe Howard Hill said an arrow will penetrate a game animal anywhere along its flight path or something to that affect. Likely deer sized game I assume.
Arrows tend to stabilize moreso the longer in flight, lending to enhanced penetration. Not saying anyone should use this as an excuse for too long of shots, its just a theoritcal discussion.
Kris
You beat me to to it Mike, rememember the famous battle of Agincourt that put the longbow in the history books. Those looped arrows did some damage on the French so I do not believe that a arrow shot straight up would not do any serious damage.
Trivia, does anyone know any significant history from Agincourt?
From the moment that an arrow clears the bow it's falling at an accelerating rate equal to the time (in seconds)squared times 32 feet. An arrow traveling at an average speed of 180 ft/second for a distance of 60 yards will drop 16 feet. But remember that gravity pulls the arrow downward, but it's wind resistance that slows it down.
As for shooting an arrow straight into the air, that's a different story. Air resistance and gravity combine to slow and stop the arrow at it's highest point. Then it slowly turns and excelerates back to earth with the power of gravity and held back slightly by air resistance. I would estimate that the speed of the arrow when it returns to earth is almost the same as when it left the bow.
When I was an 11-12 year kid. I had a 35# bow out in a field on a wintery day. I was shooting arrows high into the air and watching them return in a group about 20 yards away. It was beautiful watching them climb to the apex, stop for a moment, and then watch the arrow change ends and excelerate back to the ground. This went fine until my younger brother (9-10 yrs.) came out to watch. After he promised to stay close to me I resumed my shooting as before. On the second shot he lost sight of the arrow, paniced, and ran straignt ahead toward the grouping of arrows. He was bent over and with his arms covering his head. The target arrow hit him square in the back just to the left of his spine. Because it was winter and he had a thick wool felt coat on, there was no penetration, but it knocked him flat to the ground, and out of breath. Later that day he had a nasty bruise about the size of a grapefruit. I shudder to think what a heavy hunting arrow would have done. Again, an arrow shot near straight in the air will return to earth at near the speed of when it left the bow.
Warning!!! Please don't get careless with those arrows. Even target arrows can be lethal.
I guess it depends on the speed of the arrow when it hit the animal. Whether its dropping or climbing is less of a concern. Smaller feathers help retain down range energy on those long shots.
QuoteOriginally posted by Bisch:
I'm not 100% sure on this but I think, even at 20yds, your arrow is falling by the time it gets to its target. Sooooo, YES, an arrow falling will kill animals.
Bisch
X2 My arrow is falling after about 15-16yds....and as a few guys pointed out some of the older books tell of guys killing animals over a hundred yards....and history teaches us about arrows used as early artillery.
My guess is yes, but I will never find out from experience unless I have too.
Shoot an arrow straight up and see if it penetrates skull. On second thought, nevermind!
Heck yea, its going down hill and picking up speed.
I would ask General Custer...oh...that's right...