Like many folks on here, I like to play with different broad heads on the market. I have limited opportunity shooting deer with them, but I like to play with my set-up to get what I feel is the best possible option for my hunting needs. In September, after some tuning issues, I bumped my field tips up 25 grains to 200. This of course meant that my old broadheads would no longer suffice and that I would have to buy new ones (I wasn't disappointed). After looking over the classifieds for a few days I picked up a some Snuffer 160's and glued in some inserts to get them to 200 grains. Now, I must admit, I was skeptical. They almost looked like a novelty item when they came in the mail. I figured I would use them for Turkey but for deer I may look for a different option. I shoot a Striker Stinger longbow 50 @ 28 with 2016's. Despite what I had read on this site, I was still unsure as to whether or not I would get the penetration I needed out of my setup with an 1-1/2" 3 blade.
I got them out in the yard and, to my surprise, they flew great. On top of that, with my questionable sharpening abilities I was able to get them to shave. At that point, I figured, "I'll give em a shot." So into the quiver they went.
Fast forward to last week. I sat and watched buck walked within 15 yards of my stand. I rose, drew, missed. No spot was picked and no animal taken....I resharpened the head and tried it again this week. This time, the same buck appeared. It was hard enough for me to believe he was back, but what was harder to believe is that he was headed to the same spot I had missed him last week. I stood, drew, PICKED A SPOT, and released. Upon release I saw my arrow hit a hair forward of its intended mark. I knew I had hit some part of the shoulder. Whats worse is that he bounded off and after 2 steps, my arrow broke off...3 inches behind the broad head. I knew there was no way I was finding that deer. I was sick. Immediately I began rethinking my choice of broadhead. I was in the process of mentally ordering new broadheads when I heard a crash. "Surely not", I thought. I climbed down and backed off the spot and when to get tracking help. I knew it would be a long trail if I did find him.
Upon my return to the spot, I found the broken arrow which was way too long for my liking. I proceeded in the direction I last saw him disappear and to my disgust, no blood. I went another 30 yards and saw glassed over eyes shining back at my light. He hadn't run 40 yards from where I shot him. I was as shocked as I have ever been in the woods. As I began the field dressing process I did a quick autopsy. The arrow had gone in just behind the shoulder bone and ended up "bouncing" off the offside shoulder (He was cut to the shoulder bone but the arrow didn't lodge there). Before the arrow made it to the offside shoulder, one of those big blades of the Snuffer completely severed the wind-pipe. It was no wonder he had expired so fast....even If I did miss the lungs and heart.
After all was said and done, I had my first buck with traditional gear on the ground and what I feel is a great lesson learned in equipment choice: Shooting a largest broad head your set-up can handle can have great benefits when the shot doesn't go like you planned. I'm not saying that a smaller broadhead would not have put him down. But I believe that in a scenario like mine when the shot is not where it was intended to be, it can help the recovery time tremendously.
Thanks for reading!
God bless
-Trey
(http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii617/Treyhedrick/ec95d924-f6c7-4251-a4f5-db7c75f95fd8_zpsdaecf0e8.jpg) (http://s1262.photobucket.com/user/Treyhedrick/media/ec95d924-f6c7-4251-a4f5-db7c75f95fd8_zpsdaecf0e8.jpg.html)
Beautiful buck Trey!!!
Those big sharp broadheads can and will make a difference. :thumbsup:
Congrats on a fine deer Trey
Congratulations on a great buck & story!! Thanks!! :thumbsup:
Terry, Congrats on a fine deer sir.
Nice harvest!!!
Congrats!!
A great example of how a properly constructed and sharpened broadhead saves the day. Great job preparing your gear. Too many folks get things "good enough". Looks to me like you paid special attention to tuning and broadhead sharpening. Graet work! :thumbsup:
Perseverance pays off too :)
Great story and a hearty congratulations Trey!
Great story and congrats on a beautiful deer! :thumbsup:
Very nice buck.
Rodger knew what he was doing when he designed the Snuffer! It is a killer for sure! :thumbsup:
Nice deer, congrat's
ChuckC
Nice buck, congrats.
Congrats on a nice buck, and I agree with your thoughts on a large broadhead.
Congrats on your buck!
Bisch
Nice buck...good shot. I always use the 160 gr Snuffers when I bear hunt. Three bears later, none have run farther than 15 yards before expiring. Now I have let many walk away because they did not present the angle I want in a bear...I'm picky. :-) With the Snuffer and the right angle, it looks like you've driven a pipe through the 'boiler room.' I like big broadheads and an arrow weight that give the 'whomp!' I want down range. Keep up the good work.
Nice buck...good shot. I always use the 160 gr Snuffers when I bear hunt. Three bears later, none have run farther than 15 yards before expiring. Now I have let many walk away because they did not present the angle I want in a bear...I'm picky. :-) With the Snuffer and the right angle, it looks like you've driven a pipe through the 'boiler room.' I like big broadheads and an arrow weight that give the 'whomp!' I want down range. Keep up the good work.
congrats and good shooting
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Nice deer ,great story.
Great job
:thumbsup:
Congrats!
Congrats!
Awesome! Attention to detail, always pays off. Well done.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats!
Nice Trey, congratulations on the buck!
The longer I hunt deer, the bigger my broadheads get. Snuffers are among the best.
:archer2:
Congrats Brother, great buck!
Congrats on a nice one... :thumbsup:
Like the honesty of your story Trey.....nice job...
Thanks, everyone. The wisdom on this site is to credit for my set-up. I appreciate the input from experience of years past that makes me a better bowhunter today. You all are appreciated.
Cool. May give the Snuffers a try myself soon.
Nice buck! Congrats!!
Excellent job. I too ponder these types of things until I begin to drive myself crazy. I like big heads. But I hate it when I don't get an exit hole. So I'm constantly testing things to get it right. With a big broadhead, sometimes I don't get an exit hole, but the big head does so much damage that I find the deer anyway because they don't go anywhere.
I killed my first 2 trad deer with snuffers and a 45# bow. The first was an awful shot on my part and I was thankful for the big broadhead.
Congrats and good story!
Kid, you have made a very valid point. Larger broadheads can make a huge difference in recovery, especially on less than ideal hits. I too, often debate which broadhead to use. Just this year I hit a doe on the shoulder with a double bevel 2 blade and apparently did not get much penetration. Would a single bevel broadhead had made enough of a difference to take the deer? Probably not, because I don't shoot a heavy enough arrow with EFOC. I do shoot enough bow to put a Snuffer or Woodsman through the deer and into the dirt on the other side when I miss the big bones. Just last week I shot another doe and hit her too far back. I found her dead 40 yards away. The broadhead was a Snuffer. Would another style of broadhead have had the same results? I don't know but the wound was MASSIVE. It seems to me that FOR DEER (at my poundage and arrow weight) the biggest broadhead you can get out the other side is the way to go. Nice buck and thanks for your post. :clapper:
Good looking buck right there! Glad it worked out.
Nice deer and well told....thanks for sharing...
><>>
Glenn
There is a reason I shoot the biggest Simmons Sharks available, even for elk. I've considered gluing razor blades on them, to cut even more stuff on the way through. :readit:
Nicely done Trey.
160 Snuffers since 1976............awesome! :thumbsup:
Nice deer. You got to love a broadhead that makes a big hole. I have never shot the big snuffers, but have thought about it.
Congrats! and I think the same as you when it comes with broadheads.
Congrats!
Way to go sir! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
I've only used Snuffers to kill deer and never had an issue. This year I dropped in bow weight and was thinking about using some of my STOS heads. You're story changed my mind. Any sharp head will work, some just work quicker than others! Great buck.
Great job buddy.
Nice buck and thanks for sharing!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :archer:
Well done on a fine buck! :thumbsup:
Great buck and congrats. You have made some interesting and thought provoking statments as to choice of heads.