Arrow complete penetration

 bk ; i have . but ti was when i was pulling big poundage.  if you get inbetween the ribs there is no problem. but if you hit them in the sholder blade, i have knocked them over like they were hit with a 44 at 20 yds. to go through bone you need a chisel point to break the bone. but alot of guys still use the instance cut blades. there has been some articals on the diffrent types of broadheads. but i have seen where they are pulling 90 #s bows that will blow the shoulder out. but hwen it gets cold in the 2 nd season, who wants to pull that much. you cant.

When I started deer hunting with a bow, I used a 40# longbow and cedar shafts with Bear Razor heads.  About one third of these would go all the way thru.  I remember watching the deer run and looking for the flechings and often seeing the arrow break off on trees as it was sticking out.  The arrows that stayed in did on heck of a job grinding up lungs/heard or anything.

When I started to shoot a compound and fiberglass arrows (later aluminum) the arrow always goes thru. 

 If you hit the shoulder or the spine/neck it would not.  I use 3 bladed mechanicals and they cut thru the rubbery ribs like they were not there.  I avoid shooting at deer that have another animal standing behind it, as I know I will always pass thru.  Neck shot antelope (a finishing shot) the arrow broke the neck and the point emerged from the off side skin.

I don't know if passing thru is as important as the mags say, but it is a reality with todays high power bows and sharp arrow.

BEAR

Mr. Mom makes a good point.  You must visualize the shot all the way thru.  Try to see the pathway it will take.  You really don't want to hit the far side shoulder.  You should do this with a bow or rifle shot.  I find that more and more I'm hunting from ground blinds rather than tree stands.  This gives me much better footing and shooting position.  It also helps me pick the timing of my shot.  To often in a tree stand the deer will make you somewhat and just stare at you.  If you can stand the stress, you just wait him out and he goes back to what he was doing them.  But the pressure is on to get a release as soon as he turns away.  This is having the animal force your timing, and often results in a bad angle shot.  I still like straight broadside.  The classic angle forward is to my thought a smaller sight pattern.

Earlier I mentioned spine shots.  I have had a pass through on these where the arrow hits at a high angle.  The arrow gust glanced of after cutting the spine, I don't practice this shot nor recommend it intentionally.

BEAR

Distance makes a big difference.  Long range shots have less velocity and less penetration.  I usually only take close shots, less than 20 yards.  So maybe my consistent pass thru shoould be expected.

Thinking about this reminded me of hunting New York one year with my recurve.  I had seen a large herd of deer and they were feeding in the corner of a winter wheat field.  I stalk up from about a mile away.  When I was crawling about 50 yards from the herd, all heads looked up a hill.  They didn't run, but just stared up-hill.  I rolled over on my side and saw what caught their interest. 

Some idiots were advancing in a 3 wide file about 800 yards away from the herd.  What was amazing was they were shooting their compound bows in high arcing trajectory.  Naturely, the arrows were landing vertical in the groound about 200 yard in front of the file.  When the idiots got about 500 yds away the deer decided to leave.  Now I don't know why I wasn't mad, maybe it was because I had made a great stalk, and gotten the opportunity to watch these deer close up for over an hour.  But all I could do was laugh,  my sides actually hurt.  I laided there laughing as the 3 idiots walked back to their car.  Distance does matter.

BEAR