When people say blew thru both shoulders
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Limb Bender
23-Nov-14
I was wondering about this. I made a shot once and hit the deer on the scapula. no penetration, never found deer. Then I made shots on deer and "blew" thru both shoulders. Well after several shots like this I realized I was not "blowing thru" both shoulder scapulas. Cartlige yes...not bone. I was realized this several years ago, and I hear people use the term scapula when saying they shot thru the shoulders. My question is, has anyone on here actually shot thru a scapula? If so, what was your set up.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
23-Nov-14
Shot threw the scalpula on an elk...on a quartering to shot and got a pass through. Shooting 70 pounds, fmj 300 dangerous game and Simmons tigersharks with sharpened vents and razor sharp blades.
From: cityhunter
23-Nov-14
scapula web area is weakest area
From: bigdog21
23-Nov-14
limb bender whats your set up.
From: Muskrat
23-Nov-14
I have gone through one with a 62# compound with 500 gr. arrows and with a 50# longbow with a 500 gr. arrow. Both times complete pass-throughs. I have also 'bounced' arrows off of a scapula with similar rigs. I try to avoid hitting the scapula if possible. But if you don't hit the ridge on the scapula and if your arrow hits the flat part somewhere around a 90 degree angle you ought to be able to go right through it with most any hunting bow set-up. But the ifs will too often become an issue, and that's why I avoid the scapula.
From: Limb Bender
23-Nov-14
My set up is an Elite 32 . 27" draw, 72# 400 gr arrow about 256-260 fps. about 59 lbs of KE.
From: sticksender
23-Nov-14
Quote: "My question is, has anyone on here actually shot thru a scapula".
Yes several times. Here's what the last one looked like. The head was a VPA terminator 3-blade at 310 fps & 405 grains TAW.
Had the entry been a little to the right though, it would've been a whole 'nother story.
From: Hammer
23-Nov-14
I have primarily ground hunted until recent years and have very rarely passed through both shoulders on any BG including deer. On those shots where I actually hit the bone I just don't get the penetration others say they get.
I can get through 1 but rarely both.
From: Hammer
23-Nov-14
Stick,
Wow.. 405G at 310FPS. I wish my rig could fling an arrow that fast.
From: sticksender
23-Nov-14
Hammer that was a Hoyt Alphaburner with Spiral cams @ 73# & 29". Was one of the fastest rigs they ever built.
From: midwest
23-Nov-14
My one and only spine shot went thruough the scapula first. Slick Trick Mag, 380 gr. total arrow weight.
From: Limb Bender
23-Nov-14
So what kind of energy is needed to but through a scapula bone? I would think it would need to be a lot.
From: SteveBNY
23-Nov-14
I've shot thru the center of the scapula (weakest part) with a 425 gn arrow out of a 53lb recurve and passed thru. 125 doe.
From: Limb Bender
23-Nov-14
wow
From: weekender21
23-Nov-14
Sticksender's picture is the perfect illustration. The thin part of the scapula is not that hard to get through. Everything up and left of his shot is fairly easy to penetrate with a modern compound. I've shot through scapulas several times with a 60lb set-up (KE=65). I shot through an elk scapula with a 70lb bow, 420 grain arrow (KE=74).
I've never personally shot through the thick part of the scapula (just right of sticksender's shot). That would be unlikely with most set-ups, especially on an elk.
From: APauls
23-Nov-14
I did do a Canadian doe through both scapulas and a number of bucks through one scapula. The Doe I saved them to show my dad I was so impressed. 125gr Rocket Steelheads. The other ones I can't remember. I've shot s few heads over time but like others say the weak part of the scapula IMO is easier than a rib and we hit those all the time.
From: Limb Bender
23-Nov-14
well the reason I asked was when you see these broadhead test where they shoot thru 55 gal drum and God knows what, they always talk about the damage done to the head and how poorly it held up....well, what the heck do they expect? it's 55 gal steel drum! The head should have serious damage, right? so i always looked at it like Im shooting deer not steel drums. In fact, i can't ever remember shooting a deer with a head and not being able to use it again with new blades even with mech heads.
From: PAOH
23-Nov-14
Yes, the opposite scapula on a 200 lb whitetail. Elite energy 32, 502 grain axis 125 grain slick trick viper trick
From: Limb Bender
23-Nov-14
PAOH, so what are the numbers on the KE, fps, draw weight?
From: JEG
23-Nov-14
I shot through both shoulders on a mature doe years ago. 80lb Pearson renegade, swaged 2216 with a Zwickey eskimo I think around 215fps. 20yd shot arrow was burried a foot in the ground!! Arrow went through the thin part of both "blades" or Skapulas.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
23-Nov-14
Sticksender you must have broke off to he bone tabs on that hit. I have never seen a triangle on bone...just hide?????
From: JEG
23-Nov-14
I shot through both shoulders on a mature doe years ago. 80lb Pearson renegade, swaged 2216 with a Zwickey eskimo I think around 215fps. 20yd shot arrow was burried a foot in the ground!! Arrow went through the thin part of both "blades" or scapulas.
From: Waterfowler
23-Nov-14
I started aiming for mid shoulder, straight up the leg and a touch forward, several years ago and hit the scapula more times then not (30+ deer), only until this year did I not get a complete pass thru. I attribute that to a large expandable that I was trying. My rig is a high ke setup ( 454 gr @ 311 fps = 97 ke) so I don't worry with bones on a deer a elk maybe. A good broad head and a heavy arrow will blast threw onside shoulder out of a normal deer setup. Most of my shots that hit on the scapula result in a bulldozer,and a very,very short recovery. Its a lot easier to hold 3 inches behind the shoulder but i like the shoulder, larger arteries and the pump is behind it.
From: Beendare
23-Nov-14
I've shot through both scapulas of a 6 point bull elk--70# compound, 500 gr arrow tapered fixed head...the arrow went so far don hill we never found it.
I don't think its a big deal on deer if you shoot the right/arrow and BH.
From: Medicinemann
24-Nov-14
Waterfowler x 2.
For the past 15 years, I have hunted with a 510 grain traveling at 295 fps....have passed through through deer, elk, caribou, and moose shoulder blades with absolutely no trouble whatsoever. While my shoulder now hurts because of the high poundages that I used, newer bows with much lower draw weights can now offer comparable effects....without the same degree of wear and tear.
From: SB
25-Nov-14
I've shot through one,with the broad head ending up dead center in the spinal column In the CENTER of the vertebrae. 45# recurve...Bear Razorhead. Needless to say,that one never left his tracks on impact !
From: Tody
25-Nov-14
Just finished butchering an 8pt I shot over the weekend and found a peice of carbon and a 4 blade broadhead hole through both sholder blades. Have no idea who shot him earlier but buck looked healthy. Both holes were through the thin part of the blade.
From: Rayzor
26-Nov-14
Twice for me. Whitetails. One buck from the ground and close. First deer killed with the prototype of our VPA 2 blade 125 in 2012. Centered on shoulder and sticking out offside shoulder about level with entrance. Ran past me at arms length down the hill. Turn around and started back up the hill at me and stood up on hind legs and went over backward dead. Scared me and by far the most dramatic archery kill I've ever had The other was a doe with our 150 3 blade at 27 yds from a tree stand in 2013. Entered midway up the shoulder slightly forward and out through lower shoulder cutting right across the top of the pump station. Down on the spot and dead in seconds they way I wish they all would. Athens Ibex and Convixtion set at 54-56 pounds using with total arrow weights round 520 gr.
From: x-man
26-Nov-14
That area on sticksenders picture is no harder to shoot through than a rib bone. Might be easier, if the deer is not already moving. The fact that that part is usually moving(a different direction) is what makes it hard to get the arrow past it.
When I talk about "shoulder" or hear others talk about "shoulder" I always think of that large knuckle below the scapula. That sucker is hard to get through and still have enough head left to slice the vitals.
