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I recently hit an elk in the shoulder with a bow. this lead me to experiment with single bevel bone splitting broadheads. i have found that i can break off chunks of shoulder bone with a heavy single bevel. my one problem lies with the black eagle spartan 250 shafts that I'm using. they aren't durable enough to survive a good hard hit.

I am now looking at a new arrow and probably an outsert and insert system. day 6 arrows and grizzly stick arrows seem to be recommended quite highly. are there any others.

mathews traverse
32 inch draw
71 lbs
whisker bisquit

Practice more so you don't hit the shoulder! You are searching for the wrong solution to your problem.

Pay no attention to MCH. He's a been known to be a little short on fore thought some days.

Sometimes you do not get enough say in where you hit them with an arrow because of flight time. Even at 15 yards and 330 FPS you are nor the sole arbiter of where it will hit.

I would consider something like a NAP Thunderhead on a Full Metal Jacket arrow. I know that after penetrating a rib and the chest to the off side shoulder joint it still had enough momentum to split the ball of the joint into 3 equal pieces and still manage 8 inches protrusion on a big doe. Whether the identical shot would produce identical results on an elk I couldn't say, but I would bet if you hit the onside ball of the shoulder joint it would split it and still make it into the chest and maybe through. That was shooting a 490 grain crossbow FMJ (with head) so you'd be reasonably comparable at 32 inch draw at 71 lbs. The arrow might well bend or wrinkle the insert area in the process and be all done, but that happens and you are not sole arbiter of that either.

Actually MCH is correct.
Don’t hit the shoulders....period.
But to me my favorite arrows are the Easton A/C/C’s
I shoot 3-71’s and blow through all the time without breaking an arrow.
As a matter of fact I have an arrow I killed over a dozen deer with and looks new.

By all means show me where I am wrong!

I'll also add that any arrow that I shoot at an animal or target that I consider a hard hit gets retired.

He didn't have an arrow/broad head problem. He hit the shoulder, the last thing you want to do when archery hunting. Nobody said that things can't go wrong in hunting besides making a bad shot. But clearly his mind is on finding a solution to a problem he doesn't have. His arrow and broad head both did their job!

That would be my thought but to each his own.

Shot placement is everything.
If you're going to make shoulder shots, use aluminum arrows.

Ever shot an elk through the shoulders with an arrow? Literally, one of the worst spots, if not the worst to hit one at. Odds of recovery are slim..

Deer shoulders and elk shoulders are worlds apart...

The correct answer....

Absolutely correct!

I have shot through both shoulders on deer with a 60# longbow, 630gr arrow and two blade single bevel head.

Not going to happen with an elk. You will not get enough penetration for one shoulder blade. We tried it with a fresh elk shoulder blade once back in the early 2000's. This was before single bevel popularity came about.

Yup

[bleep] happens and shoulders will be hit! With a 32” wing span and 71 lbs of draw weight you have the potential for great energy and penetration.

I would dump the whisker biscuit. Look hard at a drop away, to give the chosen arrow the best chance of good flight.

I like the FMJs, the slim diameter and weight help penetration.

If you can buy 3 of each arrow that you want to try. Choose the most accurate, heavy, skinny arrow that shoots well for you.

Hell, anything penetrating the gut cavity on elk with an arrow is better than a shoulder shot.....

I did not make the assumption he shot the elk in the shoulder on purpose. Only a half wit would intentionally shoot shoulders on any big game with a bow. It make very good sense to prepare for an accident by going to a heavy sturdy arrow and head. There is little to no downside to doing so.

I HAVE shot deer shoulders and leg bones on purpose before. I took boned out legs and pinned them to a block target and shot them to see for sure what happened. Even at 330 FPS and 15 yards A deer CAN move enough to be a big problem before the arrow gets there.

The point is there is no preparedness for shooting an elk in the shoulder, purposely or not. Heavy arrows or a different head aren't going to solve that mishap, hence the shot placement replies.

Worth repeating. That has been our experience also.

^^^^^^^^^^THIS !^^^^^^^^^^

Forgive me, for I'm mostly a rifle hunter, but I have taken big game (moose, deer & black bear) with a stick & string, both vertical & horizontal.

An ethical (broadside) shot, at an ethical distance, at an elk/moose gives you a minimum 10-12" kill zone, so there is some margin for error.

If you're aiming for the pocket & the animal jumps the string (noise travels faster than arrow), at an ethical distance, you'll hit a little high.

If the animal moves forward, you'll hit a little further back.

The only scenario where I can see hitting the leg/shoulder, is if the animal spins towards me.

Again, personally, & I've taken a lot of big game, never had an animal spin towards me or sound.

I know, $hit does happen, but logically, being ethical, I can't see this outcome.

Just my opinion, YMMV.

I shoot close to your specs and have had good luck with Gold Tip Kinetic Kaos 200's. Currently shooting a Hoyt Carbon Ultra RX 31 inch draw70 lbs. This year I managed to use the wrong pin and put an arrow through a 2x4 at 60 yards. It was part of the target stand at the local range. There were other target points embedded in the wood. My arrow penetrated approximately 6 inches through the wood. If I could have gotten the arrow out, I would not have shot it, but arrow didn't look bad.

Winner, Winner, Winner!

I agree.