Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Guy shot with broad head arrow in the back of the head!

got this in an Email, I guess ADD is not only a consideration for guns!
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I hope they put the person who shot him in jail!!
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<br>Mike

I've received that a few times now and that is NASTY. That is one unlucky/lucky dude!

I don't have the complete story with the picture, but what I have heard is that is was a hunting accident and the shooter was his brother?

That is gruesome! I would hate to be his brother! Looks like he faired pretty well though...
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<br>Mike

I doubt it hit him with full velocity...

Agree, Steve.
<br>Thunderheads usually penetrate better than that.

The word on the brothers was that the "afflicted" leaned forward to better see the deer just as the brother released.
<br>Both were in the same tree stand. He was shot at point blank range, then fell out of the stand.
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<br>This is the story as I read it.
<br>best,
<br>bhtr

Since he didn't take the scalp did the story say whether brother counted coup or not?
<br>BCR

Darwinism.
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<br>The stupid and weak perish.
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<br>This guy must not be weak.
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<br>MM

Unbelievable! Is this legit? Perhaps the guy was so close to the shooter that the arrow didn't get up to speed ... would have predicted more penetration.
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<br>It's a good thing they were not rifle hunting!
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<br>YUK!
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<br>Jeff

A similar thing happened to an employee of my buddies, about four
<br>years back.
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<br>Two of them were shooting gophers with their compounds, keeping in shape for the big game season. They had split up a bit, retrieving arrows, so one guy was a good distance away and to the right. One of the archers let fly at a gopher and his arrow deflected almost 90 deg. after striking the ground. The unfortunate one was just leaning over to pick up an arrow, when the target point struck him in the centre of his forehead. They had to walk back to my buddies house, a few hundred yards away. Now this guy is quite stocky, so he is having a difficult time getting into a vehicle. They hacksawed a couple feet off the arrow, and drove him to hospital. The medical team feared infection, because the arrow had passed through and killed the gopher, struck the dirt and penetrated a full inch into the brain. After a week of intervenous antibiotics, the guy was released, with no side effects. He remained conscious the whole time. It was quite a scare for everyone involved, so my feelings go out to this guy, his family and friends.

I am thinking that the bow that the arrow was shot from was around a 40 lb. draw weight. I shoot 70 lbs. and have NO problem shooting through heavy shoulder bones on big game. I shoot 100 grain Thunderheads (same as in the picture). I shot a sick 350 lb. calf one day at 10 yards right between the eyes with a 2117 Easton arrow and the 100 grian launched from a 70 lb. PSE Fireflight bow. The arrow penetrated 9 inches. It went through the thick forehead bone, through the back of the skull and lodged in the vertibra in the calf's neck. Needless to say, the calf had the rug jerked out from under him like nothing I had ever seen. He was full of disease and was not fit for the table. It was a mercy experiment, but very insightful. The dude that got shot in the head was LUCKY! A calf's skull is nearly twice the thickness of a human skull. If the arrow would have been shot from a real bow under normal circumstances it would have turned that dude into a unicorn. Flinch

Flinch, for some reason I can't download the picture. Is a Thunderhead a mechanical or fixed broadhead ?
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<br>Arrows penetrate deeper at 50 than they do at 25 yards, so maybe at point blank range, they just haven't gained any momentum. I would be hesitant to even attempt a shot at such range, to satisfy my curiosity.
<br>Perhaps the bow was even propelled backwards on contact, which would cancel some of the forward thrust on arrow. Whatever was his saving grace, you're right, he was lucky.
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Canon, I read your post with interest. It's going to turn this topic from the original intent but I can't help wondering about this statement. I'm not "flaming" or trying to argue, don't misunderstand me.
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<br>If the weight of the Arrow does not change in flight but the velocity drops, how does penetration increase? To say an arrow penetrates better at 50 yards then 25 is not correct. Not only have I archery hunted much of my life but I'm an engineer by education. I cannot see how it's possible for this statement to be true.
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<br>Given the arrow is identical in both 25 yard impact and 50 yard impact with an identical starting velocity in both instances using the same media for test, the 25 yards impact will always penetrate more because there is more velocity to drive it. This is simple physics. Now it may not penetrate as well if it's unstable but that has nothing to do with the test. That is a tuning issue for the shooter to resolve. jj

JJ
<br>I can't explain the different penetration in any scientific terms, but I've experienced this as well as heard several other claims to this . None of us are world renowned hunters or engineers.
<br>I've had my bow tuned at an archery shop as well as tweaked it according to the instuctions on I believe Eastons web site. You could very well be right as to the tuning problem, but if it's that bad, it certainly has escaped my attention.
<br>At what point does an arrow reach maximum velocity, or is it losing speed as it leaves the string ?
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<br>JJ ; my intent was not to detract from the original post ,but only to gain an understanding as to how this man was fortunate enough to survive this accident. Perhaps my original comments should of been
<br>"how is this possible" as we're all aware of the penetration capabilities of a hunting arrow.

Flinch, please clarify. Did you shoot the calf with the 100 grain Thunderhead, or did you use field points?
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<br>Not one to miss a ballistics testing opportunity, are you?
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<br>Shot in the forehead with a gopher-gut arrow -- double YUK!
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<br>Jeff

I seen that too, it was not his time to die. I childhood friend of mine, was shot in the chest by his son with a crossbow. They was in the back yard, from the time he was hit to the time he died was less that 45 sec. The son was charged with murder, since there was an argument about the crossbow. The kid got 40 years to think about it, before he can sit for a parole hearing. It was big news for like a day or two.

jjhack I e-mailed you the explanations for the archery accident. Wish I knew how to post on this board e-mails I receive.

Steve, you are right.
<br>The arrow was shot at point blank range, so close that the bow actually did not fully release when the point penetrated the skull.
<br>Had the arrow been in full flight it would have ended the story differently.
<br>It seems the victim is up and about, seems to have some vision problems and gets easily tired.