I got this some feedback a little while ago that I didn't share, but had a few minutes free at work so I thought that I would share.

When I was on my Buffalo and plains game hunt in August, I had 2 episodes of equipment failure. Only one mattered and I will share some of that with you.

I was using a TT Stickflinger that is probably a little under 60# at my draw and black eagle instinct shafts that use the standard 100 grain outserts with vpa 3 blades.

The first failure that I had was on an old male gemsbok. I was using a string tracker at this time and waiting on a small herd of black wildebeest who were being cagey. When they finally came in to the water hole, they started crossing and I started to draw, but the gemsbok came in from behind and to my right and was at 10 yards, so I shifted my aim at him, as he was quartering away. At the shot, he started to turn away and made in more steep, but still hit him in a good spot. Line peeled out for a while after he crashed across the waterhole and then it stopped. Figured it would be an easy track, but sparse blood and I found my arrow after around 100 yards away, broken right at the level where the insert was . Fast forward, and I am back from the hunt and the guide found the gemsbok and a friend of his put it down as a cull. I will show where the healed damage from the pics that he sent.

I didn't find my arrow on the waterbuck that I shot, so I had no idea where it went. Found out later that the guys doing the butchering found my broadhead and outsert from a similar setup broken of in the offside shouler, flush with were the shaft met the outsert. At least in this case it was after it did it's job.

Just wanted to share this. Arrow integrity can be very important. I have since changed to an ethics archery insert/outsert system that I feel to be very strong.

Damage

Wounded gemsbok

Waterbuck where failure occurred on offside shoulder.

Great information.

I guess I’m not sure in what respect these are considered “failures“.

If an animal runs off with a shaft in it, that shaft is virtually guaranteed to break; it’s only a question of where, not “if”. And in this case, it was the shaft that broke, not the insert, right?

Question for you, though… What bone is it that was broken and healed in that picture from the butcher shack?

Those are gemsbok ribs, and it is failure because it didn't penetrate to the vitals because the shaft broke. It is a very weak design where an angled hit results in a fracture of the shaft at this level. Your experience with shaft breakage is different than mine, and it should have been buried deeply in the animal.

And I misspoke earlier. Arrow found in around 50 yards, but string tracker line fell out around 100 yards.

I can understand it happening when an animal smashes it against brush or fall on it. It isn't supposed to happen on impact. Only has happened a few times to me in hundreds of big game animals.

OK - that’s the part I missed!

I really have to agree that there’s no excuse for a shaft snapping off on contact with a rib!!!

Thanks for the info sir. I was considering instincts, but have crossed them off my list. I wondered about the connection points w that design.

Wonderful trophy’s, not familiar with those carbons but my fear is people are starting to worry about speed and is the trad world starting to push boundaries that we shouldn’t or are the manufacturers starting to cut very little corners trying to squeeze a penny or two out of a very competitive market. Then again I never encountered that problem with douglas fir arrows.

Can somebody post a picture of that?

Really, the instinct shafts aren't bad, but the outsert system is, and it gets pricey to buy the ethics system on top of the shafts. That being said, my setup now is pretty rock solid.

What do you want a pic of?

An arrow like the one that failed, please! I’m not familiar with Instinct or these outserts

I'd like to see a pic of the arrow you went to. Point/insert.

Bowmania

AWESOME INFO AND ADVENTURE! :)

I will take a pic of the new setup after work.

Try easton axis shafts. I've shot them on all animals including African animals and they are great. Won't break

I have used them, and still have some. Switched over to instincts when they stopped making mfx classics. Not wild about hit inserts without an external footing, because the shaft in front of the hit insert is a weak spot. Had a couple crack on angled shots, but nothing that ever cost me an animal. I use footed gt kinetic 200 shafts with hit inserts and footers on buffalo. No failures on live buff or carcass testing. Nothing wrong with axis shafts though I would just feel like I wanted to foot them, is all.

Nice animals,must have been a great adventure.

Okay, here is a pic of the standard setup(the one that broke).

Note how the wall is actually nice and thick, but still a weak spot. Also not that the outsert doesn't have much surface area to hold glue. Have lost a couple when a 3 blade got stuck in a round bale after going through a target. Other arrows broke at the level where the glue line on the shaft ends.

Next is a pic of the ethics system being placed in a black eagle instinct shaft. The shaft of the insert can be cut at the score Mark's to adjust the weight, and they come in stainless steel and aluminum versions, so lots of versatility. Also lots of surface area for a good bond. Then you just slide the outsert over and you are done. If you want to use slightly different weight broadheads, you don't have to glue down thenoutsert. Then you can switch between the aluminum and stainless steel outserts if you buy both. Not necessarily recommending that. Just an option. As you can see, the where the outsert ends, the shaft is strengthened by the stem of the insert. Very strong.

Boy, does that explain a whole lot!

It’s so much nicer to have these conversations when I have a clue what it is you’re talking about! LOL

And I have to agree… That is an INCREDIBLY small/short section of shaft to glue in there. It looks a lot less than a standard insert (aluminum arrow) or the taper on a wood shaft. Just looks like it allows the blade of your arrowhead to exert an awful lot of leverage against the shaft. No need to do that again, eh?

Really good info!

Overall we tend to shoot carbon arrows designed for whitetails with a compound bow.

Failure to recognize that is not equipment failure.

For that game I would use Widowmaker Smash.

DDave

Nothing wrong with the shaft. Just the outsert.

Seems like a job for a good-ole 2219 if you ask me!

Nothing wrong with an aluminum shaft. Used them way back in my compound day. I just like that, for the most part, a carbon arrow either breaks, or it doesn't. No worries about a bent shaft in the quiver. Not to mention that I have been shooting split finger with skinny shafts for so long that shooting wood aluminum shafts feels like I am holding a cigar on the string, lol.

Although that is a pretty thick wall on the 2219's. I used 2219 for my old hoyt magnatec.

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