Complete Pass Through vs Non pass through on Elk

[Huntography]

This season, I hope to arrow my first elk and am working up a new broadhead and arrow combo.

From your experience, have the elk you've killed gone down faster and in line of sight with a complete pass through or one where the arrow remained in the elk?

Ideally, it's easier to track with an entry and exit hole but just curious about what folks have experienced.

Thanks guys!

Rudy

[JohnFitzgerald]

Either works well for me. Haven't noticed a difference other than what you stated. Two holes, better blood trail.

[Huntography]

Thanks John! Good to hear you haven't seen a difference.

What broadheads and arrows are you shooting?

I know there are so many factors that come into play like the type of broadhead used, distance to the animal, arrow speed and weight, KE and shot placement of course.

Ideally, we all want a pass through but when we don't get one, I was just curious if it made a difference or not as far as how far the elk travelled and died or if it was even recovered at all.

Rudy

[Fullabull]

You will probably get lots of different responses to this question but I don't think it really matters if it's a good hit, they are not going far. It would matter more on bad hits, where I would think having two holes is better than one

[Raghorn]

Agree with Fullabull...it matters more about shot placement than anything. Just make sure you are shooting tight groups with whatever head/arrow you choose and you will be fine.
My experience with killing a bull elk was pass through lungs at 26 yds and then he whirled around and stood out at 48 yds so i flung another arrow and it ended up passing through as well a couple inches back of first hole...for what its worth, easton acc's and slick tricks!

[Huntography]

You will probably get lots of different responses to this question but I don't think it really matters if it's a good hit, they are not going far. It would matter more on bad hits, where I would think having two holes is better than one

Agree. A good hit in the vitals is key.

I was just thinking about this and recalling a few hunters I filmed over the years and how the deer that had complete pass throughs always went down fast and within sight, which makes sense because most were double lung shots and under 30 yards.

But the other shots that seemed like they were in the vitals but were either quartering to or away or in the shoulder or too far back, all shared a similar characteristic, the shots were over 40 yards and the broadhead remained in the deer as they ran off.

Most of those deer were not found. The blood trails disappeared.

I wonder if shooting at those longer distances contributed to those non pass throughs.

Rudy

[Huntography]

My experience with killing a bull elk was pass through lungs at 26 yds and then he whirled around and stood out at 48 yds so i flung another arrow and it ended up passing through as well a couple inches back of first hole...for what its worth, easton acc's and slick tricks!

Congrats on your bull. What you describe is what I have seen. Clean pass throughs and the deer or elk, depending on how alert they were at the time if the shot, typically bound off a bit and then stand around dazed and then pile up.

I'll be looking for those broadside up close and personal shots.

Thanks Raghorn!

Rudy

[easeup]

a cut on contact tip is more likely to get you a pass through from what I have seen.

[chainsaw]

Just my opinion from my experiences but I want a pass through. If the arrow stays intact without a pass through, I believe the animal can see the arrow and it scares them. I feel this causes the animal to panic and run farther trying to get away from the arrow no matter how lethal the hit.
I've had several pass throughs where the elk jumped 10 or 15 yards and stood there until they tipped over. I can't say that I have seen that on shots I've made that weren't pass throughs.

[WapitiTalk1]

Pass through shots seem to be the odds on favorite and probably rightly so. But, as others have mentioned, a well placed arrow into the vitals will make short work of your quarry. I have had great success with both pass through shots, and, with an arrow busting a rib on the way in, lodging 1/2 way into Mr. or Mrs. elk, and "churning" with every step causing an enormous amount of damage. A well placed arrow within your personal acceptable maximum effective range will do the trick each and every time (unless one of those pesky twigs don't jump out of nowhere and affect the projectile's path)..

[CrazyElkHunter]

Either works well for me. Haven't noticed a difference other than what you stated. Two holes, better blood trail.

Same here. Make a few quick cow calls after the shot and use good judgement depending on the shot placement. He or she will not go far. I've shot bulls and stopped them with the arrow fletching showing on one side and the broadhead stuck in the other and watched them fall over 30 yds from where I shot them. I prefer a pass through for the blood trail, but a good chest shot will bring them down. That broadhead keeps cutting if its not a pass through and causes more damage and hemorrhage.

[ElkNut1]

Rudy, pass-through's are nice but not needed, out of all the elk we've taken & been involved with where we were the callers I'd say that 30% are pass through. We've used about every head on the market within reason & do not find one surpasses another for 100% pass through's. We've taken elk with recurves & longbows as well, at times there's a pass through & others there are not, so much depends on the angle of elk at the shot or does the elk make a sudden twist or turn at the shot release, these things can deter penetration. Make sure no matter the head used it's RAZOR sharp, if it stays in the animal hopefully it will continue to carve up everything it contacts thus insuring a quick death & good blood trail.

My setup this year will be an FMJ .340 & a 125 Viper Trick! In my opinion this is a solid setup!

ElkNut1

[Huntography]

a cut on contact tip is more likely to get you a pass through from what I have seen.

I'll be shooting Easton Axis with Deep Six inserts and the Helix 2 Blade broadhead.....Should be a good combo.

Rudy

[Huntography]

Just my opinion from my experiences but I want a pass through. If the arrow stays intact without a pass through, I believe the animal can see the arrow and it scares them. I feel this causes the animal to panic and run farther trying to get away from the arrow no matter how lethal the hit.
I've had several pass throughs where the elk jumped 10 or 15 yards and stood there until they tipped over. I can't say that I have seen that on shots I've made that weren't pass throughs.

That's an interesting point Chainsaw, never thought about how the elk might react to seeing something sticking out of them.

Ideally, I'd love a pass through as well and have witnessed what you have as well.

Rudy

[Huntography]

@Phantom16 "churning" with every step causing an enormous amount of damage." That's what we hope for in case the arrow gets lodged, that it just keeps tearing up everything it touches on the inside.

One of the hunters I filmed in Idaho experienced just that last Sept. He shot a raghorn, pretty cool looking one at that, quatering away hard and the arrow entered far back and got lodged on the front of the inside front leg. The internal damage was so severe the elk only went about 50 yards from where he shot him. We backed out and he found him in the morning. Lucky, no Griz was having a gourmet breakfast when he got there.

Rudy

[Huntography]

Either works well for me. Haven't noticed a difference other than what you stated. Two holes, better blood trail.

Same here. Make a few quick cow calls after the shot and use good judgement depending on the shot placement. He or she will not go far. I've shot bulls and stopped them with the arrow fletching showing on one side and the broadhead stuck in the other and watched them fall over 30 yds from where I shot them. I prefer a pass through for the blood trail, but a good chest shot will bring them down. That broadhead keeps cutting if its not a pass through and causes more damage and hemorrhage.

Good advice CrazyElkHunter! Thank you.

Rudy

[Huntography]

Rudy, pass-through's are nice but not needed, out of all the elk we've taken & been involved with where we were the callers I'd say that 30% are pass through. We've used about every head on the market within reason & do not find one surpasses another for 100% pass through's. We've taken elk with recurves & longbows as well, at times there's a pass through & others there are not, so much depends on the angle of elk at the shot or does the elk make a sudden twist or turn at the shot release, these things can deter penetration. Make sure no matter the head used it's RAZOR sharp, if it stays in the animal hopefully it will continue to carve up everything it contacts thus insuring a quick death & good blood trail.

My setup this year will be an FMJ .340 & a 125 Viper Trick! In my opinion this is a solid setup!

ElkNut1

Thanks Paul! Your experience speaks volumes. I appreciate your insight and advice, as I do everyone else's as well.

I will make sure my heads are razor sharp for sure.

Love Slick Tricks btw.

Rudy

[Jaquomo]

I've been involved with way over 100 archery elk kills, from every shot angle and hit imaginable, and IMO there is more to be gained by having the cutting blades continue to work rather than sticking in a tree somewhere. Out of those kills, maybe 20-25 were complete pass-throughs. Bulls have fallen within 15-20 yards from well-placed shots, with only 8" of penetration. Some have gone miles or never found from "perfect shot pass-throughs". Great shots through the lower heart-lung had very little blood trail from pass-throughs if through the muscles on both sides, even though the bull fell within 80 yards. Some stayed inside and cut arteries, veins, and organs as the bull ran off, providing a better blood trail and likely a quicker recovery.

Others gave us a a faint track when the protruding shaft wicked and wiped blood into tall grass and off pine boughs, while keeping the wound open. We found those elk too, when a pass-through might have resulted in a lost animal. We were thankful the shaft and broadhead stayed inside to help.

Any good solid broadhead will do the trick if you can shoot it accurately. Strive for a good balanced package with the best combination of arrow flight, weight, sharpness and durability, and you'll be fine. I prefer multiple cutting edges (three blades these days) vs. raw penetration, and want that broadhead inside the animal, cutting around, as he runs off. Marginal hits need all the help they can get. An arrow sticking in an aspen doesn't help.

[>>>---WW---->]

I like two holes! But elk are big animals and we all know that pass throughs are not always possible. One hole works just fine also. Just keep your shot in the lower third of the body. A high shot often results in a poor blood trail as the blood tends to fill the body cavity before it leaks out onto the ground very much.

But, so long as your broadhead is sharp enough that your eye lashes all off just from looking at it, one hole or two holes doesn't matter if the placement is good.

[elkmtngear]

Stuff happens, and sometimes you just do not get "optimum placement". I've always been a big fan of getting an exit wound (penetration)...in fact, most of my elk were killed with a bear razorhead with no bleeder blades installed (I kept a stock of them in my bedroom drawer for many years, even after they became unavailable)

I picked up some of these at the NFAA Marked 3D Nationals this weekend....they were made for me! They had a car door that they had shot 107 times clear through, and they never broke the broadhead. They are outperforming everyone in penetration tests with these carbon steel Anarchy Broadheads, and you can get them scary sharp.

[Swede]

Given a choice I would prefer a complete pass through. As mentioned multiple times, it is not a big factor. What I have noticed is that hitting bone makes the biggest difference. I do not like to hear the crack of a rib when the arrow strikes the animal. I know the elk will die, but they always fall over and break my arrow. Ok I'm cheap, but I would just as soon clean off my arrow, replace the blades and return the arrow to the quiver. Also if I pick my arrow off the ground I don't have to watch out for razor sharp blades inside the animal.

[cnelk]

My luck has mostly been hitting ribs, for and aft.
But there has been no difference in dead from pass thus and not.

But I do have a question that has come up in the past.

Does the broadhead actually do more cutting if its still in the animal?

I tested this theory once with a broadhead, arrow and a gutpile.
I stuck it into the pile, and tried to move it around with both hands.
Not very successfully I might add.
It seemed as tho the tissues held the BH and arrow in place with great resistance.

Anyone else try this?

[>>>---WW---->]

I see where you are coming from Brad. I do believe there may be a little extra cutting going on. But it ain't as much as it's cracked up to be!

[Swede]

I believe it depends on where the broad head stops. I killed a 5x5 in 1994. I hit it on a quartering away shot and the broad head lodged in the offside right shoulder. The whole shoulder was blood shot and pulverized, and part of the side of the bull was very bloodshot. I could barely believe my eyes. The broad head apparently was moving and cutting as the bull ran away. He made it about 250 yards before he went down. I have had other elk with blood shot meat, but nothing ever like that, before or since. I don't remember the year it happened, but I shot another 5x5
on a quartering to angle, and the arrow stopped in the right ham. There was not very much damage to the meat that time. Maybe I lost a pound.

[Trophyhill]

i learned last year that pass thru's are somewhat overrated. as long as the arrow is in the vitals they will go down quickly

[ElkNut1]

Brad, from my previous comment you can see that we experience 70% of the broadheads staying in the animal. In most cases yes the broadhead carves up everything around it in unbelievable fashion, this is why razor sharp is of importance. As an animal runs off it can really get the head moving & or the body gyrations themselves add to the destruction. If the head happens to lodge in bone or other area where head movement is restricted then much less damage has occurred.

ElkNut1

[Huntography]

I'm reading through all the recent comments and your personal experiences really help paint a picture for me. Thank you!

Shot placement is always key but real life hunting scenarios are not always perfect as some have mentioned.

Your stories are helping me envision what signs to look for after the shot. Based on where the arrow hit, what angle it went in, whether it passed through or not, if not, where it could be lodged, high or low, blood sign, lung bubbles or not etc.....

All of your info will help me decide whether to back out and how long to wait after the shot.

I will be using a 125 gr 2 blade Helix. They are very sharp. Now it will all depend on me actually being fortunate enough to even get on an elk.

Rudy