Bent ACE broad head

[Don]

Let me start by saying I've bow hunted for many years and taken several deer. So I'm not totally green.
BUT this is my first year with primitive gear.
Had a fairly decent buck come into stand tonight,[about 14yrds] gave me a great side shot.
Well I hit him a little high behind the shoulder and noticed I didn't get good penetration.
As he ran off aways the arrow fell out. I watched him for some time and could see where I hit him [high but it looked like it should have still been good].
He proceded to stomp and then walked off.
I gave him some time then got down, found the arrow and low and behold the arrow penetrated about an 1" past the head and the tip of the head was bent over.
I'm using a 50# Osage bow with cedar shafts and 160gr. ACE heads. The arrow flight is good.
Has anyone else had that trouble with the tips of the ACE heads?
I've already taken the point off the tips and resharped.
Oh Ya the deer will live to see another day. Although I hate when something like that happens. It makes you question ones self.
Don

[Sparrow]

 Sounds like you hit solid bone at a pretty good angle.I had some ace broads and switched to zwicky's after a buddy gave me a bunch as a gift.I never bent either except when I shot them into rocks.  Frank

[Little John]

Makes ya wonder, hu. Sounds like they might not have gotten the temper right.  Better luck next time.    Kenneth

[Pappy]

I have shot them for several years and killed several deer with them,and yes I have hit some in the shoulder bone.They didn't penatrate but have never bent one unless like Frank said I hit rocks.
   Pappy

[Don]

Yep I 'm sure I hit bone, I think by the looks of it, a rib high and dead center.
I reshaped the points so their not so long and pointed but still very sharp.
I'll give them another try, I just don't want to be pocking hole in deer, that's not a good deal.

Thanks  Don

[mullet]

 I never shot Ace' but I bent a Wendsel Woodsman going through both hips on a hog.

[Mechslasher]

read dr. ashby's broadhead research on tradgang.  i base my choice of broadheads on his results.  never had a grizzly broadhead bend on anything.  dug them out of trees and rocky soil.  the needle tips on other broadheads will turn into fish hooks when they hit bone. 

[Titan_Bow]

Unless it was a 200plus bruiser, I cant imagine a rib would stop an arrow that completely. I guess its possible, but I've blown through ribs many times, could'nt imagine one stopping my arrow completely like that.    Sounds more like you may have hit the shoulder blade, likely the thick centerline of it.  Dont know just a guess.
  I almost bought some of the ACE broadheads this year, but still have a handful 160 STOS left.  From what I remember, the ACE seemed to have a pretty robust tip, and overall design.

[ballista]

I haven't bagged anything with the ace, but my consostancy was terrible with them, I switched to woodsman, and they're grouping alot better, but they're also needleoint... as far as the penetration, alot of people prefer rounded off tips specificly fer that reason, but itd hard to say.imagine a deer was looking right at you, his butt end behind his head, like a quatering stance, barely showing any vitals. my dad had that shot, and with a 70 pound bow he only got 6 inches of penetration (with a coumpound expandable broadhead!) good luck man, -jimmy

[Don]

I don't know if he would have gone 200 plus but we do have some real bruisers here in Iowa.

BTW I saw the same deer tonight just not on the trail I was on. Can't hardly blame him.
He looked a bit sore but seem to jump the fence just fine. I was glad to see him still around but surprised to see him at all.

Mechslasher. Interesting read, wish I had seen that earlier. The ACES may be shelved.
Don

[Ranger B]

I shoot ace and I've not bent one, but a few years back I shot a doe and hit her square in the shoulder with a selfbow.  Same thing...it didn't look like it went deep.  She ran about 10 yards, reached back with her teeth and pulled the arrow out, spit it on the ground and walked off.  Nothing but a little meat on the broadhead.  If you hit solid shoulder bone it could stop the arrow.  Mine and yours obviously did 

[recurve shooter]

i have yet to kill anything with my longbow, but seems to me like heart shots are out of the question due to the shoulder blade. i would try to get a lung shot and miss that big bone.

[Titan_Bow]

 If you hit the shoulderblade, you are too high and too far forward.  I for one like to stay close to the shoulder on deer. About halfway up the body from the leg/body junction, pretty much directly in line with the front leg is where I like to place an arrow. If you look at a deer broadside, visualize a soccer ball sitting just above where the leg meets the body.  Take a look at these pics.  They will give you a good look at exactly how the vitals, skeletal structure, etc. are located.
    One thing that doesnt get mentioned much is the angle from a treestand.  If you are hunting high (20ft. plus)   a close-up shot becomes much more marginal due to the steep angle.  If I am that high, I would rather the deer be out at 20-25 yards. But if I am on the ground, or low in a tree, I like to setup for a 5-10 yard shot.  20-25ft. up a tree with an almost straight down shot,  is usually a recipe for losing a deer.   

[Ranger B]

those are cool photos.  If we all only hit where we aimed all the time 

[mullet]

 Those are cool. Take your curser and run angles with it, like you were shooting from different heights from a stand.  Gives you a whole different outlook.