Is a pass-through always better than the arrow staying in?

Most bowhunters say yes, primarily because two holes produce a stronger, lower blood trail and faster bleed-out, which makes recovery quicker and more reliable. A small minority argue a lodged arrow keeps cutting and does more internal damage. The mainstream view favors the exit wound, since a clean pass-through also confirms your setup had energy and momentum to spare.

Why didn't I get a pass-through?

The usual causes are hitting heavy bone like the shoulder, marginal kinetic energy or momentum for the animal, a dull or damaged broadhead, an untuned bow that struck at an angle, or a light, low-FOC arrow that lost its drive. Review your shot placement first, then your arrow build. Often the fix is a heavier, front-loaded arrow with a sharp, durable head and better shot selection.

How much energy does a pass-through take?

There is no single number, because it depends on the animal's size, the bones in the arrow's path, broadhead sharpness, and arrow weight and FOC as much as raw energy. A well-tuned, adequately heavy setup that clears the common energy guidelines for the game and avoids heavy bone will routinely pass through deer-sized animals. Momentum and placement carry an arrow through as much as the energy figure does.

Průstřel skrz na skrz

A pass-through is a shot in which the arrow fully exits the animal, leaving two holes — an entry and an exit wound — rather than lodging inside. Most bowhunters consider it the ideal outcome because two openings produce a better blood trail, faster bleed-out, and a quicker, more reliable recovery than a single entry hole alone.

Detaily

The case for two holes over one is mostly about recovery. An entry wound high on the body may sit above the chest cavity's fill line, so blood pools internally and drips slowly, if at all. A low exit wound on the off side gives that blood a path to the ground, producing the heavy, consistent trail that lets a hunter follow the animal in low light or thick cover. Two holes also mean more total bleeding and faster loss of blood pressure, which shortens the distance the animal travels and the time it stays on its feet. For a clean, humane harvest and a trail you can actually follow, an exit hole is hard to beat.

Several factors combine to drive an arrow all the way through. Sufficient kinetic energy and momentum supply the raw driving force, and momentum especially helps the arrow keep moving once it meets resistance. High FOC and adequate total arrow weight keep the shaft stable and carry that momentum deep. A durable broadhead with a razor-sharp edge cuts cleanly instead of tearing or deflecting, and a structurally sound shaft resists flexing or breaking on impact. A tuned bow ensures the arrow strikes straight rather than at an angle that wastes energy. Above all, placement matters: an arrow that threads the ribs and soft vitals passes through far more readily than one that meets the heavy shoulder or leg bone.

There is a genuine, long-running debate about whether the arrow should pass through or stay in the animal. The argument for the arrow staying in is that a lodged shaft can keep cutting as the animal moves and may, in theory, do more internal damage. The far more common view favors the pass-through, because two holes drain and trail better, and because an arrow that fully exits proves the setup had energy to spare. A buried arrow that stopped short often signals marginal penetration — a hit that struck bone, ran out of momentum, or came from an underbuilt setup — which is exactly the situation hunters work to avoid. Most experienced bowhunters build their arrows and pick their shots specifically to earn that exit wound.

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Is a pass-through always better than the arrow staying in?: Most bowhunters say yes, primarily because two holes produce a stronger, lower blood trail and faster bleed-out, which makes recovery quicker and more reliable. A small minority argue a lodged arrow keeps cutting and does more internal damage. The mainstream view favors the exit wound, since a clean pass-through also confirms your setup had energy and momentum to spare.
Why didn't I get a pass-through?: The usual causes are hitting heavy bone like the shoulder, marginal kinetic energy or momentum for the animal, a dull or damaged broadhead, an untuned bow that struck at an angle, or a light, low-FOC arrow that lost its drive. Review your shot placement first, then your arrow build. Often the fix is a heavier, front-loaded arrow with a sharp, durable head and better shot selection.
How much energy does a pass-through take?: There is no single number, because it depends on the animal's size, the bones in the arrow's path, broadhead sharpness, and arrow weight and FOC as much as raw energy. A well-tuned, adequately heavy setup that clears the common energy guidelines for the game and avoids heavy bone will routinely pass through deer-sized animals. Momentum and placement carry an arrow through as much as the energy figure does.