The hippo never knew what happened and died in under 1 minute.




In 2010 I hunted hippo with Strang Middleton in Zambia. I used the heaviest Full Metal Jacket arrow without going to the dangerous game ones and I used a Silver Flame broadhead. I used an insert to get my arrow weight up to 1,000 grains. Used a Mathews Monster Bow set at 80 lbs. I’ve attached a picture, I got full penetration (you’re looking at the exit wound). I can’t recall if I hit the ribs or missed ‘em. However, the arrow passed completely through except for the fletches which allowed me to recover the arrow and broadhead. The hippo never knew what happened and died in under 1 minute. I used a Silver Flame broadhead on the attached buffalo picture. I used Easton aluminum arrows 2419 and a Mathews Safari bow at 90 lbs. On this one, I went through the thickest part of each rib-clear through the near rib and about 1/4 of an inch of the broadhead poking through the outside rib on the far side. The buffalo went about 60 yards measured from the shot to where he died - and he died in about 2 minutes (which made for some happy trackers). The PH made a wall display for me with the ribs, my arrow and the broadhead. I missed your seminar at the SCI show but I’m a firm believer in heavy arrows and stout 2 blade broadheads. We hunted Mozambique one year and I wanted to be able to shoot flatter at distances so I went with light arrows and 100 grain broadheads (2 bladed). It was a disaster – I got no penetration and the broadheads were often broken or bent when I recovered them. I just remember it taking 2-3 arrows per animal that trip. The hippo and buffalo both died with a single arrow. I’ll admit when I make a poor shot and it requires a follow-up; but with the light arrows/broadheads it didn’t matter where I hit the animal, it always required a long track to recover and multiple arrows. I’m lucky as I have a long draw length and shot a long arrow at high poundage (not as high as it used to be though), my wife has a heck of a time with arrows/broadhead combinations. It can just be frustrating to experiment with various arrows and arrow weights to try to find the optimum hunting arrow/broadhead combination for her. Thanks for making such a great product-hard to find heavy broadheads anywhere as it seems most folks are still into the light weight arrows and 100 grain broadheads. Jeff Ballweber