I lost a giant in Kentucky in 2016. The shot was right behind the shoulder but a hair high - 8 inches below top of the back - I clipped the top of lung(s?). Trailed buck a long ways bleeding from mouth / wound. Neighbor killed him day or two later. I was shooting a slick trick standard and had never lost a deer with them in 6-8 years. Ended up killing a great pope and young buck late September of 2016 with my bow / slick tricks and missing another giant hunting in another state (I killed him two weeks later with my gun)
Fast forward to 2017 - I changed bow, arrows, and went from 100gr to 125gr broadheads. Rage hypodermic. Opening day in Kentucky it was raining and nasty. My target buck was coming in the PM so I hunted a morning doe stand. Shot a big doe with my new set up and it was devastating. That evening I was in a ground blind .... my target buck came right in with the bachelor group. They winded me at 22 yards and he bounced out to around 40 and turned back to me. I anchored (guessing range) and released. Arrow was right behind shoulder but a hair high. I was sick..... waited hour. Slipped up there and it was a bloodbath. He died within 60 yards.
I'm sold on rage hypodermics for now. I am shooting a halon 6 at 30 inches and 70lbs. So the dreaded rage penetration issue doesn't seem to be a problem. I've killed a lot of deer with a bow and I know shot placement is key. But with the right set up - big expandables can help with marginal shots (and marginal shots happen no matter how good you are)
