Arrow issue - What could have happened?

[cehorn]

I was just out in the back yard shooting my girlfriends bow (54 lbs) helping her sight it in and the first arrow of this session (we shot a bunch earlier today with the same arrows and no issues) sounded funny. It sounded like it had a ripped fletching or something when it left the bow and the arrow was fluttering. It didn't make the right sound when it hit either, but it made a sound and not the sound of hitting the target. Just all around off/weird sounding from beginning to end. I shot the next arrow thinking the fletching was just messed up on the first arrow and everything was normal so I shot 3 more and all were normal (in the center of the target). When we walked up to the target the fletching end and half the arrow was on the ground about 3' to the right of the target and 3' in front of the target. The fletching was normal and the nock was normal. We looked and after a little bit found the other half with the field tip about 3' in front of the target but in line. The field tip looked normal as well. I was expecting to find the arrow whole in the backstop with a messed up fletching.

I can only think of 2 things that could have happened. The first is the arrow snapped as I shot it. If this was the case, I was **** lucky. However, if this was the case, the sound when it hit didn't match where the pieces of the arrow ended up. The other thing that could have happened was I hit the pole the target was next to and the arrow shattered. It is an old metal clothes line pole. The hit sound kind of matches this scenario but there is no way I could miss that bad (over 3') and again the field tip isn't damaged. I also can't see the arrow hitting a round pole square enough to bounce backward, I would think it would deflect and keep going. Maybe whatever caused the "fluttering" sound leaving the bow caused the arrow to skew that bad from where I was aiming, but what could cause that? I'm at a loss though as these are both only guesses. Any other ideas as to what could have happened?

The arrow is a couple of years old but should still be good. The only other thing is I just refletched the arrow using the heat shrink veins. Maybe the boiling water warped the arrow enough to "throw it sideways" coming out of the bow. I would think I would notice if an arrow was that crooked but maybe it doesn't need to be that crooked to throw it off 3'+ at 30 yds. Again I'm only guessing.

[Stoof]

How often do you flex test your arrows? It sounds like it was damaged.

[gatt40]

Always flex test, even your broad head tipped arrows that you store in quiver

[Playa]

Sounds like you are lucky you didn’t get a carbon injection in your anchor arm/hand

[jrfan]

Very lucky!! Could have been much worse. Always flex test your arrows and don’t try to shoot tight groups. I always aim at different spots in the target.

[cehorn]

How often do you flex test your arrows? It sounds like it was damaged.

Not very often but I'm thinking I will do it a lot more often now!!

The whole thing is just weird though with the way it sounded, where the arrow ended up, etc. It doesn't add up to me but i could be missing something.

[RifleBowPistol]

What type of arrow, then do you have pictures of the arrow?
I had a wooden arrow break years ago, as it came off the bow. Ran the rear half, through my hand and out my left index finger, at the last knuckle. I was about 14 at the time. Two previous arrows broke in mid flight, I thought that was cool, because on the first shot, both ends of the arrow stuck in the target. The second arrow, the front half stuck in the target and the rear half went tumbling over the target. Then the third came apart as it was leaving the bow and went through my hand. Hurt like hell.

[cehorn]

What type of arrow, then do you have pictures of the arrow?
I had a wooden arrow break years ago, as it came off the bow. Ran the rear half, through my hand and out my left index finger, at the last knuckle. I was about 14 at the time. Two previous arrows broke in mid flight, I thought that was cool, because on the first shot, both ends of the arrow stuck in the target. The second arrow, the front half stuck in the target and the rear half went tumbling over the target. Then the third came apart as it was leaving the bow and went through my hand. Hurt like hell.

It was a Gold Tip Expedition Hunter 5575. All 5 arrows shot were Gold Tips.
I don't have pics but may be able to get some tomorrow. Overall the break looks fairly clean. Not saw cut clean but clean snap over your knee type clean. However on the field tip side there is about a foot long series of slivers from the other side of the arrow. I just put it back together and the slivers go all the way to where the shrink tubing for the veins start.

I've seen pics of people with arrows in their hand. I am lucky that didn't happen to me.

[TX_Kevin]

It was a Gold Tip Expedition Hunter 5575. All 5 arrows shot were Gold Tips.
I don't have pics but may be able to get some tomorrow. Overall the break looks fairly clean. Not saw cut clean but clean snap over your knee type clean. However on the field tip side there is about a foot long series of slivers from the other side of the arrow. I just put it back together and the slivers go all the way to where the shrink tubing for the veins start.

I've seen pics of people with arrows in their hand. I am lucky that didn't happen to me.

Like others have said, get in the habit of flexing those arrows. You'll learn. I have had one snap right in two when I flexed it -right before I shot it.

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[RifleBowPistol]

Never seen a carbon arrow break coming off of a bow. I have turned Beeman Arrows into a bunch of black threads, with a field tip and fletching, when I hit a rock with a arrow. I have hit rocks or other hard objects and broken about 6" off of the front end of other brands of carbon fiber arrows, that had fibers, running multiple directions, instead of just length wise, like the Beeman arrows.

At least you did not have to pull a arrow out of you hand, it's not any fun.

[sectxag06]

i had an arrow partially blow up on my 4 years ago. i was trying to shoot a doe. and the back half broke apart. so lucky none in my hand. i try very hard to flex test all of the time now.