Broadhead arrow VS FMJ bullit

[prairiedog555]

This is a hypothetical discussion between myself and my friend (the bow hunter)  Would like your input.
Here are parameters of Question:
1.  No legality or cruelty issues, that is not the question
2.  It would be a good lung shot
3.  .30 cal. FMJ bullit out of modern firearm
4.  range 15-25 yd
5.  Would a deer die after a short run, like when shot with broadhead or not much damage.

My point:
I have talked with some who have shot deer with FMJ bullit after they are down for a kill shot, so as not to ruin meat.  They say it kills them dead.

I read that in Africa before modern bullits they shot deer size game with FMJ while hunting dangerous game all the time.  Bullits kill by shock, as long as it is a big bullit.

There were a lot of deer sized animals killed with FMJ bullits (men) in war.  They dropped dead, I have never heard of a arrow shot (non heart) animal dropping dead.

His point:
a broadhead kills by bleeding out and animal will die quickly by loss of blood

I know there are a lot of you out there with more experience than me.  What do you think?

[Redhawk1]

With the shot you mentioned with a FMJ bullet, it would kill a deer as would the shot from an arrow. Hole in lungs no matter the tool of choice will equal a dead deer.

[Buddy in AK]

When my son shot his first deer I had loaded down 30'06 to a low velocity with the little 110 gr roundnose bullet.  Very nice learning load.  He made the broadside, double lung shot at 80 yds.  The deer jumped straight up and ran into the brush.  As we waited, after about 15 or 20 seconds (seemed like a long time), the deer ran across the opening in the other direction but I could tell it was slowing.  The bullet went between ribs on the way in and on the way out, never hit bone.  It looked the deer was shot with a field tip.  At any rate, holes through the lungs KILL!  I would think a broadhead would have done the job a little quicker.

Buddy

[R.W.Dale]

 Comparing a big bore solid RN or FP bullet intended for dangerous game to a 30 caliber FMJBT is like comparing a Volkswagen minibus to a wicker futon.  They are so diffrent in what they are degisned to to and how they go about doing it that there is NO comparison.

 At your 25yd range a 147 grainer from a 308 will likely produce as or more damaging wound than a traditonal sp bullet.





 As you can see contrary to popular wisdom FMJ bullets DO NOT just "poke holes in living tissue"

[WylieKy]

In my experience, with the exception of drop shots, my deer usually stop sooner with a double lung bow shot than a double lung gun shot.  I have never used FMJ's but I don't see how it would be possible for a FMJ to drop a deer sooner than a SST.  It may have something to do with the deer being spooked by the gunshot, because in cleaning the SST does a lot more damage than a broad head.

WylieKy

[Buckskin]

I have no experience in FMJ's, but have shot several deer at close range with slug and arrows.  Double lung shots with slugs seem to go about 5 times as far as broadheads.

[rickyp]

An arrow has little shock value it kills by creating hemorrhagic shock (loose of blood) A FMJ bullets has a lot of shock  the FMJ bullets will bend over on it's self and tumble creating a large would channel.

The FMJ will kill a deer clean if your put it trough the lungs and or heard  but any thing that puts a hole in one of these will kill a deer.

do not mix up  a FMJ bullet with  a solid, or Round nose bullet they may look a like but are made different

as for a FMJ bullet killing a deer as fast as a 2 legged animal that is not a good comparison, 2 legged animals are easy to kill but hard to live with the memories of doing so, the deer are some what hard to kill they have a strong will to survive.

[Drilling Man]

  My experience has been that if the FMJ is going slow, the arrow would kill faster...  If the bullet is going at high velocity, the FMJ would do as much or more damage than the arrow....

  Keep in mind that a FMJ at high velocity will probably tumble or ? after it hits tissue...

  DM

[beemanbeme]

I am of the opinion that if a bullet tumbles (regardless of type) it is poorly constructed or is over or under stabilized. 
My only experience with using a a fmj on game was giving them a try back when coyote fur was worth something.  The number of coyotes that ran off was enough for me to get the needle and thread out and go back to sewing.

I have dressed one deer out that had scar tissue on the back lobes of the lungs that looked like either a fmj or a field tipped arrow had passed thru.
Considering the large cutting blades on a broadhead arrow, it seems that it would have to do more damage (especially if the arrowhead stayed in the deer) than a fmj. 

[1187VX2]

All things being equal, the full metal jacketed bullet will do less damage than an expanding bullet.  The FMJ wil zip right through loosing not a lot of veleocity/energy while the expanding bullet may or may not exit, but is designed to slam on the brakes (expand) and dump a lot of energy - creating a bigger wound channel, more shock, deader animal quicker.

On african game, penetration can be an issue.  Larger calibers are being used and if they expand too soon, the bullet may not reach vitals.

Not much of an issue on deer.

[K.K]

I may go against the grain here and suggest that the broadhead is deadlier with a double lung at short range, at least in my experience. Even though I use premium expanding bullets on deer, not FMJ, any deer that I've hit through the lungs with them has taken off, as they often will.(I shot a big doe through the lungs with a Accu-Bond in .300 WSM that went 50 yards.) They are still dead on their feet of course, and easily recovered.  However, When I shoot a nice, sharp  broadhead clean through the pumphouse, the deer isn't even often unalarmed, even as the arrow has passed  completelythrough, and simply run off a few steps and fall over.  I have had one that went back to feeding for a few seconds and simply fell over. 

As we know, any holes that are put into the lungs are fatal.  I know that the FMJ can tumble and cause damage, but I have seen pretty devastating kills with  a well-placed broadhead. (By the way, the ones I use cut a full 2")  All other things being equal, I think that a well placed broadhead is deadlier than a .308 FMJ.  I know that some may disagree, but this has been my experiece.

[slave]

It would be close between a .30 fmj and most 125gr broadheads. I would think it would be easer to recover the broadhead shot deer. Much better trail and most likely the deer would not run as far befroe stoping to look back or laying down. Time from impact to death would be so close it is a toss up.

Make no mistake about it a broadhead is a real killing tool. They have been in use for a long time now. If they did not work we might not even be here today.

[Echo4Lima]

Shot a deer with a FMJ thru the lungs once.  Shot many the same with arrows.  The FMJ lung shot went downhill agout 100yds, layed next to a tree and took about 5 mins.to finish off.  Of all the broadhead lung shots, the longest was about 50 yds.  That one saw me release.  The ones that didnt know I was there have only gone 30 or so at most. 

I think the sound of the gunshot had to do more with the distance.  BUT, I think the broadhead cuts a large "vent" and bleeding hole.  An 1 1/8" cutting broadhead opens a hole at least that big thru the hide etal. The FMJ is only going to open a slightly larger then caliber hole.

The FMJ has to have a lot of shock but I wonder why it took so long to expire.