I see a lot of posters here and other places the mention if an arrow can kill one (of whatever) then this caliber will too.
Just for the record, I have been hunting with a bow for over 40 years and camparing arrows and bullets are apples and oranges.
First, an arrow kills ONLY by hemorage. Hemorage only happens with two things, a razor sharp edge and penetration. Take away either and you have a superficial wound. The slow/heavy vs. light/fast arrow debate goes on in archery circles just as it does here. In my mind too many people try to compare the light fast arrow affect like one would a bullet.
Fred Bear proved over 50 years ago the power of the slow heavy arrow. My point in all this is a 50lb recurve bow shooting a 600gr arrow tipped with a razor sharp, well constructed, (Magnus or Zwickey type) 2 blade broadhead, will penetrate over two feet of flesh and bone and in doing so leave 4 ft of damage in it's wake (2ft penetration X 2 edges). Hit in the proper place, ie. lungs heart, liver, kidneys, it will kill the animal in a matter of a few short minutes or less.
An arrow can be pushed in slowly and still be every bit as effective. A bullet take a considerable more force to push its way through, since it is not cutting its way. Since a bullet is NOT cutting, a small diameter wound from a slow bullet, like a 22 LR for example, can and often will, close up behind the bullet. The wound will still bleed and if placed in the correct spot cause death. This is the reason higher velocity is needed. The higher velocity causes a shock wave that destroys flesh for some distance around it. In larger calibers, like slow 45's the wound channel, even though from a slow bullet, will be suffecient to bleed out the animal quickly.
From a cartridge like the 45 ACP, as mentioned in this post, there is still quite a bit of blunt force on impact from a 240gr bullet, that combined with the wound channel will do the job, but not like an arrow.
Often times an animal hit with a razor 2 blade sharp broadhead will know something hit it, but not have felt much more than a sharp sting. Not so with a bullet since it is like being hit with a hammer at the same time.
I'd take a stab that more animals have been killed over time with an arrow than a bullet, and just about everything that walks the earth has died from an arrow wound. Just like a bullet, it is about shot placement and penetration, but they really should NEVER be compared.
