Ep. 493: Arrow Flight, Forgiveness, and Penetration Science w/ Bill Vanderheyden // Iron Will Outfitters

Ep. 493: Arrow Flight, Forgiveness, and Penetration Science w/ Bill Vanderheyden // Iron Will Outfitters

From East Meets West Hunt by Beau Martonik

June 2, 2026 · 2h 1m · Episode 493

About this episode

Beau Martonik discusses arrow flight and penetration science with Bill Vanderheyden, focusing on hunting setups and techniques for successful elk hunting.

Beau Martonik sits down with Bill Vanderheyden of Iron Will Outfitters — 10 years of engineering broadheads and arrow systems built around what a setup actually needs to do when conditions are not perfect. They open with Bill's Colorado elk hunt — 10 miles back in the wilderness, a 4-hour chase into dark timber, and a frontal shot at 30 yards through a 3-inch window in the pines. From there the conversation gets into the science behind why that shot worked and what most hunters are getting wrong before they ever get to a moment like that. Topics include what actually makes a bow setup forgiving in hunting conditions, why FOC doesn't tell you what most people think, the physics of penetration and the speed vs. heavy arrow debate, why mechanicals on elk are a bigger risk than most realize, steep shot angles, effective range, and how to practice the shots that actually show up in the field. 00:00:00 – Intro 00:04:37 – Colorado Elk Hunt — 10 Miles Back, Frontal Shot Through the Pines 00:21:41 – Pin Setup and Shot Confidence in the Field 00:24:24 – Bighorn Sheep Hunt — Steep Cliffs, No Rangefinder, 55 Yards 00:34:10 – What Actually Makes a Hunting Setup Forgiving 00:44:42 –…

People in this episode

Host: Beau Martonik

Guest: Bill Vanderheyden

Topics covered

  • arrow flight
  • penetration science
  • hunting setup
  • elk hunting
  • mechanical broadheads
  • shot angles
  • field practice

Keywords

  • arrow systems
  • broadheads
  • hunting conditions
  • FOC
  • penetration physics
  • mechanicals
  • effective range
  • shot confidence

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Iron Will Outfitters

Places: Colorado, dark timber, pines

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