First, given your description, I don't think the arrows bounced off. They just hit low and glanced downward, or maybe just ended up a bit on the other side of the bird. They may even have gone through some flesh/breast in doing so, but it seems to me like they were just low shots. There's a saying regarding shot placement on turkeys. "Hit them low, with them go. Hit them high, watch them die."

Arrow flight can be affected a lot at that distance. All arrows are flexing as they leave the bow. If the arrow is mismatched to the bow, it flexes more or less than it should, throwing it off to the left or right, and it may not be straight on the target at impact.

Too, if you're shooting through netting, this could exacerbate the problem, or cause a perfectly normal flying arrow to go off course. I've never had that happen with three-or 4-blade heads, but I have sometimes had erratic flight with two-blade heads shot through window screening. That's why I switched to three- or four-blade heads. Something to consider.

Also, if you are shooting through netting, make sure it is stretched tight. Loose netting is more prone to catch the broadhead or fletching. Long story short, window netting can cause what would otherwise be a normal flying arrow to become erratic. Most times, it does't, but it can.

Ya know, I have shot at 5 Turkeys with traditional equipment. I missed one, wounded and lost one and killed three. The one I lost was a, so called, text book broadside pass through shot and it took off flying. Never found it. The three I have killed and I mean dropped in their tracks, were shot from the rear of the bird. That's why I set my decoys to face the blind and that Tom will face away from me and give me the shot I want. Two of those harvested birds were shot with 160 and another with a 175 three blade VPA broad heads. The other was a 125 two blade Zewicky. They are tough!

I have a hunting buddy who bounced an arrow with an expandable head off a turkey using a compound. He attributed that to the light arrow and expandable head. I've killed about a dozen birds and have never had an arrow bounce off, though my brother did have an arrow stopped by a turkey's wing butt, and the bird ran off with his arrow.

If you're shooting a 300 grain broadhead, your arrow must be over 600 grains so arrow weight shouldn't be an issue. Are you sure the arrows bounced off, as in came flying back at you, or could they possibly have just gone through a bunch of feathers, deflected and ended up on the ground near the bird. There's a lot more feathers and non-lethal area on a turkey than there is lethal kill area.

As Bob said, the bones and feathers in the wing butt area are particularly large and tough. But you shouldn't have any problems running an arrow through a bird's back. Do you round the tips of your broadheads? That would certainly retard penetration. The only other reasonable explanation I can come up with is very poor arrow flight, i.e., a wobbly arrow, which might impact at a glancing angle rather than perpendicular to the target.

I assume you're not using a string tracker, which could jam and stop the arrow. I'll noodle it some more, but something seems amiss. A well placed sharp broadhead on a heavy arrow out of a 50# bow should not bounce off.

Not surprised. Turkeys are so solid compared to a deer. I have never had an arrow bounce off but many times, I have had poor penetration.

maybe short drawing in the heat of the moment?

Wing joints and feather quills are tuff!! The best shot on a Turkey is going away.

Bob

All I can see is a Turkey wearing body armor. Must have been a tough SOB.