Rolling Grass and Razor Vision
Western South Dakota isn’t just open—it’s exposed. If elk hunting is a test of stamina and whitetails a game of patience, pronghorn is pure precision. Hunting these prairie ghosts demands planning, stealth, and gear that performs without compromise.
There’s no treestand. No ground blind. Just rolling yucca flats, gusty wind, and one of North America’s sharpest-eyed game animals. Spot one too late or misjudge a draw, and you’ll watch a dust trail disappear over the ridge.
That’s why when bowhunter Drew C. pulled a pronghorn tag for the west unit near Badlands National Park, he packed smart. His top broadhead choice? The Shape Shifter™ mechanical from Innerloc®—a field-tip flying, bone-breaking head designed for one job: high-precision kills. Prairie Precision: Stalking Pronghorn in South Dakota With the Shape Shifter™ in high-exposure hunts.
Why Pronghorn Demand Better Gear
Pronghorn antelopes are built for evasion. Eyes that can detect motion at over 200 degrees. Wind-dodging instincts. A sprint capacity of over 55 mph. And a tendency to hang up just out of bow range, making clean long shots the name of the game.
Forget those 18-yard chip shots you get from a treestand. In South Dakota’s grasslands, you’ll earn every inch of distance closed—and most of the time, the only thing standing between you and a successful hunt is your ability to shoot a laser-straight arrow under pressure.
Drew knew this. That’s why he demanded:
- A broadhead that flies like a field tip
- A design that won’t pre-deploy in the wind
- A cutting diameter large enough to guarantee a lethal wound
He needed a tight flight and trusted deployment. The Shape Shifter™ offered both.
What Makes the Shape Shifter™ Different?
Mechanicals often suffer in wide-open environments. Flimsy retention systems fail mid-flight. Blades rattle or deploy from crosswinds. And when it’s time to shoot, that slight wobble costs you your tag.
The Shape Shifter™ solves that with a design that hides the blades until it’s time to deploy.
At first glance, the Shape Shifter™ looks like a standard field point. That’s the secret. The broadhead’s signature Exo-Cover™ polymer shell fully encloses the blades in flight, streamlining its profile and eliminating the risk of early deployment. On impact, the cover fractures along pre-engineered rails, allowing the three .040″ stainless steel blades to deploy instantly and open up a devastating 1 1/4″ cutting diameter.
There are no rubber bands, no clips, and no moving parts to fail during flight—just a smooth, deadly result.
In the Field: South Dakota Stalk
By day three, Drew had logged nearly 12 miles of crawling, glassing, and pivoting around terrain that gave new meaning to “spot-and-stalk.” His pack was lighter, his boots dusted red, and his decoy had seen better days.
But at 6:30 p.m., the break came.
He spotted a solo buck moving down a broken fence line just over 500 yards away. Using his wind checker, he saw the pattern held steady northwest. He moved wide, circling below the ridgeline, then pulled his Montana Decoy from his pack and began the crawl, flat out on elbows and knees across warm ground.
The buck drifted closer.
At 42 yards, Drew slid his decoy forward, rose to his knees, and drew. No sound. No blade rattle. The Shape Shifter™ held tight.
When he released, the arrow zipped forward, clearing the yucca and slamming behind the last rib. The antelope took off—but only made it 60 yards.
Post-Shot Breakdown
Recovery was clean, quick, and revealing:
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Complete Pass-Through: The arrow punched through and stuck into the dirt beyond
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Flawless Deployment: All three blades opened fully—no hang-ups
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Perfect Wound Channel: Over 1 1/4″ wide, with a near-instant blood trail
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Exo-Cover™ Performance: Fractured as designed, no damage to the arrow shaft or ferrule
The broadhead was still intact. The arrow flew true. And most importantly, Drew’s practice session matched his results.
Why Practice Matters
Innerloc includes a matched practice head with every Shape Shifter™ pack—identical in size and flight profile, but built without cutting edges.
Drew practiced for weeks leading up to the hunt, shooting from awkward angles, seated kneels, and with wind flags to simulate pronghorn conditions.
Because when you only get one shot at 42 yards, guesswork isn’t an option.
Shape Shifter™ Field Profile
Each Shape Shifter™ weighs in at 100 grains and features a compact 3/8″ profile in flight, thanks to the enclosed Exo-Cover™ system. On impact, the cover fractures and the three .040″ stainless steel blades deploy outward, producing a full 1 1/4″ wide wound channel.
The package includes:
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3 Shape Shifter™ broadheads
- 3 Exo-Covers™
A crossbow-specific version is also available for shooters running high-speed bolts.
Built for the Big Open
Open-country bowhunting isn’t a trend—it’s a crucible. Every piece of gear is tested by wind, glare, range, and terrain. And Shape Shifter™ was born for this.
Ideal for:
- Pronghorn
- Western mule deer
- Early-season whitetail
- Open-ground elk
- Long-range hog and exotics
Wherever your shot stretches long and wide, Shape Shifter™ gives you mechanical confidence with field-point consistency.
Final Shot
Drew didn’t win that hunt by accident. He prepared. He tuned. He practiced—and he chose the right broadhead.
When you’re crawling through cactus and covering ground with nothing but wind and skill on your side, your shot must be perfect. And Shape Shifter™ made it so.
