Rookie Bowhunter question

[Reagan]

I'm not a rookie bow hunter since I have about 30 years of flinging arrows. But I am one who sticks with what has worked. My question is in regard to broad heads.

I started out shooting Wasp way back when. I switched to Thunderheads many years ago and even shot some Spitfires for a year before back to Thunderheads. About 10 years ago I went to Muzzy 100 grain three blade heads. I have killed elk and deer with them and like them. I like to shoot the same head at deer and not change anything for a trip out west so expandable heads are not an option.

I'm to a point where I need to buy more. I see the newer Mx3 and the Muzzy trocar tip(I think that was the name). These newer heads are shorter than what I have shot.

I am a 25 yards and one pin type of guy. I once shot a deer and and elk at 30 yards but most of my shots have been under 25. I have a second pin where I practice out to 35-40 but have passed 40 yard shots that maybe I should have taken. Part of the reason is I like them close and part is due to a lack of confidence over 30 yards when shooting a broad head. Sometimes I get a weird flying arrow with a broad head at 40.

I have a 31" draw. My weight has been at 70 for years until backing it off a little last year. I haven't checked but I guess I'm shooting around 64 pounds.

Questions
Do the new short broad heads improve flight?
Would a 125 grain head improve flight by slightly increasing my FOC?
Is there a significantly better head I should look at?

I like replaceable blades. I like being able to practice a few shots with a head and then change to razor sharp blades for hunting. I like a head that can bust through a shoulder when needed.

Any suggestions?




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[chummer]

I switched to G5 montecs a few years ago. I love them. They fly as close to a field point as I have ever tried.

 

[MoLandOwner]

I have switched from expanding broadheads to Muzzy Trocar's. They sure seem to fly straight!

 

[bryant]

Shorter head increases blade angle which can reduce penetration. That said your draw length is a built in advantage over most guys and combined with seldom taking shot over 25 you should be able to get away with shooting any head on the market unles you are shooting a really old bow with really light arrows.

That said, I am a high foc and heavier than avg arrow fan so I like you idea of using foc. You can gain a bit by moving up to the 125 head or you can swap inserts and go up 50 or 75 grains and stay with the 100 head which is what I did. Went to 50 grain insert and shoot 100 grain head on axis shafts. Fly great and hit hard.

 

[McLovin]

I like expandables because I know they will fly true right out of the package, fixed blades require you to shoot each one coupled with an arrow to make sure they fly right. I'm too busy/lazy/cheap to invest that much time. Expandables allow me to shoot a couple dozen practice arrows and go hunt with confidence. The G5 T3's are what I use now. No penetration issues, I have considered shooting heavier arrows to increase penetration but I don't see myself going to fixed blades ever. Most of the bad stuff you hear about expandables is just bad shooters blaming their failures on a broadhead instead of their shooting. That being said I don't shoot Rages anymore.

 

[bat man]

When mechanicals perform as designed they can be better than fixed blade heads. But fixed blade heads have a much lower failure rate. All they do have to do is cut. Nothing fancy or complicated. Only issue is if they are sharp.

 

[Jim Timber]

I must be the oddball. I group my arrows (and now bolts) based on consistency of point-of-aim/point of impact with heads, and have primary and back up sets fitted with heads that have been shot enough to insure consistent flight.

It's the archery version of a tuned hand-loaded round.

Primary quiver shoots 2" or less at 20yds off a rest (crossbow). Back up is under 4". Any arrow (or bolt) and head combo that doesn't fly well enough to make the 4" cut gets set aside and ends up with a field point on it, or might get another broadhead for a second chance to make the hunting quiver.

I've been using Muzzy MX3's with the crossbow. Deer die every time.

 

[Reagan]

I must be the oddball. I group my arrows (and now bolts) based on consistency of point-of-aim/point of impact with heads, and have primary and back up sets fitted with heads that have been shot enough to insure consistent flight.

It's the archery version of a tuned hand-loaded round.

Primary quiver shoots 2" or less at 20yds off a rest (crossbow). Back up is under 4". Any arrow (or bolt) and head combo that doesn't fly well enough to make the 4" cut gets set aside and ends up with a field point on it, or might get another broadhead for a second chance to make the hunting quiver.

I've been using Muzzy MX3's with the crossbow. Deer die every time.

I do a version of this as well. I asked the original question because I have to do this. My hope was a different broad head may fly better and decrease the amount of work I put in each year in picking and sorting arrow/head combinations.

I don't doubt that any head can kill an animal. But I also believe you need to be prepared for the worst case scenario. I don't try to shoot deer in the shoulder but it has happened. They do move. I once shot a small buck at around 30 yards. The shot felt great but he moved so much before the arrow got there, I killed him by slicing his throat.

That is why I won't shoot s mechanical to make tuning easier. Something can go wrong with the shot and I don't want to depend on something to deploy. I am also a big believer of poking two holes in an animal. A 4.5 hour track job on hands and knees for an elk gives a guy a lot of time to question his gear. And that one was killed with a fixed blade and had two holes. I'm not sure I would have found him with no exit hole.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[bueller]

Is it wrong to think a broadhead is still plenty sharp for hunting after shooting it into a target a handful of times?

 

[MoLandOwner]

Is it wrong to think a broadhead is still plenty sharp for hunting after shooting it into a target a handful of times?

You can believe this or not, but my neighbor in Missouri killed a 160" buck with a rage target tip. after he ran out of the 3 arrows with the broadheads on.:eek:

I think they will work just fine.

 

[BJE80]

Questions
Do the new short broad heads improve flight? No. A properly tuned bow improves flight.

Would a 125 grain head improve flight by slightly increasing my FOC? Yes to a degree. Think of it like shooting darts. The bar darts they give out at the bar have no weight up in front. Your buddies comes along with some high FOC% darts and they fly much better because the front end is steering and the back end is following instead of trying to pass the front end. you will also get better penetration with a heavier arrow and high FOC.

Is there a significantly better head I should look at? 100 responses and 100 different opinions. NAP hellrazors are a great fixed head. Slicktricks are good. The original Thunderheads have killed more deer than any other head. Put it in the right spot and they all kill.

 

[BJE80]

Is it wrong to think a broadhead is still plenty sharp for hunting after shooting it into a target a handful of times?

You owe it to the animal to have the sharpest head possible. You can kill a deer with duller blades but that deer deserves very sharp blades if you are going to shoot at it.

 

[BJE80]

If you spin test your BH's they will group in a properly tuned bow. That is how I check my BH'S to the arrow. And yes they don't all match but the spin testing will tell you if they do or don't. Try it and you find that you don't have to shoot heads with arrows to match them.

 

[shawnv]

Some heads just won't fly great out of a particular set up and will be spot on with another, much like finding the best turkey load that patterns with your shotgun. With that said. I am very partial to the fixed blade flight on SlickTrick's Grizz Trick. I've used them with two bows and the head fly exactly the same as field points. Having to worry if the blades will open or not is just something I want to take out of the equation.

 

[bat man]

Questions
Do the new short broad heads improve flight? Yes - less surface area on the blade means less planing. They were designed for ease of tuning with faster bow.
Would a 125 grain head improve flight by slightly increasing my FOC? Maybe. FOC is nice but arrow spine will be of more concern and heavier heads or longer arrows reduce spine.
Is there a significantly better head I should look at?

 

[Jim Timber]

My blades have hit foam once or twice when they go afield. I haven't noticed any degredation on their edges from that level of use. The ones that don't jive get honed or rebladed, as the stamped blades are the variable on flight.

I have a field tip I use for decocking my crossbow. Once through an animal usually means into dirt on the other side, and then it's back into the test rotation next year with new blades.

 

[j-bird]

I shoot G5 montecs on my compound and rage on my crossbow.

I stick with what works for me - tinkering just leads to wasted time and money for me in both cases and increased frustration. I have a history with my set-up and that builds confidence.

I wasn't a fan of the early mechanicals and I saw a tendancy of the blades to bend as the arrow rotated. I have not seen that issue with my crossbow. I had plane issues with fixed blades on my crossbow that a mechanical head resolved.

 

[NWWI]

My wife shoots 42# with a 24-25 draw and 100 grain Muzzys. She has shot 2 deer with them and got two pass throughs. Neither deer made it out of sight. You never hear anything bad about Muzzys.

 

[Jim Timber]

And they can be had for about $5/ea after season on clearance. :D

 

[bueller]

My blades have hit foam once or twice when they go afield. I haven't noticed any degredation on their edges from that level of use. The ones that don't jive get honed or rebladed, as the stamped blades are the variable on flight.

I have a field tip I use for decocking my crossbow. Once through an animal usually means into dirt on the other side, and then it's back into the test rotation next year with new blades.

Pretty much what I have been doing. I can't seem the foam taking much of an edge off, if any. And I want to know that my actual arrow/broadhead combo is hitting where I want before I step into the woods with it without tweaking after testing it.