VPA Custom Shop Arrowhead Vented
Equipment
Contributors to this thread:
Rayzor's Link
We just added a couple more models to the VPA Custom Shop Arrowhead Vented line. The 100s have been ut for a few years now. Recently added a 125 and 150gr model. As with all VPA broadheads, they are CNC Machined in one piece from high carbon tool grade steel and heat treated through hard to 48 Rockwell. They are 1 1/8" cut. 100s and 125s $39.95 per 3. 150s are $41.95 per 3.
There is also a 200gr 1 1/4" cut version for $47.95.
Available exclusively from rayzor-vpa.com webstore.
coupon code: bowsite will get you a 10% discount on all order over $35.
Rayzor's Link
Looking good Ray! More top shelf products! Your innovation(s) over the years continues to drive your successful track record!
Mark
Great looking and deadly! I've got a dozen 125's on the way. Looking forward to putting one through an elk's vitals this year!
I just ordered some unvented 100's for my Polar Bear hunt next spring.
Cory, you'll like those... I prefer the smaller non vented heads ... Stronger and fly great.
Won't shoot anything else. Love my vpas. Never once have I doubted my bh!! Look great ray!
Very cool. I hope to put a non-vented 150 grain through a bear next week.
Wow!
Way cool Ray. Keep pumping out these amazing lung/bone busters. The Elk, Deer and Bears are really starting to dislike your products....LOL. Kami and I on the other hand.....LOVE THEM! Can't beat solid steel and MADE IN THE USA!!!
Wondering if they hiss or whistle in flight
Do you guys have any plans to offer a stainless model?
If they made these broadheads out of stainless the first thing I would ask is be why aren't you making them out of high carbon tool steel?
Stainless would be a big step down in quality, IMO.
There's some mighty fine knives make out of stainless. Machined high quality stainless would not be a step down, IMO.
Different metallurgic properties between SS and CS. CS was selected because of this.
Ray,
I checked your web site and didn't find any....are you still making your 50 GR insert/outserts (with the collar) for micro diameter arrows?
Mark
Rayzor's Link
Mark. Use the link. www. rayzor-vpa.com. VPA Custom Shop. Not main VPA site. main VPA site is also under revision/construction.
VPA Prostaffer Mike Connett just got the "First Blood" honers with the new 150 arrowhead vented model on this 19" Sask black bear. Awesome first animal taken is P&Y.
Another pic of Mike's bear.
Mark. Yes on the CTR-Punch footed outsert. I still have a few. They're limited run. They aren't on any of the sites.
Copperman. Any head with vents will make a little more noise in flight than a nonvented head. Thats well established. Whether or not it makes a difference is a debate in itself that will never end as no arrow/head/bow set up is completely silent and the speed of sound is faster than any bow. Nonvented was one of our selling points when we brought our first few heads to market in 2009. They were all nonvented. We now have introduced close to 40 models. More models and variations than any other company in the industry. About half of those are nonvented so I'd say we offer more nonvented models than anyone else in the industry too. These aren't especially noisy though. They definitely don't have near the noise as some I've heard. The only model we have ever made that we got many comments on for noise were our original compact 125gr vented models. They had especially thick .055" blades and they sound like a bumble if you stood off to the side downrange and listened to them. They took a pile of game though. Those dead animals lilke never knew the difference in noise. That model was our number one return against our satisfaction guarantee though so it was discontinued and replaced with a revised modela year and a half or so ago.
Flash. No plans for stainless. Bottom line is return on investment. Material cost is higher and machining times are not the same so there would have to be new programs and possibly different tooling. All that adds a lot to the cost. Then you have to add profit for us and our dealers and it would put us at a retail price point where we just don't think the sales would justify the investment. Being hardened/heat treated, and some of the materails in our alloys chemistry, they dont rust as easy as some soft carbon steels. Vegatable Oil, Vasaline, Chapstick and using a Sharpie on the honed edges all provide added rust protection without adverse effects on performance. Many grades of stainless will rust too. That catches many people by surprise.
Thanks Razor, that makes perfect business sense to me. On the S Texas coast it's basically impossible to keep carbon steel from rusting. I love the quality of your heads.
VPA broadheads are the real deal. Used the custom shop 125's on antelope and bear last year.
Had been using a different brand COC solid head and replacement blade models and always had 'blade issues'
Had no issues last year. You do need to sharpen them, but its not difficult to get hair popping sharp edges.
Ok, can one of you guys explain how these differ from the,wensel woodsman. It looks like the same head to me. Other than the woodsman are spot welded how else do they differ? I've been shooting WW and have never had one fail.
I really like the arrow head in the arrow head! that is a very nice looking broad head! how do they hold up to heavy bone impact? like an elk shoulder? I have become very interested in the heavier bone busting heads with single or double bevel COC. The added punch through with these type of heads is very nice if you need it! I shoot pretty heavy arrows, 525-550 total weight, do these tune well for a heavy setup? Sorry for so many questions, I might just buy a pack and see how they fly:) Thanks! S.F.
Flash, I live on the East coast of N.C., like Ray was saying if you paint the VPA with a permanent sharpie it will NOT rust. Ray great looking broadheads . Forrest
I love my 175 grain solid heads, killed lots of stuff with them. Best head on the market! Shawn
Scar, I've shot VPAs for years and in my experience there is NO better head for the off chance at a shoulder hit. Deer shoulders wouldn't stand a chance with the set up you mention. I've also seen them break elk shoulders and last fall I pulverized a caribou shoulder with one. If you like to crowd the shoulder, this is the head you want.
There are no welds, and it's machined from a block of solid steel (unlike the pot metal process of its competitors). There is nothing to fail. Sharpen and kill.
What is the "pot metal" to which you refer?
Thanks SGHN,
I do seem to tuck it in there pretty tight. I will probably try some out if I ever get drawn for elk again:/
Cutting some 45-49 Rc on a lathe at this moment. The fact that they fly great out of my old Mathews and they are made the way they are had me order 2 more packs this week. Thanks Ray.
LB Shooter- " Other than the spot welded" ??? That pretty much speaks for itself. There is a night and day difference between stamped and welded and CNC machined in one piece from high carbon tool grade steel, and heat treated through hard from 48-56 Rockwell, depending on the model. Long term durability would be number one due to the strength ofthe material and thatist machined in one piece. Edge retention would be another. Think of the tooling used to make those stampings. Our heads are made like the tooling. Try to use the stamping material to form the tool and see long it last.
deerman406- The 150 arrowhead model is the same head as that 175 with vents cut in it to bring it dwn to may favorite weight of 150.
I need to remember to spell check.
HDE, By pot metal I mean a molten liquid metal poured into a form and cast molded into the shape of a broadhead. Versus VPA's construction method (mentioned by Rayzor above) of fully CNC machining the broadhead from one solid piece of steel.
Not the same process you describe above with casting broadheads. Injection molding is a controlled process and is not the same as just pouring it into a mold. "Pot Metal" has impurities in it such as higher amounts of Hydrogen and Oxygen to name a few.
The HSLA tool steel is "pot metal" also at some point in time. Has to be. Then it is formed and refined for use with favorable properties.
I realize that, I was oversimplifying as I thought you were genuinely asking a question. You already knew the answer. Don't want to get into a pissing match here but take a MIM head like a Montec and take a VPA and do a torture test of your choosing. I think you'll come to your own conclusion. I have.
Rayzor
Please post pic of 150 and 175 side by side.
Thanks
"Don't want to get into a pissing match"
Me either, two different processes for two different objectives.
Last thing this needs to turn into is a "which broadhead is best" thread hijack...
Here you go Toby. Custom Shop Arrowhead Vented 150 vs 175 standard production model. Arrowhead vents take off 25grs. (Our 175s were previousy PTFE coated in green. Current models are black.)
I know this is more info than what you asked but i though I might put it out there fro everyone.........
Some of our Custom Shop heads have similar relationships:
Custom Shop 1 1/4" 200gr Arrowhead vented released a couple months back is the nonvented 250 1 1/4" released a few years back as a limited run item. (I killed a nice bear with that model. )
Same goes for the Arrowhead Vented 125. Its the same head as the standard production 150 but the vents shave 25gr.
Ditto on the 100. Standard production Nonvented 125. Vents bring them down to 100.
Other standard production 3 blade heads have similar relationships.:
vented 85 and the nonvented 100.
Vented 100 and nonvented 125.
Current vented 125 and Nonvented 150. (for about the last year)
Rayzor,
I'm deciding between the regular 150 and 175, 1 1/8" cut?
Toby
VPA 100 gr. exit right thru the shoulder and back in my quiver for the next hunt. Not even a bull elk shoulder can stand up to VPA's solid steel!
For rust prevention - Coat the heads with a film of Vaseline after sharpening. they will not rust, and eventually your quiver will get a film of it. Can hunt in damp conditions and the heads will not rust.
For bone crushing capabilities. Hit an antelope frontal style last fall at 20 yards, he ran off to 73 yards and stood there broadside. I launched a follow up at him and caught him square in the shoulder bone - Shattered it went through the ribs and out the far shoulder and found it 30 yards past where he was at.
On a bear, had a unique standing shot. Went through the sternum, and out through the edge of the spine (cant believe he didnt drop right there) Both heads spin true and are reusable
Toby- my answer would greatly depend on your setup, what game you are after and longest distances you expect to shoot.
The 150 1 1/8" has been my favorite all around head since it was introduced. There was lots of hi-tech development behind it and it has since proven itself in the field time and again. 150 seems to be a sweet spot on a lot of setups. In a modern heavier draw compound, at reasonable ranges, on deer sized game, the difference between it and the 175 just would typically never be noticed as either will very likely be a pass through even if you hit the shoulders and or have hard angles.
There could be a big difference on spine requirements for each if you are shooting heavier, longer draw compound. The lighter/shorter you go on draw the more forgiving it tend to get on arrow spine.