Broadheads - After Broadhead Shooting.
Equipment
What process do you following in tuning broadheads with your bow prior to actually hunting? And, after shooting broadheads into a target ... do you use these very same broadheads to hunt with in the field or do you change out the blades or use different broadhead (if you use the same broadhead ... are the blades now dull)?
I keep a few broadheads to practice, they never get used for hunting.
After shooting them, yes the blades will be dull. At least too dull to hunt with.
I would suggest you sit down with some rubber bands and blades and learn what a sharp blade is. Stretch the band out slightly, then pass the blade over it. It should cut it easily and in one pass. That is a blade you can hunt with. If it doesn’t, learn to sharpen them or get new blades. It is a great skill to learn! Have fun with it.
I use a practice broadhead or two. As long as arrows and broadheads are constructed and fitted properly I have never had any issues by not practicing with every broadhead I have in my quiver.
When I use replaceable blade heads, I have a couple of sets of used, dull blades for the target. I use the same ferrule to hunt with, just put new sharp blades on. For COC heads I shoot same head and resharpen.
I use Magnus Stingers and shoot all that I will hunt with to make sure they fly accurately. They always have. Then I resharpen before hunting with them. Same with the NAP Hellrazors I sometimes use.
Once I BH tune to bring my BH’s hitting with my FP’s, I keep the same ferrel with the arrow and just put in new sharp blades. Then I number my arrows for the ones that shoot best every time.
I'm with some of the fellas above.
Use a few for practice, keep them sharp, but they don't go hunting. :)
Rich you still shooting those Iron Won'ts?
Yes, a broadhead shot into a target will not hold its edge and should not be used to hunt with unless it is resharpened, or the blades replaced.
I use resharpenable broadheads. I resharpen after any shot and touch up regularly throughout hunting season as they get dull riding around in the quiver.
I shoot COC heads out of my recurves. I shoot my broadheads practicing and then resharpen/touch up. I also touch up regularly throughout the season as I believe that they dull a little riding in the quiver.
A few light passes through this handy little sharpener and some stropping on a piece of heavy cardboard and they are as sharp as I like them to be.
I dedicate one or two BHs for practice. The others are sharpened by me and used for hunting only.
Shoot broadheads all the time and reshaping them.
Make sure you spin test them. I have had some bend taking them out of a target.
Wait, you guys practise before going hunting?
Only rookies and mere mortals need to practice. APauls is exempt. Bill
My practice heads end up in pigs or coyotes
Use one-piece broadheads...keep 2-3 for practice only.
Have heads just for practice & do not hunt with them.. Into the field it's new "sharp" blades or hand sharpened to my "sharp".. I do shoot all my arrows with practice heads a couple times to make sure they function proper.
Shoot them into our local range broadhead pit (sand)
Hit with a file and diamond stone, go shoot stuff
I don't hunt with the same broadheads I practice with. However every arrow broadhead combo should be spinned before putting in hunting quiver. I have found sometimes either insert or broadheads are not always true and will wobble when you spin. If that the case try a different arrow and or broadhead. It will make a difference on impact.
if your broadheads and field points are hitting the same place why spend time after confirming that is the case shooting broadheads?
I often hunt with the heads I shoot after touching them up. I don't consider it practicing as I do proof testing. I practice with field points. I would like to saw that I proof test every arrow with broad heads but I somethings stop at a couple. This last season I shot two of three very high priced heads. After shooting the two I tested at game I moved to the third. I shot and killed a number of deer with it each time noticing that I hit a couple of inches to the right of where I aimed. Ends up the groove for the blade was not down the center of the ferrule. I have had bad nocks. inserts. inserts. shafts and heads.
some choose their head due to advertising, big cut, most popular, etc.
I consider a BH as part of a system. Sure BH performance factors in…but for me its also about strong, tuning, touch up and reuse- all factors.
Two blades are the #1 design for max penetration…..thats undisputed. They are easy to spin check…shoot for groups then touch up popping sharp and spin check. You can get them razor sharp super easy, chock sticks, fine diamond stone at the same angle, many ways- anyone can do it. I’ve reused many of mine a few times.
The guys that don’t test, assuming their heads will fly like FP’s are rolling the dice- guessing that arrow doesn’t have a spine flaw or flight issue. How do you test each mech head without wrecking it? Spine issues are magnified by a long BH? Thin razor heads are tricky to resharpen….disassembly and replacing blades is like starting over with alignment. More work over the simplicity of a 2 blade for sure.
Its a confidence builder to know for a fact that hunting arrow flies perfect.
I dedicate a few fixes blade BH’s for tuning/practice. For heads that have a consist pointy tip, I have found spin testing will tell you what you need to know in terms of alignment and how they will fly. Some heads have tips that don’t lend themselves to this practice (Bear Razor Heads, some single bevel designs). I guess you have to shoot those and potentially Teagarden in the shaft.
For MBH’s, I index and spin test and have never had a reason to practice shoot them much as the ones I have used flew very much like field points at typical back hunting distances.
I don’t shoot a broadhead/arrow combination at an animal without having shot it into a target first. I’ve had a new setup hit 6” off the dot at 20 yards. Rotate the nock and bingo, hits dead on.
