I know opinions are like ...everybody has one...but both my cousin/hunting partner and I have been using Wenzel Woodsman broadheads with the nice pointy end have yet to roll the end with anything short of an angled shot into a piece of blandex...oops, my bad...or a rock. We've killed deer and a turkey (not me, darn it) with the pointy tips with no visible damage to the BH (plenty to the critters though). I hit a rib on the way in and centered one on the way out. He shot through ribs, heart and buried the arrow into the off-side leg bone, so deer bones don't seem to have any effect on the tip.
Penetration was great and neither deer lasted 10 seconds after the shot. Exit wounds are AMAZING!
I think the Wenzels got it right and see no reason to mess with the tip. Just make them scary sharp and go the woods!
Thats the way I likem' too Russ, I shot through a few deer and a hogs with them and only one curled tip, I dont know if it happend in the critter or in the dirt on the other side but at that point it didnt matter!
rocks are pretty hard on 'em but i've buried a few in heavy bone --had to use vice grips and alot of muscle to pull 'em---so far haven't curled one yet[on a critter!]
I'm finding them hard to sharpen. Blades seem a bit concave, making it hard to get full length contact with the stone. find it difficult to get the burr off too. Any suggestions for getting them "scary sharp".
Yes...blades are concave....best I've found it to get them on a belt sander and get all the bevels level. Then you can get them sharp. There's a lot of info here if you will do a search, and look in the how to forum.
I always pyramid my tips...just makes sense. A pyramid tip is not going to hinder penetration one iota, but if you do happen to curl one, you will loose penetration and possibly re-direct the path.
Since I've never had penetration issues with a pyramid tip, I aint chancing it.
Steve, the new "precision ground" are better but with the old ones work them on a file until the edges are strait before serious sharpening. I like the point also !!
Steve, I have to start with a file , one pass and turn till I have full contact. Now you can use any stone you care for.
Same for me, Start with the file and then to the daimond sharperner.
I also vote for taking the tip off a bit and putting a pyramid tip on them. Penetration does not seem to be an issue because i have had pass through shot on hogs.
I leave mine pointy also, never had a problem.
KY :archer:
I use both methods, Pyramid tip (complete pass through on a deer) and full point, dropped arrow from stand and stuck in exposed tree root, stood erect. Got down and pulled arrow out and point was curled, sticking with pyramid. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
I use the pyramid tip...no problem with penetration
Day Dreamer,
I dropped one last weekend and stuck it in a dry, dead hardwood limb about 2 inches in diameter. How it managed to hit it is beyond me, but it stuck straight up. The tip was about 1/4 inch into the limb. I pulled it out and it's still nice and pointy. The only one I have with a pyramid tip is the one I stuck in the blandex. All the ones that have hit critters or foam targets are still pointy. I agree with the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" idea too, which is why I leave them pointy.
I figure the Wenzels had a reason for the design. Who am I to argue with them?
By the way. I don't seem to have all that much trouble sharpening WW's. Just start with a file and work them down flat. Then lighten the strokes until you are putting barely any pressure on them. They will be scary sharp! I use a medium diamond stone for quick touchups, but don't take all the burr off. That keeps them cutting. The hole they leave on the far side is really nasty! Talk about a blood trail!
The last 9 deer I have shot with them bent or curled EVERY one. They will break off if you try to straighten them. Also found that many of the aluminum inserts will bend slightly and have to be replaced.
I use the pyramid tip as well. I sharpen all of mine on a butcher's steel. Even if some of the blades are concave, I still get them scary sharp.
Uncle Gene and I argued quite a bit over the tip design. He wanted to bevel it and I wanted it pointy.
Since I can take him 3 out of 5 , I won.
As you see above, opinions vary. But I maintain that if you want it beveled, it's a simple matter to do so whereas if you wanted it pointy,
it's ready to go.
I'm glad to see the manufacturer has finally made some improvements on the quality. Looks like 3 Rivers has applied enough pressure to get the changes made.
Biggie, I just got of the "new" ones and they are MUCh better gring. It is funny because I just sharpened an "old" one and not only are the blade not flat there are spots on the blade that a NEW file would not even touch(too hard or something)I still managed to get it sharp though. I pyramid the tip but not sure if it really matters. BILL
You can actually bend the stock points yourself on your counter top by applying pressure by hand.
Again, I aint chancing it.....and if one day your's curls....I told ya so. :D
"I think the Wenzels got it right and see no reason to mess with the tip. Just make them scary sharp and go the woods!"
I've only seen 3 critters killed with them and 2 of the 3 curled and did not hit rocks on the other side. The other was pyamided to start with. Play the odds in the critters favor, pyramid them from the start!....O.L.
QuoteYou can actually bend the stock points yourself on your counter top by applying pressure by hand.
I used to just leave them alone, but later noticed how they bent so easily with hand pressure. So, now that's how I determine how much of the tip to get rid of. I press the tip at and angle, make it curl and then pyramid it at that point.
People should know it doesn't need be a steep pyramid. Mine end up small with a very sharp tip. I'm actually working on making a jig to make consistent pyramid tips that align with the blade angles. Anal, probably, but.....
Though I never had problems getting through animals, like Terry said it just makes sense to knock the tips off.
I don't fuss with the tip until it curls, but all of them have it's just a matter of time.
I like the pointy tip best as I'd imagine it takes very little pressure to get it through.
Once it curls though I just file the end off and they still work fine.
im seriously thinking about going with woodsmens next season. both with my longbow and compound, both using heavier grizzlystik shafts. dont know yet how ill finish the tip, but either way, i think they are an extremly deadly head.
I've killed lots of critters with them and none of them cared that the tip curled. That's why we made it the way we did, if you don't like it pointy and needle sharp, round it off a little.