What do you turkey hunters prefer for a broadhead? Any info greatly appreciated as always! :thumbsup:
I think one of the best turkey broadheads are modified snuffers. Take a pair of snips or a Dremel tool and cut out the portion of the blade that is the outside of the vents. This leaves a cutting tip and a set of "grabs" on the back to keep the arrow from passing through. It will make a nasty hole, and anything the back of the broadheads grab is thrashed.
The kind that doesnt impale you when you jump on the turkey to keep it from running away :)
I have a love/hate relationship with archery turkey hunting. Regardless of broadhead I've heard that a good way to go about it is to break the backbone. A mistake I've made before is shooting too low. See this thread for some diagrams, but I'd say use a fixed blade every time regardless of the quarry.
http://www.elitearchery.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12531
My experiences with wild turkey are now limited to drinking it and waking up in strange places
Trad archery turkey hunting is not a easy task. They never hold still,spot anything that moves, and are just hard to kill having such a small kill zone.I have hit them on a side shot only to have the arrow go in a inch and bounce back out! I only take back shots now center mass and have killed and recovered every tom I have shot this way. The two toms I shot last year I shot a long 3 to 1 style 2 blade one tom ran about 40 yards the other dead in about 15 yards. It is fall archery turkey season right now and I just filled my last buck tag Sunday so turkeys look out!
Any big multi blade head will be fine on turkeys. Well any BH in the vitals will do just fine. But a well tuned big cutting head will give you the best chance.
I personally wouldn't recommend that modified Snuffer head as recommended above.
Turkeys are not by any means easy to shoot thru!
Hard bones, and the fact that they're not anchored to the ground with a lot of weight like a deer, makes them more like a "catchers mitt" when they take a hit from an arrow.
You can literally knock them right off their feet. That sucks up a lot of energy from the arrow.
Just some of my observation from shooting a bunch of them....
I'm prepping for the upcoming Spring '10 turkey season and want to make sure that my equipment is up to par. Never hunted turkeys with a bow before so, this will be the my first time out. If I am fortunate enough to get a shot, I want to make sure I have the right head when I connect.
Curt: I got some 150gr Snuffers (non modified :D ), do you think they will work fine?
Woodsman
Wanna b, Put it where it counts, and you'll be just fine.
I would also recommend a string tracker to anyone hunting turks with a bow.
I'm with ya on this Curt. Too much worry about pass throughs on turkeys. Like you said, a BIG multiblade head razor sharp without any gizmos is the ticket.
I personally like the quartering or facing away shot on turkeys. Guess it makes it easier to imagine the vitals for me. It sure seems to be lethal.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/09springturkkansas11.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/09springturkkansas6.jpg)
What's a string tracker?
Wannabe1
A string Tracker is a device that attaches to your bow. I contains a fine string that spools out of the housing. The end of the string is attached to your arrow. They hold about 1/4 mile of string. After the hit the string spools out and when the animal goes down you can find it by following the string.
Here is a link showing pictures.
http://www.turkeyhuntingsecrets.com/store/store-trackingsystemsdept.htm
A MUST for turkeys and bears and a good idea for deer as well. Saves a lot of lost animals/birds.
I prefer a large two blade head for turkeys.
Ed
QuoteOriginally posted by Guru:
Any big multi blade head will be fine on turkeys. Well any BH in the vitals will do just fine. But a well tuned big cutting head will give you the best chance.
I personally wouldn't recommend that modified Snuffer head as recommended above.
Turkeys are not by any means easy to shoot thru!
Hard bones, and the fact that they're not anchored to the ground with a lot of weight like a deer, makes them more like a "catchers mitt" when they take a hit from an arrow.
You can literally knock them right off their feet. That sucks up a lot of energy from the arrow.
Just some of my observation from shooting a bunch of them....
I agree 100%. If you are hitting a turkey where you are supposed to, you will probably NOT shoot through it anyway. I would use a set up similar as that for deer. I took 3 longbeards this spring with 555 grain arrows tipped with 125 grain Snuffers, honed to shaving sharp. the 2 I hit in the chest went less than 30yds or so and the 3rd I shot through the base of the neck, he flew about 100yds before crashing, but left an awesome bloodtrail
WARNING- this was shot with a compound, but I think it proves a very good point on how tough Turkeys really are. I think more birds are lost each year due to bad shot placement, which makes it more likely for a pass through, than because the arrow actually passed through! They have very small kill zones, surrounded by heavy feathers and bones. I'm not saying a pass through always means a bad shot, but I have taken a lot of turkeys with the bow, some of the compounds over 80#'s draw weight and have had very few pass throughs
Here are some pics from a good Tom I shot one fall with my bow. The shot was 20yds and he was on a stone wall, level in height with me. I was on the ground. He was facing straight away, getting ready to jump off the wall and down a steep slope. I was shooting my deer set-up. Hoyt Ultra- tech, 70#'s, Axis 340 and a 100grain Wasp Hammer SST. I was getting KE in the high 60's. The shot hit the turkey center as he was facing away. He jumped off the hill and glided on open wings for 200yds. I thought I may have made a bad hit, but upon finding him and cleaning him, this is what I found.
I had centered his heart and lungs. I entered the back of the ribcage and just barely pushed the tip through the front. This is the same set-up that blew through a good bucks ribs at 47yds and still had enough energy to explode the very durable axis arrow on a rock on the other side.
Food for thought.
Try again
(http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g167/skipmaster1/IMG_0399.jpg)
(http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g167/skipmaster1/IMG_0398.jpg)
(http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g167/skipmaster1/IMG_0397.jpg)
(http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g167/skipmaster1/IMG_0395.jpg)
Here's a link to Curt's "How-To" thread on making your own string tracker:
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000094
I would also take a look at the Magnus Bullhead. I started shooting them last year. I get good flight within my effective shooting range. I can't speak for their performance when it comes to 'taking' a bird. My broadhead flew over a longbeard's right shoulder last year. :)
Magnus Bullhead
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/09springturkkansas3.jpg)
Stringtracker at work
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/09springturkkansas5.jpg)
Just in case there is any confusion... you don't need a string tracker with the Bullhead since it's designed for head shots. Hit a turkey in the head with that thing and it's down right there.
I strongly suggest using a string tracker with your regular broadheads. If you look closely at the second turkey pic I posted, you can see the string leading away from the bird toward the blind.
Turkeys can go a long way with little to no blood trail.
160 grain Snuffers......by far the best head I've used for turkeys.
I agree with Guru, they're like a catchers mit.
That big snuffer has a good chance of staying in the bird and that is one of the keys to success from my experience.
I'm no expert but I know i will not be using the Bullhead this year. I hit 2 birds, square in the neck at under 10yds, 2 days in a row. I had both on film so i know for sure where I hit them Both birds flew up in the air landed a short distance away and walked off while giving an alarm putt. Both shots were exactly centered in outstretched neck, 3" below the head. All we can figure is that the blades never hit the neck and only the little center point did. Sort of like a blunt. If i was off an inch or so I suspect that i would have dropped them. i was shooting my 49# Super shrew
Man, I really appreciate all the info provided here. I will be using my Hoyt Dorado for turkey so, the string tracker thing sounds like a definite to use. I'm going to go with the 150gr Snuffers I guess and see how they work.
Sounds like you should do well. Good luck.