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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: caihlen on January 26, 2012, 05:58:00 PM
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Hello all,
I'm curious how one concludes what weight broadhead to shoot. I assume that you would take into account the weight of the field points you practice with but other I also suspect that there is more to it than that. Thanks in advance for any information.
Ken Campbell
Ferndale, Montana
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You use what ever weight tunes the arrow best to the bow, or you can pick a weight and pick and tune an arrow spine to that weight head. If you have your bow tuned already with a arrow and tip weight then that tip weight you have is the same broad head weight you would use, if you change the weight to much it will throw off your tune.
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Ken,
I tune my arrows with field tips and then match my broadhead to that weight. Where is Ferndale? I have lived in Montana most of my life and don't know where that is located...
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with carbons and alums, this is fairly easy, since the points and adapters are so weight tweakable. it's more about finding out what arrow length, spine and mass weight best for a particular bow and you. the goal is to achieve great arrow flight. then remove the point and replace with a similar weight broadhead. then retest for flight. adjust as need be. it's not rocket science and going a tad heavier won't matter much - better heavier than lighter.
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When I tune my set up I bare shaft with various point weights until I get the weight/spine that is perfect. Then I adapt my broadhead weight to the bare shaft (I use Razorcaps which are weight adjustable). Has always worked for me in terms of getting the best flight from my broadheads.
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I chose the broadhead I like then by using different adapters, inserts or spine of shaft achieve tune.
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Charlie Lamb nailed it!
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What Charlie said
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As heavy as I can get in a style that I like from a source I like and that I can tune to my bow and for a price I can afford. Lately, this has turned out to be 200 grain Ace heads.
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Thanks so much everyone! Next up then is t weigh the field points, get a broadhead target and go to town shooting!
Ferndale is right at the Northwest terminus of the Bob at the top of the Swan and Mission Mountain ranges. About 30 miles south of Glacier Nat'l Park. Closest town is Bigfork.
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I tune my arrows with a hundred grain insert and a 125 grain head
By tuning I bare shaft ANC cut till they fly
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I, like Charlie, choose my broadhead first, weigh it and then start tuning my arrow for a field point with the same upfront weight as my broadhead. When the field points tune well I then will shoot the broadheads and usually find they will fly well also.
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I tune my shafts to fly with a particular field point weight that gives me the overall arrow weight I want. Then I see how good broadheads of the same weight fly, and adjust as needed for good broadhead flight.
Just because your arrow flys well with a field point doesn't always mean it will fly well with a broadhead of equal weight, without a little tinkering.
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Charlie is dead on. A shaft and fletching is nothing more than a delivery system for a payload; The broadhead.
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I tune my shafts in with whatever broadhead weight I want to shoot.
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Its the whole fun of the game and everyone and every bow shoots differant,lots of testing at first .Once you get things set for your style and what works best for you it becomes quite easy to set up.I think I'm making it more complicated for ya than it really is.
With so many great products and weights of arrows,adapters and heads theres limitless possibilities and definately combinations that will fly right for your set-ups.
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I try to tune everything to a 125 grain (if possible) for the sheer reason of the vast variety of broadheads available.
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The broadhead makes the arrow about an inch longer, which weakens the spine about 5#. I use a 190 gn FP to tune for 160 BH,
and they fly great.
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I refuse to tinker with what works. In over two decades I have never used anything other than 125gr field points and broadheads. It works.
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I choose the tip weight that I prefer depending on what particular head I want to shoot and what tip weight has proven to perform well on game in the past then tune the shaft length and spine to get the arrow properly spined for that tip weight.
Typically for me something in the 225gr range has worked out well (combination of head weight and insert weight).
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I'm with several here. I select the broadhead I want to hunt with. Then I tune the arrow by spine selection, shaft length, and insert weight.
I select my broadhead based upon trade-offs. It must be a broadhead I think will give me pass-through penetration out of the bows I hunt with. Too-wide a broadhead, or too many blades may impede penetration.
For example, the broadhead I like these days is a single bevel 2-blade. I can get it in 100, 125, and 155 grains. I had good luck in 2010 with the 100 grain (and insert weight). This year I used the 125 grain to get a bit more broadhead width. I changed my arrow spine and insert weight to make it work.
I was toying with going to the 155 grain version this coming season but have decided, because it is a bit wider, I might not like the penetration.
The field tip, is the least important consideration. You can generally find or modify with weights a field tip to replicate your broadhead arrow. If I couldn't, I'd practice only with the broadheads.
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Originally posted by Bowwild:
I'm with several here. I select the broadhead I want to hunt with. Then I tune the arrow by spine selection, shaft length, and insert weight.
I select my broadhead based upon trade-offs. It must be a broadhead I think will give me pass-through penetration out of the bows I hunt with. Too-wide a broadhead, or too many blades may impede penetration.
For example, the broadhead I like these days is a single bevel 2-blade. I can get it in 100, 125, and 155 grains. I had good luck in 2010 with the 100 grain (and insert weight). This year I used the 125 grain to get a bit more broadhead width. I changed my arrow spine and insert weight to make it work.
I was toying with going to the 155 grain version this coming season but have decided, because it is a bit wider, I might not like the penetration.
The field tip, is the least important consideration. You can generally find or modify with weights a field tip to replicate your broadhead arrow. If I couldn't, I'd practice only with the broadheads.
Very well said. I personally also prefer a single bevel primarily because of Dr. Ashby and his massive amount of data. Personally I run 250 grains up front and use UFOC shafts. My set up currently is achieving great flight performance. I personally prefer heavy over anything. Honestly if you haven't done so already please check out Dr. Ashby's data. It's available online in printable PDF. I have a giant 3 ring binder with nothing but his articles. There is great insight into FOC Broadheads, bevels,sharpness and how to get maximum penetration (even though many of the tests were done on the heavy bone threashold,there is still very valuable information to be gained.) Great thread, I really enjoyed reading everybody's responses too!
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Whoa! Ferndale! i've been there. right near Big Fork right?
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Yep. Bigfork is actually Upper Ferndale.
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I agree to look at the Ashby reports and see all the information and data he has collected. That said most of us are not hunting water buffalo. A moderate poundage bow of around 50-55 pounds with any well designed cut on contact broadhead will kill anything on this continent.
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It's easy to see that everyone chooses by whatever means gives them confidence in their setup, as long as the arrow flies true.
Like most of you, I pick a broadhead first that I think will give me good penetration, a wide cutting area (to clip nearby arteries, etc), and stable flight from my bow setup. However, since kenetic energy equals penetration and that's a combination of weight and speed, I try to pick a broadhead around 140-150gr because I feel that gives me the best combination of speed and weight using a 50# setup and POC arrows cut 1" from my grip at full draw. I like the speed to keep arrow trajectory flatter and weight for penetration.
It's only my opinions, but it gives me confidence in my setup and its game stopping ability.
WoodsyDave
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I tune everything to shoot 160 snuffers. 40# to 70#, longbows and recurves, never have a worry about anything I shoot.........