Tomorrow will be 2 weeks from the opener here in Virginia and I still have not shot any broadheads yet. I guess I have just been assuming they are going to fly where I want because when I do my part my field tips do. When do you guys start shooting your broadheads? I am worried I have waited to long and may run into trouble and I won't be able to shoot until monday as this is my weekend to work 12 hour shifts and it's dark when I leave the house and dark when I get home.
I start when initially setting up and tuning a bow. As soon as I'm satisfied with field points I move on to broadheads. In my mind everything isn't right until the broadheads are flying true. I've been shooting my main hunting rigs with broadheads for practice for over a month now.(Not everyday but a couple of times a week)
I guess I should add I am shooting 55-56#@28 and I draw around 27.5". My arrows are Gold Tip expidition hunter 55/75 (30" long) with a 150 grain field tip and I am planning on using Zwickey Eskilites and they weigh in around 145 grains.
Shoot them ASAP. If there's an issue, you'll need a little time to fix it before the season opens.
gringol said it X2. I checked my Zwickeys flight a week ago out to 25 yards. Just like my field points.
I'll second that shooting broadheads is part of the initial bow tuning for me. I'll shoot a few every once in a while to make sure nothing has moved on me and double check before the season starts.
Take some time to make sure they're dialed in. It's important and may take some tuning but you still have some time.
I'm using the same bow and arrows as the last couple seasons. I haven't changed a thing but I still shot each of my broadheads several times just in case. I did this a month ago with our season opener being the end of next week.
I sharpened them this morning before work. I'm ready.
MY season opens Oct 1 and I started using broad heads exclusively since Sept 1. That Rhinehart 18-1 target sure is great, but doesnt look like it could take a whole year of broad heads. 8^(
I see myself trying a few shots in the dark tonight to see where I am at :knothead: starting to freak out a bit!
Take it easy and don't freak. Wait till you get a day and shoot them. It would have been nice to start sooner, but if they fly OK then you are done.
I also like to shoot mine, not only at a close up target, but also at a dirt or sand bank maybe 60 yards away, so I can watch the arrow the whole way.
SHoot straight.
ChuckC
Don't freak out we still have a couple of weeks.
I always have a couple of practice arrows with broadheads on them out of the same batch as my hunting arrows. I will shoot a few groups of field points mixed with broadheads. Nice to see them all go into the same group.
I like to shoot them a bit all throughout the year. Once I know what broadheads will be in my quiver, I keep them there and launch some at my target from time-to-time. Once I know they fly well, I can tell if my form is bad because they start NOT flying well.
I always have a broadhead tipped arrow in my quiver and shoot it on a regular basis year round. Mostly for confidence with the whole set-up...
I do the same thing with setup, get the field points flying well, then check what the broadhead is doing as a "fine-tuning" if you will...
I shoot nothing but broadheads year round. I have a bunch of target tips somewhere in my man cave but would be challenged to find them
I shoot them all year long
I tried to do some shooting last night after work even though it was darn near dark. First shot I figured I would try a few at 20 yards. Figured if they flew good from there they would fly good from 20 and in. Well it was pretty much dark and couldn't hardly see anything but I took and shot anyway and heard a "smack"! Walked up to my target and found I had hit low into a 2x10 that surrounds my homemade target. So I left it for then and shot several shots at 10 yards and they were on the money, but it was only 10 yards. Going to have to wait until monday so I can have some time and daylight. Tried removing the broadhead from the 2x10 and ended up busting the end of the arrow! should have just screwed the arrow off and messed with the broadhead later! Noticed when I got in the house I had done shaved/cut several fletchings off several arrows....more work...running out of time
I started shooting a few broadhead shots every day in August. Our season starts in Oct. I continue to shoot my 3D bow too.
Hey Frankie! Don't feel rushed with this stuff... Like you said, Monday will have it all worked out for ya... Remember, it only takes one good shot.
Your broadheads and field points are close in weight. Good. Now, do your broadheads spin true? Sometimes I need to take a broadhead from one shaft to another to find a "true spin". Spin 'em like a top on a hard surface. Find the three or four good ones for your hunting arrows. The rest or maybe just one can be for practice. (I like to file the sharp edge down on my practice broadheads.)
Don't rush the shot testing broadhead arrows... Take it easy and slow down..... Don't shoot "groups" with BH's. Oh yea. Choose one bow for now... I see you have three nice ones.
Best Of Luck!
... mike ... :archer2: ...
QuoteOriginally posted by DesertDude:
I shoot them all year long
DITTO!!! hunt all year long
Got to shoot today because I got off of work early. Broadhead tipped arrows fly like darts just like the field tipped arrows :D of course I have to do my part. Only problem I noticed now is before I went out to shoot I took a cigarette lighter and put a little heat to the broadhead to align the broadhead with the cock feather so it wouldn't be in my sight picture and I noticed a few of the broadheads didn't want to re-adhear to the aluminum insert/adapter and when I tried pulling them from the adapter with heat applied they wouldn't come off??? I will figure em out!
Got to shoot today because I got off of work early. Broadhead tipped arrows fly like darts just like the field tipped arrows :D of course I have to do my part. Only problem I noticed now is before I went out to shoot I took a cigarette lighter and put a little heat to the broadhead to align the broadhead with the cock feather so it wouldn't be in my sight picture and I noticed a few of the broadheads didn't want to re-adhear to the aluminum insert/adapter and when I tried pulling them from the adapter with heat applied they wouldn't come off??? I will figure em out!
To tune the bow, then about to weeks prior to and all through the season.
Yep, shoot mine off & on all through out the year.
1975
started shooting them then and never stopped but I do shoot them less now since learning bare shaft tuning in the early 90s - from that point on my field points, judos and broadheads all hit the same point of impact. someone mentioned "close in weight" - we build arrows to the EXACT same weight - meaning file off weight by sharpening trailing blades or adding bird shot and cooking as needed.
That done I still shoot all broadheads - and shoot the periodically - resharpen and back in the quiver.
NOTE: the thing that throws a broadhead arrow off impact for me is a stiff bottom hen feather that hasn't been shot in to make it collapse and recover. And I see this more with wild feathers from turkeys we harvest. 6 or 7 shots is usually enough to get them perfect.
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Right about now...I shoot a few to be sure they are flying true an impacting where my field points impact...then I stop shooting them till the season...this works for me. I don't ever seem to need to make any adjustments.
I shoot them all the time-don't shoot multiple BH into the same target; it is very hard on your arrows and heads. Also for hunting practice just shoot one arrow, a while later shoot another one.
I sometimes will leave a half day between arrows emphasizing that the first arrow counts.
I for one don't shoot them. Once I get them set up and flying well. They stay in the quiver till killing time. Bill
Agree with most, they are part of the initial setup and like BEASTMASTER said, SHOOT THEM ALL AT LEAST A COUPLE OF TIMES. Especially if you are using glue-ons. Don't assume if one flies well all will.
I have a friend that shoots BHs exclusively. Hasn't owned a filed tip in years. He says he doesn't hunt with field tips, so why shoot them.
For targets, he fills pizza boxes with the spray foam from Lowes. Cheap targets and last long enough for the price. Tip, put weight on the pizza box before filling to help keep them flat.
On weekends and some times after work. Hunt all year also.