problems with broadhead flight

[ballista]

  I wish i could post a picture of a nice, big buck shot with a my longbow, but that didnt happen today. today, I saw a deer, about 30 yards away, and loosed an arrow (cedar, zwicky broadhead) in that vicinity. the arrow soared way over, about a foot and a half. horrible. this was in the morning, at 2:00 i came in to have a bit of lunch (and take a crap) so i did a little test firing. my arrows are kinda fish tailing, enough for it to affect my accuracy alot. the arrows are pretty new, port oxford cedar, so im thinking of going to carbon, at least until i isolate this problem:traditional is a blast, but at the moment, as long as i get a deer on instinct, im fine. thanks, any info is appriciated. -jimmy   (later that day i saw a seven-eight pointer at roughly 70 yards, right on the fenceline-god i wish i had a chance to hit that!)

[Pat B]

Jimmy, weren't you sure how your arrows flew before you went hunting? Before I hunt with any arrow I am sure it flies well or it don't go!  No matter if it has a store bought point, trade point or stone point...it gets shot first before hunting.
  Some broadheads have a tendency to wind plane. Have you tried other broadheads?        Pat

[Ryano]

I agree with Pat. But what kind of bow are you shooting ? Draw weight, length, center shot, off center ? and what spine arrows are you shooting? at what length? and how heavy a tips? ......there are a lot variables in arrow flight....

[Little John]

I have never really had broadhead problems with traditional gear. But wood check arrow flight with field points for proper flight and spine. If that checks out then make sure you have the broadheads mounted true and that you have plenty of fletch. Like Pat and Ryan said I flight test my hunting arrows and cull any that are not perfect.
                                                                                                                                          Kenneth

[Kegan]

I usually have a tough time tuning broadheads. Practice arrows aren't as finicky. Broadheads magnify any flaws in matching. Usually the problems been that my arrows were too stiff, something that didn't readily show itself with lighter blunt point arrows.

[hawkbow]

I would suggest you get your arrows sorted out before you go back out there. nothing worse than a bad hit, we owe it to the prey we hunt to always be at the top of our game when it comes to the hunt... I can relate.. when in my youth I was given some arrows by a friend.. they looked great and were sharp broadheads.. i was shooting a seventy pound recurve at the time and the arrows were spined at fifty... I found out later..... i shot a six by six bull at twenty yards right in the hip... arrows flew way off course, never found the bull and learned the hard way what not to do... glad you had a clean miss... if you arows are too light you can wrap   some sinew around the shaft about four inches from the back of the point up the shaft. the weight forward will help stabilize the lighter spined shaft ... good luck .. HAWK

[ballista]

 unbelievable, 15 yards I just got two robinhoods, one went 5 inches into the shaft... feilt points too! thanks for all  the quick replies! the only reason i mentioned the robin hoods were to say the bow shoots with uncanny accuracy, but my zwicky brodheads are just not flying well. I did practive with my broadheads, but my stand was 18 feet above my funnel where I saw almost every deer last year, at 12 yards so, I practced at about 15, pretty close range. the weird thing too was we were shooting a watermelon, and the arrow looked like it entered straight. I bought a 3 pack of the 3 rivers archery arrows today, with woodsman broadheads on 'em- oh my god. They fly like feild points! THE BOW: montanalongbow, centershot, 55 @ 28. *please don't look down on me for using fibreglass-I really, really don't want a gutshot-my hickory selfbow was just plain inconsistant. I used a compound all last year, but it just felt like a piece of junk, this is going to sound corny, but theres no real love in wheelie bows. but I do love primitive archery with a passion, learning more every day- and absolutley no one else in my family has ever done it, I hope to pass it down to my kids someday. anaways, do you guys keep the very tip of the broadhead sharp? I was reading ttb, and there's alot of hunters who insist on using rounded off tips on they're broadheads, needle tips tend to split inti the pose instead of penetratind well into the vitals, is what they are stating. well, at least its somewhat primitive, not bad for 15 either, although im sure alot of you stareted young too ;Dwell, going out at 11:00 tomarrow, with any luck, maybe one will come under my stand thanks again, Maybe i can get some pictures up wif my fone. -jimmy

[Pat B]

Jimmy, It doesn't matter what you hunt with as long as you respect what you hunt.    If you feel confident with your Montana Long Bow then by all means hunt with it. Practice with your stick bows so maybe by next year you will feel confident to hunt with one of them. I have been building wood bows for almost 25 years. It has only been a few years ago that I felt confident to hunt with any of my own bows.
   All bows are accurate if the correct arrows are used and your form and release are true.      Pat

[ballista]

 yeah, thats what i was thinking too, pat- 15 years old isnt too bad for going out instinct for a very smart animal, in my opinoion  about the stick bow flight, my longbow was 42 pounds, and my arrows were 55-60, that could be a problem! 25 years, man, im sure alot of nice bows have been produced in that time. do you use stone heads too? thanks for all the replies, anyone going huntin today? its 85 degrees here in Illonois.... oi. I was going to, but they won't be moving until 10;30! oh... theres a full moon today though... you never know. with any luck, someone will see one. thanks, jimmy

[Kegan]

Nothing wrong using a fiberglass longbow in the "learning period". It'll help you learn how to shoot while you learn how to build bows. It'll also give you a "comparison" to what you can build your bows toward. It's hard to go straight from a compound to a selfbow.

[ballista]

 kegan, tell me about it- it is real hard, one thing I made sure was my consistancy, at 20 yards (can't bait her, so i'm over a funnel, 20 yards is a little under avreage) 3 out of 6 would hit that 9 inch foam circle... not good-the longbow is near the opposite so for now, ill stick with the longbow. I just finished up a hickory longbow, 68 ntn, exactily 42 pound draw... the exact same as my other bow... I was trying to take off as much wood with keeping a good tiller, but it does fly alot better. We have alot of neighbours, so I couldn't try out the broadheads, but theres something im my gut telling me they're going to fly better with this one. thanks for the replies guys, -jimmy

[Postman]

Do you all find unvented broadheads of similar weight hit higher than points with minimal surface area?  i am shooting old bear 2 blades (without the bleeders) and they fly good, hitting 6 inches higher at 20 yds. than blunts field tips. Do ya think most non-vented heads add lift to the front of the arrow?

[Pat B]

Different folks have different experiences with broadhead flight. I have never noticed wind planing with any broadhead but at the speed my arrows fly I wouldn't expect to much. With so many variables like arrow, fletching, shaft type, bow draw length and weight, release, etc and of course the broadhead itself you will get difference experiences from different folks.
   Wensel Woodsman(3 blade) is the only vented arrowhead I have shot. Old bears, Zwickey, Grizzly and the trade I shoot are all solid bodied broadheads, as are the stone points I use.     Pat

[ballista]

yeah, howard hill used a 3-1 ratio broadhead, the barbs at the end were vented, these were able to ethically take out anything from young squirrel to elephants

[Kegan]

ballista- have you tried Hitting 'em like Howard Hill? I've been shooting "Asbell form" for about two or so years now, but in less than week my consistency has imrpoved after watching the video a couple times.

And my broadheads have barbs on them, sorta like vents, but don't hit any higher. I guess they need to be closed off?