switching to broadheads (UPDATE)

Hogie135 · #1 03-07-2013, 08:58 PM

Well I just made the switch to broad heads. Bought some G5 Strikers 125 gr. I was hoping to be able to get enough practice in between now and June to hopefully try for a bear with the bow. After a few rounds of shooting I'm getting a little discouraged and doubt that will happen with my April and May both being almost shot, due to work.

I was shooting great with field points at about 30 yards and figured I'd have some adjustments to make to compensate for the heavier broad head, but wow my shots are all over the place! After some trial and error in adjusting my sights and some arrows through my garage wall I got them all hitting the target at 20 yards but still not grouping.

I will add here that I did increase my draw weight to about 65 pounds and will admit my form may be causing me the most trouble but I don't think it is all of it.

What are some things I can look at in my arrows to get them to group better, or fly better? I have short fletchings on my arrows, so maybe getting some long ones might help? Maybe I should go with a lighter Broadhead? Basically I want to make sure that I have the right combination of equipment or arrows so that I can get them to group and focus solely on my form and technique.

I also find that my release may have something to do with it as well. What is the proper way to release your arrow? Is it the same as squeezing a rifle trigger?

Any advice would be more than appreciated.

Thanks.

70chevy · #2 03-07-2013, 09:05 PM

Check out lost arrows post about the tuning,I am sure it will help you out immensely
http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...ghlight=tuning

brohymn2 · #3 03-07-2013, 09:13 PM

did you change your point weight when you went from field points to broadheads ie. 100 gr field point to 125 gr. broad head, that may be causing you grief, the other problem might be that you raised you poundage and raised point weight. bth will cause the arrow to flex more. you may be under spined

someone please correct me if im wrong

hope this helps

brohymn2 · #4 03-07-2013, 09:14 PM

for releasing a arrow the proper way is using your back muscles to activate the trigger. google back tension shooting.

Hogie135 · #5 03-07-2013, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brohymn2

did you change your point weight when you went from field points to broadheads ie. 100 gr field point to 125 gr. broad head, that may be causing you grief, the other problem might be that you raised you poundage and raised point weight. bth will cause the arrow to flex more. you may be under spined

someone please correct me if im wrong

hope this helps

Thanks, that does help. I'm not sure how heavy the field points are. I bought everything used and set up off a member here. He was shooting 100 gr heads with the setup, but since I couldn't find any 100gr heads at WSS a decided to try the 125's.

When I do release the arrow it does seem that they all tend to bend to the left so maybe I am under spined and thats part of the cause.

brohymn2 · #6 03-07-2013, 09:31 PM

ya thats most likely what the problem is

brohymn2 · #7 03-07-2013, 09:32 PM

I see you live in north edmonton, if you wanna buy some killer 100 gr. broadheads i have a set of 100 gr. razor tricks with replacement blades for 25 bucks

i went up in weight to 125 gr. so i have no use for em anymore

Mtnbowhunter · #8 03-08-2013, 09:06 AM

head to your local pro shop (not WSS) and get them to help paper tune your bow with the broadheads on. This will be the best and quickest thing you can do. They will no exactly whats going on, and it won't be a guessing game for you. Your arrows might not be flying good, even if you can make them group ok... If you are unsure on how to tune a bow yourself, its always best to get help...

Hogie135 · #9 03-08-2013, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mtnbowhunter

head to your local pro shop (not WSS) and get them to help paper tune your bow with the broadheads on. This will be the best and quickest thing you can do. They will no exactly whats going on, and it won't be a guessing game for you. Your arrows might not be flying good, even if you can make them group ok... If you are unsure on how to tune a bow yourself, its always best to get help...

I don't think it is a tuning thing. I think it's a weight/spine issue as stated. I got the bow from a member here who had it all set up and tuned already but with 100gr broad heads. He recommended and used the G5 strikers as well but WSS didn't have any 100gr so I thought I'd try the heavier ones.

Mike_W · #10 03-08-2013, 04:16 PM

Hey did you change arrows or length of them at all?

Those arrows shouldnt be under spined even for 125 grain broadheads.

If you were to shoot your field tips and then the broadheads (three of each) would you have a group of field points and a group of broadheads?

I don't know if the difference in switching to 125's would be that significant but the broadheads would shoot the same group as my field points everytime.
Maybe try picking up some 125 grain field points if that what you are switching to.
Or just go find some 100 grain strikers.

Good luck
Keep us posted.

Hogie135 · #11 03-08-2013, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike_W

Hey did you change arrows or length of them at all?

Those arrows shouldnt be under spined even for 125 grain broadheads.

If you were to shoot your field tips and then the broadheads (three of each) would you have a group of field points and a group of broadheads?

I don't know if the difference in switching to 125's would be that significant but the broadheads would shoot the same group as my field points everytime.
Maybe try picking up some 125 grain field points if that what you are switching to.
Or just go find some 100 grain strikers.

Good luck
Keep us posted.

I didn't change anything, they are as you gave them to me. I don't know, maybe it's all me. It does give me an excuse to hit up Cabelas tonight though.

Hogie135 · #12 03-08-2013, 10:27 PM

So I went out and bought myself a set of the G5 Striker 100 gr broad heads and life is now good! Hitting exactly where i was before with my field points. What I also realized though is that the other set I bought were not only heavier but the Magnum ones, so a little wider as well as heavier.

I feel better now, and back on track to trying my hand at my first bow hunt this coming June. Also learned that I should take peoples advice more seriously when they say to shoot at different targets when shooting broad heads, as I also now need some new fletchings haha.

calgarychef · #13 03-09-2013, 05:37 AM

So the moral of the story is increasing broadhead weight and bow poundage at the same time reduces the spine of the arrow. The arrow you had nicely flying with the field point went wonky with the changes. Generally you should only change one thing at a time then you can usually scratch your head and figure out where things have changed.

Another thing that some guys take awhile to figure out is an arrow seems to fly well with a field point but goes crazy with a broadhead. Usually this points to a set up that wasn't perfectly tuned and the broadhead magnifies the problems. It makes the broadhead look like the culprit but its only the broadhead showing you that things weren't working well in the first place.

If you can make a good group at shorter distances but it falls apart at longer ranges its often down to tuning again.

Glad you got it working

Hogie135 · #14 03-09-2013, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calgarychef

So the moral of the story is increasing broadhead weight and bow poundage at the same time reduces the spine of the arrow. The arrow you had nicely flying with the field point went wonky with the changes. Generally you should only change one thing at a time then you can usually scratch your head and figure out where things have changed.

Another thing that some guys take awhile to figure out is an arrow seems to fly well with a field point but goes crazy with a broadhead. Usually this points to a set up that wasn't perfectly tuned and the broadhead magnifies the problems. It makes the broadhead look like the culprit but its only the broadhead showing you that things weren't working well in the first place.

If you can make a good group at shorter distances but it falls apart at longer ranges its often down to tuning again.

Glad you got it working

Lesson learned

Mike_W · #15 03-10-2013, 09:41 PM

Good to hear!!

L.O.S.T.Arrow · #16 03-11-2013, 02:19 PM

If an arrow is fishtailing [left to right] or porposing [up and down] or oscillating [all the above]...than a broadhead even though the same weight and even lentgh...will wind plane due to spine or bow tuning issues..

if an arrow fishtails and lefts the bow hard right it will plane hard left ...etc

good job on solving the issue..

Neil

Hogie135 · #17 03-11-2013, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L.O.S.T.Arrow

If an arrow is fishtailing [left to right] or porposing [up and down] or oscillating [all the above]...than a broadhead even though the same weight and even lentgh...will wind plane due to spine or bow tuning issues..

if an arrow fishtails and lefts the bow hard right it will plane hard left ...etc

good job on solving the issue..

Neil

That's what they were doing, fish tailing left. I was thinking it had something to do with the size of head as it was a magnum broad head with short fletchings coupled with my arrows spine? I don't know, I'm still pretty new at all this.