How do you practice with your broadheads?

[AndreusMaximus]

So I'm completely new to archery, and just bought my first crossbow a couple weeks ago, just in time for deer season to end, of course, but that gives me plenty of time to practice up before next season.

I got to really get out and shoot my crossbow for the first time yesterday. Only shot from a rest, but was getting pretty decent groups with field points out to 50 yards. I have a pack of Rage hypodermic mechanical broadheads that I bought mainly because they were advertised to "fly like field points." The pack came with a practice tip that is supposed to act similar to the actual broadheads, so after sighting in the crossbow with field tips I tried the practice head, and found that it hit about 6" low at 36 yards, compared to the field tips. So much for "flies like a field point."

Anyways, my question for INGO, is, for those who bow hunt, particularly with crossbows, what is your MO for testing out the broadheads you plan to hunt with? If it comes with a practice tip, do you trust the practice tip to hit in the same spot as the actual broadhead, or do you always test with the broadhead itself?

If you do test the broadheads, what sort of target do you use? Right now I just have an old yellow jacket bow target that says for field tips only. Can you generally shoot a target like that with a broadhead, and just know that it'll tear it up faster, or do such target typically ruin your broadhead? Or is there even a good way to practice with broadheads without destroying them? Is it better to just use one sacrificial broadhead to find out where it's going to hit? In my mind that would make more sense than dropping $100+ on a target designed for broadhead use.

Anyways, I'm eager to hear everyone's advice and opinion as I start out on my journey into archery. Thanks!

 

[singlestacksig]

do your broad heads weight the same as you field points?

if they do match, use the practice head to sight in your bow..
and a normal target probably won't hurt your broadhead, but it will cut up the target & possible not stop the broadhead..

 

[AndreusMaximus]

do your broad heads weight the same as you field points?

if they do match, use the practice head to sight in your bow..
and a normal target probably won't hurt your broadhead, but it will cut up the target & possible not stop the broadhead..

Yes, both the field points and the rage broadheads I have are 100 grains.

 

[patience0830]

Does the rage weigh the same as your field points?
Answered. Slow on the draw today.
I try to stick with less expensive 3 blade broadheads so I can afford to sacrifice one to the dirt gods for testing. Some guys like the mechanical heads and get good results but it just seems like more moving parts equals more that could go wrong. To me anyway. I like a clean pass through and the NAP Three blade give me that. Not true with a couple of mechanicals I tried.. Dead deer but exit hole didn't give me much blood to follow. As it barely broke the skin

 

[singlestacksig]

Yes, both the field points and the rage broadheads I have are 100 grains.

fixed blade? 2 or 3 blade ? fixed blades will effect the flight, you may have to turn the blades position to the fletching..
I use mechanicals to avoid the wing effect..

 

[El Conquistador]

Just a FYI if you shoot a mechanical broadhead into your yellowjacket target, good luck pulling it back out.
I know this because my grandson forgot to put the arrow with the field tip in when he unloaded his bow after hunting. Yep it was stuck.

 

[AndreusMaximus]

Does the rage weigh the same as your field points?
Answered. Slow on the draw today.
I try to stick with less expensive 3 blade broadheads so I can afford to sacrifice one to the dirt gods for testing. Some guys like the mechanical heads and get good results but it just seems like more moving parts equals more that could go wrong. To me anyway. I like a clean pass through and the NAP Three blade give me that. Not true with a couple of mechanicals I tried.. Dead deer but exit hole didn't give me much blood to follow. As it barely broke the skin

I don't mind sacrificing a broadhead, even though they're expensive, they're not that expensive. I got a bulk deal online for several of these Rage hypodermics, and they were about $7 a piece. If I think about how much I'd spend to buy enough hunting rounds to sight in a firearm, for instance, I certainly wouldn't balk at $7 worth of ammo. Much better than wounding an animal because I was too tight-fisted to perform my due diligence.

So it sounds like the simplest solution is probably the best: sight in with the practice head, then pick the longest distance I would take a shot at, put up a piece of cardboard and use a sacrificial broadhead to verify that I'm hitting where I think I am, and just let it land in the dirt behind my cardboard.

 

[AndreusMaximus]

fixed blade? 2 or 3 blade ? fixed blades will effect the flight, you may have to turn the blades position to the fletching..
I use mechanicals to avoid the wing effect..

The Rage hypodermics I have are 2-blade mechanical.

How would one change how the blade line up? I just screw the head on tight, and there doesn't seem to be any way to change the orientation that it happens to land at. Do only better broaheads come with the ability to change the orientation of the blades, or is this something you can do with any head?

 

[AndreusMaximus]

Just a FYI if you shoot a mechanical broadhead into your yellowjacket target, good luck pulling it back out.
I know this because my grandson forgot to put the arrow with the field tip in when he unloaded his bow after hunting. Yep it was stuck.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[radar8756]

..

So it sounds like the simplest solution is probably the best: sight in with the practice head, then pick the longest distance I would take a shot at, put up a piece of cardboard and use a sacrificial broadhead to verify that I'm hitting where I think I am, and just let it land in the dirt behind my cardboard.

Put the cardboard in front of a couple Bales of Straw - should slow it down without damaging it to much

Does Ballistic Gel work on Arrows ??

 

[AndreusMaximus]

Put the cardboard in front of a couple Bales of Straw - should slow it down without damaging it to much

Great idea! I've got a few old bales lying around, I should have thought of that.

 

[singlestacksig]

The Rage hypodermics I have are 2-blade mechanical.

How would one change how the blade line up? I just screw the head on tight, and there doesn't seem to be any way to change the orientation that it happens to land at. Do only better broaheads come with the ability to change the orientation of the blades, or is this something you can do with any head?

Shims, or move the thread insert.. https://firenock.com/spacers/

 

[singlestacksig]

 

[Limpy88]

Indexing arrow helps with consistency on the shot to shot. Lengthy process at frist.
Nicer foam targets are capable of broadheads. I have a rhinhart block target. I tune all my arrows to my bow.

 

[eric001]

I've got the same mechanical broadheads for my crossbow, and they do fly true to the field points of the same weight for me. I found a good target that is good to go for both field point and broadhead catching, but it ain't cheap. My crossbow tends to still shoot mostly or completely through the block, but the bolt usually only goes a few inches out the back--if you hit too close to a previous broadhead strike, it'll go through. I set an old worn out foam target behind the main one just in case. The good news is the target doesn't seem to hurt the broadheads at all--just clean a bit of the foam stuff out and good to go.

6-sided block

 

[Hawkj]

I’m glad to hear you are taking the time to practice with your broadheads. I work with 2 guys who both shot under deer this year with Rages because they said the pack said flies like field points and did not practice. I use an old deer target for broadheads. If I was just starting out like you I would just invest in a foam type target. I like the NAP Spitfires for mechanical heads. They really do fly like field tips.

 

[two70]

Practice with the practice point but verify with an actual broadhead. Do not hunt with the broadhead you practice with unless you replace or re-sharpen the blades. Mechanical broadheads should pretty much be viewed as a one time use only on game, IMO.

 

[patience0830]

Practice with the practice point but verify with an actual broadhead. Do not hunt with the broadhead you practice with unless you replace or re-sharpen the blades. Mechanical broadheads should pretty much be viewed as a one time use only on game, IMO.

Another reason to go with non-mechanical, resharpenable, three blade.

 

[two70]

Another reason to go with non-mechanical, resharpenable, three blade.

Maybe, but good luck finding the bolt or removing the broadhead out of a tree when fired from a crossbow.

 

[patience0830]

Maybe, but good luck finding the bolt or removing the broadhead out of a tree when fired from a crossbow.

Not a c/bow hunter. Try real hard not to shoot trees. When I do that's a job for a hammer and chisel.
Metal detector for finding lost arrrows/bolts.