I've been practicing for months now with just broadheads(fixed blade) and I'm hitting where I aim out to 40 yards. Out of curiosity I shot a few field points the other day and they hit lower than my bh's. Now my question is who hunts with field points anyway? What's the big deal being made about everything "flying like a field point". Now I'm new to archery and this year will be my first in the field hunting venison. But my common sense is telling me my bow should be accurate and sighted in for hunting with broadheads(it is now) and not for field points. Am I off on my rationale ? It just when I think of basic science the two different shaped arrow tips shouldn't fly exactly the same nor land in the same target spot. A bullet shaped point cuts the air differently than a head with basically three "wings" next to it, sort of like lift on a plane wing.
FP's and BH's should have the same impact point. When they do then your bow is shooting that arrow in the most efficient manner and this means you are getting the maximum transfer of energy from bow to arrow, they are in "tune" with one another. In my opinion, that is what bowhunters should strive for because it adds forgiveness to the overall setup and the level of forgiveness of a setup determines the margin for error. More forgiveness, more margin for error. Does all that matter? Not to a lot of bowhunters. That is why mechanical BH's are so popular. They eliminate the need to understand your equipment and get it to function like it should. Myself, I can't imagine hunting with equipment I didn't know how to setup and didn't understand how it works.
i shoot both a fixed head and a mechanical. i notice no difference at all with shooting field points then switching to the broadheads. so for me it doesn't matter at all
So you're saying at 40-50 yards out you don't have any drop in your field points from where your broad heads land, that they have the exact flight path and trajectory ? I don't understand how that could be possible since the tip of the arrow is so radically different in design aerodynamics. You know like the blades plane the air a bit and keep it flatter in flight longer. Our is it you guys are shooting 340 fps or better and your arrow is almost flat at those distances? I'm not trying to be difficult I just am trying to understand because all four of my pins are spot on with B heads but with F points my arrow lands a few inches lower out 30+ yards. Both arrow tips weigh 100gr.
Wings on a plane have flaps that adjust to make the plane lift up or decend. Fixed blade broadheads dont do that nor do mechanical. Yes there will be more air resistence with a broadhead then a FP but with your bow tuned properly, Shooting the exact same arrow with the exact same weight FP or BH should shoot the same. So when your practicing in the off season with your hunting arrow setup using a FP instead of a BH you should be able to switch right over to a BH and be hitting dead on. Most guys during the off season have a lighter setup to max FPS for 3d shooting if they are using the same bow. (entering as a hutner class) hope this shed's some light on your question
proper length arrows+proper spine for your draw weight is important also. plus this is my opinion; shots past 30 yards are a waste anyway because you run a higher risk of only wounding an animal then not recovering. try zeroing at more like 20-30 yards and you may see different results. because the chance of getting a shot further especially in a tree stand is really not feasible and again, this is my opinion, not ethical for the animal if you only wound it
Yes. You do know the arrow spins, right? You need to tune your bow and arrows together. Look at page 11 : http://www.eastonarchery.com/img/downloads/software/tuning_guide.pdf
Your bow should be tuned to shoot both to the same point of impact, or very close. As bruce pointed out, doing so will make the entire setup more forgiving and shooter friendly. Remember this. You will rarely have world class form in hunting situations. Twisting, bending, kneeling, etc., for the shot isn't ideal. Having the most forgiveness in your setup will help your accuracy and form flaws during these situations. Not only that, but a well tuned bow is typically quieter, a bit faster and has less vibration because energy is not being wasted, but instead transferred to the arrow more efficiently. For me, I won't take a bow hunting until I accomplish same point impact with both broadheads and field points.
Ok ok ok, I'm convinced This weekend I will spend the time shooting both arrow tips and tweak my bow to get better consistency off arrow placement. And just for the record I won't be shooting at any deer past 30 yards. God forbid I should leave my first set of venison steaks running around the woods with an arrow sticking out of its *** !!!!!!
Please take my comment with a grain of salt, I mean no malice and really want to help. If you ask the question that you opened this thread with, I would guess you are not ready to tackle the "tuning" process yourself. That is not a knock, but this stuff takes time so to speak. I would go on some local forums and find "that guy" that everyone recomends and has tuned all their bows. Go to him and learn everything you can while he tweaks your bow. There are many guys on here that can do it, but this website is across the country, a local guy may be a 30 min drive. Please understand, I had plenty of 3-D trophys, a shooter of the year or 2 and plenty of deer in my back pocket before I ever joined a bowhunting forum. I also built my own arrows, over draws etc... I kept hearing about this tuning process and wondered all the fuss. I would simply adjust my sights to accomodate my broadheads before season, and back to FP once 3-D started. I found a guy on GON.com, our biggest local board and went and took a visit to a parker rep everyone had high priases for. He tuned that mathews, and then a bowtech and quite a few more since then. He has also become a pretty good friend to some of the guys that go to him. Nothing like experience from a trusted source to help shorten the learning curve... Also, the search function will show some great threads debating, and explainign tuning. Remember, adjusting your drawweight can be part of the process as well. 58, not 59 may be the sweet spot.
Really it all comes down to pratice with the equipment you are going to hunt with,you owe it to the game and yourself. Be the best you can be at all times.
It only matters if you are shhoting at a club that does not allow you to shoot broadheads. At mine, you are only allowed to shoot broadheads at a certain target. All other targets are field point only. So, if your BHs dont shoot like FPs the practice is moot.
Yeah it takes time and and many shots with your bow. A good point was made to make sure your FPs are the same weight as your BHs. Once you get it right you willl know it. Good Hunting this year!
