Broadhead practice

[Doc]

I assume that you all do some broadhead practice each year just to ensure there are no surprises. But maybe you all don't. Do you do any shooting with broadheads before the hunt? What do you use that work well for targets and do not get all chopped up right away. Do you use actual broadheads or some of the "broadhead simulators" that most manufacturers offer for sale.

I use a throw-away very open-cell Styrofoam commercial target that I buy every couple of years from Walmart. I also set aside a couple of actual broadheads for the final testing and practicing.

[Swamp_bucks]

I use the practice head to get my arrows narrowed down to which ones fly the best from 10-30yrds in a foam target.  Once i have that figured out ill shoot the best 3 grouped arrows with real bh to decide the order they sit in my quiver.  I always tend to have one that just flies the best.

[Jeremy K]

I bought 10 brand new muzzy for 20 dollars on AT , i sacrificed one as a target tip.

[BowmanMike]

I have a practice muzzy tip and one real one i used for targets and a few that went through a deer. I will practice with all of them this week. I have a black hole target that holds up decent for 29.99

[genesee_mohican]

To go out with a bow and arrow for game without first testing and practicing with the broadhead's that you'll be using, would be a big mistake. We put all that money into our bows and equipment and the time spent preparing to hunt and the end result will come down to one shot.  I think most of us learned by reading or hearing from other hunters how broadheads can fly much differently than our field points and clue us in to any tuning or form problems.

I shoot muzzy 3 blades and just use the actual head and put one in with my other practice arrows and shoot the blades quite a bit each year before the season to gain confidence. I have an old foam block that I've had for 10 years, but the center is pretty hosed out from broadheads. Last year I bought a yellojacket one at wallmart to test my crossbow broad heads.

[rob-c]

I always sacrafice 2 broadheads to shoot in my target, the very best broadhead target I have found is the rinehart 18-1. You can shoot the snot out of it for years and it holds up well. A good tip that helps tremendously with broadhead tuning is a arrow roller. I have found even top tier arrow shafts will have a few that are not straight and wobble on the spinner. 

[growalot]

I  use dull replaceable or one G4. I won't shoot replaceable blades more than once in hunting

[Taylormike]

3 hours ago, Jeremy K said:

I bought 10 brand new muzzy for 20 dollars on AT , i sacrificed one as a target tip.

I do the same.  I use last years Muzzy's and only shoot actual broadheads.  I'll sacrifice a target everytime to replicate the real thing.  I have never been a fan of using field tips of practice broadheads, it leaves too much doubt for me.

[Rebel Darling]

Like rob-c, I use the Rinehart 18 in 1 target.  I've had it for two years, and still have the majority of the targets left for use.  It's been worth the money.  I use Montec G5 practice heads exclusively (no field tips), and Montec G5 CS broad heads when hunting.

[Buckmaster7600]

I use dulled slick tricks.


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[Jeremy K]

Do you guys continue to practice with broadheads or just determine if they shoot like field tips ? My muzzy shoot the same as my field tips so I just continue to shoot field tips to save my block.

[BowmanMike]

Once i determine they fly the same I go back to field tips mostly...

[OtiscoPaul]

I've been using 1 of my Stricklands as target head for over a week and it has not been phased.

I only shoot 1 BH arrow per session into a 3D deer and it is always the first in order to simulate the shot that counts.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I shoot a practice head a few times just to make sure they are flying the same and then I go back to field points for practice. 

[Hock3y24]

i have 2 heads dedicated to practice. I tuned my bow and now them an FP are identical 20-30-40. will shoot a few the 30th again to be assured before i go out in the morning. 

[The_Real_TCIII]

I practice/tune with Montecs but hunt with mechs

[BizCT]

20 hours ago, WNYBuckHunter said:

I shoot a practice head a few times just to make sure they are flying the same and then I go back to field points for practice. 

same. I sacrifice 1 BH as the dull/practice one.

[moog5050]

Yep, one practice head and only a few shots to confirm accuracy on an old Rinehart.  I shoot enough bareshafts to know usually before a BH ever flies that they will have the same POI.

[WNYBuckHunter]

2 hours ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

same. I sacrifice 1 BH as the dull/practice one.

I bought a practice head or it came with the pack, I don't remember which, so I didn't sacrifice anything. 

[BizCT]

11 minutes ago, WNYBuckHunter said:

I bought a practice head or it came with the pack, I don't remember which, so I didn't sacrifice anything. 

Oh, interesting. I just "declared" 1 out of the 4-pack of SlickTrick's as my practice/target one.

[Core]

My range has a broadhead pit with some layered foam. I won't be bothering with them this year. I use the cheap broadheads from Walmart (mechanical) and cannot discern them hitting any differently than my field tips, so I am content they hit where they need to. I will confirm that on the crossbow as that is new.

As mentioned, mechanicals: I designate one of my mechanicals a practice tip and I wrap it with twine and glue so that it won't open in the target, so I can repeat the shot. I have tested out to 50 yards and if I had to bet my life on it, maybe it hits a bit lower (the wrapped twine head is less aerodynamic, so this would be expected), but I trust they hit close enough that I don't bother adjusting anything.

Super-gluing one closed would work well, too.

I do weigh my broadheads and use a collar if necessary to match weights across the board. Truly they are all so close I'm not sure I ever have needed a collar.

Edited September 20, 2017 by Core

[The_Real_TCIII]

I used the CE mechs from Walmart for years, I loved them. They stopped making the ones I liked

[OtiscoPaul]

I'm trying some different vane combos out quick and once I've sorted that out in the next day or so I will stop shooting FP's and multi-arrow sessions altogether.  

From about the 23rd on it will be 1 BH into 3D no more than 2 sessions/day right through to Christmas.

[Nomad]

One head rotated on the 4 arrows in my quiver . I shoot at my old Block that has sat outside for years . Once I see that all a ok, back to FP .

[OtiscoPaul]

I've been using this head about 2 weeks, like new:

Started my BH arrow rotation today, also marking up my arrows.