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Tuning for A&A fletching
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Best Traditional Arrowheads???
- Thread starter Just_Hangin_N_GA
- Start date
Tuning for A&A fletching
Were the edges that folded over less than 25 degrees?
Is 25 degrees. Rms cutthroat
Wow, thanks.
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Single bevels also have a torquing action imparted by the opposing bevels when they pass through tissue. In soft tissue like muscle and organs they rotate as they pass through cutting more surface area as they pass, and they are also more likely to cut arteries and veins at a bias creating a longer surface area that would need to clot as opposed to a broadhead that took a straight path through. In hard tissue (bone) the broadheads rotation will often times overcome the bones structural integrity and split the bone, allowing the broadhead a greater chance of reaching the vitals behind it.
Below is a test I did with a Grizzly broadhead. This is not a scientific test but sort of illustrates the amount of penetration potential possible on a fairly heavy bone. This was a whitetail buck's humorous bone (leg) from a deer killed by me the day before. I suspended the bone free swinging in front of a hay bale and shot it at 12 yards with a 56 pound straight end Howard Hill style longbow. The arrow was 650 grains and about 30% FOC. The speed of the arrow was about 160 feet per second. It hit the thickest part of the bone. I thought this was a pretty impressive result given that a compound bow would impart quite a bit more speed to the same arrow.
Below is a test I did with a Grizzly broadhead. This is not a scientific test but sort of illustrates the amount of penetration potential possible on a fairly heavy bone. This was a whitetail buck's humorous bone (leg) from a deer killed by me the day before. I suspended the bone free swinging in front of a hay bale and shot it at 12 yards with a 56 pound straight end Howard Hill style longbow. The arrow was 650 grains and about 30% FOC. The speed of the arrow was about 160 feet per second. It hit the thickest part of the bone. I thought this was a pretty impressive result given that a compound bow would impart quite a bit more speed to the same arrow.
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A few other things to check out if you are interested. All of this and more is available at the Ashby Foundation website.
This is good stuff!!! I will print this off this afternoon, as I am about to go cross eye trying to read it on my phone. Thanks!!
If you want to get practiced up on sharpening, get a couple packs of original woodsman heads. Blacken the bevel with a sharpie or mark a lot and start sharpening. Every 10 strokes look at the edge to see how much more grinding you have to do before the bevel is uniform. Fine head once you get them worked into shape. The Simmons heads are bad medicine for critters as are the old original snuffers but good luck finding the old snuffers. Also agree with the earlier comments about Ace heads. They are easy to sharpen, fly well and have killed mountains of critters. Of what is currently available, my preference is the Simmons treeshark. Prolly my second choice would be the 3 blade cutthroats. That order will change if I can ever get my heads finished and produced though. 
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I shot my first deer with a grizzly single bevel broadhead. It was a bad steep shot but I got penetration through the deer and it died within 30 yards. I would use them again no problem but after talking to different folks I decided to go with the VPA 3 blades.
I went with the VPA 3 blades 3-1 length to width this year as I heard they give better blood trails then 2 blades. With the thick stuff I typically hunt, blood trails are important to me. @GCTerpfan has killed some deer with them, and Instinctive Archery Addiction also recommends them for that very reason.
I also chose VPA over the 3Rivers woodsman because they are fully machined vs. brazed on blades. The fully machined broadhead is a stronger head. That said I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the woodsman, that’s just the reason I chose the VPAs. I’ll report back what results I get with my first deer with this broad head.
I had a coming to Jesus moment with my broadheads this year and decided I was finally going to learn to get them razor sharp. I agree with the statements that the 3 blade is a lot easier to learn on. It took a little practice but I’m pleased with the results I got out of these VPAs. This video may not be canon for sharpening but it was easy and worked for me really well.
I went with the VPA 3 blades 3-1 length to width this year as I heard they give better blood trails then 2 blades. With the thick stuff I typically hunt, blood trails are important to me. @GCTerpfan has killed some deer with them, and Instinctive Archery Addiction also recommends them for that very reason.
I also chose VPA over the 3Rivers woodsman because they are fully machined vs. brazed on blades. The fully machined broadhead is a stronger head. That said I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the woodsman, that’s just the reason I chose the VPAs. I’ll report back what results I get with my first deer with this broad head.
I had a coming to Jesus moment with my broadheads this year and decided I was finally going to learn to get them razor sharp. I agree with the statements that the 3 blade is a lot easier to learn on. It took a little practice but I’m pleased with the results I got out of these VPAs. This video may not be canon for sharpening but it was easy and worked for me really well.
Awesome, I am definitely a visual learner... and a slow one at that
Looking forward to seeing what that broadhead does for you.
I never cared for three blades myself. I shot Snuffers and Woodsmans when they first came out. I killed deer with them but the blood trail wasn’t as good as I got with 2 blades. I still shoot regular old Magnus 2 blade heads sharpened with a file and stropped on leather. I have put a couple heads through multiple deer and they are still hunting. I still have a few packs in new packaging that are about 20 years old. You fellas missed the days when you could pick up a pack of six for what you’re paying for one.
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I have a box of 20-year-old Zwicky’s. Did anybody shoot Ribteks back in the day? If I remember right, they were just a couple dollars more than zwickys but where a solid piece of steel. We shot them for several years. I was surprised to see you can still get them.
Yeah, I have been pricing all types and it is an I opener. Funny thing is I never thought I would go traditional and definitely still have a long way to go before I can go strictly traditional. Anyway, for my compound bow I really fell in love with the 125 grain 3blade RamCat broadheads. I came across a great deal from a supplier and decided I would buy enough to last me the rest of my hunting career and would never have to buy any again.....well here I go down the traditional trail and looking at broadheads again.
You sharping yours with just a file is interesting.
Is it just one file or multiple coarse files?
Enjoyed seeing him testing the 2 verse 3 blade but just a little bit skeptical about it. Reason being on my yard target I get different levels of penetration all the time shooting the same arrows and same field points. I assume the target has slight irregularities through it and soft spots created from shooting that area.
I would have liked him to shoot into spots that had not been shot before but no big deal as it was still very interesting and gave me some ideas on testing later on.
Thanks for sharing.
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Jeff is a nice guy with lots of experience killing deer with traditional gear but his experiments aren’t great and he talks too much. My take away is what he said about the two broadheads, I.e. he gets better blood trails with the 3 blade. The penetration he extrapolated from his experiment doesn’t mean much to me. Both of those broadheads are in my quiver for different bows, but im choosing the VPA 3 blade this year to try for my main bow.
I bought some Magnus Stingers to try the penetration and they seemed to always exit but not a very good blood trail for me. Back to the Snuffer for a walking blood trail. Another trail last night and no need to ever bend over and look for blood drops! It's just walk down the trail to your prize. If I make a poor shot on a critter, I want the large hole of a three blade. JMO. Those notches mean 1 arrow, 1 broadhead, 6 bags of jerky!
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i dont think anyone will argue that 2 blade will out penetrate 3 blade. i'd be surprised to hear someone say that a 2 blade will consistently have as good a blood trail as 3 blade (or 4). i see this as the tradeoff.
The exception to the 2 blade not having an equivalent blood trail to 3 blades is the Simmons tree shark. The best bleeding my arrows have ever caused most often has been with them.
And I have used Woodsman, Snuffer, Zwickey, Grizzly, the old Zephyrs, Bear Razorheads and their clone from Pearson as well as some I don't remember.
And I have used Woodsman, Snuffer, Zwickey, Grizzly, the old Zephyrs, Bear Razorheads and their clone from Pearson as well as some I don't remember.
Just one file, mill bastard. I can’t remember if it’s course or fine. Either will work. I used to not strop them and leave the burr on. That was pretty effective. I know a couple guys who still hunt with heads with a burr.
I would say that's my experience but I have only shot and killed with Snuffers and Woodsmans 3 blade. They were plenty effective, especially the Snuffer. I can’t say I saw more blood on the ground than a 2 blade though. I do remember the Woodsmans shot very well when the head was in line with no wobble.