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Broadheads for faster bows

Catchot713

Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2019
Messages
66
Looking for some help. I sniffed the RF dust last year and paid big time because of such big gaps. Without getting much into that, I completely went the opposite direction this year and got a whole new set up. My current set up is a total arrow weight of 360 grains but it’s shooting at 319, and is perfectly tuned at the moment. The only fixed blades I have on had are some iron will wides and some ramcats. Neither of them are grouping to my liking. However, I’m not the biggest mechanical fan, but my grim reapers, and rage hypo’s group well. Couple questions. Is my new set up too light for mechanicals, and if so, does anyone have a fixed blade that flies better out of faster bows? Didn’t have this problem with my nocam because it was so slow. Thanks in advance for and help.
 
I'm surprised that ramcats aren't grouping. By not grouping, what do you mean? Just not as tight as field points or something else? How big is the difference?

If it were me, I would go between ranch fairy and your current setup and shoot an arrow that is around 290 fps. In that range, with a well tuned bow, many fixed blades will shoot.

Have you tried broad head tuning? It's my final fine tune step. I shoot field points and broadheads at 40 yards and tune until they hit the same area. At that point, the field points still group a little better but it is close enough for me.
 
I'm surprised that ramcats aren't grouping. By not grouping, what do you mean? Just not as tight as field points or something else? How big is the difference?

If it were me, I would go between ranch fairy and your current setup and shoot an arrow that is around 290 fps. In that range, with a well tuned bow, many fixed blades will shoot.

Have you tried broad head tuning? It's my final fine tune step. I shoot field points and broadheads at 40 yards and tune until they hit the same area. At that point, the field points still group a little better but it is close enough for me.

No I haven’t tried broadhead tuning yet, still not dead set on what I’m going to be using yet. at 30 yards I wouldn’t feel comfortable shooting at an animal.
 
No I haven’t tried broadhead tuning yet, still not dead set on what I’m going to be using yet. at 30 yards I wouldn’t feel comfortable shooting at an animal.

Based on my approach, I wouldn't be able to make decision without broad head tuning.

Broad head tuning is making changes to your bow to try to make broad heads and field points shoot the same. It's a better version of trying to make fletched and bare shafts hit together at extended yards (20 or more yards).

I gave details in case you thought I meant tuning the actual broad head (like give it a polish). I'm not talking about manipulating the arrow.
 
Based on my approach, I wouldn't be able to make decision without broad head tuning.

Broad head tuning is making changes to your bow to try to make broad heads and field points shoot the same. It's a better version of trying to make fletched and bare shafts hit together at extended yards (20 or more yards).

I gave details in case you thought I meant tuning the actual broad head (like give it a polish). I'm not talking about manipulating the arrow.

No I got what you meant. I guess what I was trying to say is after my issues last year I’m looking for the most accurate broadhead I can get. And before I start broadhead tuning for fixed blades, I was wondering if my arrow weight is too light for mechanicals. I may give mechanicals a go if I have the KE for it. The ramcats did fly better than the iron wills, but I still get a flyer here and there with them, which scares the crap out of me.
 
What is your poundage for your setup just curious? We can run the math to figure out your KE to figure out if mechanicals would work. See attachment.

I usually try to shoot fixed blades at 265-280 as they are usually easier to tune at that speed for me. Last few years I shot mechanicals at 295fps though and had pass throughs getting buried 8 inches into the ground.

I'm guessing mechanicals would be fine as long as your shot is through the ribs.

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk
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I switched from Mechanicals to the Slick Trick Magnums years ago and never looked back. Im pulling 70# at a 30" draw with a 410 grain arrow with similar speeds. Ive busted through shoulder blades at 25 yards, and even recovered a buck a few years back I shot in the hind quarter - the arrow busted through the ball joint of the hip on entry and busted through the offside femur.

As for gouping, the slick tricks are dead on with my field points out to 40 yards. Ive never shot them any further.

Is it that your fixed blades arent grouping well together or they are impacting different location than your field points?
 
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I ran my old numbers of 411 grain arrow at 295 fps and got a KE of 79 and momentum of .53 for me. Your KE is higher but your momentum is lower.

I think you would be ok with mechanicals on whitetails if you bare shaft tuned your rig so arrows are flying perfect.

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Slick tricks always shoot regardless of arrow weight...and it’s what I used when I was around 450ish arrow weight...zero complaints on deer
 
The ram Cat is the best flying head I have ever used. If that is not flying I would guess there is a tune issue. I have shot those heads every way imaginable. Blades forward, one blade back, two blades, missing blades and they always fly true. Also, 300 + is tough on a fixed head. Just a lot of drag moving fast.
 
Something else to consider...You're trying to get arrows to shoot well with every ounce of your focus and effort...and can't. Assuming you make one small tweak, and get them to shoot well enough - what makes you think when you're in a hunting situation, that you'll achieve anything like the attention to form/tune you're devoting now?

TLDR - you might get a 320fps 300gr arrow to tune in the lab. You won't get it entering an animal with the same consistency. The latter seems to be the point of all this effort, no?
 
Here's what I'm thinking for this year, so take it for what it's worth. My approach is sort of similar to yours.

Last year I shot an Elite Impulse and jumped on the Ranch Fairy train with a total arrow weight of about 590gr. I switched from mechanicals to fixed blade (Slick Trick ViperTricks). The first buck I shot ran almost 150yds with VERY little bloodtrail, despite a complete pass through. It took me 2 hours of trailing, on my knees, looking for specks of blood.

This year, I switched to a faster bow (Bowtech Solution) and my finished arrow weight is 481gr. According to OT2Go, I should be in the 290fps range with my setup and still have 18% FOC. I'm also pretty sure I'm going to switch back to mechanicals (Grim Reapers). A good portion of my bowhunting is in urban areas. As such, most of my shots are under 20 yards and I need a big hole to put the deer down fast.

One add, I'm also shooting a single pin sight. I prefer the increase in speed so that I can set my sight at one yardage and be good from 0-30 yards.
 
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Something else to consider...You're trying to get arrows to shoot well with every ounce of your focus and effort...and can't. Assuming you make one small tweak, and get them to shoot well enough - what makes you think when you're in a hunting situation, that you'll achieve anything like the attention to form/tune you're devoting now?

TLDR - you might get a 320fps 300gr arrow to tune in the lab. You won't get it entering an animal with the same consistency. The latter seems to be the point of all this effort, no?


I get where you’re coming from. My super slow bow with a heavy set up flew like darts. However if I was off even by a yard or two with my range the trajectory was so awful that I was wounding deer or missing them. I hunt public land and it was very difficult for me to range the deer and get a shot off in the same location he was at when I ranged him. They’re always moving. Hit one deer high in no mans land, and shot completely under another one. Not saying I’m the worlds greatest archer, however prior to last season I have NEVER missed a deer. I went with speed this season because of that reason. Just knowing I can shoot from 15-30 yards with the same pin with very little drop has eased my mind tremendously. Like I said earlier, everything I read says fixed blades with a decent size cut is going to be hard to get to fly out of faster bows. If I can shoot a mechanical accurately I’d like to use them, IF I have enough weight for it. I guess I’m just looking for affirmation of someone using a lighter arrow with a mechanical with success. Btw I’m not looking at any of the crazy cutting ones. I’m interested in the grim reaper pro series 1/34.
 
Here's what I'm thinking for this year, so take it for what it's worth. My approach is sort of similar to yours.

Last year I shot an Elite Impulse and jumped on the Ranch Fairy train with a total arrow weight of about 590gr. I switched from mechanicals to fixed blade (Slick Trick ViperTricks). The first buck I shot ran almost 150yds with VERY little bloodtrail, despite a complete pass through. It took me 2 hours of trailing, on my knees, looking for specks of blood.

This year, I switched to a faster bow (Bowtech Solution) and my finished arrow weight is 481gr. According to OT2Go, I should be in the 290fps range with my setup and still have 18% FOC. I'm also pretty sure I'm going to switch back to mechanicals (Grim Reapers). A good portion of my bowhunting is in urban areas. As such, most of my shots are under 20 yards and I need a big hole to put the deer down fast.

Looking back I should’ve went with something similar to your arrow weight. I was so dead set on speed because of what happened to me last season. I’ve had a similar situation with a slick trick. It was one of their smaller heads, and it took a doe forever to die. One of the reasons I switched to the ramcats years back was to get a bigger hole.
 
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