Mechanicals are illegal, right? Why?

[BOWHUNTER45]

For sure Loki ...many factors to mess with ... If your bow is tuned properly then you should have no problems ... I have shot my bow with broadheads before to prove a point or two with NO VANES on my arrows 

[colockumelk]

Here are the results. Dur = Durability, Pen=Penetration, Dep= Dependability , SB= Sharpness Before, SA= Sharpness After.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AgJEvQwzfDRZdGxzdC15R0JIZDJGQ1J4bVpGV1pTWHc

Clockum ... thanks but I can not see on this sheet where they stated what grain broadheads they used ....thats the problem with these test we have no way of knowing what they are doing .....they all should use the same weight head and the same arrows and the same poundage of bow ...

Well duh  of course everything was the same. Do you think I would put any credibility in a test if all things were not the same? That defeats the purpose of a study or test if you don't use the same standard. Everything was the same. Same bow, same DL, same draw weight, same shooter, same arrows, same distance, same BH weight.   

[TikkaT3-270Shortmag]

One thing I like to do is. Shoot all my arrows with a broadhead and some arrows will shoot consistently better than others. I label them 1-6 on my fletchings with dots. Works well

[BOWHUNTER45]

 :t

One thing I like to do is. Shoot all my arrows with a broadhead and some arrows will shoot consistently better than others. I label them 1-6 on my fletchings with dots. Works well

I am sure a few of us have done that before 

[colockumelk]

I do the same thing. You guys are all spot on BTW when it comes to proper tuning. I think a hige portion of mechanical head failures is due to the misconception that many have that if you shoot a mechanical there is no need to tune your bow. First off these people are usually lazy and dont shoot enough to be competant anyways. Second even mechanicals fly slightly different than  fieldtips. So even mechanicals have to he tuned up.

[pianoman9701]

I don't' think tuning your bow for broadheads will make you group any better (will it?), but more so just make them group with your field points.  If your field points are grouping fine, then your broadheads should be grouping as well if your bow is tuned correctly, maybe just not in the same place. That is when moving the rest a little in the direction of the field point will make your broadheads group with your field points. First you have to get the broadheads to group by themselves before you need to worry about that.

That is why I think your problem either lies in the arrow spine or the angle of the fetching.  I was not grouping well at one time with my broadheads, but my field points were.  I put on new fetching with the maximum angle, and now the broadheads fly just as good as my field points. 

Are your vanes factory installed? If so, check the angle.  As for lining up the broadheads with the fetching, it may not make a huge difference, but it wont hurt and it just looks better when looking down the arrow.  Why not line them up is the question?

This is exactly when broadhead and bow tuning is needed. Again, if you're shooting the same weight broadheads as field points and they're not hitting the same place, either tuning or a shaft change is needed. Field tips are very forgiving. Your rest can be way off, causing right or left movement and you can still sight in to center with them. Broadheads will plane off when you have these problems. Don't re-adjust your sights for the broadheads when your field tips hit true and the broadheads don't. Make sure you spine is right and tune, tune, tune.

[colockumelk]

A bow that is in proper tune will also be quiter, more efficient and faster.  Also an arrow will penetrate deeper if it is hitting straight on rather than planning and not hitting straight on.  I look at it not only as an accuracy but as an efficiency issue.  I want my bow to be shooting as efficient and to get every ounce of kinetic energy as I can out of it. 

[Band]

Epilogue:  After investing in two new sets of arrows with different spines, making various equipment changes and adjustments, and shooting thousands of shots the last few weeks I finally found out why my broadheads were not only not grouping with my field points but also were extremely erratic from shot to shot.  Are you ready for this?  I was using an Octane Hostage rest (came with the bow) with arrows that have 4 degree offset vanes, which is obviously a bad combination!

I tuned and tuned, going back to the beginning several times, with no satisfactory results until I removed the Octane Hostage and put on my Whisker Buscuit and then paper tuned and broadhead tuned yet again and now the broadheads and field points are flying identically to 60 yards, which is what I have my pins maxed out at.

I was on the verge of "outing" my crappy broadheads and/or bow that shoots inconsistently and was just about to go invest in a different brand of broadhead but I finally made the one equipment change I had been avoiding and now I'm ready for the season, not a moment too soon!

I take back what I was thinking about Muzzy broadheads.  Like everyone says, good tuning will make broadheads like they should.

[firedog]

I would say along with the other tuning tips I also spine my arrows so they all flex the same coming off the rest. Carbon has a spine, the best comparison I can make is fishing rods, anyone who has built rods knows to spine a rod so it flexes a certain way. I do the same with my arrows. Either have them bend the easy way up or down as long as they are all the same.  I look for anything that will gain more consistancy.

I have been fighting an uncoopertive bow since I put new strings on it, lost some draw weight somehow and spent yesterday shooting(150+ arrows) and adjusting. Paper tuned it last night and shooting bullet holes out to 20. Went out this morning and adjusted sights a little and back dialed in with Field points and broadheads out to 60.

1 week to go and time to chase elk!!

Back to the original question, I like fixed blades. I want less possibility for issues and anything that has moving parts has potential for problems. If people want to shoot mechanicals that is thier choice but I will stick with my Slick tricks

[pianoman9701]

Incidentally, after tuning by broadheads/bow, my G-5s hit exactly where my field tips hit at 20, 30, and 40 yards. Paper tune first to get the up and down. Then move the rest. It works, baby!

[worldsworsthunter]

Simple, sportsman/bowhunters don't make the regulations.

[halflife65]

I guess one other thing to try: Make sure that the surface of the arrow is square before you screw the broadhead on.

G5 makes a little device to help with that:  http://www.g5outdoors.com/product_detail/48

It works pretty well, by the way.