broadhead flight?
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wichita Kansas USA
Posts: 699
broadhead flight?
Friday evening I filled a doe tag & while everything worked out I didn't hit where I thought I was aiming. The deer was walking thru & didn't stop when I voice grunted. At 25 yards I put the pin a little high on the shoulder thinking there would be a little drop and the pace of the deer would cause the arrow to hit the lung area. The arrow actually hit the neck and cut the main artery. The arrow was stuck in a log and I dug it out the next day. Everything looked good so I decided to check it out. The arrow hit 6" low @ 20yds. I switched the broadhead to another arrow & the same thing happened. So I started shooting my other arrows with the same result. I shot these arrows & broadheads last year with no problem. After consentrating on form I got my groups to be 3-4 inches low w/ broadheads. They stayed dead on w/ field points. I'm shooting carbon express 300s w/ 125 thunderheads in a matthews ovation set @ 65# & 31" draw length. The arrows are 29 1/2" shooting thru a matthews overdraw. Any thoughts on what might have happened here? I plan to try a few things tonight @ home, but would like any input.
#2
RE: broadhead flight?
Start with a paper tune if you can. Your rest or nock point has likely moved enough in a year to put your bow a little out of tune. There is a good lesson in that, glad you found the deer.
#4
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wichita Kansas USA
Posts: 699
RE: broadhead flight?
I shot a ton of field points but not my broadheads as they had always been dead on with my field points. It is just the broadheads are shooting lower than the field points & both the field points & broadheads are 125s.
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Liberty Indiana USA
Posts: 382
RE: broadhead flight?
I always shoot broadheads before hunting season. I get everything set up with fieldtips, and then the broadheads go on and I finish any final tuning from there if needed. I put the fieldtips back in the tackle box and shoot nothing but hunting heads at least a month before season. Always practice with what you will be hunting with to avoid any surprises.
#6
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blossvale, New York
Posts: 21,199
RE: broadhead flight?
Always test your broadheads. I'd do that before I'd practice with a field point near hunting season. Broadheads will show you when things are out of whack. So many things can happen, string stretch, nock slip, rest move yada yada yada. You learned a valuable lesson without having to suffer the consequences. Start at square one and tune it up.
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: turners falls mass USA
Posts: 319
RE: broadhead flight?
you dont shoot your broadheads before the season??thats a no no.i dont care what people say.if you shoot a 100 gr field point you got to shoot a 100 gr broadhead to make sure theres no difference.i didnt do this my first yaer and it cost me a deer.no more though i always double check.good luck
#8
RE: broadhead flight?
Ok, well....I think you learned thelesson here. Broadheads RARELY hit exactly with your field points. The group is what you are concerned about. If they group well, just adjust your sights and go get 'em!
Sounds to me like you led the deer too much, and hit farther in front of where you wanted, not lower.
Sounds to me like you led the deer too much, and hit farther in front of where you wanted, not lower.
#9
RE: broadhead flight?
OK, you've been beat up enough about not practicing with your broadheads.
To talk about your original question, your string or cables may have stretched during the off season. This may have caused your nock point to change and your broadheads to shoot lower. You should always check everything on your bow before hunting season if you aren't going to shoot it all year long.
You should do two things from now on. Tune your setup so that your broadheads and field points hit the same spot and practice with your broadheads.
To talk about your original question, your string or cables may have stretched during the off season. This may have caused your nock point to change and your broadheads to shoot lower. You should always check everything on your bow before hunting season if you aren't going to shoot it all year long.
You should do two things from now on. Tune your setup so that your broadheads and field points hit the same spot and practice with your broadheads.