Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

Do you practice with your heads, or use field tips for practice then change to mechanicals prior to going hunting?

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

I practice with my mechanicals - just got a box of 100 grn rocket steelheads last night and started shooting one already. I will shoot a practice head out of each of my hunting arrows. Most of the Mechanicals I have shoot flew pretty darn good, but I stll like to shoot em up - just for confidence:)

Most of my shooting is still with fp' s - closer to the season I will set up 3 of the mechanicals and do a final tune with them.

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

Last year I shot each style into the target just so I' d know who was going where. Not sure why, but the rocket sidewinders would always shoot EXACTLY where my fp' s went. The shockwaves and snypers were almost dead on, but not as consistent as the sidewinders.
I just ordered 3 gladiators and will give them a looksee and maybe add them to my quiver for next season.

So many broadheads, so few animals:(;)

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

I practice with the broadheads. I have some Spitfires and I use them with the practice blades. They group right with the field points but I' m more confident if I have shot the broadheads.

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

Figured I should add, a few years back I was shooting wasp Jackhammers, and they shot just like my field tips, but I kept shooting the broadheads for practice. When I got the rocket wolverine 3ps last fall, I shot one, just like a field point, so I used field tips exclusively for practice then went broadheads for hunting. The only shot I got went right where a field tip would' ve... :)

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

Hey Rack, you mentioned above you were using Rocket Steelheads, did you give up on the Wolverine 3p' s for any particular reason?

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

Hey Range,

I have not given up on them totally but I am looking into a stronger body design.

They did the job well on both my deer last year, and as I have said on the one where it hit the off side shoulder the tip bent and I lost one blade. Maybe the tip was not screwed in tight - I don' t know, but I like the idea of a one piece steel body. The head also does not take repeated target practice - tied closed or not.
Since I also joined a lease upstate with lots of bear running around I want to keep my options open:)


So I bought some rocket 100' s and some snipers to play with:)
And I still have a few dozen thunder heads and muzzies that I shoot often.

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

Gotcha.

What specific wear and tear did the heads show after multiple target use?

Do you sharpen the blades after target use, or simply replace them? If you sharpen, any special tips given their small size?

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

The blades bend - no-matter what you do and then do not fit into the ferule.

Sharpen the blades LOL.....I have never sharpened a blade in my life[&:]

I always buy replacement blades or just buy new heads.

Anything I ever touched to a stone just turned to dull:D

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

Interesting on the blades bending... I wonder if it has to do with the fact that the head body is aluminum versus steel... Have you had this experience with other rocket heads?

And for the sharpening... that explains the beard :)

I thought about trying to resharpen them as I can' t buy replacements locally and I' m a cheap bassturd... :)

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

I rank my rocket sidewinder blades as -----DISPOSABLE!!! Once they go through they come out looking spent. Bent and dull.

The blades have such a skinny width, how much wind planing could they possibly do if they were fixed heads?

I' m not saying that thy' re junk or anything like that. I just consider them one set of bldes per animal B/H' s. They' re cheap enough to use in that regard as I only shoot 2 or 3 animals a year. I will gladly give up a head for each animal I shoot, as long as it does it' s job in harvesting the game animal I' m happy.

I had a kid a couple of weeks ago who swore off mechanicals after shooting a pig with them. When he told me he got a complete pass thru, but they were bent up. I told him that it sounds like it did it' s job. I ended up giving him my 90 grain muzzy 4 blades and a pack of new blades. They should last him a while.

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

I shoot the Mar-Den Mini Max 3 blades. I always keep at least one head (usually from last year) for practice shooting. I don' t know if it' s really necessary because they always hit with my fp' s, but I do it anyway. I shoot from the balcony of my barn into the ground. It' s always worked for me.

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

To each their own but when shooting a compound bow with sights (as opposed to a stickbow without sights), if the broadheads fly EXACTLY like the field points - and Rocky Revolution 100' s did for me, then practicing with the broadheads amounts to buying field points at ten bucks apiece. Nothing wrong with doing that if you have a mind to do so, but it' s unnecessary. One of the big advantages to a quality mechanical head is that you can use the exact same setup you shot 3D with and tweaked to perfection all summer for hunting by simply switching the target points with the broadheads. That, however, is providing you' ve confirmed that you' re hitting exactly the same as your field points. 2 inch groups at 40 yards with the Rocky Revolutions right in the middle of the group told me all I needed to know. Confirmed 20 and 30 and that was that. The rest is just business as usual.

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

I think a lot of good can from shooting broadheads regularly and often. shooting broadheads is as much a lesson in tuning as it is in form.

practicing with them from tree stands and odd angles, with full hunting attire can yeild some " surprising" results. Surprises I would much rather limit to my backyard:)

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

Rack, are you saying in simulated hunting conditions you' ve had mechanicals not shoot to the same point of impact of a field tip, where they did in just straight up shoot at the target practice?

If so, care to elaborate? :)

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

Oh:eek:

rocky revolution is an expandable isn' t it:eek:[&:]

I skimmed over it and thought he was talking about the rocky fixed heads.

Thanks Range:)

Sorry Rob, I agree - no real need to shoot mechanicals all the time

I still do though:);)

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

I put away my 3-D rig and start shootin my huntin bow a few weeks before the season at 3-D shoots with the exact same setup as I hunt with,less my NAP Spitfire 100 grn expandables!
I have tested these broadheads out to 50 yards and they group right with my field tips!!!!!
I have taken a lot of critters with this setup.... Q2XL set at 65 lbs,28 inch draw and Gold Tip 5575 carbons with 4 inch vanes. Finished weight is 405 grains!
You can check out some of my harvests and others bowhuntin trophys on my websites photo gallery!
www.stealtharchery.com

RE: Mechanical Broadhead Users...
 

I like to shoot my mechs just to make sure they are going where they' re supposed too. I tie the blades closed with some dental floss so they don' t get dulled from practice.