Broadhead Question

[BugleMIn]

I always shot aluminum arrows with thunderheads. They were a deadly combination. When I switched to carbon arrows I couldn't get consistent groups with the thunderheads. Archery shop said my broadheads were "planing" and causing inconsistency. I needed to switch to mechanical broadheads.

I switched to Steelhead 100's. They shoot very accurate, they kill the game quickly, but I don't like them. You have to be a jeweler to change the blades. The dinky screws never go back in right. And they tear the crap out of my foam pad in my quiver. It's the way the blades are folded, they don't sit well in the foam and are always popping out.

Question: Is it only 3 blade fixed broadheads that plane? I hear people (who have carbon arrows) say they shoot muzzy's, do they plane?

What causes planing and are there other corrections to make to minimize it, i.e. fletching, different weight of broadhead, etc.

I'm ready to go back to the XX78's and forget the carbons.

Thanks

 

[Guest]

i switch to carbon arrows about 3 yrs ago best move i ever made number 1 thing dont buy cheap carbon arrows you get what you pay for and i have been using spitfire mechanicals made by nap the last 4 deer i shot were all heart shots and im working on keeping the streak going the rest of this season the arrows are made by gold tip their the xt series good luck

 

[muddy]

if you're shooting carbons and want to go to muzzy's stick with a smaller grain. i shoot 72 pounds and 115 grain 4 bladed muzzy's. i get zero planing from the smaller grained muzzy's. i have shot muzzy broadheads for 16 years and have never had a problem with the broadhead, the planing i used to have was from my bow being improperly tuned. as far as fletching goes i used to shoot 4 inch fletch and had some problems at longer yardages over 30 yards, went to 5 inch fletchings and have never had a problem since. i suggest getting some 100 grain 3 bladed muzzy's and go to town, they're a wicked head and do the job well. if you don't like them i'll buy them off you. the buck i shot last year went under 100 yards and the buck i shot this year went even less. good luck.

 

[Gianni]

All broadheads will plane. The real problem is that the bow is not perfectly tuned and the blades act like the wing of an airplane attatched to the front of the arrow, catching air and driving it off course.

My experience has been that two- and four-blade heads plane worse than 3. The problem is magnified if you shoot short fletching (the fletching will drag the arrow back in line if the bow is slightly out of tune). To fix it, you can try several things:

1. Insure that the bow is as perfectly tuned as possible.
2. If you shoot with fingers, try with a release to see if you're inducing too much string deflection.
3. Switch up to four-fletch.
4. Switch to longer fletching.

 

[River Rat]

The easiest to check on your bow is tiller. If this id off the slightest bit it will cause your arrows to plane. The thing that most affects broadhead planing is the arrow inserts. Do everything in your power to get the as true as possible and this should help nearly all of your problems. Put some more helical in your fletchiing wil help a bunch too. Don't over do it though your will run into clearance problems with your rest if your shooting a shoot through style. Good luck

 

[BugleMIn]

Was in Atlanta for a few days, thanks for your answers guys. Unfortunately it was not for hunting.

I think the problem might be the carbon arrows. When I bought them the vanes had so much glue stuck all over I spent an hour with a razor trimming excess glue. The inserts were covered as well. I narrowed my dozen down to five that fly good with the steelheads, too late in the season to be jacking with them now.

I think I'll try another dozen carbons from a different vendor.

Thanks again.

 

[Big Timber]

If you bought your arrows from a bowshop you might want to check that the nock feather doesn't hit your rest. Everytime I buy arrows I have to rotate them so the fly through my rest, not in to my rest.

BT

 

[BugleMIn]

OK, here is the follow-up and rest of the story.

I went to Archery Field & Sports last night after hunting. I thought he was open until 9:00pm, but on Saturday's he closes at 5. Irv was there when I arrived at 7pm. I asked if I could shoot some arrows, something wasn't right with the flight. Now this is with the Steelhead 100's, I was getting OK flight, but badly missed a squirrel earlier in the day.

I told Irv my problem, he watched me shoot a few arrows and I mentioned that I preferred Thunderheads. He said my arrows were way to stiff. They were Gold Tip 7595. I knew nothing about carbons, I just went to a different shop and said make me some, here is my bow. I tried some lighter spined carbons Irv had and they flew perfect.

He kept his store open until 10:00pm to get me a new dozen arrows. Then he helped me paper tune the bow and sight in the bow with field points and broadheads. We got the groupings of each a few inches apart.

I am now shooting carbons with Thunderheads. I always questioned the mechanical steelheads, if they would open on an angle shot. No more worries.

The other archery shop (not in Des Moines)sold me too stiff of arrow, then tried to compensate poor arrow flight with me spending more money on different broadheads.

I know where I am buying my next bow, besides being a PSE fan already, I think Irv is the only PSE dealer in town. I used to buy everything mail order and didn't really need help tuning my bow until I got these bum arrows. And Irv coached me on my form and follow thru.

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[buckmaster]

if u want an arrow that will not plane in any condition shoot goldtip 5575 tipped with a magnus 2 blade (100gr) i have also yet to see a steelforce plane.

 

[snowgoose6]

I shoot XX78 2312 thunderheads 100 5 inch feathers. they shoot the same as my field points. You need to paper tune your bow do this by moving your nock point up or down and move your rest in and out . this should help solve your proplems good hunting