Bare shaft Broadhead tuning?

[Gerard Marcaurele]

I heard on a podcast that a certain popular Trad archer likes to screw broadheads on to bare shafts to fine tune. I’m in the beginner stage of my trad life, but curious if anyone else is doing this?

I’d probably wait until I get to a point where I’m busting nocks at 20 before even attempting, but the idea is intriguing.

 

[Gamover06]

Interesting I have always been told don't put broadheads on bare shaft. To me it is confusing on why you would. You are looking for perfect flight with no steering but when you put a broadhead on you now have something steering the shaft.

 

[LostArra]

Never

Could you reveal the podcast?

 

[Gerard Marcaurele]

Never

Could you reveal the podcast?

If I didn’t misunderstand the conversation, it was on the Stickbow Chronicles.

I’m not trying to argue the podcast, and if I’m way off base then someone let me know who has listened to it.

 

[Gerard Marcaurele]

I may have misunderstood. I think they were talking about bare shaft and THEN talked about broadheads. Not both at the same time.

 

[MadDawg]

I usually do...

 

[bbell]

That would make more sense. I bareshaft in relation to my fletched shafts and seem to have pretty good luck with that.

 

[MadDawg]

Honestly its probably a waste of time, but in my mind a broadhead is not "steering" your arrow. While it has the properties of a fletching, as in sticking from the sides of the arrow, and may seem to steer your arrow, it is actually having the opposite effect. If your feathers are long enough, they can cover up for a bad tune, but you put those feathers on the broadhead end and see what happens. It will more than likely flip and dip badly(with the bad tuned arrow).

For example, an arrow with a spine too stiff.
It will porpoise and dip to the target, BUT with field points, I can consistently stack them into the ring. The reason being, is the steering is on the back of the arrow and is leveling out the arrow.
Put a broadhead on that same arrow and it will fly 3 feet to the left.

The way I see it, if I can get my arrows shooting broad heads with no actual "steering mechanism", then there will be absolutely no problem when I do put fletching on.

OK getting off the soap box now.

 

[oldgoat]

Video 37 EFOC Bare Shaft Broadhead Test | tbwpodcast.com

I wanted to see what would happen if I shot bare shafts with big broadheads and 30% EFOC shafts. I do not recommend doing this [...]

tbwpodcast.com

 

[jspradley]

I did that once... got a nice new hole in the side of my shed from it. lol

 

[GLB]

Its not something I will do. I do like to bare shaft tune with field points and then fine tune with fletched broadheads. I believe the fine tuning needed (sometimes) between field points and broadheads are because of the length differences between the two.

 

[DenverBulls]

I like to bareshaft tune to slightly nock high (natural with higher FOC), then I add on feathers to a few and make sure those group with field points. From there, I slap on some broadheads and shoot a group of field-tipped bareshafts, field-tipped fletched, and broadhead fletched. This off season I’m going to try paper tuning via Trent Wengerd’s method, but it’s admittedly probably not necessary. Also, I had heard and did find that a slightly stiff bareshaft will tune faster with a broadhead. Slightly.

 

[ScottinPA]

I have done this once or twice but not my standard. Bare shaft with field tips, confirm/fine tune with broadheads. Go kill something. Strong believer in KISS

 

[Mike Islander]

There is no reason to do this. And it won't in any way help tune the bow. Assuming you could tune it to hit the target consistently, arrow won't fly right when bow is tuned properly. Might as well fletch the front.

 

[Newtosavage]

I heard on a podcast that a certain popular Trad archer likes to screw broadheads on to bare shafts to fine tune. I’m in the beginner stage of my trad life, but curious if anyone else is doing this?

I’d probably wait until I get to a point where I’m busting nocks at 20 before even attempting, but the idea is intriguing.

Do NOT do this. It is a pointless and potentially very dangerous exercise.