Broadheads and long distance

[Yukondog]

Thanks for all the info.

Reason I want to reach out to 100yd or more with my bh is solely for a follow up shot if needed. I feel my effective range with a bh is 60 yards. Extremely confident at that range. Should I need a long distance shoot to finish a animal I want that in my bag of tricks.

I too agree that bowhunting is meant for close encounters. By being confident out to 100+ yards with my bh I increase my confidence 100 fold at 30yds. That is why I want to be accurate at long distance.

Matt

 

[Evan Williams]

Matt,

That's a great reason! There is nothing wrong with shooting long distance...sometimes it's called for and being able to do it and have the confidence to do it is extremely important!

I get it all the time from guys back east hunting Whitetails only about how unethical I am shooting out that far but western hunting is a different game! I expect to get in close!

And when my heart is pounding and my adrenaline is pumpin and I have to smoke a 30 yd shot and in my 100 yd practicing I'm shooting 3" groups with my Broadheads!!!

EASY

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

In my experience, a perfectly tuned bow shooting fixed-blade broadheads will shoot with field points out to about 80 yards. Then I typically need to add one yard for each ten yards after that. So at 90 I need to shoot for 91, 100 = 102, 110 shoot for 113, etc...

This is figured using an adjustable sight with computer sight tape on dozens of bows for at least 10+ years. Your results may vary slightly depending on broadhead size, vane size, arrow weight, initial velocity, etc... A four blade slick trick magnum will certainly have a little more drag than a 1" 3-blade.

My "GO-TO", Never-fail, fixed bladebroadhead setup:
Easton aluminum-carbon construction shafts (A/C/C's, FMJ's, A/C Injection),
Fletched with (3) Flex Fletch 3.6" vanes (or equivalent 3.5 - 4" plastic vane) fletched full right helical.
Smallish fixed blade broadhead (Slick Trick Standard, Wac Em', G5 Stryker, Shuttle T, Ram Cat)
Heavier than standard insert so that you have a total of 150 grains of broadhead + insert. I like 50 grain inserts because it's a lot easier to find 100 grain broadheads than 125's, but I have also used a ton of 125's with 25-ish grain inserts.

Yes, there are a million other ways to set you stuff up. Some other setup could be a little better in certain conditions like a cross-wind - IF your stuff is tuned awesome and never changes, but the fixed blade setup above ALWAYS works. If you're frustrated with your groups, try it. If you want your FP and BH to shoot together at 100 - you gotta aim high or shoot a mechanical.

As with about any fixed blade setup, accuracy is typically best below 290 fps.

 

[Whisky]

As with about any fixed blade setup, accuracy is typically best below 290 fps.

I did not know this, good to know....Why is that?

 

[SDHNTR]

In my experience, a perfectly tuned bow shooting fixed-blade broadheads will shoot with field points out to about 80 yards. Then I typically need to add one yard for each ten yards after that. So at 90 I need to shoot for 91, 100 = 102, 110 shoot for 113, etc...

This is figured using an adjustable sight with computer sight tape on dozens of bows for at least 10+ years. Your results may vary slightly depending on broadhead size, vane size, arrow weight, initial velocity, etc... A four blade slick trick magnum will certainly have a little more drag than a 1" 3-blade.

My "GO-TO", Never-fail, fixed bladebroadhead setup:
Easton aluminum-carbon construction shafts (A/C/C's, FMJ's, A/C Injection),
Fletched with (3) Flex Fletch 3.6" vanes (or equivalent 3.5 - 4" plastic vane) fletched full right helical.
Smallish fixed blade broadhead (Slick Trick Standard, Wac Em', G5 Stryker, Shuttle T, Ram Cat)
Heavier than standard insert so that you have a total of 150 grains of broadhead + insert. I like 50 grain inserts because it's a lot easier to find 100 grain broadheads than 125's, but I have also used a ton of 125's with 25-ish grain inserts.

Yes, there are a million other ways to set you stuff up. Some other setup could be a little better in certain conditions like a cross-wind - IF your stuff is tuned awesome and never changes, but the fixed blade setup above ALWAYS works. If you're frustrated with your groups, try it. If you want your FP and BH to shoot together at 100 - you gotta aim high or shoot a mechanical.

As with about any fixed blade setup, accuracy is typically best below 290 fps.

This is excellent advice. I shoot a similar arrow set up with about 150 up front (VPA 125 + weight inserts) and at 285 fps. Love the results.

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

I did not know this, good to know....Why is that?

Whisky - I think it's because at higher velocities the forces acting on the broadhead start to overcome the drag of the vanes. You can go faster - I've done it (over 300 fps with good accuracy beyond 100 yards), but everything (broadhead alignment, tuning, arrow spine, etc...) becomes more critical - not to mention shot execution. Staying below 290 or even 280 fps is a much easier place to keep a fixed blade broadhead happy.

 

[joehunter8301]

I know a few of the guys who posted on here and will say they know their chit. All good advice. I shoot a 400 grain (total weight) goldtip 7595,100 grain vpa with 20 grain weight in back of insert. Out to 60 they fly great. I don't have much experience past that range but the bh drag theory makes perfect sense. I have heard many talk about it. I would think the majority of the time a mechanical would be better suited for 80+ yard accuracy. I just can't get myself to shoot that far at an animal unless it was already wounded.

 

[Matt W.]

In my experience, a perfectly tuned bow shooting fixed-blade broadheads will shoot with field points out to about 80 yards. Then I typically need to add one yard for each ten yards after that. So at 90 I need to shoot for 91, 100 = 102, 110 shoot for 113, etc...

This is figured using an adjustable sight with computer sight tape on dozens of bows for at least 10+ years. Your results may vary slightly depending on broadhead size, vane size, arrow weight, initial velocity, etc... A four blade slick trick magnum will certainly have a little more drag than a 1" 3-blade.

My "GO-TO", Never-fail, fixed bladebroadhead setup:
Easton aluminum-carbon construction shafts (A/C/C's, FMJ's, A/C Injection),
Fletched with (3) Flex Fletch 3.6" vanes (or equivalent 3.5 - 4" plastic vane) fletched full right helical.
Smallish fixed blade broadhead (Slick Trick Standard, Wac Em', G5 Stryker, Shuttle T, Ram Cat)
Heavier than standard insert so that you have a total of 150 grains of broadhead + insert. I like 50 grain inserts because it's a lot easier to find 100 grain broadheads than 125's, but I have also used a ton of 125's with 25-ish grain inserts.

Yes, there are a million other ways to set you stuff up. Some other setup could be a little better in certain conditions like a cross-wind - IF your stuff is tuned awesome and never changes, but the fixed blade setup above ALWAYS works. If you're frustrated with your groups, try it. If you want your FP and BH to shoot together at 100 - you gotta aim high or shoot a mechanical.

As with about any fixed blade setup, accuracy is typically best below 290 fps.

Understand that the thread is more around accuracy, but curious if setup above would change if you were shooting deer vs. elk vs. moose, or good to go all around?

Thanks!

 

[Sunspot]

Easton ACC arrows
FlexFletch Flash 200 vanes
Grim Reaper Razor Tip 1 3/8" - mechanical
Shuttle-T - fixed

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

Understand that the thread is more around accuracy, but curious if setup above would change if you were shooting deer vs. elk vs. moose, or good to go all around?

Thanks!

HC - that's pretty much a universal setup that I prefer to use regardless of the animal. For moose or griz, I would almost certainly use the heavier FMJ shaft, and for deer/sheep/caribou I might use the A/C for a little more speed, but the broadhead, vanes, and insert weight remain the same. Might use the slick trick magnum in place of the 1" standard on Moose/Griz. Really, I think switching around from hunt to hunt is usually more trouble than it's worth so the FMJ injexion will likely be my shaft for everything in 2014. If I was doing a once in a lifetime type hunt like Moose/Griz then I would make sure I was shooting a little heavier shaft & bigger broadhead, but I'd probably just use it for everything that year.

I do occasionally shoot expandables if I know I'm going to be hunting in very wind-prone conditions and state laws allow it, but since I live in Idaho, I prefer to keep my fixed blades on unless there's a really good reason. When I use expandables, I'll use a smaller vane to take full advantage of reduced wind drift.

DC

 

[Matt W.]

Appreciate the info. I shoot some FMJs I bought in 2011, but the injexion line has always intrigued me.

 

[boom]

wow..i am humbled by the company i keep!!

4-5" groups at 80 yards is friggen fantastic. pro-level!! i cant even see a 5" dot at that distance..if i could, my 80 yard pin surely covers it up.