Choosing a broadhead based on sight picture

[D.Rose]

Does anyone else do this? I have tried several different heads and styles but for some reason my eye is just dialed to a certain broadheads sight picture. Would you choose a lesser quality built head if your eye much preferred and shot it better over others? Or would you figure out a way to adjust to a higher quality broadhead?

 

[Wilderlife]

Depends a lot on what you're looking for in a broadhead I guess.

I've only ever shot two-blade broadheads and tend to organise my inserts and arrow build in a way that sees my broadheads close to horizontal when I'm at full draw with a slight cant. This is great for sight picture and also great for gap shooting as a point-on involves essentially cutting the animal in half lengthways.

A three-blade broadhead would make this difficult but I've never shot one so I can't comment.

 

[mattflint]

Not top on the list but is sure helps.
These grizzly kodiaks shorten my point on to 42 yards when indexed upright.

 

[oldgoat]

No, I reference the end of the arrow in the very small amount of reference I pay to the arrow, I'd rather have a better broadhead! Also I use a few different types of broadheads, so I try not to pay to much attention to them in my sight picture!

 

[LostArra]

I never shoot enough horsepower to use anything but 2 blade. I like them oriented horizontally. Since I use the front of the arrow for aiming on some bows I like the broad head small (cutthroat 125).

On one recurve I've mounted a single brass pin as a sight since my old man eyes struggle in low light which happens to be most of my deer shots. The broadhead had no effect on aiming with the pin

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I gap off the riser of my bow... solves this issue instantly. Even at point on distance I can reference my strike plate.

 

[Kentucky]

Does anyone else do this? I have tried several different heads and styles but for some reason my eye is just dialed to a certain broadheads sight picture. Would you choose a lesser quality built head if your eye much preferred and shot it better over others? Or would you figure out a way to adjust to a higher quality broadhead?

I shoot 2 blade and aim off tip of insert…I think anyway..broadheads don’t effect my shot..I definitely using arrow to aim..but I use my insert for a “point on” shot.

not to derail… but what do you consider a lesser quality head? Well built?

 

[LostArra]

not to derail… but what do you consider a lesser quality head? Well built?

I know that one year I killed an elk, a deer and a hog with the same Ace 2 blade broadhead and it's still ready for action. I would include Ace in well built.

 

[Kentucky]

I know that one year I killed an elk, a deer and a hog with the same Ace 2 blade broadhead and it's still ready for action. I would include Ace in well built.

Yeah that’s what I was wondering… with all the hype around big brands and expensive heads… I love Ace and zwickey points.. however I’m currently shooting cutthroats… but I’ll be going back to Ace after this season.

I got a good deal on these and I like them..but for the price of 6 Cutthroats, you can get 18-20 Ace heads and realistically make them last for 15 seasons, possibly forever, if you don’t lose them..

 

[Newtosavage]

You guys that can see the heads on your arrows in dim light at full draw are doing better than I can do. All I can see is the shaft in my peripheral vision. So I guess I don't worry too much about which head I use and how it might affect my sight picture. I do typically use 2-blade heads and I do like to orient them horizontally, mostly because if I have a poor release, the arrow is more likely to fishtail sideways at the beginning than to porpise vertically. In theory, a horizontally oriented broadhead will have the least effect on a sideways-fishtailing arrow. Since the arrows don't start to spin until a good 4-5 yards downrange, I feel this gives me the best chance of the broadhead-tipped arrow of not planing off-line.

 

[D.Rose]

I shoot 2 blade and aim off tip of insert…I think anyway..broadheads don’t effect my shot..I definitely using arrow to aim..but I use my insert for a “point on” shot.

not to derail… but what do you consider a lesser quality head? Well built?

Right now I’m shooting the simmons swamp shark. At full draw i cant see and of the main point. All i can see is the insert in my arrow and the the blades coming off each side. When I say lesser quality I mean compared to a much more rigid head like the cut throat.

 

[Kentucky]

I shoot 2 blade and aim off tip of insert…I think anyway..broadheads don’t effect my shot..I definitely using arrow to aim..but I use my insert for a “point on” shot.

Right now I’m shooting the simmons swamp shark. At full draw i cant see and of the main point. All i can see is the insert in my arrow and the the blades coming off each side. When I say lesser quality I mean compared to a much more rigid head like the cut throat.

So you think a Simmons head is better quality than a cutthroat? Being rigid is a quality I’d prefer in a broadhead.

either way.. if your saying that you get a better aim with the “lesser quality” cutthroat/Ace or that style, then you should get the those and get the better sight picture..because they don’t get much more bullet proof than those. A deer won’t be more dead from an Iron Will head vs. any other well placed shape 2 blade head

 

[FLS]

I prefer the “sight picture“ I get from an older carbon steel 2 blade Magnus

 

[oldgoat]

So something to consider, Randy Cooling for a night time leopard hunt starting wrapping a 1"ish piece of white, possibly reflective, can't remember for sure, piece of arrow wrap at the tip of the arrow and uses that now, I believe all the time to aim with. Highly visible and doesn't matter what type head you use, just thought I'd share sure food for thought!

 

[Kentucky]

So something to consider, Randy Cooling for a night time leopard hunt starting wrapping a 1"ish piece of white, possibly reflective, can't remember for sure, piece of arrow wrap at the tip of the arrow and uses that now, I believe all the time to aim with. Highly visible and doesn't matter what type head you use, just thought I'd share sure food for thought!

I do the same thing with a 1/2” wide piece of a chartreuse arrow wrap.. I don’t really notice it much during daylight, but dawn and dusk it makes a huge difference

 

[Warmsy]

I got those white arrows and use the junction of the impact collar and white shaft to determine how many arrow widths I have to hold under.

 

[Kentucky]

I got those white arrows and use the junction of the impact collar and white shaft to determine how many arrow widths I have to hold under.

I had some, those babies shine big time… I could pick out my bow in the wood leaned against a tree from 75 yards..

 

[Warmsy]

I had some, those babies shine big time… I could pick out my bow in the wood leaned against a tree from 75 yards..

Sweet. I can blame my lack of success on that! It's nice to know it's not me.

 

[mattflint]

You guys that can see the heads on your arrows in dim light at full draw are doing better than I can do. All I can see is the shaft in my peripheral vision. So I guess I don't worry too much about which head I use and how it might affect my sight picture. I do typically use 2-blade heads and I do like to orient them horizontally, mostly because if I have a poor release, the arrow is more likely to fishtail sideways at the beginning than to porpise vertically. In theory, a horizontally oriented broadhead will have the least effect on a sideways-fishtailing arrow. Since the arrows don't start to spin until a good 4-5 yards downrange, I feel this gives me the best chance of the broadhead-tipped arrow of not planing off-line.

White paint helps a lot.

 

[Kentucky]

Sweet. I can blame my lack of success on that! It's nice to know it's not me.

I hear ya.. they are great arrows.. I loved them, just a little too much pop for me.. they did help aim and seeing arrow flight,… I may be over thinking it but I figured whitetails would see them in flight as well?? Idk… just me being paranoid I suppose…

Another thing that helps gaping off arrow/ point like OP was talking about is the 9/32 shaft with the ramped up insert… makes it easy to use..