Heavyweight Broadheads

[Bill V]

This question is for people shooting over 125 grains: What weight do you shoot or want to shoot?
We currently make Iron Will 150 & 210 grain broadheads, but I'm interested to know what people want for weights.

 

[Tim in Wa.]

Do you have any glue on ?

 

[Ryan K Sanpei]

Typically, I'll use a broadhead around 200 grains, but over the years I've played around with 175-300 grains.

 

[ozyclint]

I like Glue ons so they can can be weighted with steel adapters. Glue ons from 125gr and heavier for me weighted with adapters to end up with 250gr and 300gr heads.

 

[Bill V]

Do you have any glue on ?

Tim, we don't currently make a glue on version, but will consider this.

 

[Beendare]

Great Idea Bill.

I shoot 150's in 2 and 3 blade and after holding a 150g in my hand.....I can't believe I ever shot a 100gr BH. The 100grainers just look flimsy. The working end of your arrow is pretty important....why not have more steel in your BH? The higher in weight you go...the more limited the market. One of your competitors makes a 600gr BH...I snicker at that one...how many do they sell....a dozen a year? If I were you, I would do a 150g and maybe a 200g and be done. Plenty of steel in both of those...and if a guy does get all wrapped up in EFOC they can pop a 50,75 or 100g insert in there.


A lot of archers don't understand that bumping up their BH weight puts them in an underspined condition creating tuning problems. Then you have limitations to arrow spine....put a 300gr BH on an Axis 300 and its close to underspined in the avg compound. Sure you can go up to 260 spine....but thats pretty much the limit unless you want to go to some exotic Shafts....again, limited market.

My guess is a lot of guys will be resistant to changing from the box store 100gr mentality. They will need to be educated bro- grin. Post pics of the 150's side by side with the 100g heads- its illustrative. I think if a guy handles and uses a 150g head....they would not go back to

 

[ozyclint]

i assume the OP is asking trad hunters what they want since this is the trad sub forum. very few trad hunters use a 100gr screw in BH so there's no resistance to changing away from that.

IMO, if you want to appeal to the trad market you have to offer a glue on. we don't have the scope of bow tuning options that compounds have in order to tune arrow flight. shaft length and spine and point weight are our two main options. glue on BH's allows the customer to tailor the weight via adapters to suit their preference. the customer gets the weight they want and you don't have retool and redesign costs in offering a multitude of weights.

example- you would only have to offer 2 glue on models, 125gr and 175gr to allow the customer to achieve 200gr, 225gr, 250gr, 275gr and 300gr with the use of readily available 75gr, 100gr and 125gr steel adapters. there is even more weight combinations available if you consider using alloy adapters.

 

[Trial153]

The positive thing IW has with their heavy Broadheads Is that the profile remains the same through out the different weights. That isn’t true across the broad head spectrum. In many cases the higher weight heads come with larger profiles that aren’t always conducive to good or forgiving flight and ease of use as well. I stay with 100 grain heads for that reason. All my arrows have plenty of weight upfront via inserts and weights so the 100 grain weight is a nonissue. Now with that said I also make sure I stay with heads that are stoutly made. I place a very high value on Premium heads like Solids and IW.

 

[smoke]

I use wood arrows so I need a glue-on. I generally use a 125 gr woodie weight with a 125 zwickey or magnus. I'm a big fan of FOC weight.

 

[ScottH]

RMS Gear 200 grn Cutthroats. Cutthroat Screw-In - RMSGear

 

[Grabwad]

Just saw this thread, I shoot heads from 175-250 grains. I get recently triad the Large Bonehead by Abowyer and like it, but deep down I’m a multi blade guy. I want wide cut with a smaller brittle bleeder that can snap at contact with hard bone so the arrows can continue to penetrate. Not sure how that design would test as compared to the design of the IW as far as penetration, but that’s what I like in my simple head.

Appreciate you reaching out to the trad hunters!

 

[Seeknelk]

I am liking 200 grain screw in heads these days. 150,175,200,225 would be a great line up...glue on option would be icing on cake for sure..

 

[bowhunterga]

I shoot as close to an indestructible arrow setup as possible. I loathe arrow failure in any situation.

For 2018 I am shooting a Black Eagle Vintage shaft cut to 31" but with a 2.5" footing of 2216 aluminum shafting. Under that I use a 250 stainless steel insert/adapter form Traditional Archery Solutions, and I am tipping that with a 200 grain Grizzly Kodiak left bevel. Total arrow weight is 810 grains.

Here is the results form a similar setup. Steep quartering angle on a wild hog, got lung, sliced the top of the heart, cut the windpipe and came to rest at least and inch deep in the lower jawbone on the exit side. I ended up taking a couple other animals with that same arrow before I changed up my setup a bit.

 

[Sharp Things]

250 grain Cutthroat single bevel for my upcoming Water buffalo hunt.

250 grain Rothhaar Snuffer for my Hawaiian bull and poly pigs.

250 grain Woodsman for my Jan Russian Boar.

A wide variety of diff. Heads and weights for small stuff like deer. Mainly older phantoms (before Muzzy bought them from Stan's widow)

 

[tater]

I think there is a point of diminishing returns for overall arrow weight and FOC. I have used (and still use) broadheads in the 200-300 grain range in bows from 54-80# at my draw length.
The 150 and 210 offerings you already provide can be adapted with insert weight adjustments to meet most requirements.

I appreciate your efforts in trying to provide a broadhead for maximum lethal outcomes, especially for us slow stick-flingers.
You may find a lot of trad types (especially those that shoot wood arrows) are resistant to paying more for a broadhead ("Fred Bear got 'er done with a 125 Razorhead, and that's all that i need..."), so i would be inclined to stick to screw in only from a business perspective, and not be overly worried about the glue-on crowd.

 

[LostArra]

Great Idea Bill.

I shoot 150's in 2 and 3 blade and after holding a 150g in my hand.....I can't believe I ever shot a 100gr BH. The 100grainers just look flimsy. The working end of your arrow is pretty important....why not have more steel in your BH? The higher in weight you go...the more limited the market. One of your competitors makes a 600gr BH...I snicker at that one...how many do they sell....a dozen a year? If I were you, I would do a 150g and maybe a 200g and be done. Plenty of steel in both of those...and if a guy does get all wrapped up in EFOC they can pop a 50,75 or 100g insert in there.


A lot of archers don't understand that bumping up their BH weight puts them in an underspined condition creating tuning problems. Then you have limitations to arrow spine....put a 300gr BH on an Axis 300 and its close to underspined in the avg compound. Sure you can go up to 260 spine....but thats pretty much the limit unless you want to go to some exotic Shafts....again, limited market.

My guess is a lot of guys will be resistant to changing from the box store 100gr mentality. They will need to be educated bro- grin. Post pics of the 150's side by side with the 100g heads- its illustrative. I think if a guy handles and uses a 150g head....they would not go back to

My experience with longbow/recurve shooters is much different. I've rarely (never) seen a trad hunter shooting 100gr broadheads. I agree that 150 and 200 should cover most situations with heavy inserts available.


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[2blade]

yea, 150 or 200, maybe 250 should cover it. The thing is, most stick shooters pick the broadhead they want to shoot then tune the set up so it works. But the problem you're going to have is, a lot of traditional guys like the mechanical advantage of a longer head for penetration.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I can't (and won't) speak for anyone beside myself. For 35 years I've been shooting broadheads weighing an average of 175 grains. I haven't seen the need to go beyond 200 grains in the actual broadhead. Some of them were glue-on heads and I added a steel bh adapter to make the overall weight 250. I've never seen a performance advantage beyond that weight; at least in the size animals I've killed which includes more than a few moose. What I really refuse to compromise on is minimum width. I just won't go less than 1-1/4" wide ever and often like 1-1/2 on lighter-built animals like deer and black bear. 1" (or fractionally bigger) widths don't make the cut for me. The fact is a wider wound is a bigger and more severe wound, all other things being equal. Smaller heads are just fine when it comes down to hitting through lungs, heart and the center chest region. Because my accuracy isn't exactly always pinpoint when shooting at game animals, I've always come down on the side of wanting a bigger wound (channel) and resulting internal damage no matter where the broadhead travels.

Like most guys shooting recurves or longbows, I think a glue-on head is the most versatile setup. It gives the option of glueing it directly to the arrow taper or adding an screw-in bh adapter for carbon or aluminum arrows. The easy way for a broadhead manufacturer to cover the bases for trad guys would be 1) build all models as glue-on, 2) offer a range of weighted bh adapters and, 3) offer them with the adapters precision installed and ready to use.

 

[Rob Patuto]

I have been gluing heads up for the last 10 years or so. Messing with steel and aluminum inserts. I generally find 150 grain is correct for what I am trying to achieve but I also tinker with shaft inserts as well as footing the shaft.

 

[LostArra]

Bill: did you find any differences in arrow flight/accuracy between compound bows and traditional bows?

I've always wondered if differences in speed and arrow weights between modern and traditional bows can influence arrow flight with different broadheads. I shoot both compound and traditional but usually hybrid longbows. A large part of my broadhead selection for my bows is how I perceive their accuracy. I may like a broadhead in the box but if I can't get it to fly it stays in the box. I want to be totally confident in it's penetration but also it's accuracy with my shot.