Why 125 grain heads

[howie]

I spoke to a few bowhunters lately about why they use 125 grain heads, especially replaceable 3 and 4 blade and mechanicals.
Too keep the weight down to 125 grains, the manufactures must vent the blades and narrow the ferrules, anything they can to keep the weight at the desired 125. These vented heads apparently whistle whilst being shot. This reduces the structural strength of the heads. I have tried quiet a few mechaniclas lately and they leave great holes and fly well, but they only last a shot or two.
Even with some two bladers, they are fairly narrow in width.
Why dont we go to say 170 grain heads and have a more solid head, able to be re=sharpened, that will keep its integrity and produce a wider wound channel/s. It has also been docemented that a heavier front of centre and heavier overall arrow penetrates better. You can buy 175 grain field tips to match.

Is it so important to have a flat shooting arrow, when considering the average hunting shot is under 30 yards, and more like 20 yards?

Lets hear you thoughts on this one!!

[GOLDGT]

I think most heads are 125gr because thats what the arrow is spined too have as a standard at the front as in if its 28in long. You prob know all this anyway but for every 25gr you add on to 125gr up front weakens the spine the same as adding 1 inch to the shaft. But there is no reason not to go heavyer i run 160gr two blades with screw in adaptors making a total weight of 200gr up front and total arrow weight of 540gr i have pulled one out of a rock with no damange. I should point out that i shoot a LB not comp though.

Hamish

[XTfreak]

I use light broadheads to keep arrow weight down and speed up.
I dont use mechanical or replacable type heads anymore. As I find they get damaged easily.
I use the G5 Montecs as they are alot sturdier in my opinion...
Bill

[Mitch]

Howie i think this has alot to do with terrain in which ppl hunt. I have the problem of little cover is some areas. This pushes the shot distance upto 40 yards + however im not a big fan of long distant shots.

So i have tried to find a median, A fast flat shooting arrow and a broadhead that produces mega wound chanels. The best i have come accross so far is those 4 blade expandables, eastman first cut magnums.

I reckon it would be good to get a thread going on broadheads, And have all the fellas post up pics of there bheads they are shooting and the game they are taking

[NormGunston]

There are a lot of options- each with their merits. The heavier weight, re-sharpenable idea is perfectly sound... personally, I tried all kinds of arrow spines and point weights when initially setting up my rig and desired poundage and the combo that tuned best is what I ended up with- that and the fact that I can't sharpen for $hit means replaceable blade Muzzy 125 for me. I would like to try the Montecs for sure, though.

[Duane]

Practising with 125gn Montecs I accidently put one into my 25mm MDF backing board. It penetrated so the tip was visible from the other side. With great difficulty I managed to recover it, amazingly with no damage, a little blunter of course. I thought it would be stuffed for sure. So they get the thumbs up from me!

[Clemo]

To date I have mainly used traditional style two blades, a 120-125gn outback or tuskers with an adapter and a bit of glue gives me an overall weight of about 155gr, give or take a few grains. Attached to a 300 Easton axis 10.something grains per inch, I doubt that there is much I’m likely to encounter that this commination will not pull up. I know that compared to modern broad heads these may seem a little crude but they are tuneable, easy to resharpen, leave excellent wound channels and best of all they are cheep. There is no way in hell that I’m screwing a $15 broad head onto the end of a $15 shafts. It may be OK for the Yankies who only take a few shots a season!

[Puk]

It may be OK for the Yankies who only take a few shots a season!


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Don't go calling anyone a monkey though. It is rather dis-turban. :P;):D

Puk

[bowhunting4eva]

There is no way in hell that I’m screwing a $15 broad head onto the end of a $15 shafts. It may be OK for the Yankies who only take a few shots a season!

why not put a $15 broadhead on a shaft, i do. some spend $1000 on bows, get good sights and rests and stabalizers than we get good arrows that are $10-15 bucks a pop but then we go ahead and put a $3-4 broadhead on the end when it is the broadhead that will kill the animal or possibly make it a recovery or not. to a degree the broadhead could be one of the most important parts of the bow set-up. why not spend the extra 10 bucks and get something like a montec, muzzy, margnus stinger, striker etc that is razor sharp out of the packet, really strong in alot of cases and could end up causing bigger bloodtrails

not trying to start a fight but just open a can of beans

[rory]

With the compound I like a flat shot, without going to excessivly light arrows. I shoot 100 grain heads with the compound (410 grain total arrow) with the broadheads of choice being 4 blade Muzzy's and some various expandables.

Yep, expandables in particular do tend to be a 'one hit wonder' when I shoot em, though I will stress that a lot of my arrows (total) tend to be 'one hit wonders' out of the compound at rabbits, goats and deer anyhow. I like the devastating effect of such heads out of such a powerful bow type.

The recurve likes the 225 grain broadheads, 100 grain steel adapter with 125 grain Blackstump, as the trad bow's not a bow i tend to shoot past 20m much with as such the arrow tradjectory doesn't bother me. They drive in deep and are tough as nails to cope with not-so-perfect shot placement and living beyond rock and tree hits ;)

Different weapon = different head = different job, for me anyway :)

[Clemo]

why not put a $15 broadhead on a shaft, i do. some spend $1000 on bows, get good sights and rests and stabalizers than we get good arrows that are $10-15 bucks a pop but then we go ahead and put a $3-4 broadhead on the end when it is the broadhead that will kill the animal or possibly make it a recovery or not. to a degree the broadhead could be one of the most important parts of the bow set-up. why not spend the extra 10 bucks and get something like a montec, muzzy, margnus stinger, striker etc that is razor sharp out of the packet, really strong in alot of cases and could end up causing bigger bloodtrails

not trying to start a fight but just open a can of beans

If money in no object then hell yes, I would love to be able to buy my broad heads ready to shoot and pre sharpened but unfortunately for me that is not an option. The cheep (Aussie) ones do the job just fine provided you spend the time tuning and sharpening and I recon you will get more use out of them as well.
Unless you’re into boulder hunting.:P

[bowhunting4eva]

If money in no object then hell yes, I would love to be able to buy my broad heads ready to shoot and pre sharpened but unfortunately for me that is not an option. The cheep (Aussie) ones do the job just fine provided you spend the time tuning and sharpening and I recon you will get more use out of them as well.
Unless you’re into boulder hunting.:P


each to there own i guess

[silent killer]

LOL clemo i would like to se a aussie broad head on my arrows and then hit a boullder with them they would be none existant.....
And at the moment im in the path of switching to 3 or more blade broad heads as i think the old aussie one lack killing power......
.....Cheers alex.....

[woody]

I think the reason for the 125 grain weight as being a sort of industry standard is a little bit to do with the evolution of bowhunting and field archery as tandem developing sports, one feeding the other.

For the average wood arrow of 28", a 125 grain point and feather fletching gives a FOC balance point of about 10 per cent.

10 per cent FOC is a good compromise for stable flight and decent tradjectories, with the equipment of the day.

This type of equipment, was the norm in the 50's and 60's when field archery and bowhunting were growing into the sports we know today.

ED Ashbys research on broadhead performance indicates some real advantages in heavy FOC values for improving the penetrating qualities of broadhead arrows.

This is a good thread question, one that questions........... why

I think field archery and its history probably have a big influence on the 125 grain standard weight.

[johnnail]

Clemo:
I go through about 10 dozen shafts per season. Deer, Squirrel, Rabbit, Varmit, and stump shooting. I buy cheap "seconds" broadheads for everything except Deer. I get them for about 75 cents each, US. I imagine your manufacturers have some they'd sell, if someone would ask them. It really isn't difficult to sharpen/shape metal with a good file, it just takes a little practice.......Yankee

[Clemo]

"10 DOZEN", wow.
Do you not bother to pick your arrows up?:o
As I said, if a better more economical alternative was available I would use it, but as it is I don’t think there is. So I use a product that requires a bigger investment in time and not so much money.
But that’s the way it is these days, isn’t it?
People want instant gratification, pay your money and expect results; I shouldn’t have to put any real effort into it, should I?:rolleyes:

Do Americans find the term YANKEE offensive?