As the name implies, crossbow broadheads (broad / wide), are the tips of your arrows/bolts which usually or can have two to four very sharp blades meant to cause massive bleeding in your prey. The main purpose of crossbow broadheads is to cause a wide cut so as to kill your intended prey quickly.
There are two main types of crossbow broadheads , one being the fixed-blade and the other being the mechanical type. The fixed-blade crossbow broadhead keeps its blades rigid and unmovable on the broadhead at all times, while the mechanical broadhead deploys its blades upon contact with the target, its blades swinging out to wound the target. Most will tell you that the mechanical crossbow broadhead flies better because it is more streamlined, but has less penetration as it uses some of the kinetic energy in the arrow to deploy its blades.
Here are some facts on crossbow broadheads I’ve been able to gather and that you should keep in mind. As a rule of thumb on selecting fixed or mechanical crossbow broadheads, you want to…
- Choose heads that provide 10 to 15-percent front-of-center (F. O. C.) arrow balance. For arrows with a total weight over 500 grains, this usually means broadheads weighing 110 to 140 grains. For arrows under 500 grains, heads from 85 to 110 grains work best.
- Shoot a popular, time-tested crossbow broadhead brand. This ensures consistent head weight and precision manufacture. Cut-rate broadheads with sloppy tolerances never fly well.
- Use a three-blade or four-blade head for maximum tissue disruption in game. Most dislike two-blade heads because they cut a slit rather than a hole. This means less vital damage and less blood loss to the ground.
In addition, marketing studies show that most American hunters shoot fixed, three-blade crossbow broadheads. These fly best with average bow tuning and average shooting skill. Four-blade heads can be tricky to tune and shoot, because these have 25-percent more air-deflecting surface area on the blades.
You want to avoid heads with thin, fragile blades. You’ll prefer fixed heads with blades at least .020-inch thick-preferably .025-inch. The most durable mechanical heads have blades at least .030-inch thick. Mechanical blades are not supported at the rear.
Top accuracy and performance from crossbow broadheads never happens by accident. You must know how to select, install, and fine-tune these special-purpose points. Hope you’ve enjoyed this little piece on Crossbow Broadheads.
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