Tonight I was shooting as usual with my bow and planned on hunting the weekend.  After about a half hour of shooting I was very very pleased as I was able to keep 3-4 inch groups at 30 yards with 6 arrows(max. distance I am comfortable shooting).  After shooting the field tips I decided to shoot the broadheads just to make sure everything was ok.  Well needless to say it was not as I am now posting here.  The field tips at 10 yards were dead on, the broadheads.....about 4 inches low.  Moving back to 20 yards the field tips were again right on, the broadheads almost 7 inches lower!  I didn't think it was necessary to shoot at 30 being things were getting farther and farther apart.  I am stumped and don't know what to do!  Both the broadheads and the fielt tips are 100 grain.  The broadheads I use are thunder head pro series, and I even took one of my brothers wasp broadheads to see how it did since they are suppose to fly like a field tip and it landed within an inch of the thunderhead broadhead at 20 yards.  I know you are suppose to practice with broadheads but the way tonight was going practicing with field tips would be obsolete as I don't have a sight setup that would be that simple to change that quickly.  Any help as to what I can do is greatly appreciated!

Brett S.

Quoted: Tonight I was shooting as usual with my bow and planned on hunting the weekend.  After about a half hour of shooting I was very very pleased as I was able to keep 3-4 inch groups at 30 yards with 6 arrows(max. distance I am comfortable shooting).  After shooting the field tips I decided to shoot the broadheads just to make sure everything was ok.  Well needless to say it was not as I am now posting here.  The field tips at 10 yards were dead on, the broadheads.....about 4 inches low.  Moving back to 20 yards the field tips were again right on, the broadheads almost 7 inches lower!  I didn't think it was necessary to shoot at 30 being things were getting farther and farther apart.  I am stumped and don't know what to do!  Both the broadheads and the fielt tips are 100 grain.  The broadheads I use are thunder head pro series, and I even took one of my brothers wasp broadheads to see how it did since they are suppose to fly like a field tip and it landed within an inch of the thunderhead broadhead at 20 yards.  I know you are suppose to practice with broadheads but the way tonight was going practicing with field tips would be obsolete as I don't have a sight setup that would be that simple to change that quickly.  Any help as to what I can do is greatly appreciated! Brett S.

Not an uncommon thing.  Either adjust you sights or remember to aim "high" at the appropriate range....

If all you are getting is an elevation change, then you are luckey as we all know broadheads can be difficult to "fine tune".

Personally, I would make the adjustment to my sight and be done with it.  Good Luck.

I hated having to "tune" my broadheads, that's why I switched to mechanical broadheads.  It's been years since I've bow hunted, but I believe the brand name was "Blood Trailer" or something like that.

Once it gets toward hunting season, I practice with my broadheads into foam targets, as I've noticed they have a tendancy to "plane" a bit compared to my field points.  You might want to try this, just plan on wasting 5-6 broadheads.  Come hunting morning, replace them with new ones and you're good to go.

If you're getting groups, just adjust and let be.

If at all possible, I would weigh the field points AND the broadheads to see if they really are the same weight. I reload so I have a scale on hand. It is like the broadheads are heavier. The other possibility is that you are referencing off the END of the arrows as you aim at the target as if you may be shooting bare bow. This would account for the drop as the arrows with broadheads are longer than the field tipped arrows. The bow must be set at a lower poundage. At 40 yards, I can shoot a 25 gr heavier broadhead and it groups the same with my bow. I shoot a Martin Cougar Magnum that chronographs my arrows at 293 fps. constantantly set at 70 pounds of pull using a release.
The only other thing I can think of is that the broadheads are touching something as you release, causing drag, slowing the arrows.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

Index your blades to your fletching.  Cuts down on turbulance.

Broad heads are heavier.

Your nock points might be high....the arrow is coming off of the rest with a slight downward angle and sailing down b/c of the broadheads

Your broadheads are planing. it is a very common thing.

Adjust your sights and get your impact point correct with your pins.

When you get time go to your local proshop and bring your broadheads and have them help you paper tune your bow.

Once your bow is perfectly tuned and assuming all of your other gear is compatible with your draw length and draw weight , the planing SHOULD be at a minimum.

The only variable is if your arrow speed is over 300 fps actual not IBO rating.
Arrows with fixxed bladed broadheads are difficult to tune at those speeds........although those speeds are also EXTREMELY difficult to acheive. No matter what the advertised speed is.

Quoted: Index your blades to your fletching.  Cuts down on turbulance.

+10

That is KEY

Switch to mechanical broadheads.

Quoted: Quoted: Index your blades to your fletching.  Cuts down on turbulance. +10 That is KEY

I always do it and have been for 20 years.....but am skeptical that it makes much difference.
Fixed rigid blades spinning in the air are going to have resistance no matter how the vanes or feathers are aligned.
Still old habits die hard, and better safe than sorry.

Aligning the blades with the vanes WILL NOT solve this issue however.

+1 on the paper testing.  I bet you find that your arrows are flying tail-high.

Quoted: Broad heads are heavier.

unless they weigh the same or does a 100 grain broadhead weigh more than a 100 grain fieldpoint??

I have had the same experience and instead of zeroing it with broad heads I just practice with field tipsand then adjust when I hunt with broadheads. It doesn't make a lot of sense but it has always worked for me. I have always felt comfortable aiming higher with the pin sights anyway to compensate for the extra drop.

Quoted: Broad heads are heavier.

He is shooting broadheads that are the same weight as his fieldpoints.


Just adjust the sights or switch to mechanical broadheads. Their flight charecteristics are similar to fieldpoints.

FLIGHT TUNING BROADHEADS
Broadhead tuning will work for all styles of shooting. After you have completed one or more of the tuning procedures described in this manual, you can proceed with this final test to get your new bow ready to hunt. You will need three fletched arrows with field tips and three with broadheads that weigh the same as your field tips.
Before you begin shooting, you will need to check your broadhead equipped arrows. After installing your broadheads, make sure they are perfectly straight on the shaft. This can be done by spinning the arrow on a flat counter while checking for any broadhead wobble. You can also use a commercially made spin check tool that is available from your dealer. After all of your broad heads are spin-checked and straight you are ready to begin.
Set up a broadhead target at twenty or thirty yards and shoot three arrows with field tips. Make sure you are properly warmed up and you are shooting to the best of your ability. Next, shoot three identically aimed arrows with broadheads. WARNING: NEVER SHOOT BARE SHAFTS WITH BROADHEADS ATTACHED. THE FLIGHT WILL BE EXTREMELY UNPREDICTABLE AND DANGEROUS. Once you have shot the best group you can shoot, compare the position of the broadhead group to the field tip group. Compare the groups to the diagram below and make very small incremental adjustments as described next to the broadhead group that corresponds to your arrow pattern. Note: make very small 1/32" adjustments. A small adjustment will greatly change your broadhead flight.

told ya so

Quoted: Broad heads are heavier.

no, they're the same weight, both are 100 grs.  

Mechanical broadheads work fine , whatever u  hunt with , u need to practice with ,  there's a new broadhead out simular to thunderheads  that work great supposedly , can't remember the name ,starts with a M

I would swap to mechanicals if that were gonna solve the problem....only problem with that is that the wasp broadheads my brother had that I tried were mechanical and like I said they were within an inch of the thunderheads.  If I do a paper tune how can I adjust if it is in fact tail high (which seems logical being that the hits are low) and is that something I can do myself?  I am gonna head to my local shop today and run the same question by them and see what they say as well.  BTW the bow is a HCA with a 70 pound draw weight shooting a 30 inch arrow, so the arrow speeds are gonna be pretty quick, but I dont think it would hit 300, maybe 280's.  Thanks for all of the help.

oops, must have skiped a line.

Quoted: I would swap to mechanicals if that were gonna solve the problem....only problem with that is that the wasp broadheads my brother had that I tried were mechanical and like I said they were within an inch of the thunderheads.  If I do a paper tune how can I adjust if it is in fact tail high (which seems logical being that the hits are low) and is that something I can do myself?  I am gonna head to my local shop today and run the same question by them and see what they say as well.  BTW the bow is a HCA with a 70 pound draw weight shooting a 30 inch arrow, so the arrow speeds are gonna be pretty quick, but I dont think it would hit 300, maybe 280's.  Thanks for all of the help.

Your speed is going to be more like 260ish.
Shoot it through their chronograph while you are there.

You rest will need the adjusting most likely.....it is best done by a pro. With YOU doing the shooting and him doing the adjusting.

I am a former owner of a pro shop so I know a little