Fishbonker
Life Member
There is a question at the end.
With the help of Muddy I have been shooting great. Then last Friday I got out my good hunting arrows. 6 had 2 inch Blazers and wraps, 6 had regular Gold Tip vanes, both Blazers and vanes were straigh, no off set or helical. I put 100 grain Muzzy three blades on the shafts with the Blazers. I commenced to shootin the broadheads and blazers. Four hit the target and 2 missed completely. All right of center and all over up and down. Of the two that missed one went under and one went faaar right. I reshot the same combination and with about the same results, 5 on the target and one under. Between the two shots there wasn’t a definable pattern, except right of center.
To be sure I was comparing apples to apples. I numbered the arrows in order to make sure I got the same heads on the same arrows and to diagram each group. I shot another group. This time they were all over the place with one underneath the target. I rested my arm for a few minutes. I reshot and they were all over the place and the same arrow (#2) off the target. Reshot from #6 to #1 to eliminate tired arm as a possibility, all over the place and #2 hit the trolley and bent the crap outa the blades, not to mention the paint job. Arrow #2 was taken outa the mix.
I replaced the Muzzys with the field points, not the best group but much better, my arm was getting tired. Then I put the Muzzys on the GTs with the regular GT vanes. They flew better than the blazers, but still they were all over the place. At least all six stayed on the target in a little tighter pattern, but absolutely no pattern that I could make adjustments to my set up to try and cure. I also used the field points on the regular vane GTs and they flew great. It was getting dark and my arm was shot.
As a final test I put the Muzzys on my “range” or practice arrows. These range arrows have an assortment of fletching, straight feathers, helical feathers, regular vanes and blazers, again, all over the place in no repeating, discernable patterns.
I didn’t have a clue what to do. One day before season and there was no way I was gonna try and kill anything with the way I was shooting. It wouldn’t be fair to the animal, nor to me. I got on the site and read a lot of posts about expandable broadheads. Some hunters here hate’em and some love ‘em. Next step was online catalogs. NAP Spitfires caught my eye, 1.5” cut, no rubber bands, either a trocar tip or a razor tip. But man are they expensive. Twice the price of regular broadheads.
Saturday morning I headed to CR. I hit three sporting goods stores and bought six Spitfires with the trocar tip and three with the razor tip. The reason I bought the razor tips was they were the only ones I cloud find replaceable blades (tips) for. I figured I had a ton of shooting ahead and I better get replacement blades.
When I got home I put the Muzzys back on the GTs with Blazers and had the same problem, put the Muzzys on the GTs with regular vanes, same as Friday. Just to be double extra sure I put the field points back on, great patterns. By the way, I was at 30 yards.
Time to put on the Spitfires. The advertising is true, they fly just like the field points, but I got better groups with the vanes not the blazers. Believe me, I kept track with diagrams of where each arrow hit the target every time I shot. I did end up making a slight “Muddyesque” adjustment to the sight. I moved it just a touch to the left. Now I have the confidence I need that I can ethically take deer.
Some facts: Whisker Biscuit, 100 grain field points, Blazers and regular vanes, “range arrows” were Beaman and Gold Tip with a variety of fletching, 5575s and the “good” arrows were Gold Tip 7595s six with Blazers and six with regular vanes. The sight was a pendulum but it was locked down. Target at 30 yards. My target in absolutely shot. There is more of it in the trash can than the target.
Two questions:
1. What was up with my inability to shoot Muzzys, or better put, fixed three blade broadheads? I had a new string, sight and WB put on after last season. I could understand if I was shooting them in consistent groups, but they were all over the place.
2. I tried to replace the blades in the Spitfires. Followed directions and tried for about two, yup, 2 hours to get one blade in. I ran a feeler gauge down the groove to be sure it was wide enough and felt a bur in the groove. Looks like when they drilled the hole for the screw they went too deep and the bit hit the inside of the grove leaving a bur. I got a very small file (from my fingernail clippers) and filed off the bur, the blades practically fell in. The bur was in all 9 of the groves (three heads, three groves/head). Anybody else have this problem? Is the bur supposed to be there?
Anyway, thanks for reading this novella, any insights welcome. If you need more info I’ll try to clarify any points.
The ‘Bonker
With the help of Muddy I have been shooting great. Then last Friday I got out my good hunting arrows. 6 had 2 inch Blazers and wraps, 6 had regular Gold Tip vanes, both Blazers and vanes were straigh, no off set or helical. I put 100 grain Muzzy three blades on the shafts with the Blazers. I commenced to shootin the broadheads and blazers. Four hit the target and 2 missed completely. All right of center and all over up and down. Of the two that missed one went under and one went faaar right. I reshot the same combination and with about the same results, 5 on the target and one under. Between the two shots there wasn’t a definable pattern, except right of center.
To be sure I was comparing apples to apples. I numbered the arrows in order to make sure I got the same heads on the same arrows and to diagram each group. I shot another group. This time they were all over the place with one underneath the target. I rested my arm for a few minutes. I reshot and they were all over the place and the same arrow (#2) off the target. Reshot from #6 to #1 to eliminate tired arm as a possibility, all over the place and #2 hit the trolley and bent the crap outa the blades, not to mention the paint job. Arrow #2 was taken outa the mix.
I replaced the Muzzys with the field points, not the best group but much better, my arm was getting tired. Then I put the Muzzys on the GTs with the regular GT vanes. They flew better than the blazers, but still they were all over the place. At least all six stayed on the target in a little tighter pattern, but absolutely no pattern that I could make adjustments to my set up to try and cure. I also used the field points on the regular vane GTs and they flew great. It was getting dark and my arm was shot.
As a final test I put the Muzzys on my “range” or practice arrows. These range arrows have an assortment of fletching, straight feathers, helical feathers, regular vanes and blazers, again, all over the place in no repeating, discernable patterns.
I didn’t have a clue what to do. One day before season and there was no way I was gonna try and kill anything with the way I was shooting. It wouldn’t be fair to the animal, nor to me. I got on the site and read a lot of posts about expandable broadheads. Some hunters here hate’em and some love ‘em. Next step was online catalogs. NAP Spitfires caught my eye, 1.5” cut, no rubber bands, either a trocar tip or a razor tip. But man are they expensive. Twice the price of regular broadheads.
Saturday morning I headed to CR. I hit three sporting goods stores and bought six Spitfires with the trocar tip and three with the razor tip. The reason I bought the razor tips was they were the only ones I cloud find replaceable blades (tips) for. I figured I had a ton of shooting ahead and I better get replacement blades.
When I got home I put the Muzzys back on the GTs with Blazers and had the same problem, put the Muzzys on the GTs with regular vanes, same as Friday. Just to be double extra sure I put the field points back on, great patterns. By the way, I was at 30 yards.
Time to put on the Spitfires. The advertising is true, they fly just like the field points, but I got better groups with the vanes not the blazers. Believe me, I kept track with diagrams of where each arrow hit the target every time I shot. I did end up making a slight “Muddyesque” adjustment to the sight. I moved it just a touch to the left. Now I have the confidence I need that I can ethically take deer.
Some facts: Whisker Biscuit, 100 grain field points, Blazers and regular vanes, “range arrows” were Beaman and Gold Tip with a variety of fletching, 5575s and the “good” arrows were Gold Tip 7595s six with Blazers and six with regular vanes. The sight was a pendulum but it was locked down. Target at 30 yards. My target in absolutely shot. There is more of it in the trash can than the target.
Two questions:
1. What was up with my inability to shoot Muzzys, or better put, fixed three blade broadheads? I had a new string, sight and WB put on after last season. I could understand if I was shooting them in consistent groups, but they were all over the place.
2. I tried to replace the blades in the Spitfires. Followed directions and tried for about two, yup, 2 hours to get one blade in. I ran a feeler gauge down the groove to be sure it was wide enough and felt a bur in the groove. Looks like when they drilled the hole for the screw they went too deep and the bit hit the inside of the grove leaving a bur. I got a very small file (from my fingernail clippers) and filed off the bur, the blades practically fell in. The bur was in all 9 of the groves (three heads, three groves/head). Anybody else have this problem? Is the bur supposed to be there?
Anyway, thanks for reading this novella, any insights welcome. If you need more info I’ll try to clarify any points.
The ‘Bonker
