how do you test your broadheads?

[JJ Overkill]

im trying to figure out how I want to test my broad head for endurance and reliability. heres what im thinking, a 1/16" piece of rubber, followed by a 1/8" piece of foam followed by a 5/8" piece of plywood that has been soaked in water over night. the reason for soaking the wood is live bone is hard but not solid all the way through. trying to replicate the best way possible. all of this will be placed in front of my block target.

heres the setup I want to test just for info sake.

70# destroyer 350 30"dl, 480gr arrow, moving at 306fps the head im trying to break is a montec 125gr stainless steel.

[bnsafe]

montecs are good heads, you should be good to go on any animal, and if it bends after it goes thru an elk who cares

[buglmin]

LOL...the ideas guys come up with to try to imitate hide and bone...why not go to a butcher shop or super market, talk to the meat cutter, and get fresh bones? Contact the F&G and get a fresh road killed animal...just shoot the heads through a steel barrel or concrete blocks.

[dotman]

Only thing I do is shoot them year round, other then that I make sure I'm getting proper KE and that's it.

[JJ Overkill]

LOL...the ideas guys come up with to try to imitate hide and bone...why not go to a butcher shop or super market, talk to the meat cutter, and get fresh bones? Contact the F&G and get a fresh road killed animal...just shoot the heads through a steel barrel or concrete blocks.

ive tried the local butcher shops with not much luck, didn't think of f&g though, might have to try that. steel barrels and concrete aren't even close to the same media, im not trying to blow up an arrow too.

[JJ Overkill]

Only thing I do is shoot them year round, other then that I make sure I'm getting proper KE and that's it.

nothings ever good enough, I could have the perfect setup and still want to try something different . I know im getting way more ke and momentum than I need for anything on this continent. should be close to 97-99 ke and at least a .62 in momentum. I tested a few mech heads and destroyed them on impact. that's the reason for the test, prepping for the worst case shot.

[ElkNut1]

You're over thinking it! (grin) Heads like Montecs, Snuffer SS, VAP & similar heads are proven heads, too you are in the 6.5 to 7 grains of arrow wt per # of draw wt. Your bow is at its maximum potential with that setup. Razor up your heads & you're good to go. Anytime you feel your setup as you have is shy of your expectations consider how many guys hunt elk with far less firepower in their compounds & traditional equipment! Food for thought!

ElkNut1

[Swede]

I go on name. A broad head from a company like Muzzy is going to be ok. If I have doubts, I would check the product surveys that companies like Cabela's have. The problem with a test like jerinmn's is that it will miss real world problems. I have broad heads with a titanium shaft. They are tough as can be going forward. In a moving muscle or bone, the blades all fall out. The blades can fall out when the broad head blades just scrape next to a bone. In your test or where a person shoots through a propane bottle those broad heads would appear flawless. I have killed a lot of elk with them, but I sure hate searching for loose blades that I have look for in the dark or feel around for. Those broad heads are Rocky Mountain titanium 100s.

[buglmin]

Used to shoot broadheads through steel barrels all the time with no impact on the arrow shafts. If the arrow is flying straight, the arrow shaft should have no problems.
Road kill from the state or from F&G makes bfor some great experimenting, as does dead cattle and dead horses. Its fun to experiment with different arrow/broadhead combinations. Here in sw colorado, there are dead elk all over the highway, as well as bones and skeletons. Thats were you see just how narrow the rib cages on a big elk really is. 16" to 18"of penetration should put the broadhead through both sides.
A green elk rib is actually very easy to shoot through, as is the shoulder blades. The Montec heads have accounted for a lot og game, and you wont have any problems with them, trust me. Good luck, and have fun.

[RockChucker30]

A lot of that work has been done over on Archery Talk already....I'd just use a proven head like the VAP, Montec, Slick Trick, etc, etc, etc. There are a bunch of good heads out there these days.

Now, if you just want to do some testing anyway because it's fun, well I can't blame you for that...

[firementl23]

I don't test any more I have been using slick tricks for the last 5 years they fly just like my field points! And they punch one hell of a hole.

[JJ Overkill]

I don't test any more I have been using slick tricks for the last 5 years they fly just like my field points! And they punch one hell of a hole.

but noisy in flight. I didn't like the way the slick trick flew for me at 90 yds. they hit down and left for me. id run a phat head after a slick and hit dead on. not a fan. I know a lot of guys like them and have great success with them. just not for me.

[firementl23]

god bless you because I wont shoot past 40 yards any more

[POk3s]

I usually test mine in a few very simple ways.

First of all research. I research the head and see what other guys have done to test them out.

Decide on a head and buy a pack. Feel them out of the box and make sure you like how they're constructed.

Shoot 'em and make sure they fly straight with your setup.

The last step is to put 'em through the ribcage of an antelope. I get 2-3 antelope tags a year. 2 doe tags and if I'm fortunate a buck tag. Now I enjoy antelope hunting and if I have a buck tag it's all business. But in a lot of ways, doe antelope tags are "practice". Don't take this out of context and think I'm taking 100 yards shots because I'm "practicing". No I'm working on stalking and testing different products such as clothing, broadheads, arrows, and what have you.

Hunting is not a joke but nothing will test a broad head quite the same as sending it through an animal's ribcage. If it performs with antelope up to my liking I gain more trust in the head. With all of that said I had good success with G5 montecs and bad success on elk. I will not shoot a cut on contact head since and have now switched to trophy taker shuttle t's and have great success on everything. I have yet to not have a passthrough with these heads and I've shot elk at 55 and 40 yards. Rage failed me big time in antelope even though they shot accurately. It was my first year bowhunting (7 years ago now) and I got caught up in the "hype". Never picked up another one again.

Last year I picked up a pack of grim reaper razor tips because I wanted a head that would fly more accurate in the wyoming wind than the shuttle t's. I love the way the BH performs but in the wind those puppies like to sail and stalking to within 30 yards of an antelope is almost impossible. I shot a doe at 70 yards with the grim reapers last year in the wind. Hit her perfect, she went 30 yards and piled up. Passthrough. I am now confident to use those heads on deer as well but will never shoot a mechanical at elk.