What kind of broadheads should I shoot from my crossbow?
What kind of broadheads should I shoot from my crossbow? Are mechanical broadheads better to shoot from a crossbow than fixed bladed broadheads? These are very commonly asked questions from the beginner crossbow hunter. My advice is, shoot whatever one you favor the best. Of coarse you should definitely practice shooting your crossbow with your head of choice, but as long as it groups well, then shoot it. Now, just because your heads group well, doesn’t mean they will hit the same point of impact as your practice points. But what we’re looking for here are nice consistent groups. You can always adjust the sight on your crossbow to allow for the variance as long as they’re grouping well. I’ve found though that if your crossbow arrow has a good front of center, chances are it will hit pretty close to same point of impact as your field points. Now that we know we can shoot either type of broadhead from a crossbow, here are a few things to consider before choosing one.
With fixed bladed broadheads, it really doesn’t matter if they have 2,3, or 4 blades. Most crossbow hunters find they achieve better accuracy with fixed bladed broadheads that have shorter feral lengths and steeper profiled blades. These types of broadheads keep your front of center closer to your field points. If you can, I always like to align the blades with the fletching, however it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference with a crossbow arrow.
Mechanical broadheads will offer larger cutting diameters than fixed bladed heads. But not all mechanicals will work shooting from a crossbow. Because crossbows produce more energy than vertical bows, some mechanicals can have a tendency to pre-open in flight. Extra precaution should be taken when choosing a mechanical broadhead for your crossbow. Check with your favorite broadhead manufacturer to see if they make a crossbow specific broadhead. We are starting to see more and more every year. If you shoot the type of mechanical broadhead that uses the little rubber bands to hold the blades closed, you may need to double up on them. A good way to check if your broadheads are pre-opening in flight is to cut a hole into a cardboard box like a picture frame. Tape a piece of paper over the hole and shoot through it. You should be able to determine if the blades are staying closed or not.
Whatever type of broadhead you decide to shoot from your crossbow, make sure you practice with them first. Most broadheads will shoot very close to the same point of impact as your practice tips. But the time to find out they may not, shouldn’t be while attempting to shoot an animal.
With fixed bladed broadheads, it really doesn’t matter if they have 2,3, or 4 blades. Most crossbow hunters find they achieve better accuracy with fixed bladed broadheads that have shorter feral lengths and steeper profiled blades. These types of broadheads keep your front of center closer to your field points. If you can, I always like to align the blades with the fletching, however it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference with a crossbow arrow.
Mechanical broadheads will offer larger cutting diameters than fixed bladed heads. But not all mechanicals will work shooting from a crossbow. Because crossbows produce more energy than vertical bows, some mechanicals can have a tendency to pre-open in flight. Extra precaution should be taken when choosing a mechanical broadhead for your crossbow. Check with your favorite broadhead manufacturer to see if they make a crossbow specific broadhead. We are starting to see more and more every year. If you shoot the type of mechanical broadhead that uses the little rubber bands to hold the blades closed, you may need to double up on them. A good way to check if your broadheads are pre-opening in flight is to cut a hole into a cardboard box like a picture frame. Tape a piece of paper over the hole and shoot through it. You should be able to determine if the blades are staying closed or not.
Whatever type of broadhead you decide to shoot from your crossbow, make sure you practice with them first. Most broadheads will shoot very close to the same point of impact as your practice tips. But the time to find out they may not, shouldn’t be while attempting to shoot an animal.