Lining up fletching with broadhead blades

[amythntr]

I think he is just funning there Anthony.

But I do agree with the thought that it has no affect either way..
I think back when we were shooting long arrows out of slow verticals it did help to and extent. these smoking fast,super powerful,short arrow flingers put it out there its a non issue. Now that said if it give you more confidence to line em up ,then go for it. JMHO

I'm sorry Strum and Wabi if this was all in jest and "funning". Monstermash is not only a new member but also new to xbow as he says in his post. He asked what I thould was a great question that many of us heard for years and wanted some clarification. I am also not sure that a new member knows the jesting that sometimes goes on...No worries here...it was just MHO based upon reading the response and visual...nuff said....

Anthony

[GrassyKnoll]

I shoot a 405 with BEE and 110 grain brass inserts and a 100 grain ST standard and Blazer vanes... I've noticed that in order to hit the "X" with this combo, my blades need to be in the 12-3-6-9 position.. when I have them in any other configuration, they seem to plane on me..

I've also noticed this same pattern with my vertical bow as well.

can you explain why you think my response is BS? What I wrote is what I experience. I don't need to lie or embellish... Just how my set up shoots with ST's..

[racking up points]

I shoot three-blade fixed heads in 100gr on Zombies out of a 330 and 380. Some of the blades line up with fletchings, some don't. But every single one of the arrows, regardless of blade orientation, are surgically precise out to 50y.

I don't discount the notion that it might affect someone else's setup...but on mine it makes no difference whatsoever. If it makes a difference in your experience or if it gives you a mental edge or if it just looks cool, then line 'em up!

[8ptbuk]

If your arrows are fletched with a extreme amount of helical ( Arizona Bolt Jig ) it fixes a lot of problems on the broadhead end of the arrow . In other words the less helical the more critical the broadhead mounting becomes .

[paulaboutform]

With vertical bows you need a properly tuned bow, straight and squared arrows, and a true broadhead. With excals you need proper brace height, straight, squared arrows and true broadheads. The rest is aesthetic. Shoot and check your broadheads for poi and if you're good, use them. I've never noticed a difference with indexing the blades to the vanes.if you're shooting heavier brass inserts or heavier broadheads (150gr+) you should be able to shoot darn near any broadhead. My experience with crossbow arrows has been predominantly with black eagle arrows though....mostly zombie slayers.

[wabi]

I shoot a 405 with BEE and 110 grain brass inserts and a 100 grain ST standard and Blazer vanes... I've noticed that in order to hit the "X" with this combo, my blades need to be in the 12-3-6-9 position.. when I have them in any other configuration, they seem to plane on me..

I've also noticed this same pattern with my vertical bow as well.

can you explain why you think my response is BS? What I wrote is what I experience. I don't need to lie or embellish... Just how my set up shoots with ST's..

First off let my apologize if the gif image offended you. I just found it and thought it was a humorous reply. I meant no offense, but did it in jest as I strongly disagree with the statement that blade orientation can cause accuracy problems.


I have done extensive testing/experimenting over the years with my bows (recurves, longbows, compounds, & crossbows) and have found blade orientation to have no effect on accuracy with a properly matched bow/arrow.
First off, if your blades are 12-3-6-9 that means 4 blades. How can they be aligned with 3 vanes? Only a 3 blade head can align with 3 vanes, and as I said it is totally unnecessary for accuracy.
Not saying you aren't missing the X with it in another orientation, but it's not the orientation causing the problem - it's something else! Could be your concentration or lack of confidence in the shot. Could be the insert wasn't squared perfectly with the arrow shaft and adjusting it corrected the problem.

If you want to spend time making the broadhead blades align where you think they should be go right ahead, it can't hurt anything. Meanwhile I'll go right on just screwing the broadhead in the insert and hunting with it no matter how it's oriented. I've been hunting with a bow for over 50 years now and it (broadhead orientation) has never been a problem yet.

BTW - Do NOT confuse "orientation" with "alignment". Orientation is how the blades are positioned in reference to the fletching, alignment is how the head is positioned in reference to the axis of the arrow shaft. Quite often back in the days of tapered shafts and glue-on broadheads it would be necessary to re-position the broadhead (heat & twist it) to get an arrow to be accurate. That was because of alignment, not orientation.

[amythntr]

....great response Wabi...no worries...!!!!!

Anthony

[wabi]

....great response Wabi...no worries...!!!!!

Anthony

Anthony,
I had intended to say more in my first post, but had to drop everything and rush my wife to the doctor. She has apparently come down with shingles and called to get an appointment while I was on the computer and they told her to get there ASAP!

A case of where I probably should have hit delete instead of send.

[amythntr]

....great response Wabi...no worries...!!!!!

Anthony

Anthony,
I had intended to say more in my first post, but had to drop everything and rush my wife to the doctor. She has apparently come down with shingles and called to get an appointment while I was on the computer and they told her to get there ASAP!

A case of where I probably should have hit delete instead of send.

....more importantly, I hope the Misses is OK...I know shingles can be very painful!

Anthony

[GrassyKnoll]

No worries..

and with what you just posted I understand the gif now and it is funny..

Ed

[awshucks]

O/T.......I had the shingles once and it was plenty enough, I wish her the best, Wabi.......

[wabi]

O/T.......I had the shingles once and it was plenty enough, I wish her the best, Wabi.......

I'm thinking seriously of going fishing tonight.
I know she's hurtin', but I sometimes snap back a reply I should keep to myself.

[monstermash]

Wow, that was interesting I think I got my answer, thanks everyone.

[amythntr]

Wow, that was interesting I think I got my answer, thanks everyone.

....that's what it's all about MM....

Anthony

[galamb]

As a new crossbow shooter you are going to shoot a lot, try a lot of different things and ultimately come up with your own "VooDoo" like we all do.

Personally, I have never noticed any difference in impact point with either my Excal or my Recurve bow by indexing or failing to index the broadheads.

In my crossbow I have shot 3 blade fixed, 2 blade mechanicals (Rage 2, G5 Tekan II's, and recently NAP Bloodrunners (hybrid). My "usual" head is a 3 blade mechanical (Trophy Ridge Undertaker AKA Meat Seeker).

My crossbow is a "relatively slow" Vixen II that I get about 272 fps from shooting 396 grain bolts (including 100 grain tip). I shoot Gold Tip Laser II's with the 110 grain brass insert so my front of center (FOC) is "extreme" at 24.6%.

(I have shot Carbon Express Surge and Pile Drivers, Horton Bone Collectors - liked them best until they went out of business, and Easton's before settling on the Gold Tips) - like I said, play around and develop your own VooDoo.

I "do" index my bolts to a specific broadhead when I get them (since I have to install the inserts myself) - figure it can't hurt, but am not going to scrap the arrow if I get it off a little.

With 3 blade heads just line up the blades with the fletching (and I use the 4" VMax vanes) - with the 2 blade heads, one blade is lined up with the cock (vane) so the other blade is off on it's own between the two other vanes.

However, if a broadhead gets jiggered up and I swap it out, I "do not" re-index the head to the arrow.

My set-up is not built for max speed, nor do I strive for speed at all - (my opinion) it's way over-rated.

My slower, heavier, extreme weight forward arrows (bolts) don't seem to care much one way or the other "what head" or "how it's oriented" in relation to my looooong fletching.