Practicing with Field Points

[DanO]

I missed a deer last year and I was sure I had the range and the shot was good. I normally sight my bow in with the same weight of field points and I've never found much difference in accuracy. I decided to shoot the arrow that missed the deer just to see if the POI was off. Holy mackerel this arrow was a complete flyer! I missed the Block at 30 yards yet all the field point arrows were dead on and the two remaining field point arrows were on as well.

So my question is - Do most hunters shoot their field points at least once to verify accuracy? I hate to chew up the target and somewhat dull a new broadhead but then the alternative isn't great either.

[robertyb]

I would never shoot a broadhead at an animal without verifying its accuracy first by shooting it.

[Deaf jeff]

i shoot spitfire BH's and nowadays i site in with FP's. i also practice with the exact arrow that my first will be shot with the spitfire. been doing this for 20 years and very happy with the results

[Bcxbow]

I would never shoot a broadhead at an animal without verifying its accuracy first by shooting it.

X2

[nchunterkw]

DanO
From what you said, my guess is that you are shooting a fixed blade broadhead. What is happening, is the large blades of the broadhead are steering the arrow similar to what teh fletchings do. This is called arrow plane-ing. There are a few reasons this may happen. 1) the arrow does not spin true in flight, 2) the fletching is not adequate to correct for the steering the broadhead is creating, 3) the broadherd is not seated square to the arrow.

If you can give us a detailed description of your arrow (manufacturer, length, weight, insert weight, nock, nock weight, flecthing length and how it's put on, broadhead and it's weight) we can better diagnose what may be happening.

But to start, you should spin test each arrow. You can make a cheap spin tested by glueing 4 marbles to a board. Two right next to each other on one end and two right next to each other on the other end. They only need to be about 10" - 12" apart. Then rest the arrow shaft between the marbles and rotate it. The tip of your broadhead should not move at all when the arrow is rotated. If it does you will see wild flight like you did.

I hope this helps. But give us more info and we should be able to fix you right up. WARNING: we like to spend other peoples $$ though.

[xcaliber]

Yes we do!
All good advice provided. Good luck.

[Up-Stream]

Every bolt that I plan on hunting with has been shot to verify accuracy. Ive found that sometimes the same exact bolt with the same broadhead, even after spin testing to check if seated squarely, may fly different. I generally shoot 4 blade fixed heads and have learned to sharpen them up a bit after testing on block target and sometimes after a clean pass through on deer. This has improved my poi on animals and greatly increased my confidence in my equipment.

[hunter with MS]

If it is a new crossbow or if I mess with the scope like changing it I shoot field points just to get it somewhere on the target . Then I shoot a broadhead and adjust the scope to it then I don't shoot anything but the broadhead . Yes I do chew up targets but I am now sure of where it is hitting and some broadheads you can get practice blades if not I dull up a broadhead and I can get replacement blades .

[Xbowkiller]

I would never shoot a broadhead at an animal without verifying its accuracy first by shooting it.

X2

X3

[janesy]

I would never shoot a broadhead at an animal without verifying its accuracy first by shooting it.

X2

X3

X4 I even re sight in if I have to switch a head to a different arrow from the same quiver. You never know

[longbow joe]

As long as my spitfires ,lazer strike ll,and the xact cut are spin tested ive never had a flyer shooting one after first testing with a like weight field point. Thats the beauty of these mechanicals. Now fixed heads are a whole different animal. Thats why l like these heads . I dont have time for the indexing games. Yes indeed some of the fixed heads are very accurate and might penetrate a tad better but lts one less headache in my opinion to not have to deal with the fixed blade.plus The mechanicals are just plain safer in a quiver or in crossbow up in a treestand!

[DanO]

Thanks guys. I will try the spin test. I've shot this bow and combination of arrows for 10 years. I did verify the field points and the BHs were consistent many years ago. I moved to Lumenock nocks that I've placed into the arrow. I'm pretty sure I had a nock that wasn't square. I will try the spin test. What do you do if the nock isn't square? Other than the spin test and a visual inspection it'd be tough to correct the problem.

I'm shooting the original Carbon II Express arrows. Wasp hammer 1 3/16" 100 gr three blade heads. These are the original stock arrows supplied by Excalibur 12 years ago.

[longbow joe]

If you are shooting a 100 grain broadhead out of a stock excaliber bolt they only have a 30 grain insert. The stock excalibur bolts were meant to be shot with a 150 grain boltcutter now to make it worse you're adding a heavier luminock on the rear.lm not saying your setup wont work as said you use it a long time , but most of us are using a 80 to 110 grain brass insert and a 100 grain head. l think you are robbing yourself of the bolts full potential with the minimum foc you have. Try at least a 125 grain broadhead or go to a 80 grain brass insert and you will be very impressed with the flight and better groups you get l promise.The heavier brass insert is not going to cause your bolt to drop very much at hunting distances. It will do more good than harm.

[sproulman]

As long as my spitfires ,lazer strike ll,and the xact cut are spin tested ive never had a flyer shooting one after first testing with a like weight field point. Thats the beauty of these mechanicals. Now fixed heads are a whole different animal. Thats why l like these heads . I dont have time for the indexing games. Yes indeed some of the fixed heads are very accurate and might penetrate a tad better but lts one less headache in my opinion to not have to deal with the fixed blade.plus The mechanicals are just plain safer in a quiver or in crossbow up in a treestand!

Good info....But you would not believe the wounded doe I heard this year with mechanicals..Hunters are not waiting for broadside shot and taking angle shots hitting high on back..Very sad indeed what I heard..Then hear SPROUL BUT I MUST GET THAT DEER OR IT WOULD HAVE LEFT.. At times I just hate the hunters I see today that cannot take clean broadside shot or leave deer go..

[nchunterkw]

If you are shooting a 100 grain broadhead out of a stock excaliber bolt they only have a 30 grain insert. The stock excalibur bolts were meant to be shot with a 150 grain boltcutter now to make it worse you're adding a heavier luminock on the rear.lm not saying your setup wont work as said you use it a long time , but most of us are using a 80 to 110 grain brass insert and a 100 grain head. l think you are robbing yourself of the bolts full potential with the minimum foc you have. Try at least a 125 grain broadhead or go to a 80 grain brass insert and you will be very impressed with the flight and better groups you get l promise.The heavier brass insert is not going to cause your bolt to drop very much at hunting distances. It will do more good than harm.

DanO.....this is the issue IMO. By switchng to the Lumenock from the plastic nock you decreased the FOC...and it was pretty low to begin with by only using a 100gr head on the stock arrow. The easiest thing for you to do is to get some 150gr BHs for those arrows as that woudl put you +30 grains towards a higher FOC than where you were before the Lumenocks. Or as Joe suggested, bump up the front end insert weight and then you can still shoot 100gr heads.