Is examining wood arrow broadhead flight good enough?

[longbow fanatic 1]

I've been shooting wood arrows with different broad head weights and examining the flight of the arrows out to 35 yards. I've noticed that my 190 vpa's fly the best. I can see no visible kick left or right of the arrow in flight and the shafts stick nice and straight into the target. In contrast, when I use a 125 gr. Woodsman bh, I notice a slight wag of the arrow in flight and the arrows don't stick into the target completely straight. So, my question is this: is examining the flight of wood arrows just as good as paper shooting the shafts for proper spine and tip weight?

[Looper]

Basically, yes. Verify that they hit in the same spot as the same weight field tips and you'll be good to go.

[Orion]

Yes, but I'd want them to be flying straight at 10 yards or less.

[Shadowhnter]

I dont know really what to tell you on that one. I go about it differently. I tune with same weight field point as broadhead,  then shoot a broadhead style that flys like my field tips. Its just a matter of shooting the broadhead to be certain...but its never failed to be the same when all is tuned and close to same weights.

[durp]

should be close... now try paper at 10-12 yds to make sure

[damascusdave]

So why would you expect 125 grain heads to shoot the same as 190 grain heads...that is a pretty big change in dynamic spine

DDave

[damascusdave]

And FOC for that matter...FOC does not matter as much with wood but it still matters

DDave

[longbow fanatic 1]

Originally posted by damascusdave:
So why would you expect 125 grain heads to shoot the same as 190 grain heads...that is a pretty big change in dynamic spine

DDave

I wasn't expecting the 125 heads to fly the same as the 190s. I was comparing the flight of both heads to determine which arrow combo would be best.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Thanks, Jerry. I'll check them at 10 yards too.

[Red Beastmaster]

I have never shot an arrow without fletching. I watch the flight. When you back up to 40+ yds you can really see what's going on.

Sometimes a broadhead will bring out the borderline flight issues of wood arrows. Those arrows are culled from the herd and used only for target.

If the broadheads match the field point wt, and they're mounted straight, on a good shaft, they will fly and hit the same.

[ChuckC]

By thinking thru, I would watch for "wiggles" etc early on.  That would tend to show suitability of arrow system with the bow.  This is of concern because no matter how well they fly "eventually", your shot at a critter is likely to be much closer and the arrow needs to be flying clean at THAT point for best penetration.  

At longer ranges I would expect all but really bad flight to be worked out and stabilized, but where they are hitting in reference to where you are aiming comes into play.  Some arrow / broadhead combos just give you fits and they don't fly straight.

My uneducated thoughts are that matching broadhead to field point, in terms of grouping is not nearly as important if you are shooting only broadheads as the season nears, but very important if you simply switch to broadheads the day prior to season.
ChuckC

[longbow fanatic 1]

Thanks, Chuck. I will check them up close.

[Caughtandhobble]

Originally posted by longbow fanatic 1:
I've been shooting wood arrows with different broad head weights and examining the flight of the arrows out to 35 yards. I've noticed that my 190 vpa's fly the best. I can see no visible kick left or right of the arrow in flight and the shafts stick nice and straight into the target. In contrast, when I use a 125 gr. Woodsman bh, I notice a slight wag of the arrow in flight and the arrows don't stick into the target completely straight. So, my question is this: is examining the flight of wood arrows just as good as paper shooting the shafts for proper spine and tip weight?

No, not likely.... It seems paper tuning or comparing the same weight broadhead to the same weight field point are the two ways to tune wood arrows accurately. If you happen to be close on arrow spine you can bare-shaft tune but the chances of breaking arrows is likely.

Personally I tune wood arrows using broadhead to field point impact. I go as far as to weigh the field points and the broadheads. I compare the impact of the two and try to bring broadhead to the field point.

Any number of arrow/ broadhead combinations can seem to fly just fine by examining from the human eye. In reality you can get lucky but not likely. Don't rely on luck, if you're using a broadhead there is a reason. You are planning on shooting something. A well tuned broadhead has a far greater chance of a pass-through on an animal. We owe it to the animals that are hunted to do our part to insure a quick humane kill.

I personally like that you're testing arrow combinations and recommend that everyone do the same. Testing yourself beats the hell out of trusting something that you read on the WWW. Good luck and keep up the good work.

[The Whittler]

We tune our arrows for hunting with broad heads. If your arrows with BH are flying true and where you want then you have it.

 I would be happy and say to you that you are good to go.

[Fletcher]

Originally posted by longbow fanatic 1:
So, my question is this: is examining the flight of wood arrows just as good as paper shooting the shafts for proper spine and tip weight?

In my experience and opinion, no.  By the time our eye can pick up the arrow, the fletching has already done much to straighten the flight, esp with field point arrows.  Broadheads take more to straighten, but can still beat our eyes in many cases.  Shoot a few through paper from close, like 6 to 10 feet.  I think you will like what you see.  For me, arrows that shoot clean thru paper will shoot broadheads perfectly.  You can shoot your broadheads thru paper, too.