Why?

[JamesKerr]

Can someone please tell me why stone points are illegal in some states. I have been curious about this ever since I started making my own hunting points. I do not understand why they would not want them used. One of the best bloodtrails I ever had was with a stone point.

[Ragnarok Forge]

They are a lot weaker than steel points, they are not necessarily reliable heads if you hit bone they can break, etc....  Lot of reasons I can think of for a game department not to allow them.

[JamesKerr]

I agree they can break but so can many of the heads that compound shooters are using. I have seen many animals shot by compounds in which the arrow barely even penetrated due to those mechanical contraptions. In my testing a stone point is much stronger than them.

[Looper]

Are you asking the question from a position of wanting stone points to be legal in your state, or from just general curiosity?  

Although laws are written by state legislators, biologists are the ones who make the recommendations for laws based upon their studies. Knowing a few of them, I do believe that they try to make the best decisions with the information they have. Unfortunately, many of them are not familiar with the effectiveness and efficiency of primitive weapons. Heck, many of them aren't even hunters, much less bowhunters. Some are, but most aren't.

It is possible to have laws changed or amended, but it is a lengthy process.  Perhaps the most critical thing is to find who actually makes the decisions and who that person gets his recommendations from. It's then a matter of presenting the right person with the right information, which has to be based upon actual science and not someone's wishes.

[Grey Taylor]

It could be an unfamiliarity with the material.
It could be erroneous research or advice.
It could be influence from manufacturers.
And worst of all...
It could be the stupidity of politics.

Guy

[hvyhitter]

Many parts of the archery regulations are in place as they were written many years ago and are still there till someone trys to change them. Many said "fixed blade steel broadhead 1 inch in diameter" till the gadget addicts had it changed for mechanicals. Untill someone lobbies to change them, the regs will stay in place. Talk to your state/national bowhunting organizations about backing for a change.

[Pat B]

I think it is ignorance on the part of the folks writing the laws. Not stupidity but ignorance. They just don't know any better.
  After trying to figure out what exactly was meant by a barbed head I called the head law enforcement for NC and asked him if he could explain it to me. He thoght for a few seconds and said that it couldn't look like a fish hook. Then after another pause he said I had better ask the officer that would be writing the ticket.  I just don't think they know and don't have time to find out.
  A broken stone point is sharper than the point before it was broken. It will do as much or more tissue damage as any point. If it weren't for stone points we wouldn't be here today. For a million years mankind has been using stone tools and not until reatively recently(since the bronze age) have metals been used and even Utzi, the Iceman from the Alps who had a bronze ax still used stone arrowheads and a stone knife.
  Plus the stone point lobby just doesn't have the clout to push the issue.

[Ragnarok Forge]

That are allowed in my state I have the stone and plan to learn to knap so I can hunt with heads I made myself.

[sweeney3]

Mainly money.  How many companies manufacture stone points?  What is the sales tax revenue?  How many people are lobbying for stone points to be allowed?  What is the economic/political incentive behind stone points?  

From a common sense point of view, there is no good reason why they shouldn't be allowed, and plenty of reasons they should be.  Sure, they CAN fail and cause a lost/wounded animal.  So can modern broadheads of all varieties.  So can a .270, .308, or any other projectile.  But there isn't much economic or political incentive to put any legislative effort into stone points or other "primitive" hunting methods.  There might be several thousand interested parties, nationwide, compared with MILLIONS of compound/mechanical pointed/rifle/other modern gun hunters in the country.  

There are a few states that allow them, either explicitly or through exclusion (they aren't DISALLOWED), but not a lot yet.  There are probably several other states that could be persuaded with some organized effort, and several that never will be.

[ChuckC]

Stone points are not some miracle thing. Yes they have been around for a long time, but I hope you noticed that every group that formerly used stone,  that finally had access to steel, made the jump.  They are not easy to make, they are not always sharp and if made by an inexperienced person, may not be sharp at all.

I have had enough issues years ago with folks not sharpening the steel heads before use.

I am NOT saying all of them are bad, but face it folks, not many of us are capable of currently producing a good stone head.

ChuckC

[Eric Krewson]

Unfortunately a lot of would be primitive archers make an arrowhead shaped object and try to hunt with it. There is a lot of difference in a properly made head and the run of the mill kind.

You can't separate the dullards tying a blunt rock on an arrow and the guys who use a finely crafted, very lethal point so I understand laws banning these points in some states.

I have some Bill Skinner points that I would feel confident hunting any big game animal with.

If I used some that I made I would be one of the dullards I mentioned above.