Whitetail and Bod-Kin heads?

[J. Holden]

I recently was gifted some older archery tackle from a friend of a friend who is succumbing to a terminal illness.  To show some appreciation to this gentlemen I've made up some arrows for this fall's whitetail deer season.  One of the pieces to our arrows are some Bod-Kin, 3 blade, broad heads.  They are 125 grains and fly great on the cedar arrows I've built.

My question is in regards to their effectiveness.  I've tried doing some research and I see that they've killed deer.  But it seems like the majority of users are hunting small game (squirrels) with them.  I wounded two deer last year with no recovery.  I don't want to repeat that again this year because of a head failure.

Am I being responsible by using these heads?  Does anyone have first hand shooting deer with these heads?

Thanks!

-Jeremy

[J. Holden]

Just to brag a little too, these are my first attempt at feather splicing and cresting.  The feathers came from him full length.  I also inherited his old school arrow crester.  Among other items I'm very grateful for his generosity and pray for peace and comfort in his last days.

-Jeremy

[Bvas]

I’ve shot and recovered several deer in the past using bodkin. That being said....I don’t use them anymore for deer. All of my shots were well placed, but every one of the broad heads ended up with severely bent blades or curled over points. The steel they used was too soft in my opinion.

Mine however do not look the same as the one pictured. All of mine have kind of a gold color to them.

[Gdpolk]

Beautiful arrows Jeremy! I’m sorry to hear about your buddies health declining.

[J. Holden]

Thank you Garrett.  I don't know the gentleman personally.  But I can only imagine what he's like if he's willing to share so much.

-Jeremy

[stagetek]

I have some, but have never been able to get a very good edge on them. I remember seeing some in the late sixties that had injector razors glued to them. All of mine are gold as well. The head pictured looks like a Hi-Precision.

[mnbwhtr]

A good number of deer have fallen to bodkin broadheads, when I started bowhunting everybody used them. Like Stagetek I was never satisfied with sharpening them, to soft a metal. I used them one year and then switched to Bear razorheads.

[M60gunner]

The Bodkin brand were those sort of bronze, gold color. Soft steel for sure, the MA-3 was a better BH. Those look like the Hi Precision brand. I used those for Pheasant years ago. I used a file to sharpen. Weak point of those heads is the tip, they tend to curl when hitting bone slowing down penetration even in small game.

[Steve D]

I found the same, soft steel etc , that being said I can get the screw in ones near me for less than 35 a dozen, I use them for practice which I prefer to do with BH's any way.
Have no problem switching to Snuffers or MA-3's when the hunting season rolls around, same arrow flight.

[J. Holden]

Well I suppose I have some small game points then.  I don't want to take the chance of a head failure again.  Thanks for all the replies!

-Jeremy

[pavan]

hi-precisions were made in my town, lots of guys around here used them back in the 60s and lots of deer were killed with them.  The best edge is use a large new file and push the flat, sharpening two sides at the same time. It can help to put the back blade in a bench vice and put two hands on the file for even pressure,, careful with the fingers around the file. Do the same stroke on sand paper to touch it up for the day.  On a bunch that were given away when the plant closed down were seconds, or maybe they were all seconds, not sure.  I would shoot each one into soft dirt or foam to check flight and then count your strokes when filing, it is easy to take a lot of metal off of them quickly.  I can permanently wreck one in two or three seconds on a grinding wheel.