Broadhead thoughts?

[Iowabowhunter]

42# at my 29" draw Black Widow PSAX, chasing Iowa whitetails.

Going to use some awesome 160 grain snuffers on adapters for spring turkey, but what I'm more concerned with is what I should have up front come deer season.

Adapted 200 grain Zwickey Eskimo 4 blade or Delta 4 blade's?  Haven't taken a deer with my trad bow, really putting in the work right now to become proficient with my stickbow, and having a ton of fun in the process!

Hoping I have enough juice for the Delta's (total arrow weight is 500 grains)!

[Bowguy67]

 I’d not be afraid of the Zwickey w the small bleeder blades. I like the heads but I’m thinking the delta may be big for you given the draw weight. A consideration might be a 2 blade grizzly. I’d think it’s a great Broadhead for that type set up.

[smokin joe]

I would go with Woodsman 3-blades. Get them sharp and things will be fine. You can use heavier adapters to equal your Snuffer set up front-end weight.

I shoot 45# at 29" and I like three blade broadheads for my set up. I would also use them if I was down a few pounds from where I am.

[Gordon Jabben]

Most times, turkeys are harder to shoot through than deer but I think snuffers should work for both.

[Longbowwally]

I would be more 'worried' about the broadhead I use for turkey than whitetails. I love the 160 grain Snuffer - and have killed a bunch of deer with them with trad equipment - but to be honest turkeys are tougher to penetrate than whitetails - in my limited experience of one gobbler with the longbow(5 with modern archery equipment). I shot that gobbler at the top of the leg quartering slightly forward with a 160 grain snuffer and a 50 lb reflex reflex longbow. Broadhead just barely made it to the vitals after hitting leg joint....Good blood trail for a turkey but I would go with a VPA, Woodsman or Grizzly 3 blade myself for better penetration on whitetails and turkeys....

[YosemiteSam]

I'm planning to use some Eskilites for turkey but still like Grizzlies for big game.  I miss more often with turkeys so I want a cheaper head in case I shoot into a rock.  Done fine with No Mercy & Deltas but need something closer to 125 grains in a screw-in version for my new setup.  With big game, I want something extremely tough.  I'm sure the Zwickey would be fine but I was impressed with how things went with my little bear last season and have some designs on chasing elk at some point.  So the Grizzly gets my most confident vote.  I picked up some 145 gr Grizzlies for that.  I've been very impressed with how they fly in practice, too -- fly like field points.  Deltas did okay for me but seemed to also highlight my flaws a little more.

I'll add that I shoot heavy arrows -- 600+ grains.  I've only taken a couple of turkeys but both had 2 holes.  The arrows didn't quite make it all the way through, though.  One had the broadhead poking out (Delta with 670 grains total arrow weight) and the other was hanging out the offside with the fletching inside the bird (No Mercy with 690 grains total arrow weight).  One was quartering away & shot behind the rear leg.  The other was perfectly broadside & through both wings.

[Doug in MN]

Turkeys seem to have invisible bricks in them they are tough. I think Woodsman or VPA would serve you well given your set up.

[Mike Bolin]

I shoot 44#-46#@28" and I have settled on the VPA and Woodsman 3 blade heads. You can't go wrong with the tried and true Zwickey heads. For me it boils down to which head is the easiest for me to sharpen, both at home at the bench and in the field. Good luck with your choice!

[Iowabowhunter]

what's the best glue to use for inserts?

Going to use aluminum for the snuffers, and steel for the Zwickey's so I can get each head up to 200 grains

[Alexander Traditional]

Are you talking about inserts or adapters? I use Big Jim hot melt for all that sort of stuff,and it holds really well. I use blue cap gorilla super glue,and Big Jim hot melt for inserts.

[Iowabowhunter]

Are you talking about inserts or adapters? I use Big Jim hot melt for all that sort of stuff,and it holds really well. I use blue cap gorilla super glue,and Big Jim hot melt for inserts.

Sorry, meant to say broadhead adapters*

[BAK]

Well, here is the heresy, the glue just has to be good enough to keep the head from falling off.  Sorry, but that's just the truth of the matter.  Any good gel type super glue or slow set epoxy will do the job.  I've also used hardware store hot melt to good advantage.

Now as to broadheads, 2 blade COC sharpened like a razor.  The last turkey I hit with a 3 blade I knocked off his feet, rolled him over, and he got up and ran like hell.  That was a clean broadside wing butt hit at 16 yards.  When I picked up the arrow it had a little dribble of blood on just the very tip.

[Mad Bear]

Im aiming for the neck these days. Whoever said they have invisible bricks in them aint wrong. I got these broadheads from aliexpress. I made a video of how I set up for turkey. Hope you get your bird! Good luck brother.

[BAK]

Mad Bear, my shoot through mesh windows in my blind wouldn't last too long with those. 

[Mad Bear]

Mad Bear, my shoot through mesh windows in my blind wouldn't last too long with those. 

Hahaha yeah these leave a nasty cut. Fingers crossed for a decap shot on film for you guys n gals.

[Friend]

The following arrow setup has proven itself most lethal on both turkey and deer time and time again…typically, get great penetration
 and pass thrus on both turkeys and deer… have often gotten real blood trails on turkeys if they even managed to go far. Several Tree Shark inflicted wounds that I measured on deer this past season were ~4” plus entrances and ~2.5” exits.

Should be in the ball park for your 42@29 BW  PSA. ---BE Carnivore 400…100 gn brass insert….190 gn Tree Shark…~30 ½” s…~520 gn total

Note: One of my hunters, this season, shooting a Tree Shark from 42@25 and a slower bow than the PSA , blew thru a deer….wonderful blood trail.
         Have experienced significantly less penetration on turkeys when shooting Snuffers and Big 3’s from heavier setups.

[NY Yankee]

I remember when Snuffers were being made, the 160 was the bad boy on the block and all the hard-core trad guys were shooting them. The guy that ran the archery shop nearest me couldn't say enough good about them. They sold well. If I were you, I would sharpen them well and use them for deer. 

[Kelly]

FYI, the last 3-4 big bucks Roger Rothhaar killed were with a very similar draw weight as yours and he used 160 grain Snuffers on 100 grain broadhead adapters on 500 sized carbons weighing about 535-540 grains.

The last big buck I killed was with 42# @ 28” with the same similar arrow as Roger used. Only difference between our arrows mine were a half inch shorter and I used 125 grain steel broadhead adapters with 160 grain Snuffers. Two holes and a short blood trail-what more can you ask for.

[Iowabowhunter]

FYI, the last 3-4 big bucks Roger Rothhaar killed were with a very similar draw weight as yours and he used 160 grain Snuffers on 100 grain broadhead adapters on 500 sized carbons weighing about 535-540 grains.

The last big buck I killed was with 42# @ 28” with the same similar arrow as Roger used. Only difference between our arrows mine were a half inch shorter and I used 125 grain steel broadhead adapters with 160 grain Snuffers. Two holes and a short blood trail-what more can you ask for.

Crazy to me to think that I could get a passthru using that giant 160 Snuffer out of my bow (showing my inexperience with traditional archery here)

[Orion]

It's more difficult to get pass throughs on turkeys than it is on deer with any head because turkeys are physically light and are moved by and with the arrow at the arrow's impact.  The heavy feathers do a pretty good job of spreading and absorbing some of the arrow's energy, turning it into a push on the turkey's body, and because the turkey only weighs 25 pounds or so (balancing on stilts/long legs), the arrow moves its body in the direction of travel, reducing penetration. A 150# deer may jump the string, but the body isn't moved by the arrow's impact.  That's why the arrow more easily passes through.  The bigger the head, the less penetration, all other things being equal.  Regardless, most any head, if it's sharp, is usually enough for either critter.