Lets talk Snuffers

[buckeyebowhunter]

I know there's a lot of threads on these heads. But I felt like starting a new discussion if anyone wants to partake. I've dabbled with a lot of different broadheads over the years. I've shot heavy bows and light bows. I've shot big broadheads and smaller ones, ones that are easy to sharpen, and some that are not. I've shot 2 blade, 3 blade and 4 blade. I won't name all the brands and designs I've shot, but out of them all there's only one that stood out and still does. The snuffer. I think Roger hit a homerun when he made them and I know others feel the same.

I believe they are the perfect broadhead. They fly great, they are big, they are easy to sharpen, and they are DEVASTATING on deer. When they were still available they were cheap. I remember buying my last pack sometime in the mid 2000s, I believe from 3 rivers. I still have about 18 of them. Some are the thunder valley brand and some are Delta. I try to buy them whenever they pop up on the auction sites. I've never actually had the big 160 grain heads, only the 145s. Not sure how much difference there is.

I like reading about the history of these heads, whenever I come across threads that are archived about them. There's just something special about them all around, from the history of them to the performance of them still to this day. Anyway, that's my thoughts on my favorite broadhead, and I have no intention of switching or trying anything different until I lose all the ones I have.

[gordydog]

I have shot several deer with them. How do you like to sharpen them?

[buckeyebowhunter]

I start with a file, then I use a set of lansky stones starting with coarse going all the way down to the fine stone. 30 strokes on each side. Then I go to a leather strop with polishing compound. I'm able to get them shaving sharp with this method. Although, I could never get them as sharp as a single bevel head, I honestly don't think it matters that much. Shaving sharp is plenty sharp in my opinion.

[gordydog]

Are you pushing snuffer down a wide file or cross filing the blades. Are you pulling snuffer backwards to strop?

[buckeyebowhunter]

Filing from back to front. Then pulling backwards on the strop.

[David McLendon]

I've sharpened several ways in the past but what I have settled on works very well for me. I have a piece oof 10" X 4" X1/2" tempered glass that I do all but final stropping on. Several drops of water will cause wet or dry paper to stick to it, unless a head is uneven or rough, I start with 400 grit pulling backwards marking the blade edges with a Sharpie. From there I usually go to 600, 800, to 1000 grit. I finish on a Hutsuls leather strop with some Herb's Yellowstone. If you have never tried Herb's Yellowstone, then you need to get some.

[SS Snuffer]

As you can tell by my handle I have been a fan for years. Shot allot of deer with them and the stainless ones. Now that I'm to shooting 37 lbs. I have switch to Deltas and have starting getting pass thru's again. Think if I ever went back to three blades it would be VPA.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

https://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=175564.msg2960345#msg2960345

I posted a sharpening tutorial last spring, link info above.

I'm kind of partial to Snuffers myself. Far as I'm concerned the 160's are the only real ones 😀.

The way they made smaller ones was just to grind them more, so the lighter/smaller they are, the thinner the blades.  Plenty deer shot and killed with lighter bows and the full sized heads over the years. If I was much under 45 lbs I'd look for something narrower though. Remember these heads were designed and manufactured back when 60 lbs or so was a "normal" bow weight.

R

[buckeyebowhunter]

Ryan, are the 160s and 145s any different in cutting diameter? I can't compare them because ive never owned any 160s and i can't find them anywhere.

I know what you mean by the 60lb bows being the norm. I have a book called "Bowhunting Whitetail Masters" im sure you know but your father is featured in that book as are several other notable traditional archers. Even a few guys from Zanesville, Bill Meyer and John Kolometz which is the town i now live in.
Anyways,  I'm pretty sure all those old timers were shooting 60-70# bows and Snuffers!

[Wudstix]

I ran across the Stay sharp 344 and am really impressed.  Shoot 160 grain and 190's when I get lucky.
 

[gordydog]

I also use 600 and 400 grit wet sandpaper and strop with white gold stropping compound from 3 Rivers . Buck tag gone last week now woodies and 160 Snuffer for does.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Yes, the original 160's were 1 1/2 inch diameter, any lighter ones are just ground down smaller. That said, 145's probably aren't much smaller since so little weight was ground off.

Another notable bowhunter from your area was Jim Emerson. His sons all hunt and are still around the area.

R

[buckeyebowhunter]

Ryan, I am familiar with Jim, I think they called him "Doc". I never met him but bought a recurve from his son JD, when I was still in high school. It was the bow I used to take my first traditional whitetail. Pretty cool stuff. Its a  small world.

[matt steed]

I have killed two hogs and two deer with Snuffers. They fly great and sharpen really easy. That being said, I don’t guess mine are the true Snuffers. They are the 145 and 125 grain heads. They are larger than the Woodsman broadhead. I have both to Compare. The Snuffers that I have are larger in diameter. They seem to Sharpen easier than the Woodsman. I just use a flat file and push from back to front and then use a fine diamond stone to finish then off. All four animals were killed with aluminum arrows with a 49# and 50# @30 inches. I wish 3 Rivers would consider making a new Woodsman head with the same dimensions as the original Snuffer. I think they would sale, if they would keep the price down. But they have went up drastically on the Woodsman.

[Wheels2]

I have a bunch of them that I have sitting in a box... 100 without inserts, 125 with inserts from factory, and even some 125 without inserts.  With the steel inserts you can add weight quickly.
I also have some "Delta" 2 blades that I believe they made in the 1990s...
I used the 125 with inserts on a deer two years ago.  A quick touch up and good as new.  The way my season is going this year, they will last long after I am gone...

[Tajue17]

 they were the first broad head I bought for hunting back in the eighties when I asked the guy at the store what he used.  I think to this day I haven't seen another like it come along especially for wood arrows.   I always got the 160's because they were bigger!  but back when everyone shot them I think some African hunters recommended weighting up the 125's to 160 because the 125's had more metal and were tougher, still though I like the 160's .   I have a box full of them I think all originals or figure mid 80's or prior.      I scooped them up locally asking other hunters I knew who didn't hunt anymore because all those old timers had snuffers and those guys aren't online.    sharpening I used a "new" sharp file,,,,, the broadhead files need to be sharp or I can't sharpen any heads but then I go to a fine diamond flat stone and then I strop with the smooth side of a leather belt that's been glued to two painter sticks that had been glued together.. 

[buckeyebowhunter]

Ted if you're ever feeling generous i know a guy that would buy some 160s from ya 

[Terry Green]

Ted if you're ever feeling generous i know a guy that would buy some 160s from ya 

Me too. 

Also, I killed my 1st trad deer years ago with a Snuffer.  Wrote a short story about it and it in the Articles and Stories forum.... 'Know your Terrain'

https://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=108974.0

[Mint]

I just found three snuffers in my garage along with six woodsmans and a dozen razorcaps.

[Wudstix]

If anyone finds some 190 grain that are too heavy for your set up, please PM as I'm here to help.