Wensel Woodsman/ What is the Verdict?

[J-KID]

I've been shooting three of them for a month now and I will be hunting with them this season.  I do not hear any hissing or whistling sounds and they fly as good as any broadhead I've ever shot.  I'm impressed with the quality.

[Gary Logsdon]

OK, here goes, I finallly got a hold of a 3-pack of glue ons.  Stuck a 100 gr. steel insert in one which bumped the head up to 225 gr, so with a 100 gr brass HIT insert I have 325 grs up front and a pretty good FOC. setup. The arrows check spin perfectly and are tuned to the bow.  I get no sound from the head, period.  Flies like a dart.  As far as sharpening, they weren't ready to hunt with out of the package, however a minute on a flat DMT diamond hone took care of that.  Well-built head.  The only criticism I have is the width which is a bit narrow; the "Elite" is barely legal in KY . . . I mean by a hair!  If a guy gets too file happy he would be putting an illegal broadhead in his quiver here.

[Boomerang]

"The only criticism I have is the width which is a bit narrow; the "Elite" is barely legal in KY . . . I mean by a hair! If a guy gets too file happy he would be putting an illegal broadhead in his quiver here."

You have to measure diameter. Not the distance across two of the blades. The cutting diameter is 1".

[SlowBowinMO]

I've already given the screw ins a hard look, but got some glue ons in yesterday to test.  I immediately noticed the vents are significantly smaller on the glue on due to the ferrule.  I can't help but wonder if the conflicting reports regarding hiss is a result of Glue on versus screw in head differences.

In my testing thus far arrow set ups seem make a difference too...

[Terry Green]

The are very well made....and spin true....I REALLY like the construction.  The come pretty dang sharp....and only a few licks on a diamond stick and they are razor ready.

Like stated above...I just wish they were the same exact specs as the originals.

[Gary Logsdon]

Sorry to disagree with you on this one Jeff, but that's not how KY has written or apparently interprets it's regulation. I have thoroughly checked this out before posting here. One of my best clients is a veteran KDFW conservation officer from central KY and one of my cousins is the state biologist in charge of the KY elk restoration project. Two men definitely on "the inside" in Frankfort!. A few months ago I gave the broadhead reg. question to both of them to obtain a definitive interpretation . . . and got one.  KY measures "edge-to-edge broadhead width", not the "cutting diameter" (Like Alaska and some other states.  I explained to them that some states consider the "hole" diameter, or what you obtain when you draw a circle with a compass by connecting the outside edges of a three blade head, IOW, "cutting diameter".  Both men agreed that if the current reg. was ever rewritten then it should be changed, BUT, that's not in effect now, so I guess the "outdated" reg. trumps common sense right now, and that equals a citation in 2009 IF those edges don't measure at least 7/8" apart.  SO, the Ws Elites I measured, directly from the package, are barely legal under the present interpretation of the KY regulation. As a prudent person I'm concerned about what might happen if my quiver is ever checked by a local CO, and I'm paying attention to what they say!

[Gary Logsdon]

Forgot to mention that one of the COs told me that "ground hole gages were too costly in today's economy" so the reg may take years to be rewritten":^(  So, be happy that they are legal now . . . although KY guys need to watch the filing.

[Gary Logsdon]

Here's what causes some of the confusion guys.  If in doubt about how things are interpreted by COs in your area, do like I did and talk to several before going afield.  Here are two quotes; the first is posted (verbatim) from the Alaskan bowhunting reg. sheet and the second from Kentucky's.  Notice the inclusion of the words "cutting diameter" in the first one, but not the next:

Alaska: "broadhead" means an arrowhead with two or more sharp cutting edges having a minimum cutting diameter of not less than seven-eighths inch (7/8").

Kentucky: "Legal Longbows, recurve bows, compound bows and crossbows (during crossbow season)
Broadheads at least 7/8” wide
Any draw weight (no minimum)

Illegal
Barbed broadheads
Broadheads smaller than 7/8” wide
Arrows with chemical treatments or attachments containing chemicals"

This will be my last post on this, just wanted to publish my findings.  I was a International Bowhunter Education Master Instructor back in the 80s and still have a thing for making sure guys keep alert and stay out of trouble:^):^)

[Widowbender]

Good Post, Gary...
As they say "The devil's in the details"...

David

[Schultzy]

My brother Is going to give the 125 Elites a try this fall. His whistle a tad too out of his longbow but so do my 160 grain glue on Snuffers.

I really like the construction of them, the solid one piece head Is awesome. The cutting diameter kind of disappointments me some though. But then again a person might get more of a hole then a slit with these broadheads, might be the cats meow too everyone. We'll see!

[dino]

Originally posted by Gary Logsdon:
Forgot to mention that one of the COs told me that "ground hole gages were too costly in today's economy" so the reg may take years to be rewritten":^(  So, be happy that they are legal now . . . although KY guys need to watch the filing.

Gary,
Not arguing with the law and some good info there to be aware of but to that CO's point  back to what Gene or Barry (can't remember which) put in an earlier post about this... take a 7/8" paddle bit and drill a hole in a piece of wood...if it drops thru it illegal if it doesn't it has to be larger than 7/8".  If they can't afford that guage, I don't know what then.  dino

[Paul WA]

Havent tried them yet but sure like the old model glue on...PR

[Gary Logsdon]

Dean, the COs said that in jest, and were simply making a joke about what might happen if the law was ever rewritten:^) The current KY law has nothing to do with "cutting diameter", only the "width" measured edge-to-edge.  If it's a 2 blade, then it's measured edge-to-edge and the same with a 3 blade. Now, in state such as AK the reg. reads "cutting diameter", so there are probably a lot of boat paddles to go around up there!  I wish I was wrong on this as I'd prefer they use "cutting diameter" as that's more indicative of what the 3 blade will do.  I was disappointed to find out how they wrote and interpret the law.

[Terry Green]

Gary....I'm sure there are wider versions coming....just hold on!

[HATCHCHASER]

You think the wider ones might be here by September?  

[Terry Green]

Uh.........no comment  

[Morning Star]

Shape of things to come.

Man, looks like we're getting close to the perfect broadhead.  

[J-dog]

No whistle there! looks good

[flatlander37]

James, you gonna have them in a 250 grain screw in?

[James Wrenn]

They are not something I have anything to do with so am not sure when or what will be available.Just some prototypes someone sent me to try out since I made the comment about wishing they had stuck with the regular size as the original heads.I don't know when or IF they will marketed by 3 Rivers.I just know they will fit the bill for what some of us are looking for and wanted to what others thought of them.

These are original size 200gn heads but I think there is a wider vented version in the works that weighs 250gns.I have played with these a few days and like them.No noise at all and I have been shooting them with 2.5" feathers so they fly just like my feild points.