Fletching and broadhead alignment

[macksdad]

I have heard various theories on fletching and broadhead alignment, and have some questions about the topic. If you are shooting 3 blade heads do they need to be aligned perfectly with the fletching your arrows. If you shoot 4 blades do you need to 4 fletch your arrows .  I use two shoot 4 blade muzzy heads and recently switched to 2 blade magnus stingers. I have always shot 3 fletched arrows with 5" parabolic or trad cut feathers. If broadhead and fletch alignment are that critical then I probably should use 4 fletched arrows with both my 4 blade and 2 blade heads. Anybody have any solid input on this topic?

[magnus]

As long as your arrow and bow are tuned it makes no difference. IMO. I shoot 2 blade head and 4x4 fletch. Most folks align the head for sight window clearance. Remember we're only shooting 20 to 30 yards max. Usually less when hunting and at the speed we shoot areo dynamics isn't as crucial as it is in say  fighter jet. There's been a lot of talk on this. Try doing a search you should find a lot of info.

[Friend]

In theory, if the arrow is tuned properly the BH alignment makes no difference. Having said that, most common shot execution arrows are due to a poor release. Two blade BH's tend to plane less when aligned horizontal.

Personally, I position my 2 and 3 blade BH's for and unobstructed site window. Two blades horizontal and three blades with the 'V' aligned straight up.

[Zradix]

There isn't any correlation between the numbers of feathers and the number of blades.

If your arrow is tuned well with fields it'll shoot well with broads. On that note, shooting broads may magnify your shooting errors and/or wrong arrow spine. So be sure to practice with broads just to be sure everything is good.

The only thing that might make any difference as far as feathers effecting broads is this... If you use LW feathers use a Left bevel head or double bev. If you shoot RW use right bev or double bev.

The reason for this is to have the arrow spinning in the same direction through the air as the blade will try to turn the arrow through the meat.

No reason to waste energy trying to stop the spin and make it go the other way.

I don't know how much energy is lost..Asbel reports do... but why ignore the fact.

[trad_bowhunter1965]

I shoot my broadhead at the 1 and 7 position there are two reasons for this, one a clear view of my target two I am old school and I think by having my broadheads almost vertical I get better arrow flight, but stated earlier make sure your bow and arrows are tuned.

[Rob DiStefano]

old bowhunter's tales - don't matter at all how the heads are aligned with the feathers.  all that matters is getting the heads aligned with the shaft and not off center.

[Zradix]

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:
old bowhunter's tales - don't matter at all how the heads are aligned with the feathers.  all that matters is getting the heads aligned with the shaft and not off center.

Above really important.

You don't need an expensive "straightness tester" either. Just a flat surface to roll the arrow on between the feathers and head. Then have something ( wall, board, hanging paper etc) by the tip with a line drawn parallel to the table. Watch to see if the tip of the head follows the line. If it doesn't..adjust accordingly.

[macksdad]

Thanks for the in put guys, I have heard alot on this topic and felt that tuning was the correct answer just needed reassured. Thanks again

[SS Snuffer]

Unless your shootin big Snuffers thru netting!!!

[xtrema312]

It doesn’t matter at all, but I still like my 3 blades lined up with my feathers.  I started doing that years ago with my aluminum arrows and it helped.  At least in my mind it did  :D  , and it works for my sight picture.

[Archie]

Black Widow supplies an owner's manual DVD with their bows (I just got a new BW longbow), and it gives a very detailed explanation by Ken Beck of tuning a bow.  After watching that a couple of times, this whole issue became very clear.

What Rob said above is accurate; broadhead alignment has nothing to do with feather alignment.  But that 'wing' (broadhead) on the front of the arrow is going to catch the air like a sail if the arrow isn't tuned right.  If your arrows are going to porpoise (up/down) a bit when they fly, then perhaps a two-blade could be aligned so that it is vertical at the point in its flight when it would first catch that air, before the feathers straighten it out.  For left/right (spine) tuning problems, if the broadhead is more horizontal at the point where it would catch that air (before the feathers straighten it out), then that horizontal arrow movement could, theoretically, have less effect on arrow flight.  

A couple of years ago I had a terrible problem with arrow flight and 3-blade heads, before I knew anything about tuning.  I ended up rotating a broadhead slightly and shooting it, until I found where the broadhead shot exactly like a field point.  I rotated all my broadheads identically and get great arrow flight now (with those specific arrows, length and weight, on that bow).  I shoot with a homemade arrow sight on my BW recurve, and so could very accurately compare a field point with the broadhead.

[EL Mejor]

GOOD INFO THANKS,,,

I had a 160 grain Magnus take a huge side step when shooting at a buck in a rear quartering tail wind. It was mounted vertically the next shot was horizontal and did not.  All of these were test shot prior and they all shot the same. I had three flat and three verticals with me that day. while waiting  on the hit buck I test shot another vertical mounted head and it did somewhat the same thing.  It could have been a tuning thing, but I think the wind speed and direction with the vertical mounted heads made something go wrong that day.

[Stumpkiller]

I shoot single blade on wood shafts and align them horizontal so the width is across the stiffest spine of the arrow; may reduce windplaning as the paradox is wobbling the shaft with the flat of the blade for minimum rudder effect.  Also keeps them from contacting my finger at full draw and I don't see the blade to distract me.