So THAT'S why chisel tips are better...

[Archie]

After reading another post here of somebody shooting through a telephone book, I thought I'd do something useful with one of my old (softcover) college textbooks...

   

   

This is a much heavier book than a phone book, and I was shooting with a 48# at 31" (I pull 30.5") longbow shooting about 700 grain arrows.  The Wensel Woodsmans are 125-grain glue ons, over inserts, so tips are 175 grains overall.

I backed up and shot it at 40 yards, and ended up hitting close to the spine of the book.  And look what happened!  

   

This week I am planning on getting my broadheads sharp for hunting season anyway, but now I have extra motivation for taking off those needle points.

[Duker]

Great pics    THANKS  

[JamesKerr]

Yep a chisel or tanto tip works better when something hard is hit. I am suprised that tip bent that much though from just hitting a book.

[skychief]

Thanks for reporting this technical information!  :D

[Rob W.]

I found that out the hard way when I started out. Curled a few on bone that first season.

You guys are making me want to put a VPA through something!  :D

[Archie]

Well, Rob, with my track record, that book may be the only thing I shoot all season!

By the way, my book is only about an inch thick, much thinner than the phone book in the other active book-whacker thread.

[WidowEater]

A trick that is advocated by a few who know Woodsmans well is to sharpen a new point onto them at a much steeper angle.

Kind of like putting a secondary bevel on your broadhead edge but only on the point.  It is done to attempt to prevent the tip from curling like you experienced here.

Was your head modified this way by chance?  I have never seen any after shots of the modified point Woodsmans so I really dont know if that trick works or not.

[Archie]

Mine were absolutely stock at the time of shooting today, just as out of the package, not even sharpened yet.  I'm planning on doing the same thing you're talking about, Troy.  I think that the long skinny shape stretches out the tip all the more on these Woodsmans, putting more leverage against a thinner tip.

[Stumpkiller]

Is 45# enough to hunt a Webster's Dictionary?

But seriously, I lop off all the tips to a flat point (not chisel - I'm still a double-bevel dinosaur).  Years of stump shooting with my hunting broadheads taught me the same thing you learned from a book.  (Pun intended).  Also a good way to decide on a tough and easily resharpened broadhead.

[WidowEater]

Ive heard it called putting a pyramid on the point.

I did a search on Woodsmans on here and from what I can tell pyramiding the point does in fact work very well.  It would be interesting to see the results of shooting a book with the modified head or a stubborn offside shoulder on a game animal.

[BUCKY]

I wonder how a thunderhead style broadhead would do.

Hey, Rman, I think I recognize that arrow! I hope they are shooting well for you.

Bisch

[Archie]

Hiya, Bisch!  The arrows I got from you are working great.  This experiment was with my lighter bow and setup, shooting 2117s.  I plan on going out and firing a couple of those 2419s out of my 69#er either tonight or tomorrow, at the same book.  If it looks interesting, I'll post some pics of that too.

[Kamm1004]

I'm not surprised at all. Paper is a tough target! You should watch the episode of Mythbusters where they bulletproof a car by shoving phonebooks in the door panel. It stopped alot of heavy loads. I think only a deer slug and a 308 punctured a phonebook that was only 3in think. It stopped all the other bullets dead in their tracks. Granted broadheads are different especially tanto tips or chisel tips but still...

[Rob W.]

I try to re-create the tip that comes on VPA's with my older heads. I clip the tip and use a dremel with a stone. Don't curl, penetrate well, and put plenty of blood on the ground.

 

[Terry Green]

I've had no problems with the ones I've pyramided.....it don't take much to make the tips stronger.

[D]

Glad I seen this.  I am shooting snuffers and have been sharpening them up and have a serious needle point on them.  Hum guess I'll have to fix that.

[JamesKerr]

Overspined, I don't get your point no one here has said anything about poor shot placement.

[30coupe]

Just make sure whatever you use it is good and sharp. I've shot deer with both Snuffers and Woodsman with the needle point with no issues. Deer ribs are easy to shoot through and don't bend the tips. If you hit shoulder bones bending the tip is the least of your problems. I do pyramid the points now though when I use three blades. I mostly shoot Zwickey Deltas though.

I did get great blood trails with the three blades though, so I'm not knocking them.

[Scattergun2570]

It`s a good thing deer are not made of thick paper.