broadhead weight

[Trevorg]

what weight do people use for crossbow hunting? Best for distance and accuracy? Ive got 305 fps to work with and all i have so far are the field points that came with my bow. I just dont want to buy something to heavy or light because a sales rep suggests it and i dont want to guess either. thanks for suggestions

[Bow Walker]

Don't go less than 125 grains. Your field tips shoud be that weight and you would want to match them to have your bolts hit the same and fly the same.

[Trevorg]

hmmmm i never thought about that but i guess your right. If im practicing with one weight i would want my broadheads to weigh the same. Thanks for pointing out the obvious bowwalker.

[Bow Walker]

Yup. That's me. Over stating the patently obvious.:wink:

[Bowzone_Mikey]

hmmmm i never thought about that but i guess your right. If im practicing with one weight i would want my broadheads to weigh the same. Thanks for pointing out the obvious bowwalker.

We call him Captain Obvious :wink:

[The Hermit]

I agree with the AT LEAST part of BW's post... Crossbow Bolts are pretty short so if you can get them to weigh a bunch and still fly nicely that would be the ticket. You can try running some weighted inserts, nylon cord in the tube, and heavy nocks too then keep your shots to 30 yards and you will have good penetration!

[Bow Walker]

Crossbow bolts do not need be weighted down with a lot of crap. Their weight is heavy enough already - that's why the majority of them are aluminum, it's for the weight.

Adding weight via proper screw-in "add-a-weight" to the insert or the nock end is all you need to do - if (and it's a big 'if') you feel you need a heavier bolt.

Penetration issues for crossbow bolts are in the non-existent category. They'll blow through anything on the N.A. continent. Anything. Keeping your shot to a reasonable range will ensure that the pass-through happens every time.

What's a reasonable range for a crossbow? I'd say that shots out to and including 40 - 45 yards are definitely do-able.

[rocksteady]

Personally I use 100 grain broadheads.....I find they fly flatter and penetrate just as good, if not better than 125's.......

I always go for quality Broadheads, the Wal Mart specials are junk and are likely to fail....I use Rage with very good results....

I also use mechanicals, I prefer them over fixed....I also buy the ones with the largest cutting diameter I can find (1.75" or even 2" Wasp JackHammers), my opinion is Big Hole, Big Blood, less distance to track and so far it has worked for me :mrgreen: Even with 1.75 Rage, I had a pass through of both sides of a whitey doe (fletching got hung up on the way out) at 40 yards....

[The Hermit]

Hey BW, most bolts these days are carbon fibre. I know of three people that lost deer and or elk this season because their 100gr bolts with G5 Montecs didn't penetrate shoulders... shots were under 30 yards! I believe that it is important to shoot heavier bolts.

[Bow Walker]

Hey BW, most bolts these days are carbon fibre. I know of three people that lost deer and or elk this season because their 100gr bolts with G5 Montecs didn't penetrate shoulders... shots were under 30 yards! I believe that it is important to shoot heavier bolts.
Hey Hermit - what the heck is a 100 grain bolt?!?

If the bolt didn't penetrate the shoulder(s) - then their shot placement was off.

At 30 yards, and travleing at 300-plus feet per second, the bolt(s) must've hit the heavy bone(s) of the shoulder(s). Therefore, either the animal moved or it was a poorly placed shot.

[savagecanuck]

The 125g broad head gives you more FOC[forward of centre]which helps the short crossbolt fly straighter.Excalibur recommends 150gr[hard too find] weights for more FOC.I use 100g on my old tenpoint @285fps.I have been succesfull with 2 nice bucks the last 2yrs with this setup.I did buy an Excalibur equinox which came with the recommended 150gr field points and broadheads but have not been out with it for practice until it warms up

[Mountaintop]

I use 125 grain G-5 Montecs with Firebolt carbon arrows with my Excalibur. You should be able to get the 150 grain Excalibur Boltcutter broadhead where they sell Excal bows. It is standard issue in their kits

[Bow Walker]

Make sure that the spine of the bolt can handle the 150 grain weight of the broadhead before you shoot. It'll avoid a nasty accident.

That being said, most bolts are stiff enough to take a healthy weight on the front end. They are short enough that usually stiffness (spine) isn't an issue. I've cut down some GT7595 arrows to make a few crossbow bots and the spine is plenty stiff enough for 125 or 140 heads.