Broadheads

Broadheads

This is where field points stop and hunting starts. Broadheads are the sharp, bladed tips you screw onto your arrows to kill game. Everything else in archery – your bow, arrows, sight, release – exists to deliver this piece of metal into the right spot.

Two main types. Fixed blade broadheads have blades that don’t move – what you see is what you get. No deployment, no mechanisms, just sharp steel that cuts on contact. They’re reliable and proven, but they don’t always fly like your field points. Mechanical broadheads keep their blades tucked during flight, then open on impact. They fly more like field points and create bigger wound channels, but you’re trusting moving parts to work when it counts.

Blade count matters. Two blades penetrate deeper. Three or four blades create wider wound channels. Cutting diameter ranges from under 1″ to over 2.5″. Bigger cuts mean more blood loss but require more energy to push through.

Weight is usually 100 grains or 125 grains. Match your broadhead weight to the field points you’ve been practicing with, or your point of impact changes and you’re guessing at the moment of truth.

Quality varies wildly. Cheap broadheads from random brands might not fly straight or stay sharp. Premium heads from companies like Rage, Grim Reaper, Muzzy, or QAD cost more but they’re engineered to perform. Your broadhead is not the place to save $20.

Sharpen them or replace the blades before season. Test a few to make sure they group with your field points. That’s it. The rest is just picking what works for your setup and the game you’re hunting.