Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Broadhead ponderings (Im thinking of having my own made)

I’ve been slicing arrows through animals for 45+ years and in that time I’ve taken many. During that time I’ve tried many many different broadheads from 2 blades to 4, both fixed and mechanical, large and small heads, strong and weak, cheap heads and relatively expensive made of good quality steel and what I later learned was very low quality steel. I’ve also killed both deer and Black bear with homemade broadheads that I designed and made myself. Ive killed animals ranging from small game to 2000 Lb. Water buffalo.

What is the "Best" broadhead? If you spend any amount of time online, you will come across that question many times. The answer has always been the same. It’s the head that is sharp, strong, hits where you are aiming and one that you have confidence in. You can then include additional qualifiers such as, "can I afford it?". "Can I sharpen it?" or "Do I consider it a one-and-done, disposable head?" or can it be re-used time and again?

We all have our criteria that draws us to selecting a hunting head that we want to try and then after use, we determine if it’s a head we want to continue to use or if we move onto the next head in our search for our personal "best" broadhead. Many times, that search is out of boredom or simply the desire to try new things. This is partially the reason why I have in excess of 500 different broadheads in my shop and many of those are multi packs of heads. Some of these I’ve hunted with while others have never made it past the practice range. There is a fine line between hoarding and collecting.

In all that time, and all those different broadheads, I have never had a broadhead that was the reason or cause for me losing an animal. I’ve been fortunate in that I have a very high recovery rate for archery kills and even the low number of animals that I have not recovered, I’ve confirmed, that the bulk of those went on to live. In every case, the fault rested with me not putting the head in the right spot but even the poorest quality-disposable head will quickly dispatch an animal if placed in the vitals.

The reasons we pick a particular broadhead design is largely subjective. The reason we stick with a particular head is mostly objective, based on our personal experience at the practice range and in the field. If you are a fortunate soul that found the prefect head for you that you find success with and, and fairly priced and continues to be manufactured, you may never find the need to explore or switch. Perhaps, all you ever chase is deer sized game so you don't find the need to explore other heads and you find certain heads to be "over-kill" because of size, or features or price if all its tasked with is creating a short blood trail to a deer.

While Whitetail deer are still my favorite bowhunting species, I’ve been fortunate enough to expand the number of species I chase with a bow and arrow including water buffalo, Vancouver Bull, Red stag, wild boar, Bear, turkey and even alligator and last year I took several species but used 5 different broadheads to do so because I based my broadhead selection on the species I was chasing which varied in weight from 20 to 2,000 lbs.

So why am I emptying my head of thoughts of hunting heads and my personal preference? It’s because I'm contemplating, having a custom broadhead made for me for small to medium sized game from turkey to Elk (or sub 1,000 pound animals) A head that has the features I’ve come to see the advantages and a head that is not currently available to purchase. These features are. (in no particular order)

1. Monolithic head machined from a single piece of metal with no moveable or removable parts.

2. High strength, carbon steel (no stainless steel) likely a high carbon tool steel such as O1, D2, 11L41, S7 and the like.

3. Hard yet not so hard that it is difficult to re-sharpen (something in the RC 50 range) since the blades can't be removed, its has to be able to be re-sharpened by the user (me).

4. 4 blades. While I really like 2 blades and single bevel for really big boned game over 1,000 pounds, there are already a wealth of those heads and I like 4 blades over 3 blades.

5. A robust blade bevel. An edge that is both sharp and strong. 45 degrees included angle (22.5 degrees per side of the blade)

6. Heavy (since heavy is a relative term) I like a broadhead in the 175 to 200 grain range for sub 1,000 pound game as part of a total arrow package coming in at 500 to 700 grains and the benefits of higher FOC.

7. Long, low aspect ratio. While I’ve enjoyed a lot of success with short, high angle heads like Slick Trick, I think those head deliver a "punch" to the animal that sends it into the next county rather than low profile heads that slip through which seem to cause less alarm to the animal.

8. A strong tip. The leading edge or tip of the head is tasked with paving the way for the entire arrow package. Tip curl is not an option. I want a tip that cant meet large boney impacts, without yielding.

The negatives (to some people) is a head that the user will have to own the sharpening process but I contend that time spent sharpening your broadheads is not subtracted from your life. Since I own a broadhead sharpening guide company, I have already designed the sharpener for this head.

It’s going to rust. Good quality, high carbon steel is going to rust if neglected. It’s the price we pay for Good quality, high carbon steel and Good quality, high carbon steel make the best cutting edges.

It’s going to be costly since it’s not going to be mass produced. I need to find a machinist with Swiss screw machines and then a heat treater and finally a coater (perhaps black zinc).

That attached picture is such a broadhead I am designing and looking to have made.

Is this the "best" broadhead ever? Nope! Is it the answer to all bowhunters prayers? Nope! Is it magic? Nope! Is it the next best thing or the end-all-be-all of broadheads all the wild stuff we hear when a new broadhead is made? Nope and since it’s not meant to be commercially available, I’m not burdened with coming up with the long list of usual fibs and fabrications we have come to expect from broadhead makers trying to convince folks to empty their wallets. Its only meant to be what I’m looking for in a broadhead for sub 1,000 pound critters since I already have a broadhead for really large/dangerous game that I hunt.

I’ve sent this design out for quote to several machining houses and await the quotes to manufacture. If you are viewing this and think to yourself "Hey, that looks just like a "insert broadhead name here". Know that the American Broadhead Collecting club recognizes in excess of 3000 diff. broadheads that were commercially available since the late 1800's so this head, no doubt looks like some other 4 blade broadhead you have seen but that is to be expected since 4 blades fixed heads have been around a very long time.

I made a first design and then after prototyping it, made some changes and then prototype it with my 3D printer to better refine. That can be seen in the attached images.

Again, Its not my intent to mass produce this head or make it available for sale, Its just a head I want that I cant currently purchase so I’m seeking to have them made for myself. This is not the first time I’ve made a broadhead for my own personal needs., This is the 4 time. The only exception is that this is the first time I will be looking to others to actually manufacture the head for me. Prior heads I’ve designed and hunted with were made by me.

i took a spoon once ,flatten spoon,shape it,balance it,glued it on a 2219 shaft,sighted this arrow spoon combo in ,killed a big doe right thru the lungs at 18 yards.did it just to prove as long as its straight and sharp you don`t need a expandable broadhead to kill deer. Sharpthings your broadhead looks real nice,send me a dozen and i will let you know how well this new super broadhead kills a nice buck.just a thought ? may i also say still my favorite broadhead is just a old Zwickey Eskimo that i hand sharpen myself . its still one of the best broadheads made and probably has killed every animal in the world too by some of of the best archers too including Fred Bear before he made his own brand broadheads.

I’ve been a Bowhunter for 42 years, so not an expert, but also, not a rookie.
Only disagreement I have on your proposed head to be built, is the ability to sharpen a fixed four blade.
I see you have a solution for that. If it gets a 20 degree or so angle on the blade, great.
If not, I’ll stick with a two blade with removable bleeder so I can sharpen it to a razors edge.
Good luck with your new BH.

great commercial but imo overkill. Match the Broadhead to the game and situation. No different than picking the right bullet for the animal. I’ve been shooting deer with muzzys for almost 30 years. Flies true. never had a failure. Never had an arrow not pass thru. Replace my blades for cheap. it’s gotta be nice to design a Broadhead to sell and a matching tool to keep it sharp and use the profits to go hunting.

Will you be poaching per usual with these new broad heads?

What's the cutting radius?

Edit: you could call them "Poacher's Poachers".

I do not know if you poach or not an really do not care but I think your using the forum to advertise is tasteless.
I've been at the archery game for well over 50 years best broadhead I ever used were Ben Pearson Deadheads and Super Deadheads if you figured out how to get them mounted without windplaning they are deadly. With the surge towards crossbows today I am surprised no one has reintroduced them to the market.
The expandables everyone thinks are new and modern today a little history lesson would be to do a Google on Switchbacks and Guilotines made back in the 1950s. Bows were underpowered for them then but when driven at 60#+ from a recurve they opened up well...I almost cut the head off a small buck with one.

Typical Ron... always promoting(advertising)his crap for free on forums.

His other useless thread wasn't getting anymore attention, so he had to start a new one. He is nothing but a needy attention seeking bag of hot air.

All that racket instead of just buying the Tooth of The Arrow 175gr and being done with things

I was just looking at that brand and the sharp thing broadhead design looks very similiar to it

Never had a single problem with Muzzy's or Slick Tricks. They fly great and have always worked.

But you know Poachers need more!

I have to laugh when I read the whining and the sound of panties getting twisted in a knot by folks that didn’t read my post where I stated:

“it’s not meant to be commercially available”

And

“Again, Its NOT my intent to mass produce this head or make it available for sale, Its just a head I want that I cant currently purchase so I’m seeking to have them made for myself.”

And the whiners manufacture stress upon themselves by either not reading the words on their screen or ignoring them and then falsely inventing that I am Advertising or selling these heads when the exact opposite is the case. Thanks for the entertainment. Perhaps, next time, have another person read the posts to you while you sit quietly with your eyes closed, listening.

As to the deep concern and passion for what this head would be named, fret not since the head is not meant for sale and would only be used by me, it doesn’t require a name. I will just call it my broadhead.

Thanks for all the passion and emotion. Snowflakes make the best entertainment but I cant fix stupid.

Now to an actual good post of substance (from dale06) Dale, Ive already designed and made the sharpener (because I own a company that designs and makes broadhead sharpening systems) for this head that will be used by the users of other 4 blade heads so the sharpening is already covered and the angle will be 22.5 degrees per side and will employ diamond honing plates in 240, 400, 800, 1200 grit and a buffing surface with green buffing compound.



Yes but their head is to blunt or short/stubby and they don’t come in 200 grains so its not an option for me.

As it relates to my deer feeding citation of 2012 (can you believe its been 7 years already? WOW! Time flies) Since no poaching ever took place, I don’t see the fuss and invention of stress upon yourselves but if you have that much free time, have at it. Feel free to play with yourself as you see fit.

My last 2 threads had about 3000 views each. I'm sure the the hand wringers and snowflakes and panty wadders here will do me the favor of boosting this one to those stats s well.

Thanks for letting me live rent free between your ears. Im flattered.

Now, Chop chop! keep this thing going. So let it be written, so let it be done. I know I can get montanacreekhunter to lose his schitt as I control his feelings and emotions for him and can script his replies at will. Watch how I can make that puppet dance and wet himself. Thanks for the thread boosts pal. I can always look to my fans for a boost.

3.......2....1 Go!

You might want someone to read this to you while you sit with your mouth shut and eyes closed liar!

Kulas knew baiting/feeding deer is illegal in Portage County. Writing as “Retch Sweeney” on an April 23, 2012, online forum, he said: “I don’t place bait. It’s illegal in the parts of Wisconsin I hunt. If it were legal, I would still not place bait. I hunt dairy (agricultural) lands, so there is plenty of ag-intended bait I hunt around.”

On another online forum in August 2011, Kulas wrote: “Unless those ‘magic stumps’ are within 50 yards of your house, they are illegal bait sites, which makes (you) as good as a poacher.”

In explaining his Nov. 17 citation, however, Kulas claimed on Bowsite.com that he was cited for a feeding, not baiting, violation, even though Meister noted both are illegal.

Kulas further claimed he didn’t pour corn at the site, but “snapped off a few ears” in a nearby field, and wrung the kernels from the cobs. He wrote:

Just own it you are a piece of Sh_t.

Just a pale fatass with monster jowels who pays to hunt, poaches, or dreams....

Couldn't do a real hunt hunt on public land if he tried waddling down the trail. If he did, he'd realize the broadheads or bullet is so far down the list of what makes a successful hunt. Just an amateur all around....

One look at him explains it all. Sad little man...

You always have your hand out begging for free schit to be given to you. First it was the Jack Atcheson thread asking for someone to pay your way into a hunt so you could give a review of their service.

Classless act on your part, especially on a thread where a man’s personal and professional reputation was wrongfully disparaged.

Now, your begging for more free schit from a cited poacher...Your an absolute idiot! Either find your wallet and buy your own hunts and gear, or STFU. 😎

GregW he needs the best bullet or broad head he can get for his less then ideal shot placements. But hey when you know they are watching your every move you ain't got time for good shot placement. Not that ha can probably shoot worth a f_ck anyways! Just a POS POACHER, Sharp things you are no hunter.

>>no you have problem little man ,i am just joke`n with sharp things he`s a good dude. best you stay out of bars unless you like pick`n yourself off the floor.

Sharpy and Stick are your pards..Laffin....I’m sure both are proud to have you call them “good dudes”.

You, should have stayed out of the bars because booze has definitely played a role in you being stupid.

I’m gonna say you’ve caught more DUII’s than fish in your lifetime....hint 😎

Holy shït we have a Mensa member bev. Pete could even pull the cork and he’s talking tuff. 🤣🤣😂😂😂🤣🤣
Can’t blame a fly for landing on a pile of [bleep]. “GOOD DUDES” oh fûck I’m gonna peeee.