# Turkey broadhead experiment



## Al33 (Mar 22, 2007)

I enjoy tinkering with things trying to make something work better for whatever I need it for and I have been thinking of turkey arrows and broadheads. I keep reading it is best for the arrow to stay in the tom versus a complete passthrough. I have read/heard of modifying an arrow with wire, hooks or whatever to keep it from passing through a bird but I do not care for that approach. 

I'm thinking, and hoping, this modified Wensel Woodsman will help in this regard. My theory is the barbs will grab feathers and really put the brakes on the arrow once it hits the tom. I do not suspect it will be enough to keep the head from passing through the bird but will at least increase the odds it will not be a passthough. Of course, where the head hits the bird (f I am fortunate enough to hit one) will be a factor for penetration, but I am hopeful this works.

I used a very thin carbide grinding disc in a high speed rotary tool to make the barbs. Only takes a minute or two per head and a Dremmel Tool should work just as well. I did not serate or barb the entire length of the blades so I still have plenty of cutting edge. 

This may turn out to be nothing more than ruining a few good broadheads. Whatcha think, is it a hair-brained idea and waste of time and good broadheads?


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## Ol' Red (Mar 22, 2007)

Or you could use the Guillotine and not have to worry about pass throughs at all.  JMHO.

Red


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## Al33 (Mar 22, 2007)

Ol' Red said:


> Or you could use the Guillotine and not have to worry about pass throughs at all.  JMHO.
> 
> Red



The Gobbler Guilotine is for head/neck shots, and I may try one one day, but I will have to shoot either aluminum or carbon, not woodies.


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## SELFBOW (Mar 22, 2007)

I just thought of this. How about taping some treble hooks to the arrow about midways back?


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## maconducks (Mar 22, 2007)

you will end up in the E.R. if you tape treble hooks anywhere past the broadhead.  IMHO.  I just dont see how it will pass through the riser and shelf w/o snagging and breaking something at high speed.


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## fflintlock (Mar 22, 2007)

I have'nt killed a turkey with a bow, yet. But I would think you would not want the arrow to stop inside the body. I would beleive you would want as close to a pass through as you could get, with as big of a cut as you can get. Turkeys are light, so to speak, any way. The arrow will move the turkey in it's intended direction and that in it's self will create a non pass through shot, in my mind any way. It's like when you hit a pinecone or something laying on the ground, when the arrow strikes it, it picks it up and moves it backwards, without fully pennatrating it. I bought some 160 g. magnus snuffers for just this purpose. I'm thinking I want a wide cut,(big ole hole) and a pass through, if I can obtain it. I guess you could do just as well with a 2 blade head, with a wide cut.  I'd be happy just to get one within bow range ! LOL!! 
 That wensel, indeed looks nasty enough !


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## Glenn (Mar 23, 2007)

Al I have not been lucky enough to take a turkey with my recurve yet either but from what I have read on other Trad sites is that you want a complete pass thru.

The Woodsman head would be my choice also because it is so big but I want it to pass through the bird if possible.


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## Al33 (Mar 23, 2007)

What I want to avoid is a complete passthrough where the entire arrow exits the bird. It is my understanding if the arrow stays in the bird he is less likely to get away after the hit. Ideally, I want the broadhead to exit and the arrow remain.

I noticed a glob of soft downy like feathers at the front of my fletchings on the arrow I killed the tom with last year. It was obvious to me these came from the under layer of feathers. Surely this glob had to impede the arrow as it passed through the tom but it was at the rear of the arrow so I'm theorizing if it is at the head it will be more effective, thus the reason for the barbs.

Like I said in my original post, not sure if this is going to work or not, merely experimenting, but if I am fortunate enough to shoot a tom with one I will take plenty of pic's and give a report one way or the other.

fflintlock, I like the idea of wide heads for toms and my preference for a two blade head for toms would be the 160gr Magnus. That's one big broadhead and easy to sharpen.

Thanks for the replies!


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## Handgunner (Mar 23, 2007)

That's a bad looking broadhead no matter how it works.

Al, have you compared penetration differences in that broadhead and an unaltered one?  If so, how much less did the one you altered penetrate?   Or could you tell a difference?


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## Ta-ton-ka chips (Mar 23, 2007)

Al33 said:


> Whatcha think, is it a hair-brained idea and waste of time and good broadheads?



I think you should patent the idea before it  gets stolen.


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## Al33 (Mar 23, 2007)

Handgunner said:


> Al, have you compared penetration differences in that broadhead and an unaltered one?  If so, how much less did the one you altered penetrate?   Or could you tell a difference?



I tried yesterday in a shot up foam target but it was difficult to tell because of the lack of consistancy in the density of the target. I really need a new target to make accurate tests. Maybe this weekend I will get to try it on the real thing, that is if I kill one with my scatter gun first.  Hey, ya gotta have a dream.

Ta-ton-ka, I'm not concerned with patening it. Heck, even if it works great and is worthy of a patent anyone could come up with variations to get around a patent. I just want something that works.


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## Handgunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Al33 said:


> I tried yesterday in a shot up foam target but it wasdifficult to tell because of the lack of consistancy in the density of the target. I really need a new target to make accurate tests. Maybe this weekend I will get to try it on the real thing, that is if I kill one with my scatter gun first.  Hey, ya gotta have a dream.
> 
> Ta-ton-ka, I'm not concerned with patening it. Heck, even if it works great and is worthy of a patent anyone could come up with variations to get around a patent. I just want something that works.


You need to find two turkeys at 15 yards that are willing to "take one for the team" for the sake of experimentation.


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## ed'sboy (Mar 23, 2007)

Handgunner said:


> That's a bad looking broadhead no matter how it works.
> 
> Al, have you compared penetration differences in that broadhead and an unaltered one?  If so, how much less did the one you altered penetrate?   Or could you tell a difference?



Al, I'm with Handgunner on this. I'd like to see your scientific data on this project. 

My son is using a 125 gr Stinger w/ one of those slip on judo type mechanisms (20 gr) that fit under the broadhead but slide down the arrow shaft as the arrow passes through.
Good luck, that's one mean looking broadhead you've made.


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## Al33 (Mar 23, 2007)

Handgunner said:


> You need to find two turkeys at 15 yards that are willing to "take one for the team" for the sake of experimentation.



  I like to keep my dreams in the realm of possible reality. 

ed's boy, I want to wish you and your son the best of luck with getting a tom with the bow.  Now, about that scientic data stuff,.............


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## robert carter (Mar 23, 2007)

I would prefer to use a set up like Al`s instead of hooks or springy things. I`ve shot a few Turkeys and with Trd gear you will not shoot through very many. I prefer to shoot the biggest head I can find cutting a BIG hole heading penetration that way. But I`ve a friend that has done the same thing with snuffers and he swears by them.But for me I`m usually so shook up at getting a shot at one of them spring chickens I end up missing anyway.Look at the bright side, if you get him under twenty yards you`ve done better than most Ga. hunters any way.


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## fflintlock (Mar 23, 2007)

I remember the first time I called some turkeys in, I was so amazed, that I just set there and watched them, then they just strolled off in to the woods. I thought, wow, that was cool !!
 Then it dawned on me, why in the heck did'nt ya shoot !!!!!!
 Man, I love be'n in the woods !! 
They say, the Woodsman and the Snuffer are the two best trad heads to use for turkeys, I guess we'll see.
 I'm not going to be able to go the first couple of weeks, but I plan on give'n it heck after that.


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## Al33 (Mar 23, 2007)

robert carter said:


> But I`ve a friend that has done the same thing with snuffers and he swears by them.



Robert, did your friend barb the snuffers like I have done the WW's? If so, I sure would like to get his results with them.


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## robert carter (Mar 24, 2007)

Al, He cut his more towards the back of the head.I know he has killed several Turkeys and had no pass throughs. RC


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## Al33 (Mar 27, 2007)

Thanks Robert! I hunted with the arrows yesterday but never got a bird into view. I am anxious to see how these work for me.

I'm sure a rgegular head would work without modifications in the lower poundage bows but my little recurve is 60#. A buddy of mine shoots a compound and he just reduces the poundage for the toms.


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## Nugefan (Mar 27, 2007)

Mr Al thats not much different than blood notches in knapping work ......

what about these that you can put behind the broadhead .....

maybe turn them around backwards to help slow penatration .....

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...parentType=index&indexId=cat600306&hasJS=true


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## Rob (Mar 27, 2007)

I think it is a good idea.  As to the pass through vs leaving the arrow in the turkey - if the arrow stays in the turkey it has a chance of disrupting the wing timing and keeping the bird on the ground - assuming you did not break a wing with the shot.


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## halrowland (Mar 27, 2007)

Al those big Snuffers (160 grn) will do the job all by themselves just fine.  Just don't worry about them being too sharp - out of the package is fine.  I wouldn't trust those forward facing grooves.  Hit a wing feather just right and it could misdirect an arrow badly, I would think.   BTW, haven't heard back from Ben...


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## Al33 (Mar 27, 2007)

Thanks Nuge, but those will not work on a wooden shaft.

Hal, Ben will be attending a wedding.


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## Handgunner (Mar 27, 2007)

I got to looking and thinking about that broadhead, AL and have a few questions.

Would spacing the notches out a tad more be any more effective?

Here is my reasoning..

An arrow twists in flight, as well as in pentetrating, with the notches being so close, the ones following the first one aren't going to have much to grab onto... Further apart, more rotation takes place, giving the following ones more to grab?

On a turkey though I guess you don't have much room or time to for all of that to take place?

Just some thoughts.

Neat idea and a bad lookin' broadhead!  Can't wait to see how it does!


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## Al33 (Mar 27, 2007)

Delton, you may be right and I have modified one with only one big notch in each blade to try also. I think I may have to get lucky enough to kill one with my shotgun then shoot it full of arrows to see what they will do.


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## Nicodemus (Mar 28, 2007)

Al, ever thought about puttin` a small flat washer between the point and the shaft?


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## Gut_Pile (Mar 29, 2007)

Thats a nice head you got there. Steal force has a head called a Talon that is very similar. You can also get the wire that is on the small game points that make your arrow stand staight up. This keeps the arrow from going through as well.


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## wack em (Apr 12, 2007)

Not say in that the b head that you have modified wont work, but i have been shooting rocket Sledgehammers 150gr, 3 1/2 in cut and they are turkey killers. I have killed three with a bow so far this year, one pass through two didn't. The ones that didn't pass trought the b head exited but the arrow stayed in dropping the turkeys at 2 and 30 yards. The one i passed through went 200+ yards and i had to shoot him again when i found him. I am shooting 70 lbs out of a Hoyt Vectrix XL. Good luck to ya.


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## Al33 (Apr 12, 2007)

Thanks wack em, and others, but the Sledgehammers and some other heads mentioned here are the screw in types and not designed for wooden arrows. I am just experimenting with something for my wooden shafts which require glue on heads.

BTW, three birds with your bow this season, that's AWESOME!!! Congratulations!!!


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## wack em (Apr 12, 2007)

Sorry, i missed the wooden arrow part. Good luck with a bow turkey!


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## markland (Apr 13, 2007)

I would highly advise not using any stoppers or adders when shooting turkeys with trad bows, you do not need to slow the arrow down, it will work just fine as is.   The 1st time I tried to shoot a bird with my recurve, under the advice of some compound shooters, I use those adder things and they actually caught the primary feathers of my bird at 15 yds and stop the broadhead from getting into the chest.   Try and use the largest, multiblade head you can shoot and do the most damage to the bird possible.  I have taken many birds with my recurve and our 4bl 125 head and never had a pass thru, 1 was close, hanging by the feathers, but normally they are sticking halfway thru.   I strictly bowhunt for turkeys and hunt with friends shooting compounds and they use a grasshopper behind a 4bl head and it works equally as well.  Maybe if you were shooting a 70+ bow trad bow you might need that, but not for any normal hunting weight bow I have seen.  Mark


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## cball917 (Apr 14, 2007)

*************Graphic Video  Viewer Beware**********

http://emuse.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/18567


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## mwalker1313 (Apr 15, 2007)

cball917 said:


> *************Graphic Video  Viewer Beware**********
> 
> http://emuse.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/18567



Oh man that is some great stuff,


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## cball917 (Apr 15, 2007)

yeah i am thinkin that i would like to try one but just one broad head is like 35 bucks


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