broadheads for grouse and pheasant

[ChumpMcgee]

#4591

Even though all my friends are saying it cannot be done, and I know that it can be done. My question is what kind of broadhead would you recommend for hunting these birds? I have my flu flu arrows up and ready to go but have been questioning the broadheads I have. I bought some judo points the small points as well as the larger points. I like these do to the fact that I here you cannot loose them. I am wondering if anyone has ever used the broad head with the metal loops in them and how well they work. I assume that you use there for the birds in flight and gives you more surface area to hit the bird but not 100% sure. I am also thinking having multiple broadheads for different situations. If its on the ground I could use a judo but if I try to flush it out use the loop. I would love to shoot one of these with a bow, I know its going to be tough but would love to try it if I come up empty handed oh well I will think it will be a hoot.

[Jason Wesbrock]

#32018

I’ve killed a lot of ruffed and spruce grouse with regular wood arrows and Ace Hex Heads. Think of those birds and a little round softball covered with feathers. Any type of small game head that doesn’t skid off the bird in the event of a less-than-center hit would be a good choice. I tried regular steel blunts once, and while they got the job done, I ended up chasing down far too many birds due to the heads skipping off if I didn’t hit the grouse dead center. With a good non-skid type small game head, my results were almost exclusively an incapacitated bird halfway up an arrow shaft.

 With respect to pheasants (and I suppose grouse too for that matter), what you can use for arrow heads will largely depend on one key factor: dog or no dog. If you’re going to hunt with dogs, you’ll want to be candid and open with the dog owner and honor his/her level of comfort.

In my opinion, a dog chasing down and retrieving a bird that’s been impaled on an arrow with a sharp broadhead is a disaster waiting to happen. The last time I bowhunted pheasants over a dog, the owner was a fellow traditional bowhunter. We agreed on dull, somewhat blunted broadheads (which is perhaps the only instance where I would suggest such a thing)

[ChumpMcgee]

#32052

I would not have any dogs but that did also come across my mind before. I guess to I am thinking way to far about it. If you hit a bird with any type of force its going to take it out. I guess I have made up my mind on the fact that just about any small game broadhead will do the trick

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#32521

I’d agree that any ‘blunt’ type head would be fine for grouse. Pheasants on the other hand, are way tougher than grouse, in my experience. I’ve seen blunts bounce off of pheasants and watch them keep going over the horizon without dropping.

As Jason said, broadheads and dogs are a bad idea. But if you’re not hunting roosters with a dog, and you’re not in a place where other’s dogs might be around, I’d think about a 3-4 blade broadhead with something like a Zwickey Scorpio backing it up. Something that will penetrate, but then stick in the bird to bring it down.

[handirifle]

#34927

In 50yrs of archery, I have killed 2 pheasants with a bow. One in the air, one on the ground, both with broadheads, and no dog.

It’s tough, but not impossible. One thing to remember is to lead them, of course, BUT, as I taught my sons when shooting them with shotguns, lead the HEAD not the body. You’d be surprised the difference it makes. If you’ve hunted them with a shotgun before, consider that lead, and double it. That will be a starting point to learn from.

Use a SHARP broadhead for pheasants. Their feathers will stop a dull one, and it might just wound him, not what you want. The arrow should stick out the other side to impair the wings as well as do internal damage.

For on the ground, shoulder shots, if sideways, of shoulder height, center mass if facing to or away from you.

Use flu flu’s of course, and get as close as possible before flushing him. It gives you more time to set up.

You can get aerial disks for practicing this, just need someone to throw em for ya.

Oh, and the loops, I wouldn’t use them on pheasant. They impede penetration. I seriously doubt you will get a pass thru, especially with flu flu arrows.

[ChumpMcgee]

#35625

Thanks for all the insight, I in the process of making two different target throwers for practice. One that toss disk high and another one that tosses bottles roughly 12-15 feet in the air. I am really looking forward to trying to knock this buggers out of the air!

Thanks for the broadhead suggestions too, the more I think about using blunt tips the more I do not like them due to the fact that they will run even if they are hit. I figure if I use something that will pierce them that they will be easier to find since it will be harder for them to run.

[handirifle]

#37416

Blunts for grouse would be fine, just not for pheasants.

Would like to see the throwers work, when ya get those completed.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#16775

I thought I’d bring up this old thread to include a new pheasant head combo I’m working on.

In the places I hunt pheasant, it’s usually really thick river bottomland, and trying to locate birds in this stuff without a dog is impossible.

So I need a head that will be safe around dogs, yet I’ve watched small game heads bounce off of roosters and have them fly off unscathed, so I knew that I wanted something that would actually penetrate the bird, not just cause some blunt trauma. That’s when I hit on the idea of using Ace bodkins – they’ll penetrate without a sharp blade, so they’re much safer around dogs. I also want the arrow to ideally stay in the bird to help bring it down quickly, so I needed something to prevent pass-throughs, hence the Zwickey Scorpio:

And on the other end I’m using 4 x 4″ flus.

Flight tests so far have been good. This was from 15 yards, with a #52 bow:

And in this pic, you can get an idea of average penetration (from the location of the Scorpio on the shaft) into the foam block:

Tomorrow morning, it’s time to go do some “real world” testing…

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#18111

Well, it worked….mostly. I must have taken shots at a dozen birds to harvest this one. Took the tail feathers clean off one rooster and watched him sail over the horizon. I have no idea how many pheasants I’ve taken with a shotgun over the years, but today was still a good reminder of how tough these birds are. It was easily the hardest, and most crazy fun, bird hunting I’ve ever done.

[Col Mike]

#18204

Bruce

where did you get the bodkins? Thought I saw them in 3 Rivers catalog but can’t find them. I would like to try that:D

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#18207

Mike –

Yeah, they’re hard to find on the 3Rivers site, but here’s the link:

http://www.3riversarchery.com/Ace+Classic+Medieval+Glue-On+Points_i4923X_baseitem.html

[wojo14]

#18678

I would like to try that as well! Sounds like a ton of fun. We got to get something figured out Mike!? Although, there are not much pheasants here is Western MD and PA….:cry:

[ChumpMcgee]

#18904

You could not have said anything at a better time for me! I am planning my pheasant hunt today to tell ya the truth and have been thinking about the what broadhead to use! The field point with a scorpio does make alot of since I did also get a few of the hex blunts but maybe I will put those away and make some of these “pheasant killers”

[wojo14]

#18952

What about these with Scorpios?

http://www.3riversarchery.com/short+bodkin+medieval+glue%2don+arrow+points_i4912_baseitem.html

[wojo14]

#18954

What about these with Scorpios?

http://www.3riversarchery.com/short+bodkin+medieval+glue%2don+arrow+points_i4912_baseitem.html

[Jason Wesbrock]

#19018

You can save a few bucks buying them direct. Also, it looks like they are making screw-in brass pounts up to 200 grains now.

http://www.acearcherytackle.com/points.php

[wojo14]

#19039

Thanks! I just ordered a bunch to get some set ups.

Now I need to go bird hunting somewhere!

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#19090

J.Wesbrock wrote: You can save a few bucks buying them direct. Also, it looks like they are making screw-in brass pounts up to 200 grains now.

http://www.acearcherytackle.com/points.php

Thanks, Jason. Didn’t even ocur to me to just check the Ace site. Doh!

[Stephen Graf]

#19809

Good Shooting Mr. Hammer! Wish we had some of those critters around here…

Hope he tastes good!

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