No one likes a loose, rattling field point. A while back, I found myself in one of those massive ‘hook and bullet’ stores where the plethora of contraptions and schwag facing the bowhunter borders on the ridiculous. In retrospect, I fully attribute my poor impulse control to subliminal messaging being piped through the Muzak in the store. I reluctantly forked over an ungodly sum for a small package of one dozen rubber o-rings. They are designed to slide over the ferrules of screw-in field points and/or broadheads so they set between the shaft and the point. The rubber o-ring would keep the point from coming unscrewed, which would stop my rattling dilemma, and also aid in fine-tuning the orientation of broadheads. Despite the hyper-inflated price, they worked very well—no more ratting field points, and easily adjustable broadheads.
With time, of course, I needed more o-rings, but I couldn’t bring myself to buy another dozen at those prices. That was when, as with most of my strokes of something approaching inspiration, I found myself wandering the local hardware store and it hit me—aquarium tubing; quarter-inch diameter, to be specific. I could buy a foot-long section of it for 25¢, or what would probably amount to a lifetime supply for a dollar. I plunked down my hard-earned quarter, took the tubing home and set to work with a small pocket knife, slicing off thin pieces and sliding them over the ferrules of my field points. These small pieces of tubing now have a place on all of my screw-in field points, blunts and broadheads, for a price I don’t have to think twice about.
Sounds good! Can’t wait to try it out.
I like the idea of using a hose to cut your own…
A bit of string wax around the threads also helps keep field points and broadheads from coming unscrewed. You can also vary the amount of wax to get that screw-in broadhead “just right” if you are OCD about its angle as you pull to anchor.
Nice way to save some money. However when I tried the rubber o-rings I found my broadhead shafts bent easily and soon were not accurate.
Nice, if you like tinkering. A drop of blue loktite on the middle threads works fine.
Great idea, I have also used O rings in the past. Sometimes the low cost simple ideas is the best.
Excellent tip…..love saving money every chance I get…Thank you
I tried them once. I hit a tree and the O- ring compressed and the threads slid deeper into the insert and welded the tip to the insert. Couldn’t even unscrew the tip easily to take the arrow along. Bent everything trying to get it out.
Not for me!
Great idea def gonna try this out! Hate he rattle!
O-rings or the tubing suggested is great for tweeking broadhead alignment, but for just keeping tips tight, I’ve never had one come loose when I rub the threads with string wax and snug them a bit with pliers.
I’m like Daniel Moore I use loktite also.
I have the same luck as Mike’s suggestion using string wax.
Harbor china Freight sells cheap oring sets
For many years I have been using a small bit of clear nail polish to keep points screwed tight. It works, loosens when you want to change points, and is super-cheap at the $ store.
Money must really be tight as Three Rivers sells a dozen Point/Broadhead Rubber Washers (O-rings) for $4.50. No need to run to the store, use the car’s gasoline and spend the labor cutting the tubing. Also, each O-ring will be the same length & weight. Not so with hand cut tubing.
If you like the o-ring idea you should try o-rings.com they have every o-ring made in metric or US sizes. Also handy if you shoot air guns. The various sizes I have ordered come in packs of 50 or 100 for less than you would pay for a dozen in a package at one of the big “hook & bullet” stores.
As many for these seem to be great ideas. Quite some years ago when I started out as an archer I, bought some discounted string wax. It didn’t take long to figure out that there is better wax for string. Since then, I use it on all my tips, field points or otherwise. Use a lighter and melt it slightly. Works wonders. Lasts a long time too.
I just wrap little plumbers tape around the threads. 1 roll goes along way
Purchased 200 rubber O rings from eBay for $4.00 Australian.
Instead of using rubber “O” rings, try using some bow string wax on the threads of the arrow heads. With the right amount of wax on the treads, you won’t be having the heads come loose. And the heads will not freeze-up on you over the years either. Bow string wax or any semi-soft wax is normally what any old archer carries in his gear bag anyway.
You can make a huge pie-size chunk of bowstring wax by melting a large candle with an equal amount of soft toilet bowel ring wax from your local hardware store. Pour the melted mixture into an aluminum pie pan and let it harden. It will be thin enough to cut with a knife and be enough to serve about 20 archers for a lifetime. Real cheap. Be careful when melting and mixing the two different kinds of wax for fire. Keep it on a low heat and watch it melt the whole time to prevent a possible fire.