Broadhead/vane alignment

[Coon]

I was just wondering how many of you feel its important to align your broadhead blades with your vanes, assuming there are 3 blades and 3 vanes.
I was shooting b-heads today and noticed that they impact the same as my field points when the blades and vanes are aligned. I know this is nothing new, but it's the first time it has made a difference for my arrows. Does it make a difference for ya'll?
Thanks,
Dave

[JW]

I used to always do it Dave. The I read one of Randy Ulmer's columns and he said it was not important. So I quit doin it about 10 years ago. No effect. Sometimes I wonder if just knowing that I did it made a difference, kinda like a plocebo effect. Know what I mean...

[tuthdoc]

Since my broadheads don't have any blades sticking out, I don't worry about it. LOL

When I shot fixed heads, I always tried to align the blades and vanes. I didn it because I always wanted my arrows to be set up as close to the same as possible. I wanted every arrow to come out of the bow the same way. It was easy when I shot fixed heads and aluminum arrows because all I had to do to make them line up was to heat the shaft and make any rotation needed.

It might be ****, but I also put my curly tail grub trailers on my spinnerbait with the tail curve down so that it disturbed water that the blades didn't. I guess it's the dentist in me that looks at the small details.

[TxTechBowhunter]

I do, although it isn't needed. Just personal preference.

If you are using Carbon's with super glue in your inserts, align them while fletching. Just screw in your broadhead, the rotate the nock to align it and fletch. Number your broadheads and arrows so you know which ones go with which arrow.

[Danimal]

I do, although it isn't needed. Just personal preference.

If you are using Carbon's with super glue in your inserts, align them while fletching. Just screw in your broadhead, the rotate the nock to align it and fletch. Number your broadheads and arrows so you know which ones go with which arrow.

Good tip, never thought of that.

I have to get mine aligned so the blades don't hit the mole skin on my riser. A little clearance problem.

Never worried about the vanes being lined up with the blades.

[JW]

Good tip, never thought of that.

I have to get mine aligned so the blades don't hit the mole skin on my riser. A little clearance problem.

Never worried about the vanes being lined up with the blades.

All about confidence and what puts it in ya...

[Chance Love]

I have never tried to align mine, but I might the next time around just to see what happens.

[bowhuntntxn]

I try to do it with all my 3 blade broadheads. It does help the planing of the arrow/broadhead.

[Rabidbowhunter]

I dont worry aligning up the blades with the vanes. I have played with it both ways and as long as your bow is tuned well there shouldnt be any problem. We have had a couple mathews come in that were very difficult to get to shoot the same with both field tips and broadheads.

[Cropduster]

I use a two blade broadhead and place them parallel to the ground. This allows me to have an un-obstructed view down the shaft. At one time I was placing them vertical but that placed just a little of it in my line of sight so I changed to the horizontal and it works fine, mostly mental I guess.

[oldhootowl]

Aligning vanes with blades is an interesting psychological exercise.

The distance from the blades to the vanes means the blades don't cut a path to the vanes if you understand how air flow works.

And if they did, you would be going about it backwards. Because you want air hitting the vanes to steer the arrow.

You can see an accuracy benefit though, if your inserts are better aligned than they were before and the head spins better. But that has to do with insert alignment, and not blade to vane airflow.

If you are really **** you can align all the blades the same if you want, but it makes no difference if they are all aligned at whatever position to the vanes. It can have a bit of an effect if you shoot with fingers and the arrow is straightening coming out of the bow and you are shooting a big 2 blade head. With a 4 blade head it makes no difference how the blades are aligned, just that the inserts are straight and the head spins.

BTW, heard somebody say recently that a 2 blade head on the same shot will kill just as well as a 4 blade head will. Yes, and no. Through the center of the lungs, yes. But on other hits cutting an artery or vein means a quick kill with loads of blood. The ferrule of a 2 blade head can brush an artery or vein and nothing happens. Same shot with a 4 blade head and quick kill blood everywhere. Thats why a 2 blade head will never be the best head on the market. And why 90 something percent of guys shoot 3 or 4 blade heads.

[Bill]

Oldhootowl's got it right. My elk partner is obsessive on his broadhead alignment, uses a unit with a pair of rollers to looks for any wobble at the tip of the broadhead. He went to show me how his Slick Tricks are perfectly aligned, and his Thunderheads had a (very) slight wobble- enough that he only shoots Slick Tricks. The problem is he had 2 dozen TH 100s he gave me since he didn't use them, which is what I hunt with anyway. So now I have a great supply of THs which fly great for me.

[Coon]

I always thought that it didn't matter, but I swear it's making a difference on my heads now. I don't know why, but it is. I'm shooting T-head 100s, and with the o-rings, you can tighten more or less without moving the insert. I've tried every conceivable configuration, and this is the only thing that seems to be making a difference.
I agree with Oldhootowl about all the things he said, but this is confusing me. However, if it works, that's what matters.
Thanks for the input,
Dave

[oldhootowl]

"If it works, thats what matters".

Amen brother.

[Bill]

Dave, find/borrow an arrow alignment tool and put our arrows with the THs on them and check them for how straight they are (i.e. when you spin it does the tip wobble at all). Doing what you are may be aligning them straight. I found by playing mix-and-match of broadheads and shafts I could find combinations that had no wobble.

But, I found without doing that I could shoot sub 6 inch groups with broadheads at 50 yards with my bow "tweaked" and tuned.

At worst, it can't hurt and if he increases your confidence, do it.