vented/nonvented braodheads

[AJMag]

What are the pros and cons to having the same broadhead in vented and non vented form?

Planning on some 150 VPA 3 blades for the longbow for this year's season. Do they make the vented version just so they can get the extra 1/8th inch of cutting diameter? Does that have any negative effect on durability?

[M.E.B.]

The pro's and con's I have heard.

Vented are noisy.

Non-vented are quieter.

Non-vented have more of a tendency to plane.

Vented do not plane.

I myself have not noticed much difference between the two.

[Bisch]

The only reason the wider ones are vented is to keep the weight the same. Like MEB, I have not noticed much difference in a vented vs nonvented head. I have read about some vented heads that supposedly whistle when they are shot, I have also read that that whistle is the last thing a critter hears before it dies!

If I were choosing a broadhead, I would go with the widest head I could consistently get both entrance and exit holes with, and that I could get really, really sharp! The only time the vented part would come into play for me would be if I shot them and decided that were too noisy or did not fly right for me.

Bisch

[AJMag]

Cool. I could live with that. I was kind of more concerned with any strength issues. I agree that at my skill level, i want the most cutting edge and width i can get, but at the same time, need to make sure that they are tuned to shoot better than myself, so that i can rule out equipment if i goof. Hence why I'm trying to get started practicing with them now. I've decided to bite the broadhead and hunt the public land with trad. Hopefully i dont go hungry.

[SwampRabbit]

It has already been said but yeah, if you want to keep the same blade thickness and overall weight, but want to make the cutting diameter wider, then you vent and move that metal some place else.

RE Planing: I personally have not been shooting long enough to notice planning vs non planning using similar heads. Not sure I would know what that would look like I guess until I saw it.

RE Durability: I like how non vented blades hold up. A lot of this of course has something to do with how much thickness exists already and how much metal is behind the edge. I tore up the vented magnus 100gr vented heads. The failure was usually because there wasn't enough metal behind the edge.

RE Sound: Yeah, I've heard the whistling of some of those vented heads and they can be noisy. Sound travels much faster than your arrow (~1100 fps) So it is yet another thing that they hear and it isn't a momentary thump, it is a long whistle. Of course this has to do with the design and how far you are taking shots.

I am sure both blades are fine, just a compromise to get a wider cut at the same front end weight.

[SwampRabbit]

Cool. I could live with that. I was kind of more concerned with any strength issues. I agree that at my skill level, i want the most cutting edge and width i can get, but at the same time, need to make sure that they are tuned to shoot better than myself, so that i can rule out equipment if i goof. Hence why I'm trying to get started practicing with them now. I've decided to bite the broadhead and hunt the public land with trad. Hopefully i dont go hungry.

[Bisch]

As far as planing goes, I have found that if your setup is well tuned you normally do not have to worry about that!

As far as whistling goes..........well i'm deaf as a rock, so unless it is as loud as a foghorn (or somebody else tells me it sounds loud to them), I ain't hearing it anyway!

Bisch

[M.E.B.]

I've never heard a vented blade whistle. I have heard tattered feathers make noise.

[SwampRabbit]

My vented Magnus didn't whistle, but I could hear air flow disturbance. More like a swoosh noise. Had some G5 strikers and those 3 blade heads plain just whistled. My Zwickeys don't make any noise that I can pick up. I heard one other vented broadhead, and I couldn't tell you the brand, etc, but it whistled too... it was also a 3 blade.

[M.E.B.]

I read where, one of the Wensels brothers I believe, stated that you can rub Vaseline or Chapstick on the inside edge of the vent to stop the whistle.

They also use Chapstick to coat the cutting edge to prevent rust. I have done that and is works and is convenient.

[Dry Bones]

The only time I heard a vented head whistle was last year I traded into some 4 blade zwickey's and the person had a shorter insert in them that did not fill the void completely. Believe me they whistled like a siren. I stuffed a little cotton inside and the whistle was gone. Just make sure to remove the cotton once soaked with blood. ;-)