# Do broadhead blades need to line up with fletchings?



## JWaltrip (Dec 30, 2006)

No.


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## xring1 (May 28, 2008)

*yes*

YES I think so on a fixed blade head I would want them lined up with the fletching, shoot a few and see for yourself!


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## drockw (Sep 3, 2008)

No. Absolutely not. Doesn't matter


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## MuzzyHunter (Jul 12, 2006)

This weekend I shot my Montecs on Easton Axis arrows. Before I lined up the blades with the fletchings, all four of my arrows flew 6 inches high and to the left. After lining the blades with my fletchings, they flew perfect with field points. Since my inserts were already glued in, I used the G5 A.S.D. to sand off a few thousands of the front of the arrow until the broadheads could screw in, thus allowing them to align.


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## SHPoet (Nov 13, 2009)

I ALWAYS lined up my three blades with the forward tip of the fletches and I made sure the four blades made an perfect X when sitting on the rest. I think it was more having everything the same on all my arrows than really needing to line them up.

It may have all been in my head.... Most things are....


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## trimantrekokc (May 16, 2006)

no, the air they disturb is different than the air the fletch is contacting because of the offset or helical of the fletch...it's a metal thing at best...unless you figure out the rotational rate for the flight of the shaft and set the blades off to take into account where the blades need to be in order for the air it cuts to be contacted by the fletch it make absolutely no sense. how do you line up 2 or 4 blades? you don't!

muzzy hunter it sounds more like you heads weren't square to the shaft more than a inline problem


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## JC07Rhino (Jan 13, 2007)

no it will not make a difference. i shoot g5 montecs on easton axis with 2 inch blazers. most of my arrows are misaligned, some are aligned, and i shot them (for practice) out to 120 yards. at that distance it still doesn't make a difference. just as long as your bow is tuned you should be good.


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## hoyt3 (Apr 22, 2005)

I try to line mine up, but that's impossible with slick tricks considering I shoot a three vaned arrow. A properly tuned bow is key. So, no, it doesn't matter. It can help, but isn't the end game


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## Skeeter 58 (Jan 25, 2009)

I agree it really does not matter. The most important thing to do is to get your broadheads balanced so they spin perfectly straight. This year I'm testing the Grizz Tricks so there is no way to align them considering its a 4 blade head. With a tuned bow, tuned arrows/braodhead, and a good helical I'm getting field point accuracy.


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## OLDHOOTOWL (Feb 9, 2003)

Its a mental thing, an interesting psychological aspect. It seems to make sense, apparently from the perspective from
other things where alignment does give better results.

What actually happens is the air immediately reforms behind the blades so that air hits the vanes same as it would if the blades 
weren't there. Thats why it makes no difference if they are aligned or not.

However, if you shot an arrow and the head wasn't aligned straight with the arrow so it would spin, then aligned the 
blades with the fletching, and in so doing happened to make the head now align, then you would see a difference. But
it would be because you happened to align the head with the arrow so it now spun.

There is a case where alignment can make a difference, with 2 blades. Not alignment with vanes, but orientation of 
vertical or horizontal. With a release, you get vertical motion of the arrow on release, so if the 2 blades are vertical
air won't push against the flat side of the blade during launch. But with more blades it doesn't matter.

Odd thing is that if the air was being "cut" by the blades as people envision, having the blades aligned with the 
vanes would be the last thing you would want. You want air to hit the vanes and rotate the arrow for greatest accuracy,
thats why offset or helical is used instead of straight.

Same odd thinking as with serrated blades. People look at them and get the visual something will happen to make an animal
bleed more looking at the shape. They don't. In actuality they aren't as good as a straight edge, so says every med school
in the world. Nothing bleeds more and resists clotting longer than the cut of a straight edge, so says every surgeon you would 
trust your life with to operate on you. A straight edge gives them a more precision cut and stitches up to leave a lesser scar. 
But if they were going to operate on you and cut you and for some reason couldn't stitch you up or otherwise do anything to 
the wound, like when you shoot an animal, they would use a serrated blade, since nothing cuts cleaner than a straight blade, 
and that means the wound would clot quicker, making you stop bleeding. Trust the Mayo Clinic and John Hopkins and every 
other med school on straight blades and serrated blades. Nobody has examined more wounds for a greater time with the 
most sophisticated equipment than medical science. Thats unbeatable to say the least.

Which brings to mind the ads of heads that say a wound can't close or clot. Well, with any head the wound pulls open naturally
with tension so all wounds don't close back up like ethafoam. As to a wound that can't clot, that would be true only on an animal
that is a hemophiliac.

As to the thinking that a serrated blade cuts more because it has "more cutting surface", that is true......... if you are sawing something. If you look at a U serration, you will see that half the serration faces to the rear, and half faces to the front. Obviously the portion of 
the serration facing the rear can't cut anything as the head goes forward. And since the blade is going forward, only the upper portion
of the serration facing forward cuts. In other words, if you look at the blade from the tip of the broadhead, the portion that you can see
is the only portion of the blade that can cut. Which means there is no greater cutting than a straight edge, only the rear serrated portion is at a greater angle. A "stepped" cut in other words. You are severing little tubes of blood with a blade, so it makes no difference if you
sever it with a straight edge or serrated, its severed. The only difference is if you sever more roughly with the serrated blade the wound
will clot quicker, stopping your blood trail.

So why are any blades serrated? As mentioned above, for sawing. If you saw back and forth you cut both with the front of the serration as you go one direction, and the rear of the serration as you go the other direction. So in that instance you do effectively have more cutting surface. The only way a broadhead would benefit from a serration is if you have an arrow with a reverse gear, so it stops and reverses direction, sawing both directions. 

But will people still swear aligning blades with fletching works, and that serrated causes better blood trails? Sure. The perceived logic 
of it and the power of suggestion is a great influence, if not magicians would be out of work.

An interesting phenomenon though for psych buffs. Google the Hawthorne Effect if you weren't a psych major, another fascinating 
mental study.


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## APAsuphan (Oct 23, 2008)

It cant hurt!


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## SplashOfPee (Aug 4, 2009)

Holy cow Nice post Gary (oldhootowl)!!!


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## Ib4Hoyt (Jan 19, 2004)

no it wont help at all,,,how fast would your arrow have to be going to make the same air foil or what ever its called, lots faster than and arrow goes


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## DoWorkSon (Aug 5, 2010)

No it does not matter


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## Ignition kid (Oct 7, 2008)

All dpending on if you're having problems, but for me I don't really pay any mind to it and mine fly great, but if you prefer to just before you refletch your arrows, screw a broadhead into your arrow you are flecthing and set it in the fletching jig and twist the nock and everything to where the fletching will lign up when you fletch them.


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## Skeeter 58 (Jan 25, 2009)

Geeze Gary what a great post! Makes a lot of sense. Thanks.


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## NCDon (Feb 17, 2010)

Well the good news is that nobody said it would hurt.


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## bambieslayer (Apr 7, 2010)

I shoot stingers no way to line em up


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## DoWorkSon (Aug 5, 2010)

Im with you there! 



NCDon said:


> Well the good news is that nobody said it would hurt.


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## pabowhuntsman (Dec 11, 2006)

Doesn't matter but I align them anyway If I can. I'm just anal like that!


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## SEOBowhntr (May 13, 2005)

MuzzyHunter said:


> This weekend I shot my Montecs on Easton Axis arrows. Before I lined up the blades with the fletchings, all four of my arrows flew 6 inches high and to the left. After lining the blades with my fletchings, they flew perfect with field points. Since my inserts were already glued in, I used the G5 A.S.D. to sand off a few thousands of the front of the arrow until the broadheads could screw in, thus allowing them to align.


If this is so, the problem was OPERATOR error, it had NOTHING to do with the fletches and blades being aligned. You may have benefitted from "squaring" your inserts, but I'd be a bit suspect. I've never lined up fletches w/ blades, and I shoot an assortment of 2, 3, and 4 blade BH's and if they spin true they all seem to FLY TRUE!!!


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## wapiti16b (Jun 23, 2009)

It's more important that all the BH's are lined up in the same orientation to the riser than the fletchings . What I mean is that they don't have to mirror the Blades ie... , how can you do that with a 2 or 4 bld ? . On two blds I orient all BH's so that they are at 2'Oclock and 8'Oclock . That way planeing is not an issue and neither is a left/right bias a factor . For three and 4 (full four not bleeders ) it does not matter as much as long as they are all the same !. Some will dissagree with this and call it B.S. but this is what's worked for me for the last 25 years ! JMHO .


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## dougedwards (Sep 5, 2010)

I hope it doesn't matter because I shoot a three blade with a four fletched arrow.

Doug


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## Wilsonville (Oct 5, 2021)

crow_sniper said:


> I noticed i had a couple that line up nicely and shoot well too,but some dont line up as good ,does that matter for accuracy?


 I don't know what these other people are talking about it not making a difference. When I lineup the fletching with the broadhead it makes a huge difference. My 425 will drop 8" in 40 yds comparared to the target practice tips if I dont line them up. Both are 125 grains.


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## Smada962 (Dec 25, 2007)

Wilsonville said:


> I don't know what these other people are talking about it not making a difference. When I lineup the fletching with the broadhead it makes a huge difference. My 425 will drop 8" in 40 yds comparared to the target practice tips if I dont line them up. Both are 125 grains.


8" difference? No offense but that's extremely hard to believe. How would you explain someone like me who has never once lined up broadheads with fletching but still get fixed blades to shoot perfectly out of my setups? For the last few years I've shot a 4-fletch with a 3-blade fixed head, if this was true there is no way I would be hitting anywhere close with that combo.


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## Wilsonville (Oct 5, 2021)

Smada962 said:


> 8" difference? No offense but that's extremely hard to believe. How would you explain someone like me who has never once lined up broadheads with fletching but still get fixed blades to shoot perfectly out of my setups? For the last few years I've shot a 4-fletch with a 3-blade fixed head, if this was true there is no way I would be hitting anywhere close with that combo.


 It is true when they're not lined up there's an 8" difference in a 120'. I struggled with this for a long time. My fletching and broadhead are both 3 fins and blades. Was very frustrating till a friend told me to line them up and it made a huge difference. I do believe that different broadheads make a big difference though. I just like my fixed Allen broadheads.


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## Wilsonville (Oct 5, 2021)

Smada962 said:


> 8" difference? No offense but that's extremely hard to believe. How would you explain someone like me who has never once lined up broadheads with fletching but still get fixed blades to shoot perfectly out of my setups? For the last few years I've shot a 4-fletch with a 3-blade fixed head, if this was true there is no way I would be hitting anywhere close with that combo.










this is what I'm using


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## 1/2 Bubble Off (Dec 29, 2016)

dougedwards said:


> I hope it doesn't matter because I shoot a three blade with a four fletched arrow.
> 
> Doug


When I shot 3 blades they either needed to be aligned with the vanes or exactly between them.... Not for any aero or ballistic purposes, but to satisfy my OCD.

I shoot a 4 blade with a 3 fletch.... I just screw them on and shoot.


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## PutnamCountyHunter (Aug 22, 2011)

No...


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## spike camp (Jun 2, 2008)

Wilsonville said:


> View attachment 7478413
> this is what I'm using


Send me one of those, I guarantee there will be zero difference in point of impact vanes aligned vs vanes not aligned.


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## Juneauhunt (Aug 3, 2010)

spike camp said:


> Send me one of those, I guarantee there will be zero difference in point of impact vanes aligned vs vanes not aligned.


Better yet, send one to Lusk so we can put that baby to the test. Allen rocks!


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## spike camp (Jun 2, 2008)

Juneauhunt said:


> Better yet, send one to Lusk so we can put that baby to the test. Allen rocks!


Old school head, correct?


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## Juneauhunt (Aug 3, 2010)

I just 


spike camp said:


> Old school head, correct?


Walmart sale aisle between the Chia pets and the cookies that look like Oreos, but they're not. I just found a Lusk video on the Allen Grizzly and I think it fell apart while scanning it at the register.

(I'm just poking with our new friend. I'm sure they're great heads.)


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## BigXX78 (Mar 16, 2005)

crow_sniper said:


> I noticed i had a couple that line up nicely and shoot well too,but some dont line up as good ,does that matter for accuracy?


It absolutely doesn't matter how blades are oriented in relation to fletching. Arrows spin in flight. I like to maximize that spin with helical fletching for better groups in crosswinds.

I do, however, like to orient my broadheads and index my inserts and nocks to whatever position gives me the most perfect spin.


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## BigXX78 (Mar 16, 2005)

OLDHOOTOWL said:


> Its a mental thing, an interesting psychological aspect. It seems to make sense, apparently from the perspective from
> other things where alignment does give better results.
> 
> What actually happens is the air immediately reforms behind the blades so that air hits the vanes same as it would if the blades
> ...


I've killed elk with both straight edge broadheads and Magnus Stinger Buzzcuts. Until I'd actually seen the difference in what the Buzzcut does to lung tissues, I might have agreed with you. The wound channel looks more like a Brenneke 12 gauge slug passed through. It not only slices, like a straight edge, it dices, and minces as it passes through. All those little U's are extra, razor sharp cutting surfaces too, so there was no "roughness" or increased clotting. It's not like a saw blade. It's just increased cutting, using the natural elasticity of those tissues to its advantage. Try one, and see for yourself.


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## Juneauhunt (Aug 3, 2010)

11 year old thread, just fyi.


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## BigXX78 (Mar 16, 2005)

Juneauhunt said:


> 11 year old thread, just fyi.


Oh, man! I got suckered in again!🤣 Thanks for the heads up!


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## 1/2 Bubble Off (Dec 29, 2016)

Juneauhunt said:


> 11 year old thread, just fyi.


Someone probably searched for the this question and found this old thread.... No harm as it is relevant this time of year...


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## Kammeg (Feb 21, 2009)

BigXX78 said:


> Oh, man! I got suckered in again!🤣 Thanks for the heads up!


Old enough this time that the gentleman you’re responding to has passed away. Just FYI.


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## Juneauhunt (Aug 3, 2010)

1/2 Bubble Off said:


> Someone probably searched for the this question and found this old thread.... No harm as it is relevant this time of year...


I understand. I was just letting those who are responding directly to people from 11 years ago know that they may not receive a reply. (See above.)


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## BigXX78 (Mar 16, 2005)

Kammeg said:


> Old enough this time that the gentleman you’re responding to has passed away. Just FYI.


Sorry to learn that. Thank you for letting me know. I was responding to the topic and just happened to read his reply. I still, sometimes, forget how this new format recycles ancient topics. I think the software was originally designed for a cooking recipe forum or perhaps a vintage book club, where older posts would be more relevant.


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## 10bear (Dec 1, 2015)

Sorry BigXX78 he took that argument to the grave.......







Too soon?

No really it does suck to loose a member like hootowl, I remember seeing some of his posts in my digging around here.


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