Do guys realize mech heads don’t solve an untuned bow?

[Billy Goat]

When my bow isn't tuned, my mechanical heads still follow my fixed heads so not sure how "not" tuning would fix anything using mechanicals. Anyone that thinks their mechanicals fly just like their FP's should shoot a bare shaft FP and bare shaft mechanical both from 40 yards and see what happens.

That could very well be your experience, but isn't always the case. Likely an effect of your long draw. Take a shaft down to 27" and it's not uncommon to have a mechanical hit within reason of a field point while the fixed blade planes off in another direction. I have seen it happen a lot. I have also seen where a mechanical hits in the same direction as a fixed, but not as nearly as far off.

 

[big44a4]

Got to also think about your typical whitetail shot. It’s very CLOSE. So many just assume it’s “good enough for government work.” No need to be crazy or even check bubble. Whatever works for them. Can call it whatever but that’s society. Many people take the easiest route possible and don’t even shoot their bow until first animal walks out.

 

[robby denning]

Yes. The years that I hunted Wyoming and could use them, I found they did shoot better than my fix blades, but yeah, the bow had to be in tune.

I’m not sure I could sleep at night in archery camp if I didn’t think my bow was decently tuned.


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[JeffRaines]

FWIW, I dont have anything against mech heads.

What chaps my hide is slob setups that wound animals and make bowhunters look bad. There are so many guys getting into bowhunting in the last 10years its crazy- then many are getting bad advice at the point of sale. Some bow shops will do this, probably because it saves them a lot of time and a lot of clients coming back in multiple times due to tuning issues.

Its true I like the very efficient 2 blades even in my compound for their many advantages….but in a tuned setup- everything works well.

Ive been in a Bass Pro recently where I overheard the “Bowhunting Expert” telling the customer that the reason why most guys like mech heads is that they could just screw the mechanical heads on and they fly perfect without any tuning….and they make, “Big holes”

I bet a big % of the less informed bowhunters don’t even know their BH’s arent hitting exactly where they are supposed to. They are taking shots based on their experience with FP’s.

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In my experience a greater majority of bow shops(not including places like cabelas/bps/sportsman’s) will tell the customer whatever they need to hear to make a purchase.

Same thing I’ve seen with bow shops telling the customer their bow is tuned and the customer never even shot the bow… we all know it takes more than paper to tune a bow, but the customer actually has to shoot the bow for that to even be close.

Not very many people care anymore, only thing they’re focused on is $$$ and getting the guy out the door. They’re the supposed experts - read online threads going back FOREVER - they all suggest that the local archery shop proprietor is the expert, when in actuality most are only slightly better than your average cabelas employee.

Sure, they’re are honest guys operating out there… but they are less common than the internet and your friends would have you believe.

 

[justin davis]

Regardless of the head your bow needs to be tuned

 

[3forks]

Form and shot processes are something else that should be addressed in the conversation regarding tuning bows and broadheads.

As others on here have pointed out, mechanicals are more forgiving but regardless of whether you’re tuning a bow or shooting a mechanical, if your form and shot process are particularly bad - you’re not going to get either to fly well past 20+ yards before issues show up.

My 3D and outdoor range has days in August when members can shoot broadheads to ensure they’re flying correctly.

I‘m amazed at the guys I see with unbelievably bad form. It’s also evident who has bought a bow and has never had assistance from someone knowledgable about getting their draw length correct, peep height correct, or how to even grip the bow. The range has guys from archery shops and manufacturers reps show up to help tune bows for guys with issues, but there’s only so much they can do if someone has poor form.

I’m not trying to be overly critical, but archery is something that just compounds frustration for anyone who wants to improve, but doesn’t have the basic fundamentals or understanding of.

I get that a lot of guys have limited time, just want to have fun, or want to hunt, but unless those same guys are willing to invest a little more time into it - they’re going to end up with all kinds of issues.

 

[nphunter]

My opinion is that most people suck at archery, even a lot of guys who have been hunting for years, tuning a bow is a small portion of the issue, poor form and mechanics probably cause more misses than untuned bows.

Even an untuned bow will put the arrow in the same spot consistently as long as there are no major issues with contact, it won't group broadheads and FP together but it will group broadheads most of the time with a good shooter. I think mechanicals do way more good than they do harm from in the industry and put down a lot of animals that would be wound lost if those same people shot fixed heads.

I would love to see a comprehensive bow shooting course required for people to have to show up and put a certain amount of fixed broadheads in a paper plate at say 40 yards before they are allowed to hunt. I would guess several on this site couldn't even do that consistently.

Tuning a bow for good arrow flight and having decent form take effort and constant practice, both things that most people don't want to put in these days.

 

[N2TRKYS]

What I see more than anything is someone shooting a borderline spine and maybe towards the light side. Then they put a mechanical on it that opens from front to back. They have poor penetration and change to a coc and uber heavy arrow cause the internet said it was the only way. Now they think uber heavy, coc is the only way and mechanicals are crap. When all they had to do was change their spine, broadhead combo/type.

 

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[S.Clancy]

Just anecdotally, I'm the only one out of the the 6-8 guys I know that regularly bowhunt that actually does any tuning. Crooked flying arrows everywhere

 

[N2TRKYS]

Respectfully, no they don’t.

Let’s take a common scenario where a guy puts a fixed broadhead on his arrow and it’s hitting 4 inches away from his field points.

So what is actually happening here?

The fixed head is planing off out of the bow in the direction opposite of perfect orientation. In other words, The fixed head is telling you the truth about your bow setup…and that the arrow is not coming out of the bow perfectly.

That’s not entirely true.

 

[5MilesBack]

Respectfully, no they don’t.

No they don't, what?

You essentially just proved my point. Mechanicals still don't fly perfectly when your bow is out of tune. They may be a little closer to your FP's than your fixed heads, but they're still coming out of the bow out of what should be the proper line.......hence following fixed heads.

Not sure what you're trying to say.

 

[Billy Goat]

No they don't, what?

You essentially just proved my point. Mechanicals still don't fly perfectly when your bow is out of tune. They may be a little closer to your FP's than your fixed heads, but they're still coming out of the bow out of what should be the proper line.......hence following fixed heads.

Not sure what you're trying to say.

He is saying that mech heads don't hit the same as a fixed heads, that's why people use them. The arrow still has poor flight, but with the small surface area on the front it allows the arrow to impact closer to the field point in many cases than what it would with a fixed blade.

He isn't at all saying the problem goes away, arrow flight still suffers, it just isn't planing nearly as bad.

 

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[5MilesBack]

Really? You think a mech head changes a poorly setup bow?

Not at all........I've stated that a few times. That's why I can't figure out why you seem to be trying to contradict what I've said. My mechanicals tend to "follow" my fixed blades.........so as I've said "how does using a mechanical fix an untuned bow"? Basically I'm saying "why would people assume that there setup is good when even their mechanicals aren't hitting with their FP's"? "Closer than their fixed blades still isn't perfect".

 

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[N2TRKYS]

OK, gotcha….so everyone agrees.

My bet is there are stsome mech heads/ non tuners like N2 out that still dont follow the logic here.
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I’m neither of those. I’m saying I’ve seen folks have properly timed/tuned bows and arrows and still did what you’re saying. They didn’t pay enough attention to the arrow after they screwed the head on and it had a wobble and they didn’t know it. Guess what, it didn’t fly right. They got the wobble out and it shot like a dream.

But that doesn’t fit into your rant about untuned bows, so continue on spouting.

 

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