Stuck broadheads

[yankytrash]

I'm new to bows. Being a lefty, never got an opportunity to shoot anyone else's bow. Ran into a deal for a used lefty with arrows late last year and started hunting with it immediately.

The arrows are aluminum shaft. The inserts that hold the heads (sorry for my lack of correct terminology here, bear with me...) appear to be aluminum. I put new Muzzy's on the arrows last year.

The Muzzy's were getting beat up and needed sharpening for this year's spring gobbler, but I went ahead bought new Satellites of the same weight since they were so cheap ($10). The friend that was with me said he's used them, and liked them.

Went to take off the Muzzy's, and they wouldn't budge. Now I understand a little about arrows, and I know one shouldn't ue channel locks on the shaft to remove stuck heads. I had to try it anyway, and managed to get most of them off without damaging the shaft.

Most of the threads were covered in a powdery white coat of stuff, like there was a metallurgy problem. A couple of the Muzzy threaded shafts broke off inside the arrow. The new heads wouldn't thread down all the way.

Now I'm stuck with two arrows for this season. Luckily, I managed to sight in the two arrows without losing or damaging them.

Is this a common problem? What's the cure, dismantle my arrows every season?

 

[Bruz]

Some people use thread lock or fletching glue on the heads threads to help keep it from coming unscrewed...either that or there is corroision or electrolosis. I use neither and never had a problem, plus I take my broadheads off and clean / sharpen them periodically.

Do you have a broadhead tool? Just a round peice of plastic with slots in it...saves the broad head, and your fingers. Ebay always has cheap used aluminum arrows since carbon arrows came in vogue.

 

[Navy joe]

That's aluminum corrosion product(aircraft mechanic alarm) caused by the dissimilar metal of the aluminum insert and the steel threads of the broadhead plus an electrolyte, most likely rain. A light coat of grease or vaseline on the threads of the new heads ought to preclude further corrosion. I can't see loctite if you ever want to use the shafts again. Next time, try a little gentle heat on the shaft, aluminum expands more under heating than steel, tends to loosen things up. I seem to notice a pattern regarding you and channelocks... Oh well, as you can see, I prefer fire and hammers, if really desperate I hammer stuff with hot channelocks, seems to work ok.

Bows, something else I do right handed for the sake of simplicity. Need another one, haven't shot in years.

 

[zahc]

Except, that muzzy broadheads are aluminum too.

DON"T heat the area because inserts especially for aluminum arrows are usually glued in with hot-melt glue, and adjusted to spin true. Heating it up will knock things out of alignment.



But broadheads WILL seize over a long time. You need to put something in the threads, anti sieze, oil, something--I use lots of bowstring wax.

You need to get a broadhead wrench if you don't have one.

SERIOUSLY this has nothing to do with your broadhead choices, Muzzys are the best replaceable blade arrowhead ever. period! Sattelite IMO=

You might be getting something different for turkeys though. Most ppl like really huge mechanicals. Like vortexes, or rocket buckblasters

The idea being shocking power and low penetration.

Make sure your arrows are still straight.

 

[yankytrash]

Yep, got a broadhead wrench. One comes in every ack of heads I've bought thus far. Don't help much though when the shaft spins, and I wasn't really wanting to save the Muzzy's anyway. Too expensive for this cat.

Navy joe, gimme a pair of channel locks and duct tape, and I'll tear down the world and put it back together the way I want it.

zahc,
What's wrong with the Satellites? For all purposes/appearences, they seem to be the same as Muzzy's. I do wonder though why they're so much cheaper.


Oh, and unrelated but worth sharin - also changed over my sights from the stock brass beads to fiberoptic Cobras at the low low price of $3.95 per pin. Brought my 6" groups down to 2" from 5-40yd. Dead turkey in 5 hours if I find one.

 

[Don Gwinn]

Half a potato works about as well as a broadhead wrench.

 

[zahc]

Cobra pins are a huge, cheap upgrade! good work. I am just picky about things like broadheads. Satelite has made some goods heads. I think satelite makes those titanium heads which are one of the heads I'd use if Muzzy didn't exist. I've seen some that fit in the catgory though. I think muzzies are a bargain considering the design and quality. 5 dollars a head around here. For a reusable projectile. I've shot several things with the same one just new blades and it's fine. And they are easy to tune, blast through the tough stuff and will never lose a blade. YMMV

 

[yankytrash]

Dang zahc, you oughta think about buying a pile of'm and resellin'm online. They're $42/6 around here, and $16 for a pack of replacement blades (9 blades, but my 125gr are special order). These Satellites were $5 per pack of three heads and came with field points for practice.

Got me a squirrel today at 23 paces. He was on a tree, so the broadhead was unsalvagable.


With only one arrow left, I had to go get me some new shafts today. It's for the best anyway - I really needed another 1 1/2 inches for my draw length.

 

[zahc]

Cool I've never killed a squirrel with a bow before. Tried.

 

[Bruz]

Half a potato works about as well as a broadhead wrench.

Good tip, but is'nt the butter and sour cream a mess to clean off the shaft afterwards?

 

[Navy joe]

I'm getting a really bad mental image of a poor lil tree rat that decided to run up the wrong tree, permanently skewered there.
Squirrel poacher!

You'd think he woulda heard of his cousin who ran up the same tree and got hit with a .45 JHP. They never learn. Nice shooting though.