What Grain Broadhead Should I Use?

One of the most common questions we receive is, “What grain broadhead should I use?”. This is a fairly simple question as most hunters nowadays use 100 grain heads because of the multitude of options from several different manufactures. Whether you’re looking to shoot a fixed blade broadhead or a mechanical broadhead, you will always have the widest array of options using a 100 grain. There are a wide array of grains from 75 grain broadheads to the heaviest we’ve seen - 300 grain broadheads.

Should I Use A Fixed Blade Broadhead Or A Mechanical Blade Broadhead?

When selecting a broadhead, a great place to start is by asking yourself what your end goal is and how much weight you can draw back. If you’re shooting under 55 pounds, you’re going to want to shoot a fixed blade broadhead. The reason for this is because when shooting a mechanical broadhead, the broadhead loses energy when opening up and if you don’t have enough draw back strength, you won’t get the correct amount of penetration. If you shoot over 55 pounds, it’s really a personal choice whether you want to shoot a fixed blade or a mechanical blade. Fixed blade heads provide great penetration with a smaller cutting diameter, whereas mechanical blade heads provide a larger cutting diameter. After you’ve decided on the best type of broadhead, your next step is to figure out what grain broadhead will be the best for you.

Selecting The Right Grain Broadhead For You

Choosing the correct grain broadhead goes hand in hand with pull back weight. The heavier the arrow, the longer it takes to get from point a to point b. So again, for those with a draw weight under 55 pounds, shooting a lower (100gr) grain broadhead is the best option because you're going to have better arrow speed, resulting in better penetration. 125-grain broadheads provide better penetration for those with a higher draw back weight, but if the arrow doesn’t get from your start point to your end point you could end up doing more harm than good.

As a general guide, when selecting the best broadhead grain, we usually suggest a 100 grain broadhead because of all the different options available. The multitude of choices in the 100 grain head range from a mechanical broadhead like Rage, to fixed blade broadheads like Slick Trick and Grim Reaper. Whether you’re bowhunting short range or long range distances these broadheads will do the trick.

For those that want to add more weight to the front of their arrow setup, it has become more and more common to add different arrow components rather than switching to heavier heads because the options are so limited. No matter what you choose, it is important to always remember to have the same grain on your field points as you do on your broadheads.

Broadhead Weight Matters

With choosing a broadhead weight, most bowhunters are trying to achieve the ideal front of center (FOC). Front of center is the percentage of the arrow's weight that is located in the front half of the arrow. FOC is important as it aids in a flatter shooting arrow as well as arrow penetration. In order to achieve the best F.O.C, you can adjust arrow components as needed. Just remember - heavier broadheads don't necessarily result in a better outcome. It's all about finding what is most comfortable and relevant to your situation.