Crossbow Broadheads

What makes crossbow broadheads different

A crossbow broadhead does the same job as any broadhead: sharp blades on a threaded ferrule, swapped in for a field point of matching weight. The basics every head shares are on the main broadheads page. This page is about what changes when the launcher is a crossbow: higher speed, a shorter shaft, and a maker who often tells you exactly what weight the bolts were designed for.

Speed is the big one. G5's FAQ gives a clean example from one mechanical head: the compound version is rated for 315 fps (feet per second), and the crossbow version for 470 fps. For bows over 500 fps, G5 points to a separate head it developed with ultra-high-speed crossbows. Same idea, three speed classes.

The table here lists broadheads sold in a crossbow version or rated by the maker for crossbow speeds. We include a head only when the maker says so. If the table is short, that's why: a head without a stated crossbow version or rating stays off it, and a guess doesn't count.

What to look at when you pick crossbow broadheads

Here's my checking order for a crossbow head.

Crossbow-rated means a crossbow version or a stated speed

The "Crossbow-rated" mark means one of two things in the maker's own words: the head is sold as a crossbow version, or the maker states it's built or tested for crossbow speeds. Either way, compare it with your bow's real arrow speed with that bolt, and pick a head whose rating covers it.

The split by type matters. On G5's account, a fixed head doesn't care what launched it, so the compound version of a fixed head is fine from a crossbow. Expandables are where the versions differ. G5 says the main differences are knock-off value (how hard a bump it takes to pop the blades) and the energy it takes to open them, and it recommends only crossbow versions on a crossbow.

Grain weight starts with what the bolt was built for

Many crossbow makers design their bolts around one point weight. TenPoint's FAQ says its arrows are designed around a 100-grain field tip or broadhead. It also says 125 or 150-grain heads can be shot, but you may need to shoot-test them to find the most accurate combination.

Grand View Outdoors lists the common crossbow weights as 85, 100 and 125 grains. Most hunters shoot 100, it says, with 125 coming back among hunters who want more energy. A heavier head adds kinetic energy and costs speed, and a heavier bolt makes the bow quieter.

Keep the finished bolt above the maker's minimum

Here's the part people skip. Crossbow makers can set a minimum finished bolt weight, and it counts the head. TenPoint's FAQ, for its crossbows built in 2012 or later, says the finished bolt should weigh at least 370 grains including a 100-grain field tip or broadhead. Older and lighter models have their own numbers in the same answer.

Quick math: a bolt that weighs 380 grains with a 100-grain point is 10 grains over that line. Swap to an 85-grain head and it's 365, which is 5 grains under. A 125-grain head puts it at 405, comfortably over. So the lightest heads can be the riskiest choice on a light bolt. Weigh the finished bolt with the head on it, not the bare shaft, and compare it with your manual. (I own a scale that reads in grains. Walt owns a scale that reads "about right.")

Energy is rarely the crossbow's short column

Mechanical makers set kinetic energy floors for their heads; G5 recommends at least 40 ft-lb for expandables on whitetail-size game, and New Archery Products about 50 for deer-size game. New Archery Products gives the formula: bolt weight in grains × speed × speed ÷ 450,240.

Quick math with round numbers: a 400-grain bolt at 400 fps is 400 × 400 × 400 ÷ 450,240, about 142 ft-lb. That's well clear of either floor. On paper, then, a crossbow's problem with mechanicals isn't energy. It's the launch itself: blades and retention have to stay shut through a much harder shove. That's why the rating and the crossbow version come first on this page, and energy comes up only for slower, lighter setups. If yours is one of those, run the formula with your own measured speed and the finished bolt weight, head included. It takes about a minute, and the answer belongs in the logbook next to the bolt weight. (Mine has a column for it. Walt's has a coffee ring.)

Fixed, mechanical or hybrid on a crossbow

All three types are sold for crossbows.

• Fixed: Grand View Outdoors credits fixed heads with better penetration because no energy goes to opening blades, but says they need more tuning, especially on crossbows.
• Mechanical: Grand View says expandables shoot with about the same precision as field points. Use a crossbow version.
• Hybrid: a small fixed head with folding blades behind it. Retention is the thing to read; see the next section.

The type-by-type detail lives on the mechanical broadheads and fixed blade broadheads pages.

Blade retention has to survive the launch

At crossbow speeds, whatever holds folded blades shut has a harder job. Crossbow versions often change exactly that part. One hybrid crossbow head covered in Archery Business swaps the O-ring of its bow version for a friction washer. One crossbow maker's own mechanical heads use an internal spring clip in a single-piece ferrule, with no O-rings or lock rings at all.

Before each hunt, check that bands, collars or clips are in place and the blades sit closed and snug. A head that rattles goes back in the box. (It's the one rattle in deer camp you can actually fix. The cabin's furnace is a separate discussion.)

Cutting diameter, blades and thickness

Cutting diameter is the stated width (from the maker or the listing), opened width for a mechanical. Hybrids list two numbers; the crossbow hybrid above lists 1-1/8 inches for the fixed blades and 1-5/8 inches open, and our table stores the larger. The "Blades" column counts cutting blades, and blade thickness, when a maker lists it, is the stock in thousandths of an inch. Read them together. A crossbow head with a modest cut and stout blades and one with a wide cut and thin folding blades are built for different priorities.

Buy enough heads to practice with

Most heads come in threes. Bowhunter's prep guide suggests shooting broadheads only for the last two weeks before the season, and replacing any mechanical that shows wear in practice. On a crossbow that goes quicker than you'd think, because a bolt that hits a bolt is two ruined bolts. Shoot one per aiming spot.

Sighting in crossbow broadheads after field points

Sight the scope in with field points first, then confirm with broadheads. TenPoint's FAQ says to always test-fire broadheads for grouping after sighting in with field points. Even at the same weight, a broadhead's shape can fly a little differently, and you may need a slight windage or elevation change on the scope.

A simple routine:

1. Zero with field points at the distance your scope instructions call for.
2. Weigh each head in grains against the stated weight.
3. Spin-test each head on its bolt; wobble means a bad head or a shaft end that isn't square.
4. Shoot one broadhead per aiming spot at the same distance.
5. Adjust the scope in small steps until broadheads hit your aiming point.
6. Confirm at your longest shot, then stop fiddling.

Shoot into the right target. TenPoint's FAQ says to pick one made for crossbows and rated for an arrow speed that matches or beats your bow's, and notes some targets accept field points only. Crossbow targets are on the crossbow target page, and scope setup is in the crossbow scope sight-in guide.

Ground blind hunters should shoot through an open window, not the mesh. New Archery Products warns that shooting broadheads through mesh can move your point of impact, and mechanicals can open early.

Crossbow bolts and broadheads go together

The head is only half the setup. Wisconsin DNR's advice is to use the bolts the crossbow maker recommends, and the maker's weight and nock rules come with those bolts. Bolt lengths, weights and nocks are on the crossbow bolts page, and the bows themselves are on the crossbow page.

Crossbow and broadhead safety

Wisconsin DNR's guidance is plain. Carry, transport and raise or lower a crossbow uncocked, using a haul line to bring it into a stand. Unload a cocked crossbow by firing a bolt into a safe target, never by dry firing. Keep fingers, hands and arms out of the string path whenever the bow is cocked.

Broadheads stay covered. Wisconsin DNR recommends a covered quiver to protect you and the points, and Oregon's wildlife department says to make sure broadheads are safely covered. Thread heads on with a broadhead wrench, not your fingers.

Crossbow seasons and broadhead rules vary by state. Check your state wildlife agency before you hunt.

Who crossbow broadheads suit

Anyone hunting with a crossbow needs heads that fit it, but the crossbow version matters most for three groups:

• Mechanical shooters: the crossbow version is the one to buy
• Owners of fast bows: compare your measured speed with the head's stated rating, especially past 500 fps
• Light-bolt setups: check the bolt's finished weight against the manual before going lighter on the head

If you shoot fixed heads at ordinary crossbow weights, your list of choices is longer, since G5 says compound versions of fixed heads work from a crossbow too.

Who doesn't need crossbow broadheads

If you shoot a vertical bow, the main broadheads page and its sub-type pages fit you better. And if your crossbow maker names one head for your model and you're happy with how it groups, you already have your answer. Write the bolt weight and the broadhead weight in the logbook, next to the yardage, and go hunting.