September 12, 2025
Leigh Hauck
The number one question I receive as the General Manager of a broadhead company is, “do
they really fly like field points?”
The answer is simple: yes, if you do your job to make that happen.
Here is the truth, any quality fixed blade broadhead will fly identically to a field point, at any
range, out of any bow, if your bow is well setup, your arrows are well built and tuned for your
bow, and if your form is good and consistent. 100% of the time an archer approaches me with a
broadhead flight issue, it is one or more of these three things.
We don’t tune our bow – we setup our bow and we tune our arrows!
This is a core piece of archery philosophy. If you are getting into the world of DIY tuning and
setup, repeat this phrase every time you walk into your shop space!
Your bow is either setup correctly or it isn’t, there is no ‘tuning’ to be done. Here is what a
proper setup compound bow setup checklist looks like:
- Cams are in time
- Limb bolts are even, and at least ¼ turn out from max
- No cam lean is present
- Your arrow rest is level, and set to centershot (watch my easy centershot method HERE)
If all of these points are cleared, your bow is well setup! Congrats! Your next step is to tune your
arrows, this is the crucial task that will make or break your accuracy!
Tuning your arrows to your bow means building an arrow that is designed to take and
use the exact amount of energy that your bow outputs. If your bow is outputting more or
less energy than your arrow is designed to handle, your flight will suffer. This process is called
spine matching, and is a complete deep dive on its own!
HERE is a blog where I deep dive this topic, I highly recommend you take the time to understand this essential topic!
While there are shortcuts that can be taken, there is simply no question – the key to greater
accuracy is taking the time to spine match your setup. Once you have your arrow design figured
out, you need to build that arrow well.
This means consistent and accurate fletching, squared ends, and generally consistent craftsmanship throughout the build. If your tips wobble, your broadheads won’t fly. Period.
The final point here is your form, this is the one that nobody wants to hear about. You
could have a bow that is setup flawlessly, and arrows that have been meticulously spine
matched, but if your form is not good and consistent then you will not shoot well. Period.
When I am fielding broadhead flight questions over the phone, this is always the last topic I
bring up because it tends to be a sensitive issue. Here is how many of my ‘broadhead flight
issue’ calls go:
Them: My broadheads aren’t hitting with my field points, I thought they were supposed to
fly like field points?
Me: If your bow is setup perfectly, your arrows are built well and tuned for your bow, and
your form is good, then they will! There must be an issue somewhere in the equation.
Them: No, all of my gear is perfect, these broadheads just don’t fly.
Me: With all do respect, that isn’t possible – unless you have some torque in your hand
form, that can cause all sorts of issues and is a massively underestimated component in
broadhead accuracy.
From here, the responses are wide ranging. Many will own the fact that they may not be perfect,
and this is great! I am not perfect either, I learn something every single day from talking to you
guys! However, many will get upset with me and demand that I have no idea what I am talking
about. Their loss. The truth is that any quality fixed blade broadhead will fly exactly like a field
point at any range if you have checked every box. I cannot overstate the importance of this
phrase.
Other broadheads fly fine out of my setup, why don’t XYZ broadheads?
Another super common question, with a simple answer. Forgiveness. Some broadheads are
more forgiving than others, meaning they will hide, or allow you to get away with issues in your
setup. Mechanical broadheads exist for this reason.
They are as forgiving as a field point, so they fly out of nearly any setup regardless of issues in setup, arrow tuning, or form.
If you are trying a new fixed blade and it isn’t shooting great, but other fixed blades have, then
you should be thankful for this new broadhead! It is exposing an issue in your bow, arrow, or
form that you didn’t know you have!
A concept I teach to my more advanced ‘students’ is to buy a pack of the least forgiving broadhead you can find – wide, solid, lightweight fixed blades tend to fit the bill. If you can get these to shoot like your field points out to 90 or 100 yards, you’ve done it all. What more could you ask for out of your setup?
Again, many don’t like this answer. Too many archers would just chock it up to product A being
lower quality than Product B. The reality is that modern manufacturing practices are so good,
that this just isn’t ever likely to be the case. Sure some heads will last longer, sharpen better,
make nicer holes than others – but none of that has anything to do with flight. If your
broadheads are square, they will fly.
So many archers aren’t willing to take accountability for their gear. I don’t care how much money
you spent on your gear. I don’t care if your tech is ‘the best guy around’, and I don’t care how
many years you have been bowhunting for. If you don’t do your job, your gear won’t do it’s. If
you drive your car into the ditch, do you blame the car?
At the end of the day, broadhead flight is not a mystery, it is NEVER trial and error, it is simply
the result of doing the work. When your bow is setup correctly, your arrows are well built and
tuned, and your form is good, there is no reason a fixed blade broadhead will not fly exactly like
your field points.
Too often archers want to skip steps, or assume that money spent on equipment will cover the gaps in setup and execution. The truth is that archery rewards the archer who is willing to be accountable for every detail. Hold yourself accountable. The animals lives that you are hunting depend on it. Do not take that lightly.
The best way to look at broadhead flight issues is not as a frustration or that some company ‘did
you wrong’, but as an opportunity. If a broadhead exposes a weakness in your system, it has
done you a favor by showing you where you can improve.
It might be as simple as a small setup adjustment, or it might be the realization that your form is introducing torque into the shot. Whatever it is, every correction you make brings you closer to archery perfection. When everything comes together, the reward is more than just tight groups at long range. It is the confidence of knowing that when you draw your bow in the field, your arrow will fly straight and true.
That kind of confidence cannot be bought, and it cannot be faked. It is earned through patience, attention to detail, and a willingness to hold yourself accountable. If you want perfect broadhead flight, the blueprint is right in front of you. Put in the work, trust the process, and you will see the results every time you step up to shoot.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the topic further, please feel free to reach out to us at sales@toothofthearrowbroadheads.com
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