Broadhead Sharpness for Bowhunting

One of my subscribers asked "how sharp should a broadhead be for bowhunting? Here's an overview of my strategy.
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4. Unpredictable Blood Trails: • Bloodtrails are NOT Pr...
5. How Broadheads Kill: • How Broadheads Kill
6. Broadhead Penetration Basics: • Broadhead Penetration ... of my subscribers asked "how do you know when your broadhead is sharp enough?" Great question, here's a breakdown.

[@slimjimmy229]

I suffered from poor blood trails and long tracking jobs for years. It was bad enough that I finally decided to go with expandables. They helped, but I was unsatisfied with the fact that I would often break blades or fail to get a passthrough. About 10 years ago, I had the realization that I always sharpen a knife straight out of the package and thought to myself, "Why ain't I doing this with my broadheads?" Ever since I started sharpening the factory edge on my broadheads, my blood trails exponentially increased, and most of the deer fall within 100 yards or less. This worked so well that I decided to eliminate a variable and switch back to fixed blades. Well, wouldn't you know that a super sharp COC fixed blade will leave a wonderful trail too. The biggest difference that I noticed with a fixed blade is that the arrow passes through so efficiently that the animal seems to not react as dramatically. Usually, the deer makes about 3-5 bounds, stops to assess the situation, and I watch them go down within 40 yards. The information that Troy is providing is 100% factual. It took me years to come to the same conclusions that he talks about. I'm glad that there is someone who is providing this information, allowing the learning curve to be shortened for new hunters.

[@Clif-r1m]

Us Trad Bow hunters this is a must. Heavy arrows, tough broadheads that are scary sharp

[@ScottWConvid19]

Troy... reinforcing the importance of the details to help people become successful because he actually does care about people, even though, people suck. He's not the most sensitive person on the KZbin, but he's not the biggest ahole, either. Thanks man. I'm glad to support your efforts. I've learned a lot from you👍🏼

[@mikeguy9668]

If you shoot a deer and it doesn't really react much, your head is sharp enough

[@Heavy_Arrow312]

Here here 🍻🍺

[@The_Judge300]

I have in many situations had the animal to only react to the sound to my string and not to getting hit at all. And since my bow is rather silent, they do most of the times not react much. And in many situation where there have been much sound from leaves falling and/or wind, they have not reacted at all. I had them to continue to eat after the shot and then wobble and drop in very few seconds. I had them trot or jump 5-10 yards before stopping and then wobble and drop. Only times I have experienced them wanting to escape, is when I have hit tougher bones or if I have hit ribs with a broadhead that is not a 2 blade. Or back at the times I used mechs now and then. The times I tried mechs, the animals almost always ran away in panic. I have not used any mechs on deer sized animals and larger since 2011.

[@davidholliday2703]

​@mattmeadows7548 sure S he'll couldn't hurt.

[@CRGtx325]

Thanks for all that you do Troy! In an industry that IMO sometimes has snobbish, group think mentality. I always like to think outside the box and keep an open mind. Your system has helped me tremendously!

[@d500mag2]

Can't help it, true followers will get it. Troy, I was checking your form out while cutting that paper. You need lessons. Some research on sharpness would go a long way too. It doesn't matter if we are doing the same thing. Blah blah blah, lessons. Blah blah blah, research. 😉 That podcast was something else. The sad thing is, that guys you tube channel is what inspired me to get started in archery (hunting) and do my own tuning. Not that it will make a bit of difference in his world, I just don't see the point in following his stuff anymore. The last podcast was just the final straw. He just seems to be lashing out at others who have valuable info regarding the real life hunting world. I'm not interested in killing paper and foam at 120 yards. I'm concerned about the pigs and deer inside 20 yards. My woodsmanship makes that possible. Thanks for content on this channel.

[@blakeumthun8128]

To play "devil's advocate"; He is chasing perfection in shooting, makes no bones about it and wants everyone to be the best shooter they can be and to fully understand their equipment. He has put in a ton of time and research to get perfect arrow groups. Not to mention, perfecting shooting form drastically reduces the chance of injury. Personally, I find that commendable. Take Tom Clum Sr. and Joel Turner, for example... What they are doing for the archery industry is such a great endeavor and will make their students more successful hunters. With that said, JD needs to do a better job of understanding where Troy is coming from, as do a lot of others. He is just so hyper-focused on what he thinks is most important, that he can't he refuses to keep an open mind on what actually does the killing. We aren't all machines that can just pound targets for hours a day, shoot dozens of different arrows and the majority of us aren't bow techs. Troy gives us regular guys another way to get there. But, 1st and foremost, gives us the knowledge to be more lethal when shots aren't always perfect. Frankly, we all need to do a better job of making sure that the arrow is as good as we can possibly get it. At the end of the day, filter through the BS and start with being a better shooter and end with having the most lethal pointy stick we can get.

[@retireddiyguy]

I watched the podcast with Dudley. Good job on keeping your cool when Dudley was basically talking down to you. Keep helping the little guy the way you are doing.

[@RanchFairy]

Thank you

[@chrisruzsa2798]

Sharpness is often over looked. Yes they will all kill so will a dull blade eventually. But to kill fast and humanely sharpness is what matters. There is a lot of things that go in to gear too but the stick matters most and that tip matters more. Great video Troy.

[@Raymon-o1s]

Been following your advice for a couple of years now I've went from tracking blood trails for miles sometimes to watching the deer drop from my stand thanks ranch fairy you've made it a lot easier sport for this old man

[@txtpqb]

Thanks Troy. Finally got the green/white compound for my strop the other day. Last night was the first time to use it on some broadheads that I thought were decently sharp. Well, looking at the edges under a certain light angle, you see the nasty burr on them. Then I went to work on them using the green compound. After about 10-20 strokes on the strop, both sides of the broadhead(these are double-bevel), you could literally see the burr go away and wind up on the strop itself. Another examination under light, the cutting edge of each broadhead was very uniform and SMOOTH, from back to tip! Wow, what a difference. I don't think I've gotten any edge this sharp, on anything! I just learned the meaning of Scary Sharp. I mean these things are nasty now. Thought I would never achieve this. Keep the info coming, love all your stuff.

[@RanchFairy]

Adult Broadheads.

[@albinoblacksheep7826]

Appreciate your vids man. Getting ready to take warthog with my longbow and this is a massive help. Also looking forward to the hunting public boys to come down again. 😉

[@wcwcgarner2717]

One thing i learned from you ranch. Is straight arrow flight. The Wright spine arrow. And to have super sharp broadheads.

[@h-minus2212]

Thanks for the good content. The A+ to B metaphor was super helpful. If a hunter starts at an average sharpness and the arrow is degraded before impact - they can be in for a frustrating night of blood trailing and some lasting heartache. Thanks again.

[@PersonalBestOutdoors]

Troy, Every time you drop a new video, I am glad I found your channel. Everyone in this industry has some all-too-important anecdotal data. But because some well known TARGET shooter endorses it, and charges more for it. It's akin to those cheap made shirts with the pocket on the front you can buy in 3 packs for 11.99... or get the same shirt with a "swoosh" on the tag and pay 3x the price for only one. As you said, some may think you're splitting hairs... but it is comforting to know that when I come to full draw, fully intending to take an animal's life, that I have done my ABSOLUTE BEST to ensure an ethical arrow. That I have practiced in all weather conditions, my bow is right, and I am familiar with shot placement on the species I intend to hunt. Because I AM HUMAN... even after 16 years, that adrenaline gets to me every time. My equipment hasn't failed me yet. It does what it is intended to do. I have failed myself. So it just makes sense to put the constants into prime A+ condition before hand.

[@RanchFairy]

Control what you can. Reduce the variables, and let the chips fall where they will. But having an arrow that "might fail" if its not perfectly placed.....zowie!!!!

[@PersonalBestOutdoors]

@@RanchFairy amen. It blows me away at the number of people who can't grasp this simple concept.

[@kenlilly-ht7mz]

Thank you for all you do we need more people out there like you keep telling the truth brother

[@josephaguiar4361]

All absolutely true. This is why i went down the next rabbit hole of sharpness and ended up using stones and stropping compound intended for straight razors. With time and effort you can absolutely get these scary

[@bobbywinn6548]

Thank you for your time and contribution! Glad to see you back!

[@deanbrantley]

I’ve since gone back to my normal arrow weight of 450-470 after trying the 600+ grain stuff. Learning to sharpen and buying high quality heads is the biggest difference for me. I have no doubt anything walking shy of dangerous game I could kill with my set up and an arrow in the right spot.

[@RanchFairy]

We agree. "In the right spot" you'll be fine.

[@MrFishguy60]

Great video. I fully agree.

[@wildpigremovalinc.executio8028]

Sharpness is very important, but the point of impact is most important. I grew up in the 80s using cut on contact broadheads. My adult neighbors, in Michigan, that taught me archery preached accuracy. The Bear 2 blade broadhead was a beefy beast of a broadhead design to be reused and is a great product. Current times, I use an arrow and a broadhead one time on pigs in California. I don't expect to get more than one animal with a broadhead, but that's me. I use Swhacker's because they fly great when shot out of my bows and crossbow. The Swhacker's design uses different blades to penetrate the hide and open to cut internal organs with thin longer blades, which are easy to sharpen. I prefer Arkansas stones, soft, hard, and surgical black. I've been sharpening blades on stones since I was a boy-scout, 40+ years. If you're in a state that mechanical blades are legal and can afford Swhacker's, give them a try. I am not affiliated with any broadhead company, but I do have 2 patents on fetching products. Good luck, have a nice day.

[@Cjdklh]

What I wish people would understand is it doesn't have to be done one way only. RF does an amazing job of proving that it can be done in a lot of ways. Arrow flight and durability go a long ways regardless of weight. No matter what side of the coin you're on theres a lot to be taken from RF.

[@pensnut08]

I want my heads so sharp that the deer starts bleeding BEFORE the head gets there...

[@Stevo59]

Enjoy your videos brother..

[@68whiskey86]

Hell yeah!

[@SirSloop1919]

been shooting flappers forever and have had mixed results. Lots of dead deer, but some weird random losses, and lots of absolutely DESTROYED broadheads. Kinda done with that bs... a hunting shot shouldn't be a gamble. Giving the 600gr+ adult arrow with finely honed single bevel a go this season. A lot of the shit you say makes a lot of sense.

[@RanchFairy]

See my shot placement videos! Vital V.

[@MMead85]

You won be disappointed. I was in the same boat. Everything after I released my first 660 grain arrow at a deer was so easy compared to the coin flip hunting that I was doing. The deer was hit, it walked off, and tipped over.

[@slimjimmy229]

With a quality COC head and a TAW over 500gr, actually about 470gr in my experience, you'll have no penetration problems on whitetail. You have likely conditioned yourself to pulling back away from the shoulder to target the lungs. You're going to have your best results now if you bring your aiming point forward a bit. You want to put that arrow in what Troy refers to as the vital V. On a broadside shot, my aiming point is just an inch or two into the shoulder from the crease. From a treestand, you will never have to worry about a scapula, never. I've blown through many scapulas from various angles and still had to pull my arrow out of the ground. The naysayers all claim that the lighter, faster arrow is better because it has more KE. While this can be true, a heavier arrow with better FOC uses it energy much more efficiently. It doesn't deflect nearly as easily, thus keeping the energy focused on the cutting edge of the broadhead. Anytime your arrow diverts off its original course, it hemorrhages its KE and penetration will suffer.

[@SirSloop1919]

Not sure how my comment went from projectile durability to shot placement. All of the stuff RF has been talking about is plan b. I've actually moved my aim point more forwards and lower over the years. I typically wait for a shot with the close front leg forward to open up the vitals, and head up to reduce the deers ability to jump the string. That's all just the aim point though. What happens when the deer moves. I think its been proven time and time again you can't beat them. Sometimes I'd pull an intact flapper out of the dirt, dead deer. Sometimes I pull a mangled flapper out of a far side shoulder, dead deer. Sometimes I find half my arrow, flapper and deer disappeared into hours/days of suffering never to be seen again. I'd like to just find a 300gr single bevel in the dirt with a deer 50 yards away regardless of what I hit in the vital area of the animal. I think just switching to "any" cut on contact head is going to be a huge improvement in penetration. But like RF preaches, if you are going to make the leap away from flappers... why not go all the way and shoot razor sharp adult setups that wont break.

[@slimjimmy229]

@SirSloop1919 Because the general consensus with expandable guys is to stay away from the shoulder. As someone who shot expandables for more years than I care to say, I did the same at first. After a few years, I moved my aim point forward a bit as well. But, once again, most of the flapper shooters will tell you to shoot behind the crease and avoid anything quartering to. I was merely making a statement based on a majority and hopefully give you comfort on a shot that you may second guess. The only shot I will avoid now is one that puts my arrow through the knuckle of the shoulder. Leg bone, spine, and scapula all break with a heavier arrow with a good COC fixed blade. I almost never leave an arrow in a deer anymore. Hell, my biggest buck to date fell to a 520gr arrow at 68 yards. It was a quartering away shot that turned into a plan B situation because he turned. The arrow hit him in the ham and penetrated through the 200lb whitetail nearly 38" before hitting and breaking the leg bone and coming to rest barely poking out of the hide.

[@ronmacdougall9612]

Great video,a lot of help

[@gradyfuller4880]

Great explanation 👍🏻

[@adam4liberty]

I got one for you Troy. You may have came across it. The single bevel edge is basically like a yankee wood craftsman’s chisel edge. Flat on one side and bevel on the other. To get an insanely sharp edge, the old method of some sharpening nut jobs would be hollow ground. I grew up watching my dad, best carpenter ever lol, hollow grind every damn edge he had. His arms were bald as well. Would be a good test. For fun.

[@dustyneudy7017]

Please shoot a few pigs with flappers (rage,swacker,megameats,etc) use same arrows (550 plus) for us to see comparison and penetration etc. Be nice to see footage amd tests with the flappers for comparison. Love your content.

[@RanchFairy]

You tube has all that!!!!! We have some tings coming up.

[@LastLightOutdoors]

I use the 600 grit side of a flat sand stone on montec g5 broadheads. I was able to push it through copy paper without it ripping not super sharp but good enough to get a pass through after hitting another animal and being resharpened.

[@christopherwatson283]

You work to Hard. God Bless, C.

[@flyfin108]

thank you very much

[@Kurtdog63]

One can think of it this way. If your primary goal is to get your arrow back after the shot into the animal, the best way to accomplish that is to have an arrow system that meets Dr. Ed's 12 factors of arrow lethality that yields the highest potential for a complete pass thru. The side affect of a complete pass thru is.. the animal most likely dies AND... you get your "arrow refund".

[@ethanknight3970]

there was a video you made where the bear shaft flew straighter then the flechted one, my question is what makes the best or better fletching material, feathers or the synthetic plastic ones? im trying to build my arrow set up and I can't decide; I think a video dedicated to this problem would be interesting given the different kinds of arrow set ups possible: the set up im thinking of is the Orion model, 200-250 spine, 32 inches long (don't bleed math with a 30 inch draw length) with either an aluminum or SS standard insert, with a 200 grain head. the fletching material is now my one concern given it's suppose to help the arrow fly better, and im left wondering if I created an arrow that can hunt anything in the US with a bow with a max of 320 fps being the arrow's total grain weight between 558 - 630 grains depending on the spine with 4 feather vanes and between 585 - 658 grains with 4 fusion x-vanes 3 inches with a 3-10 grain difference depending on number of vanes with each vane material type. I am no expert in this, just a new guy wanting to get into bow hunting with the best set up possible to ensure swift death and successful, ethical, harvest; I dont want to just injure my target, that is my main concern with all of this. Thank you for your awesome content too!

[@RanchFairy]

Youre over thinking this. Use the fusions, more weather proof. There's so much more to aerodynamics than JUST fletching.

[@brodystuart9944]

Thanks man

[@rooftopnegotiator3562]

Troy is there any Broadhead that you have came across that you really had a HARD TIME sharpening? Reason I ask is I've been watching you for quite a while now, I decided to go heavy with my arrow set up, I purchased a pack of (3) 200 Grain 3 blades from VPA, not S7 Tool Steal the other l Tool Steel, I have been Busting my Ass trying to get these things Sharp, I can get them to the point of Catching on a Finger Nail, I even went and bought a set of Diamond Plates, they will not get to that Next Level. I know you have a Few Videos on this, but have never heard you mention any difficulties, any help would be greatly appreciated, Thank you

[@Raymon-o1s]

Troy what is your opinion on dual spine arrows

[@johnsparkman2872]

Just watched you on Dudley's channel. I have learned from both of you. I tuned in to learn more about arrows not listen to him give you a lecture. He is more geared to technique and target archery. You are more geared toward making the average guy a more lethal hunter. Seems like there is a need for advice for an average long range hunting arrow {Elk} And a shorter range {Deer} arrow. Like 60lbs needs this and 70lbs needs that. Keep it up I enjoy your show. PS Not enough is made of the fact that alot of deer don't know what happened if the arrow zips right thru. They run 30 yds and look back to see what happened and die right there.

[@outdoorsman9384]

Question Ranch , Dr Ashby recommends no edges , bumps or ridges on the furule section on the broadhead and yours has this because they can impede rotation and hinder penatration, he recommends an all Smooth head, so I would like too understand why yours has that design?

[@RanchFairy]

Because it's very hard to make lighter broadheads in that configuration and we added the bleeder blade option due to demand. Most people don't want to shoot the 3:1 Tuffhead type stuff.

[@outdoorsman9384]

@RanchFairy then obviously they won't be whistling Dixie, when there penatration is hindered. We both know when you got a wickedly sharp razor edge on your broadhead is key to keep arteries flowing blood. So obviously know buddy should be going too the woods , without mastering the art of sharpening. Bones do get in the way , I've been having awesome success with Dr Ashby protocol. So anyways I don't go into the woods unless I meet his 12 steps of success ✊️👊

[@MattShambo-Hitchcock-wm4bz]

Anyone know how to get ahold of the ranch fairy???

[@joshdennis8841]

Troy how would you go about sharpening a solid one piece three blade? I have trouble sharpening mine. They are sharp but I can’t get them to that point of “ Jesus I just cut my finger off “ sharp. I use a strop after and still can’t get them where I want them.

[@RanchFairy]

I have a three blade sharpening video. HOWEVER, you have to understand that three blades are 30 degrees on each bevel - 60 degree bevel total on each blade. So they aren't usually incredibly sharp like a 20 degree (40 total angle) knife. They are super durable.

[@Rubicon1776]

You used to have a real cool video posted about the vital v. It appears to be gone. Did you take it down?

[@stephenballard3759]

Skills matter. I agree polishing and stropping is the right way, but even with just a file and stone we could be doing better. Consistent angle, light, even pressure to finish, a clean, sharp file, and simple care and patience. You can even strop on a regular leather belt.

[@NathanShirland]

Can we get that t shirt in your store?

[@littlewoody5539]

Most ppl go fishing with dull hooks and don’t know it .

[@58BowNut]

Do you sell the sharpener through your store, if so how do I get into the store. Through KZbin it only shows your hoodies.

[@RanchFairy]

My partner in that is Worksharp. The precision adjust. See my channel for the video on that.

[@hikingwithaviking8529]

Scary sharp cuts = higer blood flow

[@littlewoody5539]

Troy do you use diamond spray on your strop ?

[@RanchFairy]

No, just the polish provided in the sticks ON THE ROUGH side only.

[@hawknives]

Surprise release? Sounds like a surprise I'm not gonna like. Lol! Christ Bless!

[@adamcooper976]

Can you get 3 blade heads that sharp?

[@RanchFairy]

Close, but they are 30 degree edges - 60 degree total. So literally steeper and harder to get super sharp

[@mikekupetsky6879]

The only way to quantitatively assess the sharpness of a Broadhead is to use the Bess sharpness testor.... other than that you're just guessing

[@mab0852]

Push the edge across a Q-tip. If it grabs a fiber(s) keep going.

[@theroncorbett7991]

Pure and simple, durability and sharp is the only thing that matters at impact. Minimizing variables by being the best archer and hunter we possibly can be gets us close to the animal with the ability to deliver a lethal shot. I’ll take a 1 1/8”wide 2 blade complete pass through wound channel all day long. If mech’s are magical then how come the trad guys don’t use them? I’m sure someone is but the reason is mechanical advantage. Far less energy required to achieve penetration over a mech. I get all the accuracy and tuning stuff but at face value why would you choose a broad head that soaks up the very limited amount of energy we already have? Feels counter intuitive to me.

[@miltonreeths522]

Shoot that 1 1/8" 2 blade pass through in the guts and you will be tracking that deer all day. 1 1/2 3 blade mech will kill deer much faster shot in the same place. No problem with pass through at 60#. You will also get a much better blood trail.

[@casanovafrankenstein8875]

​@@miltonreeths522😂

[@dennisrobinson753]

Tool steel sharpening is not a easy-going a lot of work is involved we as a hunter owe it to the pray animals. Take the time do the work be ethical

[@WildGameLegacy]

I got my RF200's in the quiver on my longbow.....I'm ready, are you?

[@Ray-rw7nz]

Your cut off arrows with broadheads look like little fairy wands

[@tomfletcher4612]

I like the rada better work sharp is good tho

[@RugerNuger]

U should get a bess tester give a more accurate reading rather than cutting paper

[@RanchFairy]

Got that. You are correct on the perfect way to show this. I am trying to help the average person, sharpening, with easy to use items around the house start checking their broadheads.

[@jnewsome025]

All the "target experts" are coming for Troy. They all say he doesn't have the experience to point people in the heavy arrow direction. These target guys are 100% fixated on shot placement and form. None of them take into account that the average guy doesn't have time to shoot 100 arrows a day, and work on form. Or people simply don't give AF about any of that. Heavy, super sharp arrows with great FOC are the way to go for the average guy. If people follow Troy videos on setup, the arrows will fly great. It's really not that hard. Guys aren't going to make perfect shots and they need arrows that will never fail. These target guys drive me insane. Troy has helped thousands of people kill animals effectively. I really hope he doesn't let the noise deter him. The jealousy from the target world is just ridiculous.

[@RanchFairy]

Thank you

[@jasonard7227]

good as always now im waiting to see how Dudley trys to blame you showing sharpness on people bringing 650 grain arrows to tac to shoot 100+ yard shots lol cause thats your fault as well..lost a lot of respect for John in that one. you acted like an adult. im glad he is a good shot lets hope the animal/target doesnt move while tying not to die.. plus John likes arrows sticking out and only getting one lung lol...

[@jeffhays1968]

Been sharpening stuff for years. Diamond compound fine stone to a glass smooth black hard arkansas natural stone is the way. No real need for strop if you are good at it. SOME folks actually use a strop wrong and roll their edges over with them, or on a single bevel strop the back side at an angle instead of dead flat, very sloppy and bad practice.

[@tomfletcher4612]

If I can shave with it is sharp enough to help with

[@tomfletcher4612]

Hunt not help

[@aarongoeppner413]

Funny how everyone in the comments are already saying stuff “good enough”.

[@killintime8431]

Jesus Christ loves the Ranch Fairy 🧚‍♂️🏹

[@brett7794]

Don't drink the ranch fairy Kool-Aid 😂

[@joemisak7925]

Now take all 3 out and shoot a hog time how long it takes it to die .. I’ll bet no difference lol

[@mikekupetsky6879]

That is about the most unscientific method I've ever heard of...i will stick with the bess certified sharpness tester