Making Broadhead Arrowheads From Target Arrows and Sheet Metal

I respectfully disagree. A small drill, hacksaw, pliers, tin snips, hammer and a file isn't much in the way of even basic hand tools, to me at least. I do agree with @kellory about drilling out the blade to lessen the weight if a person were so inclined. I would think it would help especially with lighter draw weight bows.

 

Came across a "poor man's " version of this years ago while hunting in eastern Washington state. Some knucklehead had glued/duct taped 30-06 rounds to the tips of field tipped arrows. Took a couple of days to figure out what he was doing. Best I can figure from what I found/heard was he would fire one of these arrows in a high arc, think archers from the castle walls here, striking a cliff face in hopes of getting any elk that were bedded down in the surrounding dense timber to move out and into more open area. At least that what we and the game warden we turned over the arrows to could come up with..

 

Yep, perfectly legal to do it with noise-makers by radio, without any risks taken.

 

By the uniforms, cover and the lack of Special Forces tab above the Airborne tab; the film is pretty old so I doubt ballistic gel was around.

Anyhow, more important than my trivia, thanks for a great post!!!

 

I would use thicker steel, and use a hammer and chisle to cut away all but the cutting edge, and the point and spine of the tip.

 

Actually, this is where I felt they should have used balistics gel, instead of the hard mannequin. As this is a modern video, it should have been available. (In truth, the vest would have taken less damage with a softer backstop, as the gel would have absorbed some of the impact). And thank you for the kind words.

 

I originally got around to hand cutting the blades out after trying to forge them. The forging of course needs training to use that I lack, and it needs certain tools to do some of those heads right. But, yeah, you can hand cut one in about the same time as it takes to forge one, which is a couple of minutes tops.

The type I was using for the longest was a split shaft version of what he is making in the video. I like the performance, and the bow loved them. I was PMing kellory about shooting coke cans with them.

One of my biggest peeves, as a living historian and as a novice combat archer, is getting dependable damage, from heads that I can consistently recover. Consistently recover is very hard to come by, in my experience. "Hunting" heads either blow up or become permanently stuck in objects. And I do mean blow up, disintegrating into shards instead of penetrating. Also, in combat, speed is very important, and most "hunting" heads won't cleanly exist a arrow bag/quiver. I've also tries several different gauges and materials, and over a handful of designs. Back when i could afford shafts, I used to pack over 40 into my arrowbag. Good days.

 

I also think that properly built arrows will be very useful against MODERN hard armor. Not for penetration, but because they stand a very high likelihood of deflecting at high velocity into unarmored areas. Against soft armor, they are amazing, especially if you have the right grind on them. wnn has done a pretty extensive amount of test on them with some armor he bought to test it out on, from what he told me about before leaving.

 

Yes, but remember one thing about war arrows. You don't want them back. And you are not likely to get them back. Any shot at an enemy is a shot gone for good, so don't worry about that second usage.
The only time you will be recovering them is from the bodies after the battle.
Catapults shot clay balls full of rocks for the same reasons. (To make it useless to return fire).
Razorheads do what they do, because the knife edges slice open the flesh to reduce drag. It is drag on the shaft that slows it's movement. The head takes little damage because it cuts.
War arrows are designed to wound, not kill., to make an enemy a liability to his own side. They are made to punch in and hang up as the muscles seize around the shaft, to be difficult to withdraw.
Why give the enemy more ammo? More wounded means more streacher bearers, more work for the doctors, more useless mouths to feed.

 

@kellory
Weird, I clicked on your video and watched an old 60s training film.

 

I showed two videos in two separate posts in this thread.
You should see what a crossbow would do against the same type of competition.

 

I use the same shafts for hunting. In La, minimal 1" wide. And like the Natives, with the effort it takes to make them, I want to recover them in any situation where I can. I am more likely to have to extract them from a tree than a foe, at this point, and it is a risk I am willing to take.

None of the hunting heads I am referencing that I can recall ever even made it to the shaft, in regards to penetration. I've even had one brake up going through a boneless hunk of brisket. Not something I am willing to bet on.

Haha. I have had this conversation many times. Seems that I just hold some very fringe views of archery. Haha.

 

I started archery with cedar shafts and classic broadheads. They work. However, there is much about them that can be improved. I took my first deer with one, but I use carbons and mechanicals now.
I would suggest you also use folding mechanicals, because the blades are replaceable, this means removable as well, and a standard mechanical without blades, resembles your war tips quite a bit. (And would serve that service pretty well). You end up with one head type for both uses.
Edit:
Note the resemblance?
Nap Shockwave Crossbow Broadheads Expandable Mechanical 100 Grain 3 Pack | eBay

 

OK, it threw me. My guess is the one was before JKF authorized the Beret.

I had an interest in a crossbow for years.

 

I have two. A Barnett demon, and a Horton. Two Indian Stalker compound bows, and the longbow. I also hunt with slingshot, so I'm used to getting in close.
Edit: if you have any questions I can help with, ask.

 

I mean, if SHTF, I'll use them if I have them. At this point, I just don't see any reason to do so. I will admit to not having that much experience using them against large game, which may sway the argument. On that token, I also regularly carry a pistol caliber rifle for the same purposes as the bow, so maybe not.

I'm going to try and load some pics for critique from the target audience. Through this together since the last post. going to see how it shoots and holds up tmrw. And yes, it is scrap metal that is rusty as crap. Haha.

 

I have no doubt you will ace kingfish's challenge. You have the needed skills to succeed.
I look forward to the photos.

 

In the time when arrows were the premium projectile weapon, the wounded fairly frequently died later through infection (pre-antibiotics) even if they did not bleed out or were not hit in a vital organ by the arrow itself. Archers would often stand arrows with their heads in the ground for ease of selecting for nocking, which would result in the arrow heads becoming contaminated with micro-organisms.

 

Equally, there are tale sof crusaders fighting all day pierced with a dozen arrows, and living to fight another day. Takes all kinds, I reckon.

Did the pics show up?

 

Yes, the arrow pics are here. I referred to "challenge accepted".