Neighbor gave me an older PSE archery Bow and 5 broadhead arrows.

Want to get some fieldtips so I can practice.
I am a 95% novice to bows so any and all tips are welcome.

Take the bow to a shop and have it checked out. String, cams, etc. They'll also be able to set it up to fit you and with accessories, arrows and a release.

He said he had it redone (strings,cams etc) about 8 years ago.
But I do want to be able to use a release.

That's quite a while for the strings. Check the serving on the bow strings, especially where it wraps around the cams and where you typically nock an arrow for separation. If there is separation, it'd be better to replace the string to play it safe. Regardless, go to your local bow shop to have them check it all out and fit the bow and arrows to you. They can also get you set up with a good release.

Bow needs to go get inspected at a reputable shop, set up for your draw length and a weight you can comfortably shoot.

Unless you know how to set the bow up to fit you (since you stated 95% novice, I assume that you do not know how), I would take it to a bow shop. Have them inspect it and set it up for you.

That’s a cool old bow.

take that tubing off peep site and have pro shop put in another one with out tubbing. also have them set correct draw length

That could mean it's fine if stored properly in the house (controlled temperature and humidity) and stored properly. However the sight is definitely outdated and even a Trueglow sight under a hundred bucks would be a giant upgrade. The rest as well. But, do what you want. A large percentage of guys shoot incorrectly spined arrows and untuned bows. You see the threads about them every year bitching about the Rage broadhead not getting any penetration.

Shooting a pool noodle and it’s always the broadheads fault

I’ve tested every broadhead I could find over the counter from a Walmart or academy and the standard 2 blade cut on contact rage, the standard with a shock collar, out penetrates them all. To do better you gotta hit an archery shop or at least go to bass pro. I don’t think another mechanical penetrates as well period. Not even the +p hypodermic.

I think it is due to the thicker ferrule. Nothing to obstruct or hang, smooth. Shock collars open easy too

And let me tell you from one new bow hunter to another, it is overwhelming the information, and counter information. I’m not gonna call it misinformation because hell if I know. But people on the web fight about arrow weight and broadheads like they are fighting for custody if they’re kids.

I found me a real life mentor though and he shoots 60 pounds at 27 inches out of an EnVision, not a speed bow, and shoots rage. And you would not believe what he has killed through the years.

what test medium were you using to test these broadheads?

Mostly just a foam target. Nothing like broadhead reviews on the web. But I have also shot one into a tree.

Completely buried a standard rage in a tree, didn’t even break my arrow. Shooting a 300 spine gold tip velocity with a 50 grain insert.

I bet my daughter 20 bucks she could not recover the arrow and she just unscrewed it and pulled out the tip of the shaft. Arrow was fine lol. I assumed it had mushroomed over the insert and would be stuck in there permanent.

I like the Rage standard SC as well. I'd put em up against any out there.
And my test medium has been deer and pigs.

pm your address. ill send you a bunch of broad heads to try.

Appreciate that sir .

Those look like thunderhead 125’s in the quiver.

Still a great broadhead after all these years

I still have some thunderheads. Haven't shot them in a while. May switch out my Iron Wills for them when I shoot hogs.

I quit the THs when they kept folding and loosing blades just shooting through ribs. Hope they overcame those bad productions but I've moved on. Much better, reasonably priced, dependable heads out there.

I ran into a guy at an archery shop with an older Martin compound bow. Bought from a friend, supposedly it was the fastest production bow at some point. First over 300 fps, something like that. Had a quiver full of arrows with old Muzzy 3 blades, and every one of them had dried blood and hair on them! And some chunks of crusty old dried mud in the blades too. I can only assume, he got a pass thru on every shot and just popped that arrow right back in the quiver! Probably the coolest old bow I have seen so far. Had some type of older Dropaway rest in what looked like maybe an overdraw that I have read about? Some type of extended ramp. I don’t know much about old bows but I bet that bow has killed a pile of animals. I love old bows

When i started bowhunting back in the late 1990's I can only remember people using only 2 kinds of Broadheads; Thunderheads or Muzzy's. Then when NAP came out with the spitfire a few people started using those.


I stopped bowhunting in 2002 and didnt pick it back up again until 2012 and man had things changed alot.

I started in the late 70s with a recurve, wood arrows with Bear 2 blade heads. Early 80s had switched to compound AL arrows and 3 blade Wasp broadheads the blades were easy to see had been made from razor blades. Switched to Kolpin Modular 4 blade head in 83 I think it was and shot those for several years. Got out of bow hunting for the most part after getting on a lease in Texas that bow hunting was not allowed on and it was easy if I wanted to to kill the limit in the first weekend or two on that place with the rifle. One Sunday f opening weekend one of the better bucks was somewhere around #200 deer that were in the wheat/oats field I could see from the hill. Put a stalk on and other than a spike and couple does the season was over.

Picked it back up in 97 and have hunted about every year since. Most of the kille have since been with G5 Montech, Rage or spitfire broadheads. Back to some recurve hunting and use Magnus Stingers with it those.

First Copound was a Browning Bantam then Browning Nomad 80lb. Then a PSE Nova for years and in 97 a Browning Mirage which was the fastest IBO bow of that year if I remember correctly. Used it until 2013 when limb twisted and parts were not available for it. By then Crossbows were legal in Texas so had switched to them for most of my bow hunting unless I am shooting the Recurve good that day and the wind is right for a stand with it.

When working at a shop from 2012 through 2017 I did work on quite a few older bows a couple of the oldest the old 6 wheel Bear compounds. Heck those were from back when I worked part time while in College.

The bow Bow posted earlier in this thread good advice to get it checked out btu id stored right it is most likely serviceable and functional. Strings part of the biggest? Accessories some will not play well with that one that are made for todays bows but many will. D-Loop, new rest, release and new sights peep and on riser can go a long way.

A few better pics of the ecentric wheels and looks like teardrop string connection, if it is the teardrop string change is easy really.

I remember the “no bowhunting” rule on alot of leases…landowners would flat out forbid it and I’d they didn’t a lot of the lease bosses would. They assumed that bow hunters were out wounding everything they shot at.

We didn’t know anyone who was a serious Bowhunter. The ones that did it were only doing it to kill time In the woods until rifle season started.

Bill Jordan had started rolling out his monster bucks video series that featured guys primarily bowhunting. A lot of the talk with hunters in our camp was that bowhunting was “cruel” and a rifle was much more humane.



I’m glad those days of the anti bowhunting mindset is over

I started bow hunting because it could easily be the only way for me to hunt deer. Gun season is so short where I live and if I’m lucky I’ll get one day to hunt out of it. But my bow increased my opportunity to between 20 and 40 days I might get to hunt.

My first bow hunt I blew an opportunity at a chip shot on a doe with my movement. Did it again my first day out this past season. But it is so exciting it’s the only way I want to hunt now.

My dreams are filled with bloody arrows and blood trails!