Do you Retire your arrow and Broadhead after you have shot animal

I am curious as to what other people are doing.
WHen you have retrieved your arrow do you re use it and the broadhead, or retire it.

My self I have always retired the arrow and broadhead.. I may keep the arrow for tarket purposes.

Some ask me why, and it is simple, I can not be 1000% sure that the arrow has not developed a littl "wow" in it or the brodhead has a nick or it has lost its sharpness, and I would not want a deer ( or whatever) being wounded because I was trying tosave a few $$$.

I am ceratinaly not qualified to determine that an arrow or broadhead is or is not 100% to factory standards,,,

What do most do

I retire all of mine, more of a keepsake than anything.

I just get rid of the Broadhead

absolutely not. spin test the arrow and BH and right back into production. that's a plus about using a sturdy fixed blade BH - easy to re-sharpen and use again. imo it's a waste of money to retire arrows and bhs. typically break / damage enough practicing as it is, not to mention arrows that don't fly right in the first place.

Most likely, the arrow has got cracks in it. You may not be able to detect them by just spinning or bending it. Google on what may happen when an arrow explodes in your bow.

The broadhead, if not bent (check by spinning), can be re-sharpened & re-used.

I don't retire my crossbow bolts unless there is obvious damage. I've had to discard one, one broadhead got lost, and I've had to discard some blades, but I've been using them for almost 15 years and I have shot a number of deer. They are due to be replaced now, but only because they don't all group together.

I retire the broadhead but not the arrow. This thread has me thinking though!

Every situation calls for a different solution. If she’s still good to go then I’ll keep using it, if it’s busted or bent, obvious damage etc then no she gets retired. I use just regular muzzy broad heads and as long as they aren’t completely f’d then a quick sharpen and back on she goes for round 2.

Only two so far, but yes I retire them (after dulling the blades or replacing them with the practice blades) and attach them to the antler mounting plaque for 'posterity'.

A buddy of mine cuts the arrow shafts down to about 6 inches, remounts the ferrule and broadhead then attaches it to the plaque with the antlers of the deer. Easy to see which of the deer were taken by archery on his wall.

Retire them. They go on the wall as a keepsake.

No, I use them, till I lose them.

How do you sharpen the blades? Sandpaper, File?

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Originally Posted by hockeymjt

How do you sharpen the blades? Sandpaper, File?

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Sandpaper and file are likely a little too coarse unless there are major chips. I use a whetstone 1000/6000, but i've read many people like the lansky system or a diamond blade. Some are easier to use than others, depending on the broadhead. wouldn't waste your time unless you're using a durable fixed blade head.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CordovaShooter

A buddy of mine cuts the arrow shafts down to about 6 inches, remounts the ferrule and broadhead then attaches it to the plaque with the antlers of the deer. Easy to see which of the deer were taken by archery on his wall.

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Neat idea!

Mine are retired to practice sessions.

Arrows and bolts are reused and refleched if necessary. Rage blades are replaced and boltcutter blades are replaced.

It gets retired and proudly rests across the antlers.