Field Tips

• Despite their name, field tips are practice arrow tips meant to be used in controlled archery range situations. They are the lightest of the differing arrow types and are slender at the base where they screw into the arrow shaft, tapering to a point. The field tip offers the least amount of aerodynamic resistance, allowing the archer maximum control over arrow shot placement. However, these tips are suitable only for the smallest game because they do not provide much shock when impacting the target. Field tips are also the most likely to suffer significant deflection or ricochet when the arrow is fired through brushy or otherwise partially obstructed areas.
  
  

Broadheads

• Broadhead arrow tips are designed for hunting medium to large game, anywhere from whitetail deer to bears. These tips are made up of several razor-sharp edges that fit around a central tip, flaring out in a conical design where the tip meets the shaft. The shock effect of a broadhead tip on game is considerable, but that is not its only advantage. Because of its sharpness and size, the broadhead tip will penetrate deeper and inflict greater bleeding on the game being hunted. However, because of its larger size, the broadhead is subject to wind effects before the arrow strikes the target. As a result, archers must carefully take the wind into account before letting the arrow go or risk missing the target.
  
  

Combination Tips

• To overcome the disadvantages of both broadhead and field tips in real-world hunting environments, some companies produce a hybrid arrow tip. This combination or hybrid arrow tip seeks to take advantage of the aerodynamics of the field tip and successfully combine it with the killing power of the broadhead. This is accomplished by placing a spring mechanism where the blades remain cocked until the moment of impact. When the tip meets the target, the blades spring out so that they can inflict maximum shock and cutting damage. However, the blades on this kind of arrow tip often do not properly deploy. Also, the blades themselves are subject to damage much more easily than in traditional broadhead arrow tips.