The quick comparison
| Point type | Main use | Typical weight | Flight | Safe on which targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field point | Practice, target | 100–125 gr | Very forgiving | Bags, blocks, 3D |
| Judo point | Stump shooting, small game | 100–125 gr | Like a field point | Ground, grass (not foam) |
| Blunt | Small game | 100–145 gr | Slightly blunt drop | Small game, soft ground |
| Fixed broadhead | Big game hunting | 100–125 gr | Steers with tuning errors | Broadhead-rated foam only |
| Mechanical broadhead | Big game hunting | 100–125 gr | Flies close to field points | Broadhead foam; blades wear |
"Grain" (gr) is the weight unit — 437.5 grains per ounce. The number stamped on a point is its weight, not its size.
Field points: the default
A field point is a simple steel tip with a small shoulder. It flies clean, pulls out of targets without tearing them, and costs little. Every practice arrow you own should wear one. Bullet points are a rounder cousin that does the same job.
Buy them in the same weight as your hunting heads. If you hunt with 100-grain broadheads, practice with 100-grain field points. Same weight means the arrow flexes and drops the same way, so your practice actually transfers.
Judo points and blunts: small game and stump shooting
A judo point has spring wire arms around the tip. The arms snag grass and leaves so the arrow flips and stops instead of skipping away and burying under the duff. That makes it the head for "stump shooting" — wandering a woodlot and picking rotten stumps or dirt banks as targets. It is one of the best form-practice games there is, and a fall walk with a bow beats a treadmill.
A blunt is a flat or rounded head, often rubber or steel, that kills small game with impact instead of cutting. Rabbit and grouse hunters use them because a pass-through cut is not needed and a blunt does less meat damage.
Two cautions. Do not shoot judo points into foam targets — the wire arms tear them up. And small-game seasons and legal-gear rules vary by state, so check your state wildlife agency before you carry one hunting; Oregon's ODFW and Washington's WDFW both post current rules online.
Fixed-blade broadheads
A fixed broadhead has rigid cutting blades, usually two to four, welded or slotted into the head. Nothing has to open on impact, so there is nothing to fail. That simple toughness is why many elk hunters and traditional shooters stay with fixed heads.
The tradeoff is flight. Those blades act like little wings. If your bow is not tuned well, a fixed head will steer the arrow and plane away from where your field points hit. Fixed heads reward a tuned bow and punish a neglected one — our step-by-step guide to tuning a compound bow covers the checks that matter.
Mechanical broadheads
A mechanical (expandable) broadhead keeps its blades folded in flight, then opens them on impact. Folded blades mean less steering, so mechanicals usually fly very close to field points and often cut a wider hole once open.
The tradeoffs are real. Opening the blades costs energy, so light-draw setups can run out of push. Moving parts can fail on a hard quartering hit or heavy bone. And a used mechanical needs new blades or careful re-checking before it hunts again. Some hunters also note that a few states have restricted expandable heads at times, which is one more reason to read your state's current legal-equipment rules rather than assume.
Rough guide: strong compound setups with good energy suit mechanicals well. Low draw weights, traditional bows, and heavy-boned game argue for fixed heads.
Matching grain weight (and why it matters)
Arrow point weight changes three things:
- Impact point. A heavier head drops more at distance. Swap 100-grain points for 125s and your groups move.
- Spine. More weight up front makes the arrow flex more on the shot. Big point swaps can make a good arrow act weak.
- FOC (front of center). More front weight adds stability, at the cost of speed.
The simple path: pick one weight and standardize. For most compound setups, 100 grains is the norm; 125 suits heavier or traditional builds. Then confirm on the target — screw on a broadhead and shoot it next to your field points at 20 and 30 yards. If they group apart, tune before you hunt.
Broadhead practice and safety
Broadheads are the sharpest thing most people will ever own, so handle them differently than field points.
- Use a wrench-style broadhead tool to screw heads on and off. Fingers slip; the tool doesn't.
- Shoot broadheads only into broadhead-rated foam. A bag target will be ruined, and a pass-through is likely.
- Give broadhead lanes extra room. A deflected broadhead does far more harm than a field point, so double-check your backstop and clear the area.
- Practice with dedicated heads, then hunt with fresh, untouched blades of the same model and weight.
- Quiver every broadhead-tipped arrow until the moment you shoot. Never walk with one nocked.
Points are a small purchase that carries the whole shot. Match the weight, verify on the target, and pick the head that fits the job in front of you. And if the hunting question itself is still open — bow in hand or rifle on the shoulder — our breakdown of bowhunting vs. rifle hunting can help you choose the season you want.