| InnerLoc 100 Grain 3-Blade Broadhead
 Your
scouting is done, you've placed your stand, practiced with your bow hour
after hour, carefully approached your hot-spot well before daylight and
now you sit as still and quiet as possible waiting for the moment of truth.
Finally, the bruiser buck you have dreamed about for the entire year is
at 20 yards, slightly quartering away and totally unaware. You slowly
draw your bow, take aim, and squeeze the trigger – your part is over.
Now, assuming that the arrow is correctly spined and speeding along
at a sufficient speed, the remainder of the job comes down to one component
– your broadhead.
Did you choose well? Is your broadhead aerodynamic or will it
plane? Is it sharp enough to cause the damage necessary? In
the event of a less than perfect hit, is your broadhead built well enough
to withstand a direct bone hit? Lastly, in the case of an expandable
head, can you be sure it will open?
The design team at InnerLoc has made it their business to excel at manufacturing
broadheads that will give bowhunters the confidence and performance they
expect. Few design teams have succeeded to the degree that they have! Follow
along as we look into InnerLoc’s 100 grain fixed 3-blade model with precision
carbon adapters.
Basics:
The 100 grain fixed blade LT model is made of three basic components
and a sub-component; the ferrule, tip, and blades make up the basic components
while the carbon arrow adapter is the added component.
The ferrule is CNC machined from a solid piece of 6262-T9 aircraft grade
aluminum. The one end, of course, is threaded to screw into your
arrow while the other end is a bit more involved. The three through-slots
that run most of the length of the blade cartridge section of the ferrule
are cut to accept the thickness of the blades. Since the slots are
cut all the way through most of the way down, they are flexible – this
becomes important in assembly! The tip-end of the ferrule has a slightly
protruding bevel which matches the counter-sunk bevel under the tip – again
this becomes important in assembly. The inside diameter of the ferrule
is sized to fit the bent portion of each blade plus the diameter of the
tip shaft. At the bottom of the ferrule’s inside diameter there is
a drilled and tapped hole that will accept the threaded end of the tip
shaft.
The hardened high carbon stainless steel tip has several features.
First, as mentioned before, the tip has a long shaft that is threaded on
the end opposite the tip and is the perfect diameter to fit into the ferrule
along with the blade wings. Second, the tip has the countersunk bevel
under the tip (also mentioned before) to match the beveled end of the ferrule.
Lastly, the tip itself is a patented, chisel-type, design that is advertised
to cut on impact.
The .020” thick blades are made of hardened high carbon stainless steel
just as the tip is. At the base of the blade there is what I call
a small wing. This wing is the only portion of the blade to fit into
the ferrule slots. The outside of this wing is contoured to sit up
against the i.d. of the ferrule while the inside perfectly matches the
O.D. of the tip shaft. This design secures the blade along its entire
length.
Now, this is how it all works together. First you insert all three
blades into the ferrule slots. You will notice how they ride the
i.d. and leave a hole for the tip shaft. Next the tip shaft is inserted
into the ferrule until it hits bottom. As you thread the tip in,
two things come into play. First, the flexible ferrule posts are
drawn in and clamp the blades securely into place and second the entire
assembly is brought into alignment. These are both accomplished through
the same process. The assembly is tightened on the matching bevels
because the threaded end of the tip does not bottom out in the ferrule.
This automatically aligns the unit and closes the width of the slots. In
other words – this design eliminates all of the tolerances critical to
alignment and good arrow flight.
The part of the design that makes the Innerloc design so tough is the
tip to ferrule interface. Rather than the tip resting on the relatively
flexible ferrule posts as many brands do, the tip on the Innerloc actually
transfers impact force to the base of the ferrule through the threaded
shaft. This stout design allows the broadhead and arrow to share in the
absorption of the shock from impact.
The Precision Carbon Adapters (PCA’s) are CNC machined from 6262-T9
aircraft grade aluminum to super-tight tolerances. The two interfacing
surfaces are perfectly parallel to ensure true broadhead alignment.
Basically they provide a smooth transition between the broadhead and carbon
arrow which results in better aerodynamics and easier removal from targets.
The adapters can be removed when using larger diameter aluminum arrows.
Testing:
As always, my first action was to thoroughly inspect the components
of all six heads in the package. Each was a clone of the previous
head and all were in absolute perfect order. I used a pair of digital
Mitutoyo calipers to measure some of the diameters and lengths and at no
time was any measurement more than .001” different and most times they
were exact.
After a quick spin test the flight testing started when I assembled
one of the heads, put it on my Easton Carbonaero, and shot it at 20 yards
with my 2004 hunting set-up. Bulls-eye on the very first shot!
At 30 yards it was a repeat – bulls-eye again! Approximately 25-30
shots were taken in all using the six heads and they flew like darts.
*Note* For those of you
who do not know what a spin test is, here is a short explanation: Using
a completed hunting arrow (broadhead tipped) place the tip of the broadhead
on a smooth, flat surface with the length of the arrow perpendicular to
that surface - fletching up. Using one hand, make a circle around the shaft
of the arrow about ½ to ¾ of the ay up with your thumb and
index finger, like an “OK” gesture. With the other hand spin the arrow
as fast as you can. Watch the very tip of the broadhead. If the head spins
without moving the tip position it is coupled well with the arrow shaft
and lined up. However, if the tip “walks” or oscillates it is either bent
or incorrectly seated on the arrow shaft and will result in less than perfect
arrow flight.
A ruggedness test was performed on three of the six heads by shooting
them through a 1” thick rough-cut pine board. As mentioned in other reviews,
I do this test to indicate the overall ruggedness of the head - not to
equate it with any hunting situation. A few years back this test discovered
a tempering problem that a manufacturer had with their blades.
From 20 yards away all three heads were fired from my rig at 276 fps
into the board (took me four shots because I missed once!!). The construction
of the Innerloc 100 grain heads lead me to assume that they would fly (pun
intended) through this test without any issues. My assumptions were correct
as each head had absolutely no visible signs of damage or bending whatsoever.
I have long been a fan of the engineering principals behind the rigid column
produced by the bent blade winglet (Another broadhead manufacturer has
similar principals affecting their construction.)
General Commentary:
I truly like these heads. The rigid and hooked column produced by the
bent blade wing is one of the best, if not the best, designs on the market
for a fixed blade head. Strength is optimized, assembly is made simple,
and assembly is also secured (no lost blades). The flight characteristics
are a definite plus for me also. They were right on with my field points
and never showed signs of planing. The Precision Carbon Adapters matched
well with my carbon arrows and caused the broadhead to seat well. Would
I change anything? Sure – give me a version that has a 1-3/4” cutting diameter!
Design: 5 of 5
Again, one of the best designs ever put on the market. Innerloc’s ruggedness
and flight characteristics are a testament to the design.
Assembly: 5 of 5
Assembly cannot get much easier. The head can be put together without
performing balancing acts or magic tricks like is necessary to keep the
blades in tact on some other heads!
Sharpness: 4 of 5
This area is a growing pet-peeve for me. More and more heads today
are coming out of the package relatively dull. That is amazing to me! It
is my belief that heads should show up with a razor’s edge. With that said,
it was not a problem for these heads. They were indeed sharp, although
not the sharpest I have ever tested.
For information on these or any other broadheads from Innerloc, contact:
Sullivan Industries
1472 Camp Creek Road
Lakemont, GA 30552
706.782.5863
http://www.innerloc.com
For information on these or any other
broadheads from Innerloc, contact:
Sullivan Industries
1472 Camp Creek Road
Lakemont, GA 30552
706-782-5863
Email: connie@sullivanindustries.com
Web Site: www.Innerloc.com |
