Broadhead for moose
Moose
Just booked my first moose hunt. Anybody here whack a moose with their bow before? I'm looking for broadhead suggestions?
Shiras in WY last season. Slick Trick 100, 10yd shot broke one rib going in and poked out the other side, bull went 60yds.
anything without hinges will be sufficient
I've shot 4 bulls with my bow and used fixed blades on all of them with now issues but dead moose. I've guided hunters who chose mechanicals and had very poor results. Sharp and no hinges like Bou' said is my recommendation.
Shot mine with a Shuttle-T 100. Broke a rib and still had a clean pass through. Good luck on your hunt.
I just picked up a 1/2 dozen 225 grain Tuffhead with 75 grain titanium adapters. Hoping to be able to put them to the test out of my Longbow on moose this year.
U don't mention where. In AK in must be a fixed blade.
Sharp ..sharp ....sharp..... sharp
I've shot a couple with G5 Strikers
The hunt will take place in Ontario. After the replies I'm thinking Magnus Stingers. Thanks guys.
Stingers will work just fine. Any well built sharp fixed blade will work.
I have shot a few dozen moose - and all dropped in sight with my VPA 3 blades.....
By the way - all were taken in my dreams(for what it's worth :)
I would still use the VPA "for real" - when I finally get that chance...
What draw weight is recommended for the Magnus Stinger and the Yukon moose?
I will probably just use Solids like I have for everything else the past three years.
Better go with VPA's - toughest and sharpest broadhead in the industry.
Jack,
You know mine fell to a VPA. I am sure other heads would have killed him just as dead but I get to shoot a few more critters with the same head:)
What do you normally use? what would you like to use
I usually use mechanicals. I did try the G5's on whitetails this year but had mixed feelings about them. I figured mechanicals were a no no for moose.
I picked up some Solid 125 grain for moose this fall. Very impressed with the quality. I just started shooting with them and have not killed anything with them yet, but arguably one of the best built heads on the market.
I killed one with a Thunderhead & one with a Wasp Boss. Both were 100 grain heads.
I am shooting GK Silver flames 125 grains..
That's right Slippery... especially if you are hunting Alaska. Hinges not legal up there.
Cut on contact would be my pick.
I just bought some 200g Maasai single bevel heads from GrizzlyStik. Looking forward to sticking one in a moose come Fall. (and an elk, and a deer, and a pig, and a bear, and a caribou, and a ...)
Not trying to cause a debate but straight out of the regs book for Alaska it states "• Hunting big game with a bow, UNLESS: (a) the bow is at least: (1) 40 pounds peak draw weight when hunting deer, wolf, wolverine, black bear, Dall sheep, and caribou (2) 50 pounds peak draw weight for hunting mountain goat, moose, elk, brown bear, mus- kox, and bison; (b) the arrow is at least 20 inches in overall length, tipped with a broadhead, and at least 300 grains in total weight; (c) the broadhead is a fixed, eplaceable or mechanical/retractable blade type and not barbed."
This is on page 19. So you are legally allowed to use mechanicals on moose
Pick what you like the best, I would stay with a fixed blade, but about anything within that category will work just fine.
Got mine with a Muzzy 100 grains
"That's right Slippery... especially if you are hunting Alaska. Hinges not legal up there."
They sure are....
100 gr mechanicals pass thru
One Muzzy 4 blade, one 2 blade stinger with the small bleeders and one Slicktrick standard 110 grain. All worked perfectly.
Really Nick? I thought I read and also heard that mechanical were not legal in Alaska and Idaho.
If that's the case were they always legal or did that change at some point?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnXXxQfdTxo&feature=youtu.be
exodus 100gr was undamaged!
Mule, it changed a couple years ago. It is restricted to certain animals I believe? Can't use them for brown/grizz?
Need to be careful with the regs in Ak. regarding mechs.
Any well constructed sharp head that you can tune well will work. I personally would not use a mech for moose after seeing a couple taken.
For me it's Slick Trick or Magnus. I've heard a good review on the new Magnus Black Hornets recently.
I don't use a mechanical for anything. Never tried one. Just not interested and no need to.
Saunders 100 grain field point....in one ear, and out the other! ;-)
Any good sharp fixed blade. No mechanical junk.
"Mule, it changed a couple years ago. It is restricted to certain animals I believe? Can't use them for brown/grizz?"
You can use them for anything up here.
Idaho has their sportsman worried that they'd lose opportunity and shorter bow seasons if they allowed mechs, so for now you can't use them there.
I'm still up in the air on my broadhead choice for moose. I love a COC head for penetration. But I worry about the tip rolling over if I hit bone. That is the worst possible thing for good penetration.
Why I keep rethinking this I will never know. I am really low on heads so it's time to buy more and I've been taking my time deciding. I like Slick Tricks. But I'm torn between those and a COC head like a Magnus Snuffer... or their new Black Hornet which has a nice thick blade. I wish they wouldn't have made it wide blade angle. That would make my decision easier.
I live in Alaska and use Zwickey Delta 4 blade heads. Makes a good hole and has great penetration. I also shoot a 78# recurve.
Mule Power, not sure why you'd be worried about the tip rolling on a COC 3 blade. The way the blades come together forms a very supportive pyramid. I've shot VPA's (machined from solid, quality steel) through the shoulders of deer, hogs and elk, and I've never had a tip roll. I wouldn't hesitate using one for moose, it would be my #1 choice.
Mule Power- If you like Slick Tricks, pick up a pack of the ViperTricks...they are a COC, but the leading blade mates with the ferrule, and in my opinion, reinforces the whole head. I bought some for my girlfriend to hunt with, and she has had great success with them. You get the best of both worlds, and even with her shooting low poundage, the results were quite impressive. Even has this "Rage-aholic" is considering putting them in his quiver this fall ;-)
use what you use on any other 4 legged animal, you just have to put it in the right spot,,I`m going for moose in sept and I`m going to use the same set up a do for deer and Elk! 100grn 4 blade muzzy and Beman arrows! why change? its what I know and I`m all dialed in with it and they sure take the air outta elk good. I have no doubt they will do the job if I do mine....good luck
MikeC
Two bulls with NAP Spitfires and one with ST. My hunting partner has four with Spitfires. All short blood trails.
Use any quality broad head that you like. None have more "magic" then the next one. Much of this broad head hysteria is nothing more then baseless superstition.
It's been a long time since I looked at new broadhead brands.
Give me some feedback on sharpening those pricey VPA heads.
The Viper Tricks look nice enough.
NAP Spitfire! With all due respect... the opinions on mechanical is anything but baseless and those are a prime example. They go against everything I know about penetration. The compromise forward energy. And God forbid an angled entry where the method of blade deployment can cause a deflection which would really ruin you forward energy. I believe you killed some critters with them. My guess is they were perfect shot angles and I would consider you lucky. If your bow is tuned I'd look into some of the heads suggested above. Don't mean to cause a debate but you're talking to the wrong guy about mechanicals especially when the thread is talking about a big heavy boned animal with thick hair and a heavy hide. I think I'd choose a Rage over a Spitfire. Holy crap did I just say that? lol I guess I'll finish with "To each his own"
If all goes well this year. I'll be up in Alaska next fall hunting moose.. I will not be afraid to shoot my trusted Rocket Steelhead. Ed
Mule Power, I've killed more than "a few" animals with Spitfires. And I'm not advocating them. I'm simply stating my personal experience on moose in response to the OP's question. I take no offence to people using something else. I just find it somewhat puzzling when someone can tell me that I made a grave mistake by killing animals with my choice of head.
My favourite is the guy that has never hunted or killed the animal in question but can tell you emphatecly what they WOULD use AND based on that what you should use as well.
I find it is almost useless to ask for or take broad head advice from Internet forums. It's 95% " use what I use" with a bunch of " I heard about a guy" tales.
But in the end, I'll keep killing animals with Spitfires and you keep on killing them with your choice of head, which I'm sure has served you well.
Happy Hunting.
I believe in "Death with Dignity" so I'm going to leave this old horse to rest in peace.
I didn't mean for you to take it personal. I might judge a mechanical broadhead but I would never judge or criticize a person for using them. I'm a firm believer what I said above... To each his own. After all, confidence is a legitimate factor in success.
But as far as the internet goes, and I hope you agree, people will talk all day long about what worked, but they are reluctant to make posts when something doesn't go as planned. We can hardly blame them since as you know they would likely get bashed and get the "I told you so" responses.
Good luck!
Moose aren't deer, but I've lost count of the number of deer I've killed with a Spitfire. Never once have I wounded and lost one with it either. Wish I could say that about a few other heads.
Check out our new Broadheads on the market!
VPA 175 grainer, best head on the market. Shawn
Ill be shooting a 125 Grain Silver flame
Always funny how a simple question turns into a 'mines bigger than yours' around here...
Ike. . . it's just a dude thing. I don't golf, but I bet on golf forums they argue like crazy about the best golf balls.
...Or who's balls are bigger...Oh, that's a different dude thing. LOL
That's for sure Bake...Lol
Or whether a longer shaft is better... Or maybe thicker?? I dunno
Wac em. Fly amazing and penetrate great
I'll be using VPA 150 grain non-vented with my compound and 150 grain Silver Flames with my longbow. The Silver Flames still amaze me. I've shot the same head into my Rinehart at least 20X and it still shaves hair. Not like it did but it's still sharper than many factory heads.
G5 strikers , simply the best broadhead made. 100% spin tested at the factory, wicked sharp and tough as hell
I couldn't resist buying some different BH's yesterday, I got some wasp drones and slictrick mags, both look like great heads, neither are as strong looking as the exodus but not far off and I would have no issue shooting either of these heads at a moose or elk
Moose are a big animal to penetrate. I would use a cut on contract 2-blade head that has a sturdy construction and not prone to curl on contract with bone. Lots of excellent head to pick from.
I think Mule power nailed it when he said confidence is a big factor. I think every broadhead has it good qualities as well as its bad ones. Just like everyone has something different in what they look for in a broadhead.
I lost a doe one time to using a spitfire. It was a steep quartering away shot and I think it did some sliding along the rib cage. There went my confidence. Could have been me could have been the head who knows.
I shot Rage when they very first came out. There razor tips used to curl badly. Once again I lost confidence. Mule Power VPA heads are very easy to sharpen. If by chance you would ever curl a point on one. A little file work and its back in the quiver.
My setup for moose this fall...225 grain Tuffhead, 75 grain titanium adapter that have been JB welded together, coupled with 4 feathers with "MV" fletch on FMJ shafts. Total weight is 685 grains and being shot from a Longbow. Should do the job if I'm fortunate enough to get within range.
A few years back there was a thread titled "Killed a Moose with a Rock". The thread owner had made his own flint arrow/broadhead and affixed it to an arrow. Downed a nice bull with it.
Here's a link to that thread. http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread-print.cfm?threadid=403190&forum=15
I shoot 100 gr. Slick Tricks from my 59 # compound and have had complete pass throughs on 5 or 6 bull moose as well a an equal number of bull elk. The head may not look like much but it cuts one heck of a hole and easily passes through BIG animals!
