Contributors to this thread:
Anyone use or try these heads? Opinions?
I used them last year. Shot 3 bucks and a doe with the 2” diameter head. 3 of the 4 shots were quartering away. 2 hit offside shoulder and one didn’t. The one that didn’t hit offside shoulder blew through. Had a great blood trail. The 2 that hit the shoulder poked through after hitting the shoulder. So I had an exit hole but those blood trails were ok but not 2” cut mechanical extreme. The last deer was a spine hit so the buck dropped instantly.
For a mechanical they penetrate well. The blades are easy to replace. They do have an O ring. Sone guys don’t like O rings. To be honest it doesn’t bother me. I will be shooting them again this year. They come with a set screw you can put in to lock the blades closed for practice. Do not forget to take it out before going hunting. I have heard of guys forgetting that.
Both the 2” and 1.5” diameter.
I have shot around a dozen animals with them. IMO they are a solid head, but my issue has been I had hardly any blood trails even on double lung or heart shot deer. I know some other guys have had similar results although I know a couple guys who have really good blood trails.
I've killed my biggest buck ever going through the Ulna or Radius bone and cutting his heart with a 1.5". Buck dressed at 240lbs so was likely over 300 live weight. Mature Cnd. whitetail. Also killed a doe with a 2" Sevr and a wolverine with a 1.5" Doe ran 40 and Wolverine went 10. Been a good run so far, but I have heard people complain about blood trails for whatever reason. 2/3 animals I watched drop and the other (the doe) only went a few yards out of sight and blood was good.
I also had blood trail issues with them. never lost an animal, but the blood trails sucked. Went back to the rage hypodermic, and what do you know, my blood trails came back.
Don't like the pivoting blades. Can rob you out of wound channel.
Decided to try them last year after hearing and seeing good things about them, especially from Aron Snyder. So, I used the 2.0. The locking screw for practice is an awesome feature for them. Because the heads are longer, you do get more drag causing more drop past 50 yards, and significant drop past 80. I shot a whitetail doe slightly quartering to at 12 yards in October. Tight to the shoulder, full pass through. She ran about 70 yards and piled up, but not a very good blood trail to follow. I also shot a smaller buck in November at 5 yards and this one didn’t go as smoothly. I shot and he bounded 10 yards and he had a flap of skin and hair hanging from his side. I looked down at my arrow and the white wrap and fletchings had no blood on them. I grabbed another arrow from my quiver, this time an Iron Will single bevel, and shot him again. Upon inspection, the arrow never penetrated his rib cage. It slid down and make a clean slice. My arrow and bow set up should never result in lack of penetration… 521 grains, 83lbs, at 295fps. I reached out to Aron Snyder and Sevr. No one had ever heard of that happening and couldn’t come up with an explanation, including the engineers. They sent me two new broadheads and a hat for my trouble. However, I am now hesitant to shoot them again.
Coondog, imagine you took pics seeing as you killed the buck later? Care to share? How high up did you hit it? Just curious. Thanks.
I’ve been shooting them. Both the 2.0 and the 1.5. I also just bought 1/2 dozen of the new 1.75” (but have not shot them yet).
My “feelings” on them (for what it’s worth). I’ve probably killed 10-12 animals with them now. Seems bloodtrails are often an issue, I’d say mine are mixed, some good, some not as good. I will hold judgement as I think shot placement is more to blame than the BH, but I certainly could be wrong on that.
I like the bands personally. I don’t care about the set screw practice mode either way, take it or leave it. I also don’t like the locking pivoting blades. I understand the can’t make them lock and not pivot (that would make them barbed) but I’d rather them not lock and not pivot if they was the choice.
As far as the length of them effecting my shots at longer distances, I’m maybe not a good enough shot to notice, but I simply have not experienced that. Not saying it can’t happen, but in my mind and experience it’s just not very likely for most average to slightly above average guys to see that.
They are well made IMO. At this point my main gripe is the pivoting blades and the fact that the operating “arm” protrudes past the cutting surface of the blade (see pic above). I cannot stand that. I’m not a genius, but you cannot convince me that does not hamper penetration. If they could solve those 2 issues I feel it would be hands down the best expandable on the market. As they stand I still think they are probably the best choice for me. I’ve shot lots of others and think they have less bad than some others.
And for the Rage guys, I have shot a bunch of stuff with them, but will never ever again screw one on to the front of my arrow. I had multiple absolute failures (as well as friends with the same) in the last 12 months that are completely inexcusable IMO. Maybe I’d shoot one at a jackrabbit. But I also know lots of serious killers that love them, to each their own.
—Jim
So I shot that buck right behind the front shoulder (no scapula contact), would have been double lung. Some people on the Mass forum suggested that it slid down because of the steep angle. I brought this up with Sevr and their engineers said that still should not have happened. When I shot the buck the second time, I passed through the middle of the slice. I shot the buck a couple minutes before sunset. So I was losing light fast. It also was 85 degrees the day I shot him. When I got to him I field dressed him and got him out of the woods asap. I wish I did take a a second to get a picture of the slice going down his side.
I’m at 9 animals with the 1.5 if you include the original Ulmer edge which is their predecessor. Combined those 9 critters haven’t made it 300 yards, some are absolute gushers as far as blood some not so much.
The thing I like is pinpoint accuracy in a hunting situation. Which for me is usually inside 40 yards struggling with the shooting demons I have.
I had a client shoot a bear near "perfect" and we never found it. I was shocked, I'll never use them again. Plus, if you practice with them in the quiver the small washer will flatten and the blades will start to rattle.
Rattling_junkie- did you witness the “near perfect” bear shot? Just curious, as many “near perfect” shots as reported by hunters are far less than perfect. I am certainly guilty of over estimating my perfect shots too. Not saying that is the case here, just asking.
—Jim
“I had a client shoot a bear near "perfect" and we never found it”
How do you know it was a near perfect shot if you never found it?
I believe it's on video. It did look like a perfect shot.
I had same experience w/ an elk. I did recover him, but not before the meat had spoiled. Shot him broadside in the 10 ring. He went 800 yds up a very steep slope before expiring w/ very little blood.
I don't like bashing products online. There are things I like about the sevr. Super accurate. Like the practice mode. But after two seasons of shitty blood trails, I'll never use a pivoting bladed broadhead again. JMO
I did, I was right there and got it on video. Maybe it wasn't the broadhead, but I shook the guys hand and congratulated him. I was dumbfounded when it turned into a grid search. I'm sure Sevr is fine, but my experience has been less than great and I killed a buck with one as well.
I emailed Sevr about this and also the rattling blades issue. Their CS was less than stellar. I really want them to be a great head, but the swinging blades actually seem to make it a poor head. Hell, I'd love them with the rattle and just not have them in the quiver when I practice. The OP did ask for experiences, and well I don't have many but the couple I did I won't use them again.
This is a still shot of the bear that RJ is talking about, that's a dead bear every time as long as the bh opens!
Well. Went and bought some and went with the 2.0. The reviews are mixed and some of the guys on you tube absolutely love them. In theory the head seems like it,would be great and I'll find out soon enough.
As far as the bear and the perfect shot, I agree that shot looks spot on. The one thing I'd ask, is it possible that your client didn't take out the set screw from practice? That is the one thing the reviewers all said, make sure you remove the set screw.
Fair enough. It certainly looks to be a “perfect shot” in that pic. Was the arrow recovered?
I have a friend who has killed more stuff than most of us on here combined. He shot a TX buck 3-4 years ago, out of a pop-up blind at a feeder broadside. I am fairly certain he was shooting slick tricks. I was not there, didn’t see it. He claims perfect shot and can’t find it. So of course we all razzing him with the “yeah, perfect shot, etc etc”.
A few days later (3-5 days) the outfitter sends him a trail cam pic at the same feeder of his buck with a “perfect” arrow hole right in his chest. I’m not sure I could walk up and poke him with a much better arrow. I don’t see any way that it was not a double lung, I wish I still had the pic. That deer was alive and well X days later. Strange things happen for sure.
—Jim
I've killed a half dozen or so animals with them. WT, mulies, and a sheep. Another half dozen turkeys. Everything has gone well. Of the hundreds of animals I've shot with a dozen or so different heads I've had maybe 1 actual bh failure. Seems like everyone online has seen it but very few in my circle have and if they have it's maybe once or twice in a hundred or more.
I’ve shot one mule deer buck with one and it killed quickly. I use the 1.5. The only complaint is the blades aren’t very sharp from the factory. I use a Stay Sharp sharpener and get them scary sharp. I prefer my Magnus Buzzcut for elk and bigger.
You can see the bone the head went through lengthways.
You can see the bone the head went through lengthways.
With the design of the head, there is no way they are not opening...unless it has the practise set screw in there. If the head opens - it locks open, so I have 0 concerns about it opening and and about it being a tough head locked open once it is open. The one and only potential drawback I see with these heads is the lack of blood. I personally have not experienced it, but maybe somehow a swivelling blade makes a bendy wound channel where the blood doesn't dump on the ground as easily, but to me there is no doubt the damage has happened internally, and the animal will die.
I know for myself I prob owe 195" to the broadhead. To smash through a whitetail forearm bone and then go through the heart was pretty epic. I test every head I shoot religiously prior and nearly every head fixed or mech has something that you should watch out for or be careful with while using. I think if we could ever figure things out, much like OTCWill says, I bet 95+% of "broadhead failure" ends up being user error. I've also never experienced this rattle problem, but don't doubt rattlingjunkie when he says it.
I have killed two deer with them(one was the older style ulmer edge). Both shots were around 20 yards from a tree stand and had full pass throughs. Both shots passed right through the lung/upper heart area. The deer both made it around 80 yards. Neither broadhead failed.
Neither had good blood trails. The second deer had hardly any blood trail. These are anecdotal but 2 in a row made we scratch my head.
I also believe the pivoting blades aren't the best design. Will they pivot when they contact a bone, sure. But I wonder what happens if they pass by contacting something like a heart muscle. That same logic dictates it would push away from something more dense(ex. heart muscle, big artery etc.) if something less dense was on the other side of the arrow.
The second doe also had an approximately one inch wide cut for an exit hole. I think this was because the arrow came out directly beside one of the opposite leg bones. The bone pushed one blade back into the ferrule and the other blade cut on the way out.
I think they a good heads, but could be improved if they found a way to prevent the blades from pivoting. I have several of the 2 inch cut that I will still use.
I am no bear genius but that looks like a near perfect shot to me. The curiosity is killing Ne on if the set screw was left in.
I think it was Pat Reeve that shit a big buck in Wisconsin one year with a muzzy. It looked like a perfect hit but somehow the arrow slid a long the skin and never got into the vitals. A gun hunter shot the deer a week or two later.
Crazy things can happen for sure.
I posted about these heads before too. Went “all in” and bought a whack of them. Got rid of them all that same season. Shot one really nice buck and lost it, but not enough info to blame the head. But zero blood. Second deer was a 10 ring on a doe. NO blood and she ran about 500 yards before dying. That was it, I got rid of them. When the trypans have just been bordering “too much” at times, why would I take a chance with these. Loved the accuracy and quality, but my field points are about the same in both accuracy and blood lol
Interesting on lack of blood some are experiencing. A few videos I watched had blood trails a blind man could follow. Now for sure I'll be trying them just to see what occurs after the shot. I think I might buy some exodus to have in the quiver too, as backup. Now let's hope I see some deer lol.
enough bad reviews on the sevr to make someone steer clear. I've probably killed 50 deer and bear likely more with snyper 100gr, they were made by rocky mountain, not one failure, great blood trails and great penetration. The snyper is pretty much the same bh as a rage but has a better blade angle, better blade retention(dental bands) and is sharper, Rage bought them out, I wish rage would make a bring back the snyper, maybe even improve on it with a titanium ferrule, make it the same swept back blade angle and 1 5/8" cut which is perfect
Here's what a blade angle should be, snyper is on the right
Don't let any of this discussion sway you.. there are just as many or more percentage of bad Rage head reviews but some of these guys tell you shoot Rage instead. All failures or lack of blood are either due to people not hitting the animal where they think they did or operator error. It comes down to you shooting what you are confident in and what you like. I like the Sevr 1.75 I shoot. No one can convince me there are any problems with them.
I've shot a handful of whitetails and one black bear with 1.5" Sevr's. I don't currently shoot them but will transition back to them likely after I shoot through my supply of Rage Hypo +P. No bad experiences with Sevr to date.
YMMV 2.0 SevR, Three Whitetails. One, caribou. Two broadside and one quartering away. All three recovered, good to excellent blood trails. No pass though exit holes in the broadside deer, the quartering away buck, exit into the lower off side shoulder. Caribou, 61 yards broadside no exit, dead in 40 yards.
SevR 1.5 Mountain Lion , mountain Goat, Pronghorn, 4 Whitetails. Lion, no pass though, slightly quartering away, broke the offside humus. Goat, 12 yards, Frontal, no pass though 22 inches of penetration. Only fletching was sticking out of his chest. Pronghorn, broadside pass though. All Whitetails pass through.
1.75 Pronghorn , Hard quartering away, pass though.
So far I like SevR with a couple caveat's. I no longer will use the 2.0 as the penetration is just too poor. I shoot a fairly heavy arrow and I am a meticulous bow tuner. No reason except for the heads design to see that type of consistent poor penetration. The 1.5s. I would not be afraid to use for basically anything in NA if I was forced to. Good penetration, super durable and consistent. One knock I have on all the SevR is a combination of design and blade steel, I have yet to recover a head after it was shot on game that the blades were still sharp. I feel this is combination of design and materials. A better steel would mitigate the design. All in all I like it better than any other mechanical I used. That said I also just used a trifecta 1.65 on a Pronghorn and was very impressed. However with a one animal sample size…I am withholding judgement for now.
Hole from the doe I shot with the 2.0
James how much weight are you pulling?
Tom all those were shot with two Different bows. 65lb/ 27.5 draw 480 grain arrow 74 lb /27.5 465 grain arrow
One deer was killed with 2.0 with a 60/27.5 490 grain ACC that was the one time it actually broke though into the off shoulder. It was only about a 10 yard shot. The buck however was a brute. Put him on the scale in the cooler 203 pounds dressed.
