Broadhead Curious
Massachusetts
Came across the Bowmar Beast. Looks pretty cool and while I’d love to test them all I can’t afford that and so I’m left to consider paid online reviews and feedback from honest hunters! That’s you guys. I’ll share the link but interested in what you all think and if you’ve ever shot this head.
I am not a fan of Bowmar's... but Ill admit that looks pretty cool. Has many features that have worked well for me for years in the heads I've kept going back too... But I like the slightly curved blades, and that the little tabs, when it opens, are behind the blade. My current heads it is so close I always ponder how much it hurts... it's why I just cant go to Sever's - they have the blunt tab in front of the blade at the leading edge, which just doesn't compute for me despite folks loving them.
My suspicion is that these are really solid mech heads. I really like the look. But probably wont use em because I am not a fan of the Bowmar's history (I believe they have been fined for several game law violations - double check me on that though).
Looks interesting... Will, I used the Sever Titanium 2" this year... very pleased so far.
Lusk has set the standard for broadhead testing, if they score well in his system, I'm sure they will perform well. Too bad there isn't a similar test for Bowmars character, I don't think he would score well. My opinion on mechanicals has changed in a positive direction the last couple of years. I also used sevr's last season, the 1.75" titanium version, with great results on a few deer.
A lot of excellent BH's on the market that will do the job if we do ours. I'll stay with fixed.
Don’t worry I’ll throw money at them and try it out, listened to bowmar on the HUNtR podcast when he talked about these a year ago and I was intrigued then.
I’ll never spend a dime on anything bomar related. He can kiss my rear
Guess I better google this guy!
They aren’t available for purchase yet. Bowmar has given some to guys in the industry with a platform to review. They all have said very positive things about them. Supposedly the sharpest mechanical blades they’ve seen. However, it is an aluminum ferrule so that would make me cautious due to the likelihood of it bending and even breaking should it hit something hard.
Looks pretty much like a rage trypan:/
I’d spend the time to bareshaft tune your bow which would give you the confidence to shoot a rock solid fixed blade. To me it makes sense that the only reason fixed blades fly different is if your arrow isn’t going straight. You’re trying to deliver energy but first you gotto open those window shutters?
Arrownoob, you still need to tune with mechanicals. No matter what any broadhead manufacturer advertises, they will never fly like a field point.
Be accurate, be fixed, be lethal
Fixed broadheads have been killing animals for years with a very low percentage of failure if the hunter puts it in the right location. What's the failure rate of mechanicals?
I can see a scenario where mechs are superior- you hit a perfect shot and they deploy perfectly leaving a gaping 2” gap on 2 sides. I think we’ve all heard the long list of other scenarios. I don’t have the confidence with a mech to hit a quartering away shot through ribs but I know my broadheads will bust through the first layer guaranteed.
I can see a scenario where mechs are superior- you hit a perfect shot and they deploy perfectly leaving a gaping 2” gap on 2 sides. I think we’ve all heard the long list of other scenarios. I don’t have the confidence with a mech to hit a quartering away shot through ribs but I know my broadheads will bust through the first layer guaranteed.
Amen Coondog.
Both styles are good. Just have to choose what works for your system.
My opinion on mechanicals completely flipped two years ago when I had a bow failure in the tree. I was forced to switch to my old bow overnight. I had about 10 minutes of daylight to quickly tune broadheads so I opted for some spitfires I had lying around. The next morning I shot a buck that was quartering away hard. Entered by the last rib and exited just behind the opposite shoulder. After having sparse blood trails with fixed heads for a few years I was blown away by the blood trail the mech head created. I had similar results with sevrs on multiple deer last season. I had initially switched to fixed heads years ago to bust through shoulders, which I did, once. I noticed even though I wanted to hug the shoulder tight I had a tendency to hit a little further back when the pressure was on. There is a lot more animal that is not protected by bone than is, so the switch made sense for me. Like anything in hunting, use whatever works best for you.
Hunts, funny you mentioned Spitfires . I had two failures to deploy on deer with them( out of a crossbow). But if heads like that are your choice I ,as always, wish you good luck.
Only time I have ever had a problem with mechanicals on a deer was when I hit the shoulder blade. I have noticed that the majority of time I do not get a pass through if I enter high. Then that leads to a sparse blood trail due to the chest cavity filling up before it will bleed out. Now that I am hunting a little tougher animal I had shot 4 with a mechanical. Quick immediate deaths with massive blood trails. No problem finding my animal with in 80 yds, but was a one and done on the head and never a pass through. That isn’t an economical way to secure meat. Hahaha. The one pig I shot with a fixed blade and the largest for me. Died under the feeder it was at. Complete pass through and stuck well into the ground. Pig ran a complete death circle and died on the spot and I get to reshapes and reuse the head again.
Mech seem to create better blood trails.loved the rocket hammerheads
Mhg - I have a few left. I havent used them, in years, they are in my broadhead box in the basement... Those were some good heads. The Steelheads were great too.
Maybe this fall Ill try Severs. Seems like most who do really like them. I just see those flat little tabs ahead of the blades and man, my brain has a hard time with that. I actually really like the look of these Bowmar ones, just cant support them.
Everyone has their likes Ford or Chevy….but Spitfires yup an awesome head. Never had an issue with them and probably killed 25 plus deer with them. The thing with Spitfires is they were once made in the USA but now China. I’ve heard many stories how the new ones from China suck. I bought a bunch of the US ones when they moved to overseas. I’m just about out of them now :-(
I’m a slick trick guy they fly straight and are tuff more about shot placement then hole size.
To think, we used to use rocks not so long ago. Pretty good argument for shot placement, over arrowheads, no?
I read a story the other day.
Has a mechanical ever killed a deer that a fixed would not have, in the same shot placement ?
Is there proof ?
Has a fixed ever done the job that a mech would not have ? I think so ,but may be wrong.
Ive never shot with anything but fixed . The only trouble I ever had would not have been corrected with a mech ,but a few shots that got hung up on bone would have been better served by a thin fixed head. I had it right to start and once changed to a bigger fixed head . That cost me a great one. I went back to a slim fixed and I can't see any better solution . But wow me if you can.
Pi, I think the argument that is made most by those that prefer mechanicals is more along the lines of recovering an animal instead of killing the animal. Because shots farther back are typically more likely than shots into the shoulders, that would mean a larger hole for more blood to follow than a fixed blade broadhead would produce. A gut shot animal will likely die the same with a fixed blade or mechanical, but an expandable is more than likely to make a larger blood trail and make it easier to track that animal. Whereas, a fixed blade is typically going to break bone easier than an expandable. I’m neither an advocate for fixed nor expandable; I think they each serve a purpose which is why I always have both in my quiver. I have experienced an expandable fail that I’m sure a few people l remember from a couple years ago, but I also have recovered an animal due in large part to shooting a large cut expandable. Everyone just needs to figure out what head will work best with their set up and then gain confidence with it by practicing with them and making sure their bow is super tuned to get perfect broadhead flight with the most efficiency.
Good words, Coondog and I mostly agree.
Hard to say the same shot would not bleed enough to trail a dying deer. But maybe it's easier to the less observant tracker. Dunno.
So far, I don't / haven't seen any shot not leave enough evidence to recover a deer. An extra hole is deadly enough.
Perhaps a poor shot may have some help with an extra 1/2. Inch or so by luck to hit an artery by accident, but I'm not willing to rely on that at the expense of simple bone busting penetration. Not just the scapula, but ribs and spine too.
IMO. A shot to the diaphragm is deadly. Doesn't matter how quick it happens. It happens. A shot like that requires backing out and waiting. That's more of a good observer skill.
All said, I like the simplicity, and perhaps, with the fixed, it doesn't allow for thinking there is any margin of error to depend on / fall back on.
I think an extra hole close to the aiming point is deadly, no matter how big or small. That pop in the system tends to do what it needs to. A high shot without a low exit will still fill the belly, no matter how big of a hole the entry is.
It's about odds, and that depends upon the data one plugs into the model. Kinda like climate change ...
Well said ,coondog. I'm relegated to a crossbow these days so fps is no problem. Even so, I've had flappers deflect in the deer or fail to deploy ;so I keep it simple. I want the highest probability of penetration on every shot. I shoot fixed. When rutting bucks seem to come in from every direction and stop in exactly the wrong spot /or when I put one in the scapula /or have a quartering away shot on a large animal, I'm happy with my choice. It seems to boil down to personal experience and the best way of getting two holes in that trophy buck instead of one.
Shot rage for a long time, killed probably 30 deer with them, always a ton of blood and quick deaths even on bad liver/gut shots. Yup I had penetrating problems especially when I started shooting my VXR. So I chased the solution, two years ago I switched to a 5mm FMJ to increase arrow weight significantly. Then last year I switched to a 125g mega meat. Shot 6 deer last year with megameat and got five pass throughs. Nothing through the shoulder blade of course but definitely blew out some ribs and elbows and I didn’t lose much on the holes. Definitely will run these again this year. Will say the troubles I had with rage years ago were probably more on me as a nervous wreck at shot time, as I’ve matured I’ve become a much better archer being able to pick a spot and shoot to it and be calm enough to notice leg placement and wait for the vital v to open up, any broadhead will kill on a perfect shot but I’m looking for something to tear them open to cover my mistakes, can’t find a reason why I wouldn’t want a 2-1/2” hole in a deer instead of an 1-1/16”. Just one opinion
1 reason: Direct bone strike on a mature buck .
And as a potential result of #1 is not having a second hole . Especially on a high to low shot ( most of our shots) where the exit hole is quite beneficial for blood trail.
...2-1/2 inches up top doest help but 1-1/2 down low ( the second hole) does.
If your shooting 200 lbs and 600 gs it's not an issue ,I would guess.
A 500+ grain arrow with either a high quality mechanical or fixed blade is going through the scapula of any deer. If no bone is hit, both are making an exit hole. Some ultra heavy single bevels might make it through the ball of the shoulder. I keep both fixed and mechanical in my quiver these days. If I'm in a tight spot on the ground and a frontal shot is a possibility, the fixed blade arrow will be on my string.
Most modern 70lb bows shooting 450+ grain arrows and/or 270+ fps are more than capable of breaking through scapulas and ribs on whitetails. I’m a big believer in shoot as heavy of poundage as you can with an arrow weight to achieve a certain speed you’d prefer. 270-285fps is a very forgiving and tunable arrow speed for bowhunting. Do some math with an arrow weight calculator and then an arrow speed calculator… it’s usually pretty darn close to spot on. You can get away with a lot more than you think on whitetails as long as your bow is tuned properly so all of the energy is going straight through arrow into the deer.
Again, I mostly agree. The worst loss of a deer for me came from a high to low shot with a wide fixed blade. ( I thought of the extra cutting width as a good addition) Shooting 70 lbs and the recommended arrow, I thought there was nothing that could stop my mean and deadly setup. The arrow struck something sold in the upper rib/spine area as it was heading to the heart. It penetrated to about the depth of the heart. Maybe just to one side. But, I believe the thinner fixed would have made it through. Perfect shot placement at 10 yards. But ... it didn't get through, and I can only point to the extra width being the issue ,at the expense of a critical few more lbs of force lost, that would have most likely pushed it through. Same or worse would have been the case with an expandable .
The deer died and was recovered( stolen, actually) but it went a long way and stopped leaving blood when it would have otherwise been an easy track. The delay in recovery cost me that deer, but the point is ... the point.
Sometimes BH designs are not only extensions of the arrow shaft but also of our personality
Pi, did the arrow fall out or snap off? If you were able to recover the arrow, then I’d be interested to know what the broadhead looked like. If it had bent or broke, that would be why it did not penetrate more. If the broadhead was perfectly intact, then my guess would be that your bow was out of tune and that led to the full energy of the arrow not being sent fully through the deer.
Interesting thread.
Do you guys build an arrow according to what you want your FPS to be? Or do you just build an arrow? I’ll start a new thread if I need to.
I think it plays into broadhead and bow effectiveness.
Co- the arrow was intact and the deer staggered. It walked off to 50 yards, and the luminok was like a cosmic light show . The deer snorted out most of a lung, and I watched it cross back and forth for several minutes. I assumed that it would bed down, and I could back out till later. It did however go in and out of cover, then cross an open woods section where most hunters entered.
I don't believe it ever snapped off. It was like an illuminated flag pole. Half in, half out.
The one who admitted to finding my deer said he believed my story. Said, yes, it is your deer. Said ,he recognized the arrow I showed him.
It was a story of poor sportsmanship that the BBC wanted to publish, but it paints a piss poor picture of "hunters.".
Sorry if that's too much sideways info... It was a 158" -15 point that was stolen. It was struck from the books because they found his story to be full of shit. And mine to be credible and proven.
Yes, arrow intact. Perfect shot. Half buried. Watched it walk off. One lung spit out. Bled like a stuck pig from the nose for 100 yards or more. Then a tough tracking and nightfall. Stolen from the end zone where other hunter was located . Confronted later and his admission.
The bow was/ is a Matthews, bought at Reedy's and perfectly tuned . It's simple, struck with a thump, Deer staggered, walked off with half a staff sicking in and half out. Died, but lost at nightfall. Stolen.
The thing I changed is a wide head from a normal G5. The thing I learned is it's tough to pass through upper bone on a big buck and that angle shot is not a great idea with any broad head because those bones are thick. More difficult with wide blades, of course.
A side shot through the lower rib section is not a problem. My setup has passed through two scapulae at once, without issue.
Wide is a gift to dissipation of energy at the expense of penetration. That's the physics and trade off.
But, In most cases, it's not really a problem. It was in this case.
That's the point.
Blood, I'd love to check out a new thread that dives deeper into arrow building.
I started building arrows 5 or 6 years ago using Ashby methodology as a rough guideline after some bad results with light arrows. Last year I backed off to what I deemed to be a more reasonable weight of just over 500 grains. My accuracy and trajectory both benefited from the more moderate weight. I've never built an arrow with a specific fps goal in mind.
A lot to digest and conclude from these posts. Good stuff.
A well placed arrow with any BH will do the job... I have shot some with fixed... but lost count of how many with mechanicals... I have blown tons of mechanicals through the scapula... BUT, I did manage to hit a buck perfectly in the shoulder ball / knuckle and did not get any penetration... probably would have with a solid fixed... but i'll never know... regardless... I will stick to the mechs. Had tons of luck with old Spitfire Maxx... I shot Grim Reaper whitetail specials for years and still have some. I just switched to Sevr last season and am please so far. I do like the looks of those Iron Wills though!
Blood - let it rip, that would be a good read and offer a lot to all of us! Coondog, agreed.
My head is spinning. Great thought provoking discussion. I feel like when I started hunting mechanical heads were all the rage… I’ve only ever shot fixed into targets. I started hunting with rage hypodermic, switched for one season to grim reaper white tail specials and then back to rage. Marketing tactics have me hooked and I spend more time than I should watching BH reviews. I can say that I have only had one pass through and one weak penetration situation. Was planning to make the move to g5 Mega meat this season but maybe it’s time to try a fixed setup.
Blood.... I personally don't worry about FPS... I just want a solid set up to get the job done.. I am shooting Easton FMJ 340s (11.3 gpi). I shoot 29.5" draw and shoot a 29" or so arrow with 100gr bh... plenty fast enough.. hits hard..
I believe tuning your set up will make any broad head more effective so choose a Broadhead, tune your bow perfectly and be confident. If you’re making high quality shots in the soft stuff you’ll be fine. If you’re quartering away and the arrow starts off shaking a little bit you might get a weird bounce.
I was tracking a big old buck that a friend had shot. Saw it, and it moved to behind a tree. I couldn't see its head, but it was slumped over a root. So there was a clear shot to the upper chest. 20 yards and I let it fly.
The deer had been on its side, but it didn't look that way. Smack, into the spine and the arrow twisted up from the spine but under a rib and just plopped up and out about 10 feet away. Deer never moved, but still wasn't dead. We put another into the heart, but that too wasn't acting fast. Not until I pulled it out at least.
The point is, that spine and upper rib is tough. It made this sharp rocket look like a kid's toy.
Arrows sometimes do wonky things, but if you're fairly well tuned in, I think it's mostly a matter of the deer moving upon impact. A perfectly straight /tuned shot is a great start and targets don't move... But, deer do.
I've shot a buck that spun around, and the arrow flicked back towards me. He crashed in sight from a double lung hit, but I had trouble finding the arrow.
The point is, that sometimes they are moving just right when the arrow arrives to make even the best shot or best arrow dynamics somewhat ineffective or suboptimal.
agreed Pi! I've seen some strange things like that as well!
In Illinois my buck turned his head to lick his side area as I released. The arrow passed through his neck and into his chest. Didn't go far at all. The farmer hadn't seen that one before.
I shot an 8 point a few years back... arrow penetrated high... passed through both sides but did not get full pass through... the spine deflection caused the deer to fall strange and the BH side sticking out wound up sticking in the back of the deer's head when he fell down and it went up the back of his neck and embedded in the base of his skull.
Ungie, That had to be a fixed BH.
nope... it was a NAP spitfire maxx... craziest thing I have ever seen.
A magic arrow !!! Did that happen in Texas?
I feel some people spend wayyy too much time thinking about broadheads. They all kill if you place one properly. No head is more deadly than another if you do your job correctly. I prefer fixed. decently built, easy to sharpen fixed will work amazing on a well tuned bow.
Ewade, that’s the discussion here. There are several factors that play into what makes an BH effective or not so much. And if you think all BH’s are just as good as the next one….there wouldn’t be as many choices as there are. It’s when the shot doesn’t go as planned…..how can you minimize the chance your BH doesn’t do its job.
Ungie - that's crazy! It's amazing how big of an impact the deer's motion can have on what happens with arrows when they hit.
Agreed Will... it completely baffled me... I'll try to find a pic... I had to climb down and put another arrow in him...
That's what I was getting at. How can we plan for that always changing and unknown variable of live action on a structure that is not transparent. ?
It requires plugging in a guess ( deer movement and bone strike) into the model/ equasion and that leads into the impossible .
^^^^ correct Pi!
So if an animal moves or you make a not so good hit or you hit bone, what can you do to maximize the chance your arrow can drive through whatever it hits, cause enough trauma to bring an animal down fast and be able to recover it relatively quickly? Can your current set-up handle that?
Of course, there are always one-offs - Thansk Ungie :)
Fixed BH has highest probability of lethal penetration in less than ideal situations IMO.
I agree with Big Dog. With the unknown ( bone strike and/ or animal movement) it would seem a greater advantage with a fixed .
As I said earlier, if you are shooting huge poundage at blazing speed you could put a blunt stump up front and get it done. Like a bullet does.
A mechanical seems to have more opportunities to lose energy on the unknown on the way in. But... If it slips in, then it has the advantage of more cutting . But ...that gain comes with potential loss of energy or hangup on the open blades rendering the potential advantage moot.
Once more: it depends on what is in your mind when calculating the potential results.
I would rather punch a hole or two even if it's slightly smaller. Because it's still a very deadly event ,and the advantage of streamlined energy does that.
An animal moves when hit and that often makes a smaller blade thrash around on the way through.
So , it's likely to cause more than enough damage to counter the expandable advantage / argument.
The Odds are all about the equasion we have in mind.
No doubt that more speed at a greater mass is a factor but not everyone has arms of Hercules.
Anyone ever take a shot with the buck quartering toward you? I guess I'm the only bad boy. If you put that fixed head on inside (medially) of shoulder where the neck joins it's very lethal. I've done it twice (the old Crimson Talon fixed BH) and those deer didn't go much beyond 30yds. I remember some forum guys giving an account of that shot being very successful. I don't make a habit of taking that shot but sometimes after sitting for 5hrs I get caught up in the moment ,LOL
Big Dog... i've only taken that shot with the gun.. never actually have had a good opportunity with the bow.
Ford/Chevy. They both suck. Toyota's rule.
If I screw up and hit the shoulder, I'd be wishing I was shooting a fixed blade...
But if I screw up and hit the back of the liver/stomach/guts/hams/edge of the lungs or only one of them... I like my chances with a Sosso Hole (AKA biggest head I can stick in there)
There isn't an absolutely correct answer, but there is an answer that works best for each hunter.
Will you're not listening. My answer is the right one for all time and all people and all events . Sheesh. Haha.
Ok, 50 points for you, but save them ... Inflation yu know.
I’ve taken one quartering towards shot on a doe with an expandable. Entered in the crease and exited mid body. Hit one lung, liver, and diaphragm. She made it 70 yards.
As mentioned above, I took a hard swing on this topic. There is a very small portion of impenetrable bone near a deers vitals and a much larger area of softer tissue and easy to penetrate bones such as scapula and ribs. If the deer moves, the math seems to indicate that your arrow has a greater chance of hitting softer tissue with less lethality, in which case I would prefer two larger holes than two smaller ones.
Discussion on this topic always reminds me of that song from the kids show back in the day, "this is the song that never ends" lol.
I’m still wondering about a 2” slice vs a 1”x1 1/8th” hole. I’ve shot deer quartering to. Blew right through them with a fixed head. Haven’t shot too many with an expandable. I don’t have confidence in them and alway have an apprehension when they are on my arrow. Like holding my breath when I make the shot…. I “hope” they work. :)
I guess I was wrong... looking back, I did shoot one buck low light quartering towards me with mechanical (Grim Reaper Whitetail Special 2") at 27 yards... buck was almost eye lever with me across the creek bed in NY. Complete pass through.. absolutely devastating.
Pic above is entrance... i don't have a pic of exit on here. blood trail was crazy... he probably only went 30 yards.
Cameron Hanes is shooting the new Grim Reapers on elk. Likes 'em.
2 years ago shot 3 with grim reeper WT specials did not go far, but my poundage is low so the head did not deploy properly, guess i was a bit lucky. not alot of penetration. Last year shot two Bucks with Magnus Stinger Fixed, blood trial less, did not go that far. I think im sticking with the Magnus Stingers for awhile. no hassle with mechanicals deploying prematurely.
Premature deployment and not much penetration...
I like the reapers. I did try the Sevr's this year. Shot a buck and doe this year with them. pass throughs on both. Good exit holes. Doe went 5 yards. Buck went 20.
Sevr entrance just a long slit. Exit very good. Shot deer at about 20 yards.
A pump station special.....they don't go far. Nice.
Ya , That anit workin PI. Lol Hit em hard and go deep!
Not in our nature too leave well enough alone.we are always tinkering and experimenting with products that interest us.
Don't break what's already fixed.
"Nature" is the enemy of our intellect.
Blood - I've put Rage (everyones favorite punching bag for mech heads) diagonally through from several inches behind the last rib out through the off side front shoulder... I did a dumb thing one time and put a rage through the opposite diagonal, just behind the scap and out such that it actually severed the off side achillies - which was really weird because while I was in a tree, the arrow went most of the way diagonally through the body. All I can figure is that somehow the deer moving at the shot lead to hitting the achillies. Both times the arrow was stuck in the earth. Both times I dragged a deer out.
I've also had arrows stop in the off side shoulder and spine with rage. Those deer all came home with me too.
Ill say this, I'm VERY confident that hitting scap/shoulder with a fixed blade your odds are way better of going through.
I just have developed so much confidence in big holes over the years, that I'm not to psyched to go back to fixed blades while shooting compound with stout energy.
HSFC has me really considering trying Severs though... BWB tried, and I just couldnt get past the little tabs. But maybe Ill do it...
I'll admit, a beasty head like a Silver Flame does look pretty impressive and would certainly work great!
We are lucky to have so many good options!
Here’s what I used last fall. Devasting hole.
Here’s what I used last fall. Devasting hole.
Side view with the bleeders.
Side view with the bleeders.
Will, thank you. I have more optimism about trying mechanicals again. I have my eye on one particular hybrid - so if the deploying blades fail, break, bend etc. - I have the initial cutting blade doing damage.
I did put a Rage through a deer severely quartering away years ago. The arrow entered the hind quarter went through the spine and lodged just under the skin on the off side shoulder. Rage was unrecognizable, but the shot put the deer down on the spot.
I’ve shot a few deer with different mechanicals. And I always said “ok, I tried it. Let’s go back to the fixed” lol :)
100 grain Sevr 2.0 with 100 grain HIT and 125 grain Iron Will single bevel with 75 grain HIT
100 grain Sevr 2.0 with 100 grain HIT and 125 grain Iron Will single bevel with 75 grain HIT
This is what my quiver will look like for spring bear. However, it will look the exact opposite come fall for elk and deer.
I agree with the selection coondog!
Rage. I still have a unopened pack and a full quiver. 3 yrs ago I hit a ten pt at about 12 yrds I was 25 ft up the tree. Arrah when in high tight with the shoulder and exit was in the off side rear leg. That's a long travel. Buck went 80yrds. Blood trail was not good. (Good bad and the ugly) I've also broke the feral on a 35 yrs shot on a doe quartering away. She stopped 40yyrds away bled out. Broken rage and arrow laying next to each other at impact. After recovery she had a single hole in her heart. All I can figure is arrow went in and popped right out. Still can't figure it.
Lunker, I went back to fixed when a mechanical popped out {unopened) of a fair sized buck. Crossbow, exactly 20yds....what can go wrong ?? Hit was top of heart broad side; got just enough penetration to kill him because his leg was forward. I went back to fixed and get pass throughs and break bone. I wish people continuing good luck with their mechanicals but there will come a day when the flapper ain't gonna flap. Everything mechanical in our lives will eventually fail; it's just a matter of when . We buy good bows , arrows and accessories . We apply the math and derive KE and momentum values. Then we give away energy using a flapper because we want a "big cut" or are worried about gut shots. Counterproductive considering the money and thought to acquire sufficient energy in the first place( and to put two holes in that buck).. But what do I know; I'm new to the game ,LOL.
One thing I will say about the mechanicals, rarely did I or could I ever reuse one... normally I turn them into a practice head if not too busted up. Probably not the most cost effective option. Having said that, the Sevr I took the buck above last season with looked like it was never shot after I cleaned it up.
Ungie ,I hear a lot of good things about that BH. I'll stay with 4blade Black Hornets. Good blood trails and can be resharpened at home or free by Magnus.
I hear ya BD! If works and you like it don't change it!
