Plastic broadheads???
Equipment
On Camofire today. Cold Steel Cheap shot broadheads. $20 for a 50 pack! I love the description, "Made from space-age polymer developed specifically as a substitute for steel, the Cheap Shot™ is tough, sharp and practically impervious to the elements! Unlike a steel broadhead, it will never rust, tarnish or corrode, and it will endure all but the most extreme weather conditions."
Under what weather conditions will I need to unscrew them and change them out for next level weather heads?? At .40/each, how can you go wrong??
My next elk head.......not
I would buy some because of the space-age polymer only if the description stated that they were designed by NASA engineers...lol
Normally you get what you pay for. Small game "maybe"??????
Are they compatible for use with cross-guns?....Just trying to keep this thread on topic with the other current hot button threads of the week.
There have been a few broadheads made out of plastic/polymers in the past. I have some in my broadhead collection. I have no info on these particular broadheads but my guess is they will be as useless as the previous attempts.
NAP Razorbak... 4 and 5 blades, rotating around the ferrule and molded right into a polymer bushing thing. So, there was some metal in there...
I used those back in the day... But wont be trying these .40 cent options ha!
I dont know why everyone is so negative about them. I just went to youtube to check them out. Been around since 2017 at least looks like. Shot thru 1/4" plywood straight on and 45 degree angle. Held up fine. Watch a guy kill a hog jan 10,2021. East pass thru and good blood. Only 30 yd recovery. I probably wouldnt try them on a deer immediately, but i would have no problem using them for hogs or possibly turkey. Appear to be much tougher than people are giving them credit for.
I got 12 of them a few years back I think I paid about a buck a piece for them. Yes they are sharp, kinda like knapped flint. So they would cut if you hit a deer. Don't know how durable they are and I've not shot anything with them. Yes if you hit a deer broadside in the ribs it would put it down. Always thought of trying one on a doe, but just never remember to put one in the quiver. If they shot good for you they would be and excellent "cheap" non-big game head. Ed
The actual blades themselves on the Razorbacks were steel. I killed a few deer with them back in the mid 80s.
I remember those razorbacks - they were all the rage back when I was in high school. I shot the Rocky Mountain razors and the thunderheads. Good memories and good times for sure.
Back in the late sixties we had some plastic broadheads that we bought along with some other stuff, when a local shop went out of business. We killed more than our share of cottontails with those but never tried them on anything bigger. As far as the razorbacks go I killed my first two deer with the 5 blade model in 78' and/or 79'. I still have some in the original plastic case.
I dont know why everyone is so negative about them." Well... I'm guessing because they are dirt cheap and made out of plastic... Those are two big red flags for most people
Point is, they are super cheap, AND it appears they are very durable. If they broke after hitting some hard, like wood or bone, they probably wouldnt be worth using. However, they didnt break when being shot thru wood. For a dollar each, I would be fine using them to kill hogs, rabbits, coons, turkeys, javelina, grouse. Any type of game besides trophy whitetails or elk sized game. I feel like they would work for those too, but wouldnt try until i dropped a few hogs first.
https://youtu.be/kbaTUbCffgA
Broadheads kill by hemorrhaging, they need to be razor sharp. These are not. Sharp enough to cut you with some force behind it? Yes, but not sharp enough for big game.
Sharp enough to cut you with some force behind it? Yes, but not sharp enough for big game.
Have you personally used them? Or gauged them for sharpness? I havent seen them in person as of yet.
The ferrule on the New Archery Products Razorbak broadheads was made of Lexan and carried stainless steel blades (4 and 5 blade versions available). Andy Simo, designer of the Razorbak broadhead, was a former NASA engineer and worked in the US space program. He choose Lexan because he felt it was the best choice polymer available at the time for the task at hand....besides, he felt if it was good enough for the nosecones on our rockets it certainly was good enough for an arrowhead (yep, he said that to me one time!).
With regard to all plastic broadheads...the Nybre brand came out in the 1950s and it was designed for small game hunting. There have been a few others over the years and as far as I am aware all were also designed primarily as small game broadheads. In many states only broadheads with metal cutting edges are legal for big game hunting.
Scoot, I would put them at more of a flint knap sharp. When I ran my finger down them I was surprised and if I put much more pressure on the blade,, I'm sure I would of slit my finger open. No I have not shot them at anything live. But from my limited experience with them sharpness is not what would worry me, it would be how they would hold up to a impact. plastic have come a long way. Hell body structure on a lot of cars are now being made of plastic. If you would like to take a look at one and if I can find where I put them, I'll sent you one. Pm me your address. For now for my first/main head I'll stick to my stockpile of steelheads 100's. But after this thread and if tagged out on a buck next fall, I may give one a try. ED
How much does one weight ?
You might want to check if they are legal. TMBB
RazorBaks even came with a all plastic practice cartridge.
The one on the right is a Rambo exploding head.
“ I would put them at more of a flint knap sharp.”
If that’s the case, then either they are a significant upgrade from steel.... or you don’t know much about stone heads....
A good & proper knapped head is far sharper than steel can be made to be, because the edges fracture at basically the molecular level.
As to the plastic heads.... They sound like a small game hunter’s new go-to option.... You can’t buy field points at that price.... And squirrels can be a little stubborn about giving up the ghost....
Nothing new about plastic/polymer heads, they've been around since the 1950s.
Gf, i was talking about what felt like those little mico edges, maybe its closer to something else. Has you seen these heads?
Anyone ever seen a broadhead made out of plan grass. From a old bottle.
Yeah, they tried to make them look like knapped heads; that has nothing to do with how sharp they might be.
Plain glass in the right hands can make an entirely satisfactory broadhead. Ishi loved a good beer or soda bottle.
I suspect that his one was made deliberately NOT terrifyingly sharp.....
For pretty obvious reasons.....
I suspect that his one was made deliberately NOT terrifyingly sharp.....
For pretty obvious reasons.....
Who knows maybe some day they will be making them from plastic I never would have dreamed I would own a plastic pistol!
"Hon, when will you be done with the 3D printer? Deer season opens in the morning and I need to print a few broadheads".
In the 80's the local sporting goods store had a big box of plastic broadheads by the register. As broke kids we made use of them on a few small critters. I doubt they had much edge because we shot them at all sorts of dirt clods and stumps roaming the outskirts of town.
Personally would never hunt deer size game with a those Cheap Shot heads, but wouldn't hesitate shooting them at small game especially upland birds over dogs...
Once killed a deer back in the late 70's with a plastic based Hilbre Broadhead...
There was a report on these in an African bowhunting magazine a few years back. They managed to kill an impala but found them lacking on other game. Basically a negative report all the way around. Works great for small game but nothing larger than a coyote.
I can say I personally know the guys at Bowhunter Planet. I feel confident their test video was completely legit. 3 different heads into 1/4" plywood, including angled shot. Seems to me like they held up pretty good.
I'll gladly try them on hogs. After completely losing two arrows on two dead hogs this season I'm assembling some bargain hog arrows to keep separate from deer arrows in the quiver.
I have been considering picking some up for small game only. Why would anyone try them on big game? Besides...how many guys today could actually tune an arrow with these heads? Not many.
Probably a little too much sail area for modern speeds, eh?
Can you get these in plastic? May as well, you can't sharpen them anyway!
Can you get these in plastic? May as well, you can't sharpen them anyway!
$20 for 50 heads that seem to do good on small game. Sounds like a good addition to a bug out bag/survival gear. And no big deal if you lose them, or even if only good for one shot.
I wonder how well they would hold up hitting something hard in low temps?
I've used them on Turkeys a few times, they work fine. I'd never use them on big game but honestly for the price they are pretty decent for coyotes and the like.
Many states, like Kansas, says all metal broadheads. Should be the law every where with the exception of crafted stone heads.
Sounds like a great grouse head that’s still somewhat capable in a pinch for a follow up shot.
Is it just me, or are compound shooters less likely to hunt small gsme than Stickbow guys?
And that is not a dig of any kind… I owned a compound for a few years about 10 years ago, and it never occurred to me to take a shot at a squirrel with it, but with a recurve or longbow? Let’s just say it’s a good thing that small game tends to be in season when big game is in season!
Basically, I didn’t take shots at small game because of the very high probability of losing or trashing an arrow. They seem to hold up a lot better at half the speed. And with the Stickbow in hand, I just feel like I’m out there looking to score on whatever comes my way. I have a feeling that a lot of guys who favorite modern equipment are on an absolute mission, frequently for one particular animal, and they are not going to go fiddly/farting around with squirrels or grouse.
I have a Hilbre head somewhere in a box. Was the very 1st broadhead I ever attached to an arrow. Mid 70's? It appeared that you could bend the tip over with your fingers.... I was so excited to launch a "big boy" arrow! I can still see that thing corksrewing through the air towards the hay bale out of my 33lb Wing recurve....I miss that bow.
I killed a bunch of deer wth Razorback 5's. Amazingly engineered heads for their time. Terribly small holes without blood trails is what I remember. They flew really well. I would sand down the shaft with crocus cloth and apply graphpite powder so the cartridge would spin better on the shaft. LOL Good times!!
been several over the years. I remember n\most in the mid 70s when I had shop/lanes. Hilbre & Razorback 5.. Saw several Deer killed with the Rzr 5. I stayed away from stocking plastic ferrel BHs.
If only there was a value arrow like that to pair it with for flying geese etc
Flying geese. Never thought about shooting at one with an arrow. I have however shot at them from the roof of a house with a framing nailer. According to many that was an archery hunt. You know trigger, pointy projectile from something looking like a gun but not propelled be powder. ;)
“ If only there was a value arrow like that to pair it with for flying geese etc”
Decent woodies run a couple bucks each in bulk. Easton Tribute Aluminum are about $3. 3 or 4 -fletch with half of a full-length feather at about $40/100. Nocks are under $0.15 apiece, and light field points are about twice that.
So woodies cost more for labor, aluminum is $0.75 more per shaft, glue & go, and you don’t have to go in 100 at a crack.
Even if they end up being single-use, you can spend just about spend that much on premium goose loads.
What’s keeping you??
I made up some Aluminum Flu Flus (4, 4" helicals) for a Pheasant hunt with cheapie BHs. My cost was like $3.50 per arrow. Then, we never made the hunt but I'm ready.
"I have however shot at them from the roof of a house with a framing nailer. According to many that was an archery hunt. You know trigger, pointy projectile from something looking like a gun but not propelled be powder. ;)"
Uh....not quite. You left out...Shoots an arrow propelled my energy stored in drawn limbs. A nail gun shoots nails via an explosion of compressed air.
I shot a dove on the peak of a roof we were re roofing,, with a roofing gun. Lol. Just bounced off of it...
NAP Razorbacks also had all-plastic 'practice' cartridges that balanced the same as the steel cartridges. May have a few in my kit somewhere.
Think I'll start referring to all ChatGPT bots as "Blevers"
^^^ I like it Lou. I second the motion.
Teeton, I've seen made, used and killed with bottle bottom glass heads. The old Clorox brown bleach bottle heads are the best, and the cobalt blue milk of magnesia bottles. For some reason all the green colored glass I've used is too brittle.
A bowshop owner buddy was selling them in the 80’s. I think it was Gold Tip…a plastic ferrule with metal blades. They didn’t last long, many were just folding when they hit an animal.
ahunter76 - If hunting over dogs, metal broadheads is not very safe for the dog,,, just saying...
BTW - I've handled those Cold Steel Cheap Shot broadheads before and am sure they'd probably be safe for dogs while upland bird hunting...
I'm gonna wait for the expandable version.....
