Bowsite.com

Iron Will Broadheads for Whitetails?

As a new sponsor to Bowsite this year, we are seeking input from Whitetail hunters. Iron Will Broadheads were designed primarily for maximum penetration on large animals like elk and moose, to pass through hide, tissue, and bone without damage and stay sharp. We are seeing a growing number of whitetail hunters using them and would like some feedback. Let us know what you think of the design for use on whitetails and if you would like to see anything different in the future. Anyone who replies with constructive comments or questions will be included in a drawing for a free broadhead in late December. Anyone with feedback on how they performed on animals will be included twice. Thanks in advance for you input.

Very nice! They look like good heads

I only killed a doe so far with IW, 100 grain vented standard thread. The shot was about 20 yards, very very slight quartering too. Shot hit tight to the shoulder and exited low 1/2 of the way back in the chest. She ran about 50 yards and died. Boring and predictable just like I like it.

1 1/4” wide vented would be a nice whitetail Head. Out here in the Northeast that is pretty much all their is to hunt. Another dimension would be 1” or 1 1/8” main blade with 1” bleeders.

Worked pretty well on this buck, Bill. ;-) Broke a rib going in and kept on going, and I never found the arrow in the thick tall weeds behind him. This was with the vented 125. I love how they fly and impact exactly like my 125 field points.

About to test another 125 on a big muley buck as soon as the right one comes by.

Took a doe with one the other day. Ran 20 yards after the shot. Same as above, slightly quatering to. Fantastic blood trail (Not that it was needed as the animal died within sight). Great flight, shoots identical to my field points. Vented 125g. Would recommend them for deer and to any of chris's bear hunters (pine acres, vermilion bay).

I shot a fawn on Wednesday through the spine and broke the far side leg AFTER spining it. (roughly 100lb canadian buck fawn) So penetration is awesome. I then shot a mature buck on Saturday, and am waiting to see what happened after I skin it out. Double lung hit and no blood. 150gr non vented that flies like a dart and killed the buck. It bled a lot internally and the exit wasn't very high, so I have no clue why there was no blood on the snow. At the end of the day the animal was bleeding, and the animal was dead. There was just no blood on the snow, as in it wasn't falling out of the animal.

This is not broadhead failure. Somehow due to positioning of the animal, or it's legs the hole must have closed up or something not allowing blood to come out. This does happen in I wouldn't say rare, but unusual circumstances. The only way to get around this problem is to shoot a massive head. No one wants a massive 2" fixed blade, because of wind planing, so enter mechanicals. Downside with massive mechanicals is penetration on big bone. An individual chooses a head based on the characteristics they value. One cannot have it "all" in a single head. As many have said, tell me where you're going to hit him and I'll tell you what head to use. It's tough to ask for much more from the Iron Wills, they penetration is insane, the edge retention is second to none, and the in-flight forgiveneness is unlike anything I have experienced. They are the only fixed head I've ever felt comfortable shooting in November when the windchills are -30 celsius and form may suffer.

My only suggestion is if there is a coating or something you could add to the outside of the head so they don't rust as easily might be nice. Barring that it's always a trade-off. You can get more of one thing, but you will be sacrificing something else.

A good friend of mine shoots them and has great success with the 125's on whitetails. I personally haven't had any experience with them yet but I can't find anything wrong with them without trying unlike that new Hoyt apparently. I hear all kinds of bad things from people who have never seen one! Ha!

Used the Iron Will heads for the first time this year. Shot my WT buck at 14 yards easy complete pass thru and caught heart. The buck went about another 20 yards and fell over dead.

I was happy with the accuracy and obviously the penetration but overall not completely satisfied with the broadhead. There was a ton of blood in the chest cavity and 2 holes in the deer but no blood trail at all. It didn't matter on my deer because I saw him fall but this would have been a different story if I had to trail it. Secondly, the tip of the blade rolled over and one of the edges nicked up a bit. The broadhead did pass completely through a rib going in but it was just stuck in the soft dirt after passing through the animal. Based on all the reviews I guess I expected more. The broadhead is noisy (100 grain vented) compared to other heads I've shot, more specifically the Solid head. They do fly consistently with my FP.

Overall the Iron Will to me is an okay broadhead and I am still on the fence about using them going forward. For the price and all of the accolades on the internet I expected more. I believe there are cheaper options that will get the job done just as well and will probably make a switch.

For whitetail I would suggest a 1-3/8” main blade and a 1” bleeder. I have killed a couple of deer with the current 125 grain vented heads and they worked fine but I would prefer and bigger cut for deer. Make something close this Bill and I will buy a dozen

“If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it !!” Change for the sake of change is not always good or necessary. You’ve got a product that is quality and producing positive results.

Stay in the saddle and enjoy the ride.

I have to agree with ElkNut1, bleeders could be a little bigger. The doe I shot didn’t leave much of a blood trail. Did break the tip off. Not much of a price to pay for an elk, but a little high for a deer. I’ll be sending it back in this week.

First season using iron wills. I went with the s175's. They flew right with my field points even at 70 yards. I've killed 2 bucks with them so far. I watched both bucks go down within sight. The first buck I shot blew through opposite shoulder and buried in the ground. Second buck blew through the shoulder, through mid body and buried in the dirt. Both heads look perfect after the shot, no knicks or imperfections in the blades. I see absolutely no reason to use any other head. Gets the job done and come wicked sharp. The 7 point weighed in at 220 and the 8 point came in at 214.

I've shot two deer with them.

they are very sharp and penetrate well.

The first deer was a 160 lb buck. 22 yd quartering to shot - hit in front of the shoulder and exited the arm pit on the opposite side - it did not hit any bone. i was able to resharpen and stick it back in the quiver. i posted a picture of that deer on bowsite.

the second deer was a doe at 28 yds. I was very high up a tree - 25+ feet high. entered top of the back middle ways and came out the shoulder on the opposite side.

The tip of the broad head was broken off after recovering the arrow - Approx 1/6" of an inch on the very tip. Also one of the bleeder blades edges was rolled over - as well as one side of the broadhead edge was rolled off.

the recovery was tuff and the deer did not bleed well at all - i found the deer about 125 yds away.

my 2 cents on improving design.

1. change the Tip Geometry. the very pointed tip is going to break off on hard bone impact - its sharpened and very thin at the tip. in my opinion it would need to be rounded off like the German Kenetics or change the angle to where its not as steep. 2. Wider cut. i like the bleeder blade design, but i would like the main cutting blades to be 1.25" - even wide options would be great.....

Killed a whitetail doe and a buck this year with the 125 grain solids. Both were good, broadside hits with the doe making it ~50 yards and the buck making it ~150 yards before expiring. In both instances the arrow made full pass through and upon recovering it the tips were not functionally damaged. Ultimately I have been very pleased with the broadhead valuing; (i) the consistency among heads (equates to better flight), (ii) strength of the materials, (iii) sharpness. I purchased the solid version and was quite pleased with the minimal sound signature in flight as well.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Just to clarify, we aren't changing our current line of broadheads. We think the size (1 1/16" main blade & 3/4" bleeder) works well for maximum penetration on big animals along with excellent long range flight more common on out west big game. Also, by retaining sharp edges and slicing all the way through, I think we are getting more bleeding than slightly larger heads that loose their edge right away. I'm considering a slightly larger version for whitetails and bears when the shots are close, but I'm not sure if it's the right thing. I've had around 20 people this year tell me they killed animals by passing through bone, that they would have lost with other broadheads. I received this email yesterday: I just want to say how pleased I am with your Iron Wills. I shoot a Easton Carbon injection 330 with the deep six solid 125g Iron Will. Yesterday I killed a buck with your broadhead. I'm 61 years old and have been bowhunting for just over 42 years. Never have I seen a broadhead do what yours did yesterday. I truly believe I would not have killed that deer if it were not for your broadhead. The shot was 5 yards with the deer straight on to slightly quartered to me. My only shot was thru the neck into the chest cavity. When you see the pitchers you will be impressed. Your broadhead blew thru the backbone and stuck into the heart. The broadhead has just the tip knocked off, otherwise it's in perfect shape. I'm very familiar with A2 tool steel. I'm a Tool and Die maker by trade and A2 is what we make alot of our die sections out of. Thanks again for a great product!

Also, we are receiving a lot of pictures of big bucks taken with Iron Will broadheads that we are posting on our Instagram page including one today that grossed just over 200 inches.

Is their any difference at all in flight accuracy between the vented and solids?

Hey spike78 I shoot the 150gr solids and to be honest I've never in my life had a fixed blade fly so accurate and be so forgiving. The vented can only be better which I find hard to imagine. I've shot slick tricks standards, vipers, exodus, muzzy standards, mx3, mx4, thunderhead, vpa, Innerlock, Magnus Stingers and buzzcuts and more. I love the noiselessness of the solids.

As a tool & die maker familiar with A2 steel, I second the coatings suggestion. I love the heads but have noticed some surface rust. There's lots of coatings available that may even improve performance of the head.

Thanks Apauls I’ve been shooting the ST standards and they are dead on. I love the Tricks but the blades can get roughed up sometimes on deer.

Holes are about the same as a ST. I think the place a guy can get disappointed with Iron Wills is expecting the same hole as a Rage/Vortex. That's not going to happen. They are a different machine built for a different purpose. I can tell you what they do do. Fly amazingly accurate, come extremely sharp, hold their edge extremely well. If you crush hard bone there isn't a head on the planet that is going to come out the way it went in. That being said I just killed what I'm guessing to be a 3+ year old Canadian whitetail and bust ribs and buried in the dirt and after all that the head was still very sharp. When washing it off I used it to cut some loose skin off my hand. The edge bit in and sliced the skin off easily. I consider myself an honest guy and I'll give you the critical as well. My entrance was above center and exit was about center body. Double lung. Buck went 125 yards, but didn't bleed externally. I've been too busy to check but I suspect his leg was forward and closed over the hole, not allowing blood to freely flow out of the body. Holes being higher on the animal also prevent that. I can guarantee he was bleeding, because his cavity was right full. So the head flew great, cut great, penetrated great, and killed great. It did it's thing. Now I didn't have much of a trail to follow other than tracks in the snow. Would a large cutting diameter head opened more of a hole? We'll never know, because I didn't shoot him in the same spot with one. I would tend to think yes, but it could be just as likely to provide the exact same trail, or maybe not even get a full pass-through. Friend got a full pass-through perfect shot low lungs /heart area same morning with a Rage and while there was more blood as is to be expected with entry and exit in lower third of the deer, it was also far from gruesome. Light spray is what I would call it. If he had shot his deer through the same spot with an Iron Will or slick trick with that POI I would expect the same type of blood trail we saw with his Rage.

The Iron Will is the first fixed head I've felt comfortable shooting in extreme cold temps when layered up like a marshmallow. (I'm always worried about forgiveness) That should tell you something about the flight characteristics. Personal opinion.

Looks like a great all around broadhead for elk and deer. There probably is no need for change. I would guess most whitetail hunters shoot a one and done broadhead so in the long run cost should not be an issue. Question, can the bleeder blade be sharpened? The youtube vids I watched show sharpening the main blade to be a breeze.

I have sharpened the main blades and bleeder. Easy as can be.

Trial, what sharpener do you use?

What do sharpen it on? Sandpaper? Stone?

Either works just as well. I have set of flat diamond stone that I have used, however I have used sand paper and stroped them on cardboard with compound

Bill V - Iron Will. I should win the giveaway hands down no drawing name out of the hat necessary. Please look at my comments and compare your latest comments. They mirror one another. “If it ain’t broke don’t try to fix it!”

I shot a doe with a 125 grain vented. Pass through center of both lungs. She ran less than 30 yards. Awesome heads and fly amazing. Probably overkill for whitetails but it’s nice knowing you have a super strong , deep penetrating head so you aren’t limited to broadside shots. Backed up with a good draw weight and heavy arrows and these heads are nearly unstoppable

I wouldn’t change a thing. I know a lot of guys will want wider heads but strong, deep penetrating, true flying and scary sharp is hard to beat.

Thanks for all the feedback and congrats on the deer guys. Good luck out there Lou. Seeing any GBBs ? For a thorough resharpening, you can remove the blades and use a knife sharpening kit with flat stones held at set angles like the Gatco, Lansky, or KME. These all work very well for both the main blade and bleeder. The factory edge is 19 degrees per side. I recommend resharpening at 20-22 degrees so you only remove a small amount at the edge. This also speeds up the resharpening. I've heard a few people say the Staysharp guide works well also but I haven't tried it. We sell a double sided sharpening stone for quick touch ups in the assembled condition. I can get a damaged edge shaving hair again with this in a couple minutes. We have sharpening videos on our YouTube channel at the link included here.

I wouldn't change anything honestly. I used a 125gr solid on this guy and he was down within 40yds. I don't think the construction or SHARPNESS of a Ironwill can be beat!

To kill an animal you need a sharp, well constructed head that flys well. Doesn't matter if it's a moose or a whitetail, a broadhead kills both the same way!

Regarding the flight of the solid vs. vented, they both fly really well and I doubt you will see a difference. I shot them both side by side almost every day this summer. Out of a tuned bow, I couldn't see a difference, even out to 100 yards. I've shot the vented longer and it's extremely forgiving in my experience. I've seen it hit with field points even when the bow hasn't been tuned and the arrows are noticeably fish tailing. Several other experienced archers that have shot both have reported no difference.

Bill, I received a new main blade and screw in the mail today. Thank you. You’ve stood behind your product and it was hassle free. I will be shooting IW for years to come. Again, Thank you.

I’d like to see a 1 3/8 cut with decent bleeders too. I use mostly 2 blade rear deploying mechanicals and I have a really really hard time Seeing blood. I need lots of it to find it.

Very happy with my IronWill Broadheads. I shot the 125gr Vented (I have the solid's as well, but haven't gotten the chance to use them yet) on a DaySix Arrow. The shot was on a buck that was quartering away hard and the arrow came out of his chest and buried itself in the dirt. The head looks good as new. I am using the StaySharp setup to sharpen mine as I prefer the brain-dead easy approach to sharpening!

All in all, this head is pretty damn good! I'll shoot them again this year.

I have resharpened mine to a Razors edge with a KME Sharpener set at 24 deg. I do remove the bleeder first with a size T-6 Torx driver.

ElkNut/Paul

Would like to see a magnum version, bigger holes gives the possibility for better blood trail.

Congrats on the bucks guys and thanks for the feedback!

Register here to reply to this topic