Broadheads that Impress You
Equipment
I missed a nice buck yesterday, from the ground at about 45 yards. I hit a iron wood tree, believe me, that is like concrete, plus its 10 degrees. I could not believe the penetration of the bh.
I was able to unscrew my fmj, but carefully looking at the head, it was buried deep, and blades seemed to be intact...... I was impressed
Wasp SST Boss 125 grain...........................
I have hit other trees etc, with other heads, that just exploded, or fixed that did not penetrate as well......................................... I will need to order some more
I’m impressed by Iron wills. Quality is 2nd to none and they are tough !
Another vote for Iron Will effectiveness and toughness.
I'm shooting the same broadhead but in 100g. The tip is one of the best out there for a replacement blade broadhead. They are made locally about an hour from where I live in a small factory and Wasp broadheads have been around for a long time killing game.
Ironwills and Four bladed OZ cuts
I see Muzzy has a new solid, 1 pc. machined 3-bld.
Magnus Black Hornets is a great head with a reasonable price and great warranty.
I'll remember that next time I'm hunting trees. ;-)
Van Dieman's 125 grain single bevel. I'm gonna play with their new double bevel for spring gobblers. I was impressed with the quality of the Australian made heads. When you buy 12 125 grain heads, you get 12 125 grain heads. There is no plus or minus game.
Quit keeping track of whitetail and bears kills after 69 recoveries, with 100 and 125 gr 3 blade Muzzy. Most broadheads , I just replaced blades, checked for true with dial indicator and used again . Did have some ,not true and scraped. Have used the 100 gr Montec one piece ,after sharpening . Points seem to bend easily. Used 3 blade Thunderheads . Numerous blades broke with them. Just out of curiosity used Rocky Mtn Sniper with good results ,other then tip bending. Used some 2.3 ( dreaded word) Rage. Awesome blood trails . My all time favorite has been the Muzzy.
Accuracy and forgiveness on Iron Wills for a fixed head insane
I've been bowhunting for 40 years and have shot hundreds of big game animals with so many different broadheads, I couldn't begin to remember them all. And I've probably sworn by every one of them while I was shooting them. I'll tell you what impresses me and it sure 'aint how a head holds up if I shoot it into a tree. Short ass, heavy damn blood trails, stumbling, falling animals as soon as I shoot and dropping in sight dead within seconds is what impresses me. Big damn holes, that's what impresses me. And I hate mechanical broadheads because I like things like a two blade cut on contact head that are simple and fail-safe. But guess what? Mechanical's like the NAP Kill Zone or the 2" Swhacker's that I'm shooting now do all that stuff that impresses me. But my beloved, simple cut on contacts don't, and neither do the dozens and dozens of Steel Force's, Muzzy's, Slick Tricks, etc, that I have in my shop. Yea, of course they all kill them just as dead if you hit them in the right spot. Plenty dead in fact. But when I shoot a deer with a big ass expandable in the right spot quartering away and I see it buckle up and immediately start snowplowing for 30 or 40 yards before doing a half gainer, I just shake my head. They just break down so freaking quick. That's what impresses me. Did I mention I hate mechanicals?
Busta +1
Drain em fast! Trad guys use a cut on contact two blade head. The two blade mechanical for compound bows does similar cutting except the cut is twice as wide. Animals immediately start recovering when shot by arrow UNLESS you drain em fast.
I have “lifetime supplies” of 5 or 6 different broadheads but the mechanicals are moving to the front row:)
G5 Montec's, will probably shoot them the rest of my life. 1 piece of solid steel and as accurate as mechanicals. Every animal I've shot with them has died within 30 yards, so I don't see a reason to change. I replace the heads after shooting an animal with them as a precautionary measure, so not sure how they compare as far as resharpening them or holding an edge goes. I figure a $10-15 investment isn't much when it comes to stocking a freezer.
I have “lifetime supplies” of 5 or 6 different broadheads but the mechanicals are moving to the front row:) What!? Charlie, I thought you were an Iron Will guy!
Brag about a broadheads strength when it hits a tree? Maybe try a more accurate mechanical head? and hit the deer, not a tree?
Ford, Chevy, Dodge??? I have one of each. Which is better? I hate all three of them now and then. I do prefer blondes though. What was the question?
Broadheads? Properly tuned and razor sharp. That's all that really matters.
It's cool to talk about but this is absolutely subjective and there is no clear winner. I've never lost an animal or had a broadhead fail. I shot my first deer with an original satellite 4 blade in front of a 2219. The head came completely apart when it hit the opposite shoulder but the deer still only went 50 yards. It came apart but only after it did the job. I switched to a Bear razorhead after that, then Zwickey, then Magnus and sometimes Bear again but usually Magnus. Sharp. Sharp is best.
175 grain solid VPA. Shot 5 deer this year with it - 4 with the same head. Great blood trails and short tracks.
Lee
Iron will - very impressive
I agree with Chris and Charlie. Big holes, short blood trails are my favorite. My Broadhead(s) as of late have been Bloodsport Gravediggers and Vortex Mechanicals. Big holes and short blood trails, but I’m not a huge mechanical fan either...;)
Ironwill Outfitters.
Tried them, true as advertised.
Tough as nails, but look forward to a bigger blade.
Wasp jackhammers and boss!
Out of my traditional bows it's either a Zwickey Delta or a Simmons Land Shark. Both wide 2 blades.
Out of my Bowtech its a 3 blade Muzzy 100. Been lots of blood on the ground from Muzzy Broadheads over many years. Tried and true performer.
Love my Wasp Jak Hammers!!!
Have been hunting big game with bows for 40 years and have gone through a lot of broadheads. Two, 3 and 4 blade heads will all work if they are sharp and hit the right spot.
For most NA game, I am in the “Big A$$ Hole” crowd. I like big 3-blades like the old 125 to 160 grain glue-on Snuffer. The VPA 3-blade is also a very good head and is tougher and straighter than the old Snuffers. Biggest critter I ever killed with a Snuffer was a moose and it worked beautifully. The VPA 3-blade has impressed me, especially in the heavier weights.
For heavier animals like bison, a 2-blade will give better penetration. Last one I shot was with a Magnus 2-blade and it worked perfectly. I am impressed by the Cutthroat broadheads by RMSG as a really good performing single bevel.
The Killzone is an impressive head if you have the oomph to push them. I too really like Vortex as I think they are better penetrators than the Killzone. Swhacker 3" cut are as nasty as anything I've shot on turkeys. I'll pick up some Swhacker 2" to try next year too.
Valkyrie and Cutthroats are best I've used, like the look of the Abowyers. Budget heads I like are Grizzlies!
wow a lot of response,. according to some you you never hit trees or ever miss, wow I should live in your world,,, any way just an observation
I like mechanicals,,,, but I only shoot 55 lbs so there not for me
VPA does a great job for me. Kill something, touch it up, and kill another with same head, over and over
New mechanical named Thorn broadheads. Hidden blade technology. Field point accuracy. Check out their YouTube videos. Crazy sharp and accurate.
Wasp Jak-Hammer 13/4 inch cut- I do not believe there is a better whitetail head for those hunters shooting relatively heavy set ups. For those shooting less ump go to the smaller cutting diameter versions of the Jak-Hammer!
The Thorn looks like the Punchcutter 2.0 (the original Punchcutter is among the worst MBH's ever devised IMO).
I don't know that head but just looked it up. Very different. I have 6 kilos with them this year. All dead within 50 yards.
VPA 200 grain 3 blade. Best BH for all NA game. 1 piece, accurate, easily sharpened and penetrate like a deamon.
"I don't know that head but just looked it up. Very different. I have 6 kilos with them this year. All dead within 50 yards."
How are they very different? They have the same tip/plunger blade actuation mechanism (which requires two mechanical processes to work properly versus just one with other MBH designs), the same design w/ the blades inside the ferrule in flight so you have a field point profile if they don't deploy properly, and the same long aluminum ferrule weakened by substantial cutouts which makes them more prone to bending (which can preclude blade deployment).
I guess I just don't see the plus of that head that offsets that big minus. Seems like lots of other bowhunters didn't either given Pucketts had the first MBH on the market and were one of the first (if not the first) off the market due to poor performance.
Shot Wasp Boss and Hammer SST for years and killed lots of deer and elk with them. I might go back to them. Also killed several deer and elk with Slick Trick Magnums and standards and have had impressive blood trails.
Killed a couple deer with Wasp Jak Hammer mechanicals and I was impressed with the blood trails and how quick the deer went down but then I had one deflect off of a bucks rib cage in a 12 yard perfect slightly quartering away shot and slice his hide wide open without even penetrating the rib cage. I quit using Jak Hammer after that...
Done this twice with Slick Tricks, no damage to the head. Didn't get a pass through, but was sticking out the other side.
Another pic. Tough heads! Sliced that leg bone completely in pieces. And both were mature bucks, not fawns.
Broadheads that are easy to tune and don't make you have to change everything under the sun to get them to fly like darts. Magnus and Zwickey come to mind.
Don't believe the hype people... it's all about accuracy, shot placement, and sharpness of head, not how big the head is or how much it costs.
The ones covered in lung blood. Haha
I’ve been using Slick Tricks since 07’ and really like the results, flight, durability, penetration, all great. Killed an antelope with a Sevr this year, it was devastating. The iron wills look incredible and maybe I’ll give em a go next year since I’m out of my Slick Trick backstock.
Like other I have used many different heads in the past, until Magnus came along then I settled on the Magnus I, 4 blade 150 grain and have not used anything else since. It works for me, I have confidence in it and can sharpen them to a razor sharp edge, which is all I need. Also when Magnus sold their traditional line I bought all the Magnus I, 4 blades they had in stock before the sale, so I have a lifetime supply.
I, like some others here, have been bowhunting for a bunch of years, starting with the Bear heads. As time passed, better broadheads came on the market and, some not so good, Pucketts, Hoyt Chuck-its, etc. Close to 20 years ago, I tried Rocket Mini Blasters and, was amazed at the damage and watching animals fall so stinking fast. From that point forward, I have used expandables exclusively with the exception of hunting in Idaho and last year, I was talked into trying the Helix which, left me dismayed. That said, I have seen so many large animals killed with quality mechanicals, there is no reason to use a fixed blade. BUT, like I said, QUALITY! I am not sure if Rocket is made in America anymore so, that would leave me skeptical. I used to love Snypers and took my buff with one, I heard years ago that Rage bought them out. I have a stockpile of heads, that I don't need any for awhile. Vortex is a good head and they have an impressive website with some big animals killed. Like Busta ribs said, whatever it takes to put them on the ground fast and with a bloodtrail a foot wide. Oh, and I think you can shoot a mechanical at 55 lbs because bows now a days have more energy than years ago. We used to say you need at least 70 Lbs KE for a mechanical. You might check to see where yours is at.
Hell yeah! Now that is impressive!
2 point good post,,,, I shoot a 2016 Hoyt Carbon Spyder set at 52lbs, and for the most part, not enough for a mechanical,,,, but I have seen so many failures at a bear camp, and it was not the mechanicals fault, but too light of bow, and light arrows....
However with the guys pulling some weight, speed and heavy arrow,,,, I have seen some devastating damage, from some of them,,,,,
The original Grave Diggers before Dale sold. Shot so many animals the last ten years with them. I had one completely pass through on a frontal and split a femur bone. Arrow was in the ground and big old buck died at less then thirty yards.
Slick Tricks lately. Magnus & Muzzy are great bh’s too .
Here is an impressive broadhead.
Eh...no shape and wouldn't make a good quarterfry. Howard Hill 160s are my choice.
No, Treeline, Elkstabber's is impressive!! I do much better with the G5 Striker though.....
For fixed heads ive always been a wasp fan but haven't used then I quite a few years. But if going to try fixed again I'd try wasp first.. . But my go to head has been the rocket steelhead for many years. Ed
All I can say elkstabber is - WOW! Now that's impressive broadhead...8^)
It’s funny Elkstabber, but that photo reminds me a lot of how I feel about mehchanical’s. I really don’t care for the looks of the slim profile, but I know it will work a helluva lot better then the old model. Get the job done a whole lot quicker too!
I'm of the opinion that most broadheads available today will get the job done if the hunter does his job. The most impressive thing to me about some broadheads is their price.
BTW, heck with the broadhead, anybody notice she's wearing a knife...8^)))
Zbone looks like pliars not a knife. But no I didn’t notice until you said that lol.
Sorry spike78 - Its just hard for me to keep my eyes on that spot to determine knife or pliers...8^)))
With the technology development in equipment head designs and materials are changing almost daily. One can almost custom a head to a particular species. What species are you wanting a head for?
G5 Striker 100...Have shot Deer, Elk and Moose with them, zero issues...This years Moose was through a off side rib, still spins true!
RazorTricks impress the hell outta me. Fly like darts at all distance.
I have had several favorites over the years like Thunderhead 125, Muzzy 130 ,145 Bears. But this past season I like the results of Cutthroats, my son shoots 250 gr. Left bevels. He shot two does this past year and got pass threws using a 46 lb. Java Man Elkheart longbow. One shot went threw both shoulders on one doe. Both deer only went 50 yards tops with great blood trails. The broadheads were still razor sharp and looked brand new still. I will be toting them this year.
Semi frontal on a lope with new Sevr. I think he completely bled out in about 20 seconds.
Just ordered a half dozen Sevr's yesterday, Billy. Have you shot many animals with them? They look like a devastating head! I really like the way the blade rotates around bone (see link) and I just love the fact that you can lock the blades and practice with the exact heads that you hunt with. I also like that once the blades open, they stay open, so they keep on max cutting if the head stays in the animal. I did see two different independent penetration tests online where they were middle of the pack, but so was the NAP KillZone, and they've worked great for me so I'm gonna give these a go. Can't wait to try one on a Whitetail this weekend!
Ground hunter I have to agree 100% on the Wasp Boss SST's bomb-proof durability. I use to have near my home an kind of no mans land that was behind a industrial complex that unfortunately was frequently used for dumping. As such I made use of old discarded tires, steel and plastic garbage cans as improvised supports for my quite large home made foam target and on one unthinking moment made use of several cinder blocks. As one can guess over time I ended up putting my 100 grain Boss SST's into the tires, cinder blocks and actually through the steel and plastic garbage cans. I can say with 100% complete honesty the Wasp Boss SSTs' all remained 100% intact and in the case of the cinder block permanently imbedded. Once in a moment of less than extreme clarity I put my target on top of a small steel dumpster behind the motel I was staying at and ended up leaving a 100% intact Boss SST in it.
I grant you steel garbage cans and old tires have nothing in common with deer or other big game, but they do tell me nothing I'm likely to encounter when I shoot a big game animal will ever result in a Boss SST failing me in any way.
Any well-made broadhead that's mounted straight should "fly like field points" or be "accurate". I get a kick from hearing guys say those things about a particular head. If your arrow/head combo is on perfectly straight and get this....your bow is tuned right...your broadhead choice should fly like a field point and be accurate. I hear some folks say they shoot mechanicals because they fly better. I say if your bow is tuned correctly and your head is on straight (no pun intended...well, maybe a little), you can get a big nasty Snuffer to fly true. And an additional benefit to a well-tuned bow/arrow? You'll get better penetration on game also. I see so many videos of guys shooting deer (not thick-skinned, heavy boned critters at all!) and their penetration is piss-poor. If a pass-thru is not your norm on North American game, you need to seriously re-tune.
I’ll say it again....
We’ve got a guy on Leatherwall who has been shooting the same stock of Ace Express heads since my Mom’s ‘57 Chevy was new. If they get bent, he can perm them flat on a rock, resharpen and be back in business.
Think about that for a second. Gettin’ It Done for SIXTY YEARS.
“I shoot a 2016 Hoyt Carbon Spyder set at 52lbs, and for the most part, not enough for a mechanical,,,, but I have seen so many failures at a bear camp, and it was not the mechanicals fault, but too light of bow, and light arrows....”
FWIW, this guy killed over 300 black bears with those Aces, mostly with a kid’s recurve of #35 and a Dacron string. Or whatever they used then. ZERO wounded and lost, but that’s not shocking, given that this guy was memorizing the tracks of individual animals and tracking them down to where he could ease in and kill them.
Point being, if you can’t kill a bear with a #50 Compound, there is something Crazy Stupid Wrong with your set-up. Other point being, if you’re really Good, your equipment is all but inconsequential.
But FWIW.... I tuned a compound to hit perfectly at 45 yards with Magnus Stingers and with Hellrazors. Well, actually, I tuned it for the Stingers and the Razors hit in the same place, so I didn’t have to do anything. Guess I must’ve been lucky, because it took me maybe 20 minutes. So I just can’t get my arms around why anyone would opt for a head that might open at the wrong time, or not at all, of might break up when hitting anything too hard. Not when there are heads that are nearly as wide and completely bomb-proof. The Ace Super-Express measures WIDER than some mechanicals ( 1 7/16”) and there is nothing to go wrong, EVER. Plus, they’re $35/ half-dozen instead of $35 EACH.
Not much there by which to not be impressed...
175 grain VPA solid. Forrest
TREE centered shot. But after it was through the buck. Montec 5 but have switched to 3 bld VAPs.
TREE centered shot. But after it was through the buck. Montec 5 but have switched to 3 bld VAPs.
50 yards later. but as stated, switched to VAP, sharp and can be resharpened, very sharp and tough
50 yards later. but as stated, switched to VAP, sharp and can be resharpened, very sharp and tough
150 grain cutthroats are pretty impressive.
This stone point was pretty impressive on my buddy’s bear last spring. I don’t recall a bear blood trail with more blood on the ground than this one.
A Rage Hypodermic works fairly well too.
Paul is that a VPA or VAP?
Magnus Blackhornet and Slick Tricks
“This stone point was pretty impressive on my buddy’s bear last spring. I don’t recall a bear blood trail with more blood on the ground than this one.”
That’s IN PART because there is no steel blade that’s as sharp as a properly knapped stoner. Simply cannot be done.
And when you put it in the right place....
GFy, I always look forward to your insight on each thread (cause you offer it on every one posted).
Spike, yea, I had a "senior moment" yep, VPA BH
“And when you put it in the right place....“
Tink the same can be said for any head
Been happy with hellrazors. May go back to Walmart muzzys.
You might not realize it, Nick, but most people have no clue whatsoever how sharp a stone point is. Extremely cool that you have those pics, but I figured you would know about such things where most don't.
But that much blood has about 5% to do with the head and 95% to do with the hit. So it’s kinda silly to focus on the head as long as it didn’t shatter.
Speaking of which... sorta.... the Hellrazor is not likely a particularly durable head.
I have one on my desk that got crushed on a very hard bone hit, and 2 others that have been through a deer, having hit nothing more solid than ribs/spinous processes. Neither is as sharp as an old Thunderhead that went into the dirt - or I should say “what passes for soil” - along the S. Platte about an hour downstream of Denver. Twice.
If I had to use a rock to kill a deer I’d have to bonk him on the head with it. A stone point doesn’t impress me much but any guy that can make one that can kill a deer sure as hell does.
VPA camp here - 125's seem to be about right. Love the economical aspect, just keep using them over and over. Love that I can practice then hone and hunt, never take off the shaft. Fly great, penetrate like nothing I ever used, and tough as hell. Not for everyone, unless you are good at sharpening. As long as you can get them razor sharp, hard to beat the versatility and efficacy of a COC 3-blade at 1 1/8" cut diameter.
Most of the stoners I have met were not that sharp.
I've been impressed with any broadhead I put in the right place. I'm shooting VPA at this time.
Matt, I've known stoners who are CEOs, CFOs and CIOs of some of the Fortune 50 and Fortune 500 companies. Surgeons and doctors. Some of the best network engineers and IT professionals from Silicone Valley including hackers and yes even law enforcement.
But back to the original point. Ive been impressed with Grim Reaper broadheads Ive seen them drop bulls in shorter distances than similar shots with fixed heads.
