Mechanical BH ?
Equipment
Would a 1 1/2" mechanical BH be effective out of a 50# Elite Ritual bow for antelope or small bodied deer? My 500 gr. arrow is traveling about 220 fps.
If yes, what brand would you recommend ? 2-blade or 3-blade style?
Looking for experience or first hand knowledge.
I think youd be fine with those specs.
Rage +P, Grim Reaper 1 3/8" or Sevr 1.5" are the ones that come to mind for me.
VPA. 3 blade. its always open. Forrest
Kinda depends what you hit. At those speeds you should be able to shoot fixed blades no problem.
I have just a little experience with a #50, modern Compound and frankly I was underwhelmed by the penetration I got from the Hellrazors with their 45 degree blade angle. I’d go with a 2 or 4-blade Magnus Stinger (or Buzzcut, if you prefer) and not invite any issues with blade deployment or structural failure.
The mechs just add a lot of potential downside for very little possible upside, especially from a lighter draw weight bow.
Your statement about the gains vs losses is only correct if you’re assuming all mechanicals operate the same way. Constructed out of the same materials. Your blanket statement concerning mechanicals is as intelligent as saying all fixed are the same too. Which they aren’t. But again, let the bubble machine roll.
My wife's big NB bear fell to a 100 gr DeadMeat, she had a pass thru at 18 yards.
50 # Prime Centergy.
Yes. Likely complete pass through with that arrow.
I hate mechanicals but if I can find the 125 grain steel vortex with the 2" cutting diameter. I may try them, they have the blades that extend even with the tip. I believe they would work for you. The other Vortex don't do it for me! Shawn
Rick also offered a great option. The Dead Meat is a great penetrator and flies tremendously well. The only thing that keeps that from being a near perfect head to me is that the blades rattle when closed. Vortex blades do that too, but adding a little chapstick or string wax keeps them from making noise. I never tried that on the Dead Meats I had. There are also reviews that state that the Dead Meat also is not a full 1.5" when deployed. To me that's not a big deal.
I’m using the old 3 blade spitfire 100’s this year (1-1/2”) for elk, out of a 50# reckoning, 420 gr total. Having killed a handful of bulls with that head, antelope wouldn’t get a 2nd thought.
GF, are you sure you are talking about the right head? The Hellrazor is a fixed head similar to a Montec and I don't think it has a 45 degree angle at all. Just checking. I put a Hellrazor through a whitetail last fall with my 50 pound Elite Impulse 34. Honestly though, when I switched to 50 pound bows, I put the mechanical heads away and looked at COC fixed heads. So far I haven't been disappointed with the fixed heads.
You’ll have to excuse the cobwebs, but I knew right where this one was so I went and took another look at it. You’re right! The blade angle is a lot lower than I had recalled, but that only reinforces (in my mind, anyway) the importance of staying away from the steeper angles, especially when you’re shooting lighter poundage.
The shot with this one had tagged a little backstrap on the way in, passed just barely under the spine and out between two ribs, as I recall, so (especially on a young doe) I’m sure the arrow would’ve dropped out within a few strides if she had taken more than one, but she just lurched forward and died, leaving the pointy end sticking up in the air and creating something of a hazard in the poor light that remained.
I was just pretty shocked that it hadn’t stuck in the ground.
Yes, any quality head that doesn't have like 3" cutting. I'd stay at 2" or less. So many decent heads it's hard to know where to start. But among others, Vortex, Rocket Steelheads, Grim Reapers, Rage Hypos or Trypans etc etc will all work.
Zwickey Eskimo always works.
Duh. I was planning to upload the pic!
It is interesting what you believe happened and the reasons that it did. I take my boys hunting and they’ve blown through the animals they’ve shot with their bows. 40 lbs. slick trick magnum 100 grain head and a slick trick wicked trick. Greased right through them at 10 lbs less than you. So I’d guess that perhaps it’s time to face the facts that we don’t know everything and things will surprise you even when you are using your bullet proof equipment. And sometimes, even your tried and true equipment will face a situation where something goes a stray. But I am sure for you, that won’t happen. Your broadheads are afraid you’ll whip me if they don’t perform the way science says they should.
And yes I am fully aware that you’re claiming the hellrazer should’ve performed better. My point in my post was to point out that, that is a damn fine head and the blade angle is pretty mellow on that head. Not as gradual as an original snuffer. But I also don’t believe on a sharp head that that’ll give you ANY noticeable difference.
And if you want to split the hairs that it will on those particular heads, might I suggest finding a local 14 year old to crank your bow up just a few lbs.
I don’t own the compound anymore; traded it for another #55 - a Longbow - but my newest LB is even more fun to shoot.... it’s about #63 at my DL and seems pretty well tuned with a 2117 at 540 grains.
Good thing, too, because my 16-year-old seems to have his eye on the #55er.... He’s only getting about #48 out of it, but he’s only about 5’2”, so not a lot of DL to work with, but he could anchor that bow 2 years ago when he was only about 4’7.....
1 1/4 inch Wasp Jak-Hammer. You could shoot it at 75 grains or 100 grains.
The 125 grain Vortex 2.0" all steel would work perfectly. Www.vortexbroadheads.com
Mechanicals are very inconsistent on animals larger than deer. I no longer allow them in my camp, too many perfect hits on video, but poor penetration and game loss. The physics of expansion work against penetration on thicker hided animals.
I would not shoot Mechanicals out of a 50# bow period.
“Mechanicals are very inconsistent on animals larger than deer. I no longer allow them in my camp, too many perfect hits on video, but poor penetration and game loss. The physics of expansion work against penetration on thicker hided animals.”
But hey, what do I know?
ROFLMAO
For sure the Rage SS would work great
Were you bored Greg ? :-)
Vortex is consistent on all big game animals. Proven time and time again
Your Honor, the jury has reach a verdict:
After hearing much testimony from 4 different web sources I have decided to stay with the broadheads that has brought me to the dances with 50# and higher poundage bows. I am sticking with my long proven, dependable COC 3-blade, 125 gr. VPA's and Woodsmen Elite BH's.
I see nothing to convince me that a mechanical will out perform my COC, especially with a 50# bow. I do appreciate everyone's thoughts, views, and opinions.
This is a buck my 71year old father took with a 52lb Diamond (by Bowtech) 27.5inch DL compound and a rocket steelhead 125 2 seasons ago. Shot was only 14yards but he shot through the edge of the nearside scapula and the arrow buried in the offside humerus before being snapped off as the buck ran away.
I put together some Goldtip 7595 arrows with 25gr inserts that I felt would drive the mechanical broadhead better with his lighter draw weight. He was no doubt overspined but you could tell during practice that his arrows were hitting harder than they ever had before. This is a fully mature Indiana whitetail that dressed at 206lbs.
I'm a HUGE fan of Rocket Steelheads having killed a pile of deer, 2 elk and 9 pronghorn with them. They zip through critters for me but I'm shooting 72lbs and a 485gr arrow at 296fps chrono'd. Mechanicals can work out of your bow but I would recommend a heavy, stiff arrow. Pete
