Favorite Mechanical Head
Whitetail Deer
This is not a thread designed to start a war. COC/Single bevels are going to be the best penetrating head going, and fixed blades dont have moving parts and work well.
But many of us still enjoy and have had a lot of success with mechanical heads when deer hunting. My state page has had some good, respectful conversations about a few recently, Rage and Sevr with a few others tossed in... And it made me curious.
Those of you who enjoy mechanicals, what are your favorites?
I've had all good results with several different Rages, but really liked the extremes, generally getting passthrough's and very good trails if I didn't see the deer fall. I'd say that's my favorite mech thus far, the Rage Extreme COC with the shock collar.
How about you other mech fans? What's your favorite mech so far? Are you considering others just to explore a bit?
I like 3-blade Grim Reapers and killed a bunch of animals with them all the way up to Moose. The latest designs open reliably and are very sharp out of the pack. Downside, and the reason I no longer use them for certain hunts, is that the blades snap off easily with heavy bone contact. I still use them sometimes on deer, bear, sheep etc. Anything bigger or tougher and I'll use a good fixed head like VPA's.
125 grain Rocket Steelheads. I still have a decent supply of them.
I have been Shooting the Wasp Jak Hammers since the mid 90’s. I have taken black bear, deer, coyote, antelope, impala, warthog all with excellent results. I like that they have some of the thickest blades out there.
Nap spitfires for everything deer size and smaller.
x2 for the 125 grain Steelheads. Would still shoot 125 grain heads if i could find more of them
RAGE Hypodermic Trypan NC. I liked them when they used the shock collars..............now even better with No Collar! ;-)
Trypan.
If the Killzone deployed easier or I shot higher poundage it would be my #1.
Used to be Rocket Sidewinders 100gr. Now, Rage Hypos in 1-1/2".
Rocket Steelheads are a great head. Friends and I have shot lots of animals from elk size animals down. Same results with the original size Spitfire. Both have extremely strong blades and ferrules. Great, simple reliable mechanical broadheads. I can't remember seeing, reading, or hearing anything negative from someone that has actually shot animals with these two heads.
NAP original 1.5" Spitfire, up to and including a large polar bear.
Serious question: I always practice with my hunting set ups to include shooting actual broad heads. I have never shot a mechanical as I have used the same fixed blade broad head for 20 years. How do you practice with the mechanicals? Do you just assume they fly as FPs? I am not sure how well they pull out of foam targets like I said I have never used one.
Hard to beat the original Spitfire and Steelheads. I bought a Rage a few years ago and have one in my quiver, along with a Spitfire, Slick Trick Mag, and Stinger 4-blade. I haven't been able to mentally pull the trigger and nock the Rage yet while hunting. Maybe I'll get a shot at a yote...
Fixed blade cuz mechs suck. Ha ha kidding I will admit that I have a Dead meat in the quiver along with an Iron Will and a Slick Trick. I know kind of odd but I’m indecisive!
Old cut on contact spitfire 125
I was firmly against mechanical heads for many years.....not of of a bad experience but believing bad reports. Finally I decided to try them for myself, as many stories of good success on turkeys was encouraging. That prompted me to buy a pack of NAP Spitfires on sale during the summer of 2015 and on a whim, I put one in my whitetail hunting quiver that fall. A nice doe came by and I figured....what the hey.....so I swapped arrows and shot her. Good blood trail and dead deer......Hmmmm? So I shot another one....and another one that fall....all with good results. Are they magic or evil? That is entirely up to the individual to decide for themselves, but I learned a lesson in listening to the negativity of others rather than founding my own opinion on experience.
I am not MBH guy, but I hear great things about the Vortex... The blades don't break, but bend from all I have seen and heard. I would try that one if I was going to switch!
Rage COC extreme. Note the entrance hole under my bow. To each their own ,,,,,,,, but they work for me (2 elk and several deer) and that's what matters. The only down side is they are pretty much a one shot head - I have yet to be able to use the same head twice - it seems like I always hit bone and the blades bend.
Rage Hypodermic, but did buy a pack of Rage Extreme to try out.
Snyper 2 blade(original rage but better)
100 grain Jak Hammers have been excellent for me for many years. Don't plan on changing. Great blood trails. I have a practice head for zeroing in. Since I am now using a Ravin now I only shoot one bolt at a time or at 50 yards you will ruin bolts. From a rest you can hit the center of the target or within an inch, every time. Great scope on the Ravin and it has the yards marked right on the crosshairs.
I've bounced around to a few, but have settled on Swhackers....for now.
Vortex, Simple, strong and shoots like a dart..
I have used Wasp Jak-Hammers for over 20 years. They always open. They are always razor sharp out of the package. They are simple O-ring. I have killed or been witness to well over 100 animals killed by them. They have a size for every bow set up and will always do there part if the shooter does their part.
Rocket steelhead 100's not made anymore but I stocked up on them.
Trypan for me
RIT to answer your question I never practice with my mechanical heads. They always shoot like FT
You can use a practice head they give you that blades don't open up but i haven't found necessary
US Rages and ChiComm Rages....killed with both.
For RIT above......Rage makes a practice BH that works well.
I"ve had great results with 100 grain WASP Jak-Hammers and with Rocky Mountain Snypers (also the newer version, Rage (but I really loved the original Snypers!)).
Bottom line, a quality BH is only as good as the tune of the bow and the person operating it.
Don’t use them anymore Switched to fixed but when I did it was 100 grain Vortex 2 1/2. Wicked head!
I am with JoeHunter, love the Wasp Jak hammers. Big holes, short prolific blood trails every time, shot a bull moose with them back in 1996 and have been going to them for every type of critter since! :)
NAP Spitfire or the coc spitfire maxx.. i have used them both with great results.
Not a fan of mechanicals but if I had to pick I liked the old rocket steelheads
Those Rocket Steelheads were good, I still have some in my "Broadhead Tackle box" from the early 00's I think, maybe like 04 or so, that I never used. Walked in the quiver some, but ended up swapping before I used em.
Those of you who have shot the Rages with the no collar design, in experimenting with them, do they open with similar resistance to the collared ones? Ill admit the NC +P is interesting.
Impressed to see all the Vortex lovers. I'm used to spitfires being very popular and Rage... But I've missed the vortex end. Cool to see that.
Also cool to see some mechanical love.
I’ve shot many different types/brands through the years because I like to tinker. Without a doubt though Rocky Mountain Sidewinders and Spitfires are my favorites. I don’t think they even make the Sidewinders anymore but both killed many critters for me.
I like them all. Been shooting Rocket Sidewinders, Schwackers and Rage Hypodermics the past few years with good results on animals best suited for mechanicals.
I like mechanical and fixed. i've went back and forth a couple times but will never shoot a schwacker again. The entry hole is like a pin hole and the penetration is nothing compared to muzzy or rage. I hit the big buck from 20ft up in the stand when he was quartering away. It should have hit the back of his lungs on a downward angle towards his opposite front shoulder. The penetration was less than 6" with 60lb draw weight. If i'd have stuck him with a muzzy he'd be on my wall now. Never again....
Nick - how do you like the entrance on shwackers?
They make a nice big hole for thin skinned game, really only have shot a handful of Sitka & Caribou with them and seen others be shot with them. I did shoot one at a Mtn Goat and that didn't fare well. My friend killed a big moose with them last fall. I would not use them on moose.
Kinda liking a hybrid I'm trying out, a brand I've never heard of, Xecutioner 125 grain. (one of the few 125 mechs I could find.) It's a small 3/4" fixed broadhead with a couple folding blades with 2 1/2" cut. Two deer dead, a doe it blew right through but honestly would have been killed with most anything. And a buck a week or so ago that it hit a stick just before impact and I'm guessing opened, deflected it 90 degrees..... turning a quartering away shot into a quartering on hit and pretty much gutted him before entering in front of his right hind leg and hit something good. Went maybe 100 yards, laid down and dead in a couple minutes. Was sick when I saw the gut hit, but honestly luck and a big ol cut were on my side. Would it have defected as badly with a fixed head? Don't know. Would it have been dead with a fixed? Don't know. But it's dead now. And the head was reusable. =D
Still playing with some mech heads, haven't used many. Had some real crap Chinese head somebody gave me that I think I threw away what I had left. They were self destructing on feral goats. Have tried a few NAP rear deploy killzone 125s with the COC tip that worked ok, I had no complaints and killed a few deer with them. One buck quartering on real tight to his right shoulder, the length of him and out in front of his left hind, shattered the hind leg and exiting it 4 or 5", messed him up pretty good. 60-70 yards and dead. Penetration for such a big cut was impressive. Head was toast though.....
Interesting on softer deer size critters. Mech design and quality have come a long way over the years.
TD,
I have been curious about those heads. On the hybrid note....the Evolution Outdoors Hyde broadhead is one that intrigues me. So many people sang the praises of the Gravedigger and this guy was the designer of the Gravedigger. Supposedly this is an improvement over the original Gravedigger which was considered to be a very good head.
Thanks Mark, I like the looks of those heads, especially the SS ferrules in 125, looks pretty solid. The Executioners are fairly long and aluminum.... jury is still out on durability. So far one usable and another still out there in 2 feet of grass...Have to look into the Hydes(?) when these are all broken/lost. Might have to put a lighted nock on em though (or maybe a leash) =D
Original 1 1/2” Spitfire. Still have enough for a few seasons.
I hate it when someone buys a company then screws up a very reliable product just to make a few extra pennies!!
had some bad experiences with Nap spitfires with rib deflections and broken blades. schwacker where my go to before I switched back to fixed.
I have killed with rage hypos, jak hammers, spitfires, grim reaper fatal steel.
I have an extreme dislike for needing a ring or collar so have moved towards the grim reapers and sidewinders. Very interested in the new Rage NC...
I've successfully used Jakhammers, Vortex, GR, and Innerloc. I spined a doe last fall with a Vortex ( close shot from tree-stand) it held up very well. Some very good mechanicals out there, I don't shoot Rage or any of the slap cut designs, prefer the OTT openers for simplicity and better cutting in the vitals instead of a big surface wound.
Ok, I have the rage hypodermic 2" cut. Always been a fixed blade guy. The kids got them for me. I went to my local pro shop. Asked about setting them up. Was told to line the blade with the slot on the collar. Told, will not have a problem. Went home an for chits and giggles, I watched some videos on the internet. The one by the makers of the rage, said to line the blade with the arrow on the collar. Which will put the blade in the middle of the tab. Your thoughts.
I've been using the wasp Jak-Hammer since they came out. I see no reason to switch. They've not failed me when I do my job.
