Mechanical Broadheads
Equipment
I’m thinking of making the switch to mechanical broadheads. I currently shoot a Diamond Deploy set at about 58 lbs. Any one have a tried and true head they have faith in that shoots consistent with field points ?
My only mechanical experience was with a SevR last year. Wasn’t impressed with blood but the buck only went 80 yards before piling up. I really need to run one through a few more animals before I make a final verdict. I am lacking mature bucks this year so I might have to run one through a doe.
I use spitfire mechanicals on occasion and have had exceptional results on Elk. I have no idea if they hit with my field points.
I've spoken loud, long and hard on mechanicals
Rage Trypan heads ... they're good IMO, really good
I prefer two holes leaking. I’ve seen to many critters shot with mechanicals that get no Penetration. But by all means use what gives you confidence. When I tried mechanicals I had decent luck with NAP Killzones. I lowered the pull on my bow now and I’m pulling under 60lbs now. I personally feel that’s to light for them and went back to a fixed blade.
Made in the USA NAP Spitfires on everything for many, many years. Coyotes to moose. I was near the end of my supply and sweating about the switch. But thanks to the thoughtful generosity of Bowsiter Matt Bourke, I have a couple year reprieve!
I shoot them from a 65# medium speed compound, 29" draw, 450 grain arrow.
Wink, any particular reason for switching to mechanicals? Like you, I was mechanical curious several years ago. I had nothing but bad experiences with them, like poor penetration, deflections after contact, animals making mad dashes with the arrow flopping around inside of them, etc, etc... I also never had a single mechanical survive to be used again after a hit. At best, I had to replace the broken or twisted blades, at worse, the head was completely destroyed and my arrow was broken. Give me 2 holes and a reusable arrow and head any day.
Of course, you will get responses that differ from mine, and that's fine. I think there's room for different opinions on this topic.
Matt
Check out lusk on YouTube. Lots and lots of broadhead test. I’d suggest the 1.5 sevr.
I have had mixed results with mechanicals. I am in the solid fixed blade club. VPA for me.
I’ve hunted in several camps, where the outfitter strongly discouraged or banned mechanicals. Never have seen that with fixed heads. But it’s a free country.
If you buy junk mechanicals, you'll have junk results. Same for fixed. Some heads are just cheap junk.
Grey Ghost, I recently switched from a recurve to a compound. My shoulder finally gave out. For over 25 years I’ve used fixed blade cut on contact heads. I missed a buck this year with my fixed blade head that seemed to plane. I was shaken to the point where I lost confidence.
Sevr mechs get my vote.... 2.0 or 1.5. I have both,but have only shot the 2.0. They cut a big entrance hole, and exit, unless you hit the offside shoulder, which this one did. He went about 25 yards and piled up.
Mechanicals are great until their not. Fixed 2 edge for me.
I've lost enough big Bucks to never use mechanical BH again. Shoulder or ribs were the culprit in my cases.
Watch this non biased video.
My personal saying is "Aluminum for Beer cans, steel for Broadheads"
Sevr is titanium/steel blades. The 1.5 is THE toughest BH that Lusk guy has ever tested..... fixed blade included
Mechanicals will result in a dead deer at times when fixed blades wouldnt….and fixed blade heads will result in a dead deer at times when mechanical wouldnt. Each has their own advantages and each situation is different, its a game of inches at times.
The question from the OP wasnt “should i shoot fixed blades or mechanicals”. Timex, you sure dont like when someone asks a question on your thread that might feel to you as contrary to your belief(even when it was a simple honest question and not in anyway an attack) interesting you’d jump at the opportunity to pee in this guy’s cheerios…hmmmm…..
To the OP….I was always a Rocket mechanical guy but they dont make the model i like anymore, so i have been using Grim Reapers. The 2” whitetail special has been a good head but dropping to 65lb draw weight i felt that was a lot of cut, i didn't care for the blood trails i had with the 4 blade carnifour(tho my brother has had great success with good bloodtrails) and this year used the 3 blade 1-3/4” head and was very happy with the results. I also believe the blades on this new head are sharper than any mechanical ive ever used(or that ive noticed). Blood trails were very good, bit they were short shots with great placement too, so it was to be expected. The last doe harvest the head had one nick in one blade that i fully believe could be worked out and a touch up of each blade-i will use it again on a deer in the future.
Blade sharpness has sorta been one thing that i think has lacked in the mechanicals i’ve used and i wish that would change. Its possibly out there, i just havent tried enough heads and as i said these last grim reapers were pretty darn sharp. I did shoot rage one year, blades were pretty sharp but penetration and blood trails were poor. Now this was 18 or so years ago? So maybe theyve improved there but that has always been a knock on them and based on my college try with them and having fine results with other options, i havent felt the need to bother trying them again.
For whatever reason I like the idea of 3 or 4 blades better, so personally i have never thought much about going to any two blade model. BUT, the results that vortex broadheads has been showing here and the recomendation of them from some really good hunters here….that is where i would go if i was going to switch to a two blade.
In the end, shot placement is key. And any kind of broadhead will do the job when you do yours. But sometimes things we cant control happen and a bigger cut CAN be the difference. Its all in what you are confident with. Do your homework, shoot some heads you like, make the best shots you can on animals and let the results shape the direction you go. Good luck in your search!
Great summation SIP. I have been messing with Tooth of the Arrow fixed blades. Small company, solid, machined steel, one piece. They fly great, right with mechs and field points, out to 40, haven't shot them past that. Just throwing another option out there.
Spitfire 1.5" three blade originals for me. Forgiving, great penetration and good blood trails.
I've shot a lot of heads. Ramcats are strong medicine on everything. Fly like a dart. I'm not confident in any mechanical. Good luck in your choice.
I’ve been very pleased with nap spitfires. There are a lot of good choices out there.
I have killed 72 deer with Jakhammers. Also have used others but Jakhammers are my favorite. If you guys remember the old Bowsiter, Bowdad, i got him some Jakhammers for an elk hunt and he brought me a whole bunch of nice elk meat. He couldn't get his fixed heads to group at long distance so I fixed him up and he got his elk. He was the only one that got their bull. I killed a bunch of deer with Bear razor heads when I was shooting a recurve. Had good luck with them. I almost always get a pass through with the Jackhammers and Ray Charles could follow the blood trails. Now I am old as dirt and use a Ravin crossbow I get pass through no matter where you hit the deer. It would shoot through both shoulders but I avoid that since it messes up too much meat.
Had great luck with Rocket Steelheads. Flight is amazing tough as nails penetrate like crazy. Not a giant hole.
But I’ve moved over to larger two blades cause the blood trails make me giddy and they die in sight. Had great luck with Rage Hypos and Trypans, and this year used a Sevr 1.5 also was great. Went through a (240lb dressed) buck right through the actual leg bone and still went through ribs and cut the heart in half. Watched him fall. Still usable not that I care for replaceable heads. No complaints from this guy.
Fixed heads are relegated to moose and stick bow duty for me. Mech for all else. Moose is even potentially questionable for the future.
I had planing issues with Exodus broadheads because they were 1.4” wide so I went with Slick Tricks at 1” wide problem solved.
“ Grey Ghost, I recently switched from a recurve to a compound. My shoulder finally gave out. For over 25 years I’ve used fixed blade cut on contact heads. I missed a buck this year with my fixed blade head that seemed to plane. I was shaken to the point where I lost confidence.”
Easy fix. Bump up your arrow mass to where your speed comes down to where you have zero planing issues. It’ll be like hitting’ em with an #80 recurve…. So I’d say a Thunderhead 125 would have you pretty well covered. Or a Stinger 150, for that matter….
And if you really think that your arrow planed so badly as to cause a complete miss….??? Seems like you might have picked up on that sooner.
And one thing to consider…
If your arrow planed, it was out of tune. You might be able to MASK that with less wing area, but that won’t CORRECT the tuning issue - it’ll just mask it. In which case your arrow won’t strike squared up, in which case all of the resistance put up by a mechanical will get amplified, in which case your penetration will be compromised…
Some guys have great luck with mechanicals, and I suspect they are the ones whose rigs are tuned right in the first place, rather than those who are using a mech to mask a tuning issue, and who take squared-up broadside shots instead of raking angles. Hitting them where you meant to is hugely important, but not “more” important than hitting them with an arrow that is squared up and ready to focus 100% of its KE right on the point. Those big mechanicals can throw so much leverage against a shaft that there’s not much chance of driving deep, but whipping the animal with the fletchings is about guaranteed… in which case they seem to run like hell.
I’m not saying that mechs can’t produce spectacular results; I’m just saying that they’re not magic bullets, and they can’t help but introduce some limitations that fixed blades don’t have and simply aren’t necessary. And if you know how to get it done with a stickbow, you don’t probably “need” to worry about speeds where a fixed COC won’t serve your purpose…
'My personal saying is "Aluminum for Beer cans, steel for Broadheads"'
There are a number of all-steel MBH's, including my personal favorite made by Bowsite sponsor Vortex (2" 125 gr. steel).
Wasp Jak Hammers. Super accurate. Super tough. Big holes . Short but prolific blood trails. We shoot everything with them. No issue. Moose, elk, deer…one of the original mechanicals and a darn good one!
Zwicky delta time tested & proven 2 & 9/16 ×1 & 3/8 and guaranteed to do its job if you do yours. Proper bow tuning is mandatory but imo should be regardless of broadhead choice...
Zwicky delta time tested & proven 2 & 9/16 ×1 & 3/8 and guaranteed to do its job if you do yours. Proper bow tuning is mandatory but imo should be regardless of broadhead choice...
Sip..... didn't piss on anyone's cheerios... I'm just an old school kinda guy... when I started bowhunting 42 years ago myself & probably 75% of bow hunters were shooting 2117s & 125 grain thunderheads. Several years later I was given a pack of zwicky Eskimos & never looked back. The penitration is undeniable. I like sharpening them gluing in the adapters getting em true & I get them wicked sharp. Of course I tried the mechanicals but not for long. I had quartering shot & penitration issues just like everyone else. Will a large cut head make a difference on a poorly hit animal ? Sometimes. Will lack of penitration on a hard bone hit animal with a wide cut head result in no recovery ? Sometimes. Is blade flip an issue on hard quartering shots. Absolutely...Myself personally prefer penitration over a large cut. That's my opinion & I gave it along with the others posting on this thread. ...Sip...I sincerely hope you have yourself a wonderful day Sir ...TIMEX
Rage trypan hands down I have been shooting mechanicals for 15 years with great success
"Grey Ghost, I recently switched from a recurve to a compound. My shoulder finally gave out. For over 25 years I’ve used fixed blade cut on contact heads. I missed a buck this year with my fixed blade head that seemed to plane. I was shaken to the point where I lost confidence.
Sounds like a tuning issue to me. In my mind, the only real advantage to mechanicals is they don't require the same level of tuning that fixed blades do. I know a lot of guys who shoot mechanicals because they could never get their fixed blades to group with their field tips. That seems like a bandaid fix to me.
Did you confirm how your fixed blades were shooting before winging one at a deer? It seems to me that if they were planing enough to miss a deer, you would've have recognized that on the practice range.
Matt
I'm going to echo the tuning issue as the leading culprit here. I have three different broadheads in my quiver, a mix of fixed and straight. They all hit the same point of impact and they all kill equally.
I'm shooting 56# at 27" and I don't have any issues with penetration unless I hit the hard leg/shoulder bone(that's happened twice in the last 20 years).
Take the time to learn how to tune your bow. Take the time to learn how to shoot without bad habits. Any "Name Brand" head will be fine. Then go kill stuff with confidence. :)
Rage hypodermic is all I've used since there inception, I do like the look of Shwaker and Vortex. And like the last couple of posts, tune your Bow! That should go without saying but its the difference in 2 holes in a critter or "slapping them with fletching" as was earlier stated.
I have shot the Wasp Jak Hammers since 1996! I shoot a 410 grain Easton ACC 3-60. So long as I get above 267 FPS with this set up I will get a pass through with the 1.75” cut three blade. The buck in the picture was shot at 16 yards. Broadhead went through the top of the scapula and exited in front of the opposite shoulder. As you can see the broadhead held up well. I have over 60 animals with this head. I have also used the 1.25 cut head to take three black bears 350 and 408lbs were my best two. Complete pass through on strong quartering away. They also have a select a cut you can choose between 1.5 and 1.75. I have found these to be the most accurate. Just my two cents worth best of luck.
If you can get started in tuning you will be better off. If someone says a paper tune is a tune try to find someone else.
My bow is tuned well enough to shoot a multitude of fixed heads out to beyond 80 yards as darts. They all fly money. But I’d still rather shoot a mech. They’re so much more forgiving in the moment of truth. That slight bit of planing could be a form issue at the shot that didn’t happen in practise not necessarily tuning. Many of us don’t perform exactly the same in that moment of truth as if we are in our back yard or the range. Or maybe to make something happen you need to twist your body weird or whatever. At that moment, a good mech head will fly better, and many kill better. Who cares if there’s an arrow sticking out while the animal runs 40 yards gushing gobs of blood out a 2” gash? Some dyed in the wool fixed guys seem fixated on the idea of sliding an old school 2 blade through the ribs without the animal knowing it was hit. I’ve done the same with a thunderhead, but who really cares about that odd situation. It’s the exception not the rule. My personal experience has been MUCH shorter blood trails and shorter death runs with mech than fixed. I've shot Zwickeys...the tip curls at the mere thought of encountering bone.
And if the proposed solution is to neuter your bow by adding a pile of weight to your setup to slow your bow down so that you can break your arrow on the other side of the animal with all that extra energy you’re wasting….ok. Have at it. Not for me.
I’d rather keep my speed, lessen the possible animal reaction time, increase forgiveness with speed and yard judging and increase forgiveness with arrow flight and increase the damage in the actual animal. Thinking about it, I shot my best buck ever, a true once in a lifetime animal this year at 3 yards further than I was holding for. I was holding for 35, and he walked to 38. I intentionally held a little low thinking he'd duck. He didn't. I hit him about 3" above bottom of the brisket cutting the bottom of the heart. Had I sacrificed speed on my rig he'd be gone and I would have taken a swan dive out of the tree. 100% mental error and not adjusting as he walked away. But speed can save you like that.
One last thing - two holes are never guaranteed. Ever. Regardless of head used - many many fixed shots for me I always seem to land my arrow in the offside shoulder on a slight quarter away shot. Very rarely does that produce two holes. I also consistently have more blood and more damage and shorter death runs with large two blade mechs and one hole as compared to fixed kills with 2 holes. That has been my experience. I’ve never ever had any mech fail but I’ve only used quality mechs.
Apauls sums it up for me.
Many of the "no mech for me" folks also hunt only whitetail from tree stands with close shots for 98% of their hunting. Some of us hunt from thick bush to mountain tops every season, and game ranges from close range bears to stretching out for a sheep or goat.
And you can have your bow super tuned and your form on reflex, but as soon as you have your heart pounding, a bit short of breath, your body trying to find some kind of footing while you twist a bit around a tree, your "perfect tune" just got hacked. That's when a mechanical has a better chance of hitting where you think you're aiming.
If you shoot a half dozen whitetail does from the same tree stand, year after year, then it probably is pretty routine and none of the above applies and your broadhead choice is going to be what you've always used. Because it works.
For me, big holes with a super sharp head and the best accuracy possible under all conditions is the reason I (mostly) use the mechanical I do.
Over my 50+ years of bow hunting I have killed deer with to many different Bus to remember at my age. For me I have settled on the small Rocket Steelhead for the last 10 years. I have killed elk deer bear caribou and turkeys with them. For me its all about a BH that does not effect accuracy on "every" shot. And most important hit heart or lungs Plural.
Wink501, you don't say what your draw length is, and it would be helpful to know what your arrow setup is. If you are planning on shooting under 60#s and you have a short draw length, IMVHO, I don't know if you are making a wise choice. Regardless, if you choose a mechanical, choose a conservative cut option such as the 1 3/8" Grim Reapers or the Rage +P options, or the Sevr 1.5. These will work better with lower draw weight. Also, IMVHO, don't go with an extremely light arrow weight. Keep your total arrow weight well above 400 grains, probably better if you are in the mid-400s. Light arrows and wide cut mechanicals could cause penetration issues. I used Rocket Steelheads for several years with great success but as I dropped to the 50# range I switched to fixed heads. I feared that a lack of a second hole might make blood trails a challenge as entry holes with Steelheads aren't that big. Lastly, make sure your bow/arrow are tuned and your arrows are properly spined. You need to get your arrow flying straight with whatever head you choose. Best of luck!
You want more of a swept blade angle with a mech, I love the forgiveness of a mech , they just seem to hit the spot when the adrenalin is pumping. That said I use a fixed for elk and moose
I agree, the first answer is to get the arrow coming out of the bow properly, under more controlled circumstances in the yard repeatedly. And then, dont be afraid to look at a few options in the mechanical line. Not EVERYONE has issues when shooting a hard quartering shot with a mechanical, contrary to what is always said by those who give their opinion that mechanicals shouldnt be the answer when these threads pop up asking about WHAT mechanicals are recommended by those that actually use them. In the moment of truth, you may not be as perfect as you are in the yard
Hard quartering, passed through a lung and came out the wind pipe, with a 390 grain arrow tipped with a Rage out of a 60lb bow.
Nothing is free in head selection. The key is being honest about your selection's positives and negatives, and match it to your set-up, ability and game.
I shoot well under 200fps and like things simple so a fixed, great penetrating, resharpenable head works great for me.
There's no secret one size fits all solution.
My bow is tuned well enough to shoot a multitude of fixed heads out to beyond 80 yards as darts. They all fly money. But I’d still rather shoot a mech. They’re so much more forgiving in the moment of truth. That slight bit of planing could be a form issue at the shot that didn’t happen in practise not necessarily tuning. Many of us don’t perform exactly the same in that moment of truth as if we are in our back yard or the range. Or maybe to make something happen you need to twist your body weird or whatever. At that moment, a good mech head will fly better, and many kill better. Who cares if there’s an arrow sticking out while the animal runs 40 yards gushing gobs of blood out a 2” gash? Some dyed in the wool fixed guys seem fixated on the idea of sliding an old school 2 blade through the ribs without the animal knowing it was hit. I’ve done the same with a thunderhead, but who really cares about that odd situation. It’s the exception not the rule. My personal experience has been MUCH shorter blood trails and shorter death runs with mech than fixed.
And if the proposed solution is to neuter your bow by adding a pile of weight to your setup to slow your bow down so that you can break your arrow on the other side of the animal with all that extra energy you’re wasting….ok. Have at it. Not for me.
I’d rather keep my speed, lessen the possible animal reaction time, increase forgiveness with speed and yard judging and increase forgiveness with arrow flight and increase the damage in the actual animal.
One last thing - two holes are never guaranteed. Ever. Regardless of head used - many many fixed shots for me I always seem to land my arrow in the offside shoulder on a slight quarter away shot. Very rarely does that produce two holes. I also consistently have more blood and more damage and shorter death runs with large two blade mechs and one hole than fixed kills with 2 holes. That has been my experience. I’ve never ever had any mech fail but I’ve only used quality mechs.
Rage Trypan 100's.................................
Just curious, you guys that shoot mechanicals, would you still shoot one if your draw weight was in the 50# range? Especially you guys with a draw length under 28". Not bashing, just curious. Maybe I'm gun shy for no reason.
"As you can see the broadhead held up well. "
So467, maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me, but the head in your picture looks destroyed to me.
Matt
12, i wouldnt be afraid to shoot a mechanical at 50lb draw weight, but you would want to have a smaller cut in my opinion and try to get to as optimal an arrow weight for ur bow as possible.
Having said that, at 50lb and a shorter draw length, i would lean more towards a fixed blade. The biggest reason i personally shoot a mechanical is for a bigger cut so dropping to lesser cut puts me closer to taking the scary sharp and less energy needed that u will get from a FB. But, i believe the steelhead that several stone cold hunters here have vouched for is a 3/4” cut? So you definitely have options at that setup i would think.
I've shot a lot of critters with a 2B Rage. This is the biggest/toughest thing I shot. A pass thru and no complaints.
GG I have a Sevr 1.5 that I shot my deer with last year. Other than maybe a dull edge you can’t tell it’s been through a deer. I’m not sold on mechanicals yet but the titanium Sevr is built more solidly than most if not all replaceable blade fixed heads. It’s built like a tank and that’s obvious as soon as you take it out of the packaging. I have held a few rage and in comparison the rages feel cheap and flimsy but it’s obvious they kill just fine.
12yards, I've been shooting mechanicals( Rage +P hypodermics, the old Ulmer Edge, and Sevr Titanium 1.5) over the last 6-8 years and have not had penetration problems. I have been shooting Hoyts in the 54-58 draw weight range with a 28 inch draw length. With lower poundage, I'd suggest 1.5-1.75 width with a swept back blade design. They kill fast and typically put a lot of blood on the ground for a blood trail, if you need it....
I’m with my brother apauls on this 100%. 2 holes never a guarantee, I’d rather have the one hole be as big as two from a small fixed. Then if I get two with a big mechanical, oh my.
I’ve been shooting trypans for a few years and it’s been devastating. I think I’d even shoot them for elk. Moose I’d probably still go with a tough fixed blade just because they are a whole nother animal. Maybe not though, don’t know yet.
All internet theories aside, my mechanical experience has been great. And I’ve heard the same from a lot of other like minded killers :)
SIP, the 100 grain Steelheads are 1 1/8" and the 125s are 1 1/4". I've got supplies of both. Just switched to fixed when I dropped into the 50# range. My entry holes in the past were around 3/4". My exits full size with the Steelheads.
12, i wouldnt be afraid to shoot a mechanical at 50lb draw weight, but you would want to have a smaller cut in my opinion and try to get to as optimal an arrow weight for ur bow as possible.
Having said that, at 50lb and a shorter draw length, i would lean more towards a fixed blade. The biggest reason i personally shoot a mechanical is for a bigger cut so dropping to lesser cut puts me closer to taking the scary sharp and less energy needed that u will get from a FB. But, i believe the steelhead that several stone cold hunters here have vouched for is a 3/4” cut? So you definitely have options at that setup i would think.
In my 65 years of bowhunting (I started in 1956) I've seen a ton of entrants, exits, blood trails & so on & so forth. I have used a 3 blade on an abundance & wide variety of biggame critters 45+ years now. I have several friends (most veteran bowhunters) that have had various problems with expandables. THAT has been enough to deter me from even trying them..
I shot them at one point but was turned off when I saw that my buddy shot a buck and upon hitting a rib it deflected up inside the cavity at a 90 degree angle. Meh
I’m still waiting to hear about an outfitter which requires their clients to use them. I know there are at least several out there which forbid their use.
Not holding my breath!!
I'm a mech fan as well. The new Rage heads might be the best mech ever made from what I can see. Like others I use fixed for the large critters, but I might go to a mech with the right design.
I like Rages. But I REALLY like G5 Deadmeat heads. I’ve killed small things like turkeys and deer with them, up to things as big as elk, waterbuck, zebra, gemsbok, wildebeest etc
Wasp Jak-Hammer - We use them for everything. Lower poundage use the 1.25" version. I use 1.5" Select-A-Cut for elk and 1.75" for deer. We have killed pile of animals with them over the last 20 plus years.
Been shooting NAP Spitfire Maxx's for a few years now. Never had one fail. I love them. The doe I shot this year made it about 50 yards and the buck I shot made it about 25. The damage on that buck blew my mind. The heart had a huge hole in it and the right lung came out in pieces when I gutted it. Complete pass throughs on both and the BH's are still good as new.
Ah yes another mechanical vs fixed blade debate in the works. All it takes is one post asking a question and you get the same guys in every thread saying their preference is the best one. :). How many posts can we get this one up to?
Actually Quinn these threads are very civil now - probably because there are enough people that have now been on both sides of the fence and you have less of the people spitting fire about the perceived evil of mech heads. You still get a few that heard a rumour and therefore have to make it known that they have zero experience with them but that’s to be expected.
For interests sake I know a number of black bear outfitters and many prefer their clients shoot a Rage or that style of head. They’re not going to go as far as outlawing fixed heads because that’s just silly. Better recover rates. FWIW I used to be one of the biggest Rage bashers. But I am humble enough to eat the pie. It’s rare that you hear of people doing a 180 on a subject and that’s the only reason I am somewhat outspoken about it. Because I was very wrong in my assumptions. But unlike some of the naysayers I tried it myself.
Love me some rage broadheads but like everything else shot placement is the most important thing out of it all, Rage broadheads helped me anchor this beauty this past season
Not a fan of mechanicals on elk. I saw 3 lost elk and 2 were found spoiled a week later. Not good penetration on a tough animal.
The whole "tune your bow" argument is as tired as Covid threads on Bowsite. I am sure Randy Ulmer struggles with getting fixed blade broadheads to fly well.
Many guys who have forgot more about tuning than the average bowhunter are shooting mechanical heads. They were originally developed because of tuning issues, but many people are shooting them because they think they are better at killing for their setup and the game they are pursuing.
I have to admit the SEVR heads are intriguing. I like the pivoting blade concept that should eliminate the deflection issues that other mechanicals suffer from. The titanium should make them pretty durable. And the locking set screw that allows you to practice with the same head you hunt with is a clever idea. I may have to give them a try. Perhaps my anti-mechanical opinion may change.
Matt
Marketing. 20,000 year old reliable fixed heads no longer do the job.
I love all the exit wounds this thread gets!
I got one issue that's so easily recognized on TV. It's not hard to tell who's shooting an expandable, the deer runs off with 80% of the arrow sticking out.
But every other commercial is Rage, so can't be it's fault??
This is the ridiculousness that these threads become….nobody said a fixed blade doesnt work. But some fixed blade guys feel the need to jump in and spout nonsense like this. Is it a common thing for a mechanical using guy to jump on a thread asking what the best fixed blade head is and add nothing to the thread by saying “i dont use fixed blades, u should shoot a mechanical”?
RT, A horse and carriage is still a working way to travel, but i bet you have a truck… I know, thats a ridiculous analogy…yeah, just as ridiculous as saying a mechanical guy uses a mechanical because a fixed blade doesnt work anymore. Good gracious
LMAO
I can shoot fixed blades well. I like the Iron Wills. They fly well for me and cannot fail.
As far as mechanicals. I think they can be more forgiving even out of an untuned bow. Not a fan of the sevr. Tried the ulmer edge back in the day and had bad results.
Regardless of what head you use you should always always tune your bow
I am old enough to remember this same argument on self bows, recurve bows and compound bows. I bet most on this site use compound bows and they were going to be the death of bowhunting.
I'd like to see a real controlled study of how they penetrate when hitting 'square' vs hitting at an angle. Shoot them at 90 degrees, 70, and 50. And then run same test on assorted fixed heads.
My suspicion is that as the blades deploy - when hitting a quartering shot - the arrow yaws and is no longer driving in a straight line. It would be interesting to add high speed photography to the above test.
Anyone looking for a Masters thesis?
My bet would be any head hitting at an angle will have some degree of a yaw to it. The leading end suddenly meets resistance while the trailing end in the plane still has the momentum and that momentum has to go somewhere....off to the weak side.
Jl..on a quartering shot as the blade flips open (assuming) horizontally it will push the point of the head out slightly. I learned a valuable lesson about 32 years ago. I was shooting a hoyt super slam 80# 28" 2419s with 160 grain thunderheads. & I just knew with all that power I could shoot clean through any whitetail any way it was standing. Well I was grossly wrong. The biggest whitetail buck I've ever had the opportunity to kill with a bow was inside 20 yards & I had to shoot Slightly forward & that shoulder blade stopped that heavy ass arrow at about 3" of penitration. Simply put bone & lots of broadhead blade are a bad combination. If for whatever reason someone prefers mechanicals great its a personal choice myself personally prefer to shoot a head that stands the best chance of getting through bone over a larger cut type head be it fixed or mechanical. I didn't bow hunt much in Oct it was just too darn hot. The two does I did kill with a bow both were shot the same evening both inside 15 yards one went 20 yards the other went 30. Shot with a 55# Oneida Phoenix lever bow & zwicky 2 edge delta head. I honestly don't think any other head design could have killed quicker not even a 2" wide one. Shoot whatever ya want myself personally prefer the best posability of penitration.
One mechanical failure I remember vividly was an antelope buck that I shot with I believe a Spitfire. It was a quartering away 50 yard shot. The shot placement was perfect. Upon impact, the arrow literally deflected in a 90 degree angle to the direction of flight, and it hung up in the guts of the antelope. It did kill him, but it made for an unnecessarily long blood trail and a messy gutting job.
I've had fixed bladed arrows change direction slightly when they hit bone, but I've never had one take a 90 degree turn.
Matt
Jak Hammer mechanicals kill quickly. I have shot and killed deer and big ferrel hogs with ACC 360s tipped with three blade 1-3/4" Jak Hammers for 25 years without a failure.
You really only have to know two things in this debate:
#1. If you lose an animal with a mechanical, it's because all mechanicals are failure prone junk.
#2. If you lose an animal using a fixed head, that's hunting and it happens to everyone sooner or later, don't beat yourself up, just keep on trying.
Ambush wins. Best answer ever on this subject!
OP - Mech's work great today. Heads like Wasp's Jackhammer, the various rage offerings, Vortex, Grimm Reapers etc all are super. It's definitely a viable head style to choose.
That said, consider the 1.5" size vs the 2" plus options. Purely anecdote here, but for folks under 60#, it seems like those slightly narrower options are a bit better. That's a fine point though.
End point, they are a solid head option.
But as Ambush said, if you dont recover a deer while using them, it's definitely the heads fault...
Grey ghost the blades were replaced on that head and it is still in the quiver.
Hmm...it sure looks like the ferrule is split and bent to me, but I'll take your word on it.
Matt
Grey Ghost arrow was bent yes. That is why the bh was crooked. Some how broadhead was still good. I have never had a ferrule split. Bent quite a few over the years.
Can I just say that I think that more of us should engage in a little destructive testing to make sure that our arrows are capable of standing up to forces which exceed the worst case scenario?
I do not own a compound. But I have put my chosen broadhead into objects which provide more resistance than any deer bone ever could, and I know that even under catastrophic failure circumstances, my arrows will penetrate straight and deep.
If I didn’t know that, I would probably be looking for something else…
Corax I was trad bow exclusive for a while & as the lbs I could handle went down due to arthritis in my shoulder my concerns went up. I was down to low 40# trad bows & felt that 3/8" plywood was a reasonable penitration test for a 40# longbow with fixed 2 edge heads. Now I'm shooting a 55# Oneida Phoenix & have no penitration concerns & although I haven't tried I'm most certain it would punch a fixed 2 edge through 1/2 " plywood
The debate never ends. I would use a mechanical, not sure which one, the important thing is to have some weight behind it. Poor penetration with any broadhead (and especially mechanicals) is due to ultra light arrows.
