Contributors to this thread:
I am asking his to people that have hunted with the NAP spitfire. I have a half dozen that I use hunting Turkeys. I have never shot a deer with one. I am having trouble with my draw arm elbow so I backed my bow down to 55 pounds. I usually shoot 60. I can still pull and shoot 60 it is just more comfortable at 55. I would like your opinion if I use 55. I am shooting an Elite Synergy @ 28 inch draw. and 425 grain arrows. I think it will work fine I would just like opinions from some that have shot spitfires with lower draw weight or knows someone that has.
I shoot a 60# Synergy (29.5" draw) turned down 1 1/2 turns as well. When I tunred it down I switched to fixed heads and learned to tweak/tune my bow better to get them to fly good. I shoot a similar weight arrow (440 gr) with Magnus Stinger 4 blades and they fly great. I used to shoot Steelhead mechanicals. I think I probably still could with my longer draw length, but wanted a better chance at getting two holes so made the switch to fixed heads. I haven't been disappointed.
I would suggest if you treestand hunt, you'd be better off with a fixed head as lack of exit with a mechanical might cause a lost deer. But you probably still have enough oomph to use the Spitfires to kill deer. But the potential lack of exit wound made me switch.
I’ve put Spitfires through bull moose with 65# at 29” draw. I get pass throughs on big bodied, haired up northern mule deer.
I’ve seen literally many dozens of northern big game animals fall to Spitfires over the last twenty years. Never seen a failure, never seen one bounce off, never seen one stopped by a rib.
Whether the OP should continue to use them, I’m not here to recommend. That’s his decision. Keep them for turkeys and use something else with less blade maybe.
And the dreaded “over the top” design does have a few advantages.
Just use a head that will hit where you aim, under hunting conditions, and any good head will work.
I’ll add that I will only use the original made in the US Spitfires.
Thanks guys. I have some 2 blade Magnus Stingers that shoot real good for me from my compound. I will shoot those the rest of the season.
Ohiohunterx2.
That little energy id consider rear deploy if you need to shoot a mech for deer. I’d go with a sharp COC fixed blade. Set my friends wife up with a sharp coc fixed this year and she had 2 pass thrus this year. 1 a 129 pound doe at 25 yards and a 178 pound 10 point (first deer she ever killed) at 19 yards.
I've killed numerous bull Elk with the spitfire at 60# and 420 +- grain arrow and would use them at 50 without hesitation.
A Question, not a Comment: How well do they work on Turkeys?
I was under the impression that the birds are harder to kill….. More resistance + less inertia = less penetration.
I’ve shot spitfires for years on bear and deer. Awesome broad head. This fall, before a trip to Manitoba for bear; I had my bow turned down to 52 pounds because of a partial rotator cuff tear. I too questioned weather my spitfires would be ok at that poundage. In Manitoba , I killed my bear with a complete pass through. No problem… shot deer this fall at the same poundage and spitfires….again complete pass through.
I’d shoot the original 1.5” 3 blade. Not the 2”. Smaller and better blade angle on the 1.5” version.
They have been impressive for me at 29” draw, 65# Prime Rival, 475 gr Easton 330 Carbon Injexions. Deer, Caribou, Black and Polar bear, Stone and Dall Sheep, Tule elk etc. Good luck!
In my teens I ran 125 grain steelheads through more animals than I can count on a 450gr arrow travelling just over 200fps. That included 300lb whitetails where I had pass throughs after blowing through scapulas. They penetrate like a stallion and are tough as nails. They’ll leave you the same wound channel as any muzzy or thunderhead except they’re tougher, fly better and penetrate at least as well. There’s too many good options out there we have an embarrassment of riches today!
Adam…I thought you were still in your teens!!
I’ve shot Spitfire mechanicals as long as I can recall. Great head and great blood trails. Couple years ago they switched to making them in China. I’m using my last package of made in USA heads. Them I will switch. Guy at my shop said to many issues surfaced with China version.
APauls, I agree! I still have a bunch of the 125s. Wish they still made them but they lost favor because they didn't have that sexy 2" cut and rear deployment. It was a no nonsense head that is just as you described. Deadly, accurate, durable and penetrates great.
New ones are made in Taiwan. Ferrules and screw shank are straight but the stainless blades seem softer and they definitely are not as sharp out of the package. The worst issue was some blades were difficult to open, requiring nearly double the force to open vs the original US heads. The new Taiwan version had 25% thicker dimpled blade retainer plates that had a 25% higher dimple, hence the harder blade opening.
They sent me a bunch of new ones on warranty. I think they started mixing parts from the crossbow version with the regular heads. I’ve sharpened the blades on the new version and made a stash pile of the hard opening ones for potential modification for future use. Not what you should have to do! They need their own QC.
All this happened after NAP was sold and Andy Simo the founder of NAP had passed. I understood he was an aeronautical engineer by training. Too familiar of a scenario in today’s business world.
I forgot to add, 1.5" dia not the 2".
That is odd Kurt. The only non USA pack I bought is in yellow and black packaging and do say made in China above the UPC code. None the less, the issues you point out are exactly the issues the shop owner informed me of.
If the newer ones seem too stiff to open, simply open and close them manually a couple times and they will loosen up. I have had good luck doing this.
hit them anywhere other than the spine or shoulder point and you should be fine.
