Hunting & Fishing Mechanical broadheads for deer?

[Eurodriver]

31” draw length 70lb Mathews Traverse. 465gr arrow (including 125gr broadhead) at 280fps

I bought some NAP Spitfires but haven’t shot anything with my bow yet. Got it at the end of last deer season so I’d have until August to practice. So far I’m doing pretty well.

Just looking at suggestions for mechanical broadheads - I chose the Spitfires because they seemed simple. No O rings or clips or anything but open to learning anything!

 

[Bourbon_and_Bullets]

G5 Deadmeat

 

[Mudburner]

Let's say the average broadhead is what... 1.25" wide?
Your mechanical broadhead opens to what? 3" wide?

I favor mechanical broadheads for that reason, plus they dont seem to wind plane much, like a wider broadhead may do. Selling point for me was mechanical heads seem to shoot like target points. Both are awesome, deadly.

 

[jolofree]

Wasp Jakhammer 125gr mechanical broadheads worked well for me with an old Martin Fury

 

[zeroz]

Dont mean to hijack your thread or shit in your wheaties, but since you said you're open to learning..... are you dead set on mechanical and why? 2 edge single bevel for the win. Several advantages to fixed. I can send you some pics of what a fixed blade can do and some pics of what a mechanical didn't do.

The flight thing is BS. You CAN make fixed blades fly with field points, and just about as accurately.

You DONT need a 3" or whatever entry wound to find/kill a deer. In fact, Ive had multiple deer die in sight with fixed and NEVER had that with a mechanical. I swear some of them dont even know they're hit. A dead deer in site of your shooting position is a HUGE relief.

I originally shot light arrows/mechanical heads because its what the archery shop suggested. Then I had some reality checks and woke up. I don't care what you do but I'll tell you this, I haven't lost an animal since I switched to heavier arrows and single blade, single bevel heads. Just some food for thought on your journey.

 

[powdahound76]

@zeroz
- what about mult blade fixed?

Just curious as they have been good.

But spend some more of my money, please!
For the money spent, vacation time, etc, getting a better tool for a litte more $ is 100% worth it to me for better kills.

 

[z7.jled]

Slick trick 4 blade fixed broadheads are what I use, they are simple, with cheap replacement blades, I don’t need to re tweak my bow, just screw one on ( they fly like my field points)

And when you do the math, many fixed blades have the same cutting surface area of a 2 blade mechanical

Mechanical broadheads kill a lot of critters, so do fixed

The fixed blades are likely to be slightly more reliable and slightly tougher when you hit heavy bone

Ymmv

 

[Long Range 338]

Make sure your state allows mechanical broadheads, I know a few years ago some states didn’t.

 

[zeroz]

@zeroz
- what about mult blade fixed?

Just curious as they have been good.

But spend some more of my money, please!
For the money spent, vacation time, etc, getting a better tool for a litte more $ is 100% worth it to me for better kills.

The main advantage of the 2 blade (single plane) over the multi-blade fixed is bone penetration. The 2 blade single bevel splits and slips through bone like nothin. The multi-blade heads are more like a wedge when going through heavier bone on a shot that's less than perfect. I'll dig up a couple pics and post them. The 2 blade single bevels have been super impressive. The higher quality ones can be re sharpened and reused on multiple animals, so that helps to offset the cost over throw aways. I really like the s7 cutthroats from RMS gear. They are made in CO and their shop is on 38th and Kipling. Ive had good luck with the tuff heads as well which are s7 steel also.

 

[powdahound76]

The main advantage of the 2 blade (single plane) over the multi-blade fixed is bone penetration. The 2 blade single bevel splits and slips through bone like nothin. The multi-blade heads are more like a wedge when going through heavier bone on a shot that's less than perfect. I'll dig up a couple pics and post them. The 2 blade single bevels have been super impressive. The higher quality ones can be re sharpened and reused on multiple animals, so that helps to offset the cost over throw aways. I really like the s7 cutthroats from RMS gear. They are made in CO and their shop is on 38th and Kipling. Ive had good luck with the tuff heads as well which are s7 steel also.

RMS gear is on my way to many things. Pass there often.

Have spent a few shekels there as well.
Always cheap visits!

 

[zeroz]

Here’s pics of a problem with mechanicals. This scap got hit on the thin part and stopped the head. I had to throw away almost this whole leg because a hunter chose the wrong head and lost the animal. Single bevel would have poked through this, no doubt. The hunter would have had a dead animal in short order because where this is leads to the big vessels in the front of the lungs.

Fist pic is what I saw, and smelled when I skinned. Second is what was inside. Third shows the penetration it got on bone, just the tip, no bueno to stop short of the vital cavity.

 

[zeroz]

Here is my buck from this year. quartering to and I tried to tuck it a little too far forward. Hit the heaviest part of the scap bone right at the socket. Chipped the ball on the humerus and split the scap all the way up. Didn’t get a full pass through but the head was sticking out the other side so would have had a low exit wound to bleed and track had the deer not crumpled right there. The beauty of the single bevel is the torque cause from being beveled on one side. The twisting splits the bone and lets the shaft slide on through. Other fixed heads can penetrate bone but they dont split like a single bevel.

 

[Simonsza1]

Here’s pics of a problem with mechanicals. This scap got hit on the thin part and stopped the head. I had to throw away almost this whole leg because a hunter chose the wrong head and lost the animal. Single bevel would have poked through this, no doubt.

Fist pic is what I saw, and smelled when I skinned. Second is what was inside. Third shows the penetration it got on bone, just the tip, no bueno to stop short of the vital cavity.
View attachment 8101311View attachment 8101314View attachment 8101315

Ya the problem with your theory is you don’t seem to know or I’m misreading what the first shot entailed. That shot could have been from a 55lb bow at 80yds. Never know what some dipshit thought was a good shot to take. I have had nothing but successful kills with rage, nap and shwacker expandlables in no particular order. For fixed I’ve been using stinger buzzcuts since before they were even called the buzzcut and those flat out kill also. Make good intelligent shots and practice more and they all kill fine imo. Just like the debate of killing an elk with a 6.5 creed. Works like a champion just need to make the right shot.

 

[zeroz]

Oh, and to answer your original question OP, Im not sure, but probably not the rage trypan ( I think) like in the pic above.

 

[zeroz]

Ya the problem with your theory is you don’t seem to know or I’m misreading what the first shot entailed. That shot could have been from a 55lb bow at 80yds. Never know what some dipshit thought was a good shot to take. I have had nothing but successful kills with rage, nap and shwacker expandlables in no particular order. For fixed I’ve been using stinger buzzcuts since before they were even called the buzzcut and those flat out kill also. Make good intelligent shots and practice more and they all kill fine imo. Just like the debate of killing an elk with a 6.5 creed. Works like a champion just need to make the right shot.

Fair enough but it really doesn't matter. The same shot, with the same whatever pound bow/ distance that was , would have very likely been a dead critter if that was a single bevel head. Those fat cheap metal blades impeded penetration, period.

There is no doubt that guys kill shit all the time with mechanicals, I have too. The point is, for a less than perfect shot, especially on jumpy ass whitetails, a sharp single bevel fixed head will penetrate better, hands down. I dont care what you use, if it works for you, great. I was simply giving the OP another view since he said he was new and open to learning. To think you can make the perfect shot every time on every critter and never hit bone is not a good bet. I like to crowd the shoulder because it hits bigger vascular tissue and the heart is there so shit dies fast. Holding back to avoid big bones hits lesser shit, period. I hate the stress of tracking. The single bevel head will make up for a less than perfect shot whether it was your fault or the animal moves/jumps the string. Im not saying you should take shitty shots with it but it does open up some quartering to shots I would never take with a mechanical because I have confidence it will pound through bone and kill.

 

[shields shtr]

Mech vs fixed blade is the archery equivalent of Ford vs Chevy. I was a mechanical blade guy forever. I still know lots of guys who use them with a great deal of success. I had a bad experience with one that changed my thinking. Shot a really big bull with a rage mechanical and the arrow got about 2" of penetration after hitting a rib perfectly square. Much like the image above, the rib stopped the blades like you wouldn't believe. Miraculously, I shot the same damn bull with my rifle about 6 weeks later and was able to look at his ribs well after I skinned him.

I decided to go polar opposite of what I had been doing and started using Grizzly Stiks with a fixed two blade. I shoot the same basic setup with my recurve and my compound. Really heavy arrow, high front of center. This setup takes more work to tune properly, but the results are devastating. I will never go back to mechanicals ever again...

 

[zeroz]

I had almost the same experience and made the same switch. Best thing I ever did. The results are devastating.

 

[Mudburner]

Yeah, I'm gonna have to change my position and agree, despite my initial support for mechanical broadheads.

A heavy 2 blade is probably the best penetrator, overall. Having said that, my best deer killer is "other peoples' cars!" I usually put 5 or 6 deer in the freezer every year by picking up fresh roadkill. 911 dispatch calls me.

Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement over all. Nothing new there. But After reading zeroz' post, I have to agree, overall best penetrator is heavy fixed 2 blade.

 

[Eurodriver]

Thanks for all the replies. I’ve been watching Lusk’s reviews and talking to serious bow hunters that got me into it and they’ve all mentioned the single bevels and how they twist so definitely noticing some consistency there.

I think the first thing I need to do is get a target I can shoot broadheads at and then see where my bow hits. I’m sure I need to tune the rest at a minimum. I like the idea of more penetration and not getting hung up on bone, but I also know that I would be able to make a good kill at reasonable distances with a broadside using a mechanical.

 

[wvfarrier]

I have had too many mechanicals fail to deploy. Switched to grizzlystik 200gr xxls, 2" cut.

 

[Angus Sloth]

I have used both. Prefer fixed blade for many of the reasons described above.

 

[woogie_man]

Fixed blade single bevels are hard to beat, though haven't had bad luck with the Grim Reaper broad heads.

 

[Dot3]

I had a 2-blade rage with the original tip bounce off a rib on a quartering away doe. A shot I’d made dozens of times. My best guess is that the flat tip was perfectly turned to deflect off a rib bone and not penetrate. That particular problem is probably unique to that particular broadleaf but still.

Real question since I haven’t bow hunted in 6-7 years and never with a fixed two blade: y’all don’t run into any planing issues with them and these high speed bows? How are they fletched?

 

[zeroz]

Not that surprised to hear it. When you look at those heads and think about what you're asking them to do, it really is amazing they do as good as they do and shouldn't be a surprise when they cant get through bones. I dont like how they limit me to only taking perfect broadside shots, having to shy away from the shoulder and hoping the critter doesn't move. The confidence that my arrow will make it to the vitals pretty much no matter what it has to pound though is a game changer.

The heavier arrow takes care of some of the speed. When I switched to the single bevels and upped my arrow weight I lost my 65 yard pin. Setting the bow to center shot and bare shaft tuning the arrow to the bow with weight, length, spine alignment, etc, has really made my 2 blades fly with the field points. If your bareshaft/ fieldpoint wants to fly like a dart and makes bullet holes in paper at 3, 5, 10 yards without any fletching, then all the fletching has to do is overcome the broad head, not correct arrow flight. I can take a tuned bareshaft and it'll shoot right with a fletched arrow out to 40 or more, assuming there's no wind. When they fly like that, its time to fletch and try a broad head. 4 fletch is better than 3 for stability, but 3 blazer vanes has worked fine for me. I keep thinking I'll go 4 fletch with smaller vanes when I build my next arrows.

 

[shields shtr]

and bare shaft tuning

y’all don’t run into any planing issues with them and these high speed bows? How are they fletched?

See @zeroz reply. I started bare shaft tuning when I took up my recurve again, which is what ultimately led me to do it on my compound bow as well. When I saw how well a two blade worked on a recurve with a heavy arrow setup moving at around or less than 200 fps, I thought if I could tune them in a compound the results could be impressive.

Bare shaft tuning requires more time, and it helps to have an arrow saw, weights, bow press, etc. I also just started shooting broadheads at everything, even for practice. I buy the factory second broadheads when they become available and use those for practice as well. They still fly amazing, and your setup is consistent no matter what.

 

[rookie7]

I agree with zeroz on using fixed blade heads. Although, I have never used a mechanical broadhead. My logic is: why shoot a broadhead that can fail? A fixed blade is always open and cutting.

I haven’t followed archery in awhile and when a single bevel head is referenced I’m thinking of the old Grizzly 2 blade heads.

I’ve killed deer, hogs, and a coyote with fixed heads out of longbows, recurves, and compounds. Zephyr Scirrocos, Original Snuffers, Magnus Stainless Snuffers, Jerry Simmons Interceptors, Magnus Stingers, Muzzy 3 and 4 blade, Wendsel Woodsman, and that’s all I can remember. 2 lungs + low exit = plenty of blood, and I absolutely love a 15 to 18 yard shot.

Good luck!

 

[Slash0311]

Heres my two cents. Any broadhead can fly poorly if not true and tuned.

Any broadhead (including a fieldpoint, not that you'd want to or that would be legal) can kill if the placement is accurate.

Any bow hunter thats been at it for a while has lost an animal. Whether it was poor shot placement, bad angle, the unseen branch ect.

Fixed blades can fail to kill if the variables fail. Just like a mechanical can fail as well.

I currently use Sevr boardheads and they're duable, fly true, and are accurate.

The main thing is paper tune your setup and practice, practice practice. Know your limits and wait for the best shot. We owe it to the animals we chase.

 

[Ronws]

I have not archery hunted. And I was watching the Ranch Fairy and he prefers single piece heavy heads with the FOC being greater.

I do not have a rig but when I want to get one, I know where to go. There is a little place called Big O's. A family owned shop that has been there since I don't know when. The kind of place you go into and they fit some gear to you and what you want to hunt. Sure, it may cost a little more than Amazon but paying for good stuff and a pro makes it worth it.

 

[bigbuckslayer3]

I dont like anything that moves on the business end of an arrow.

 

[remmynikon.308]

I have not archery hunted. And I was watching the Ranch Fairy and he prefers single piece heavy heads with the FOC being greater.

I do not have a rig but when I want to get one, I know where to go. There is a little place called Big O's. A family owned shop that has been there since I don't know when. The kind of place you go into and they fit some gear to you and what you want to hunt. Sure, it may cost a little more than Amazon but paying for good stuff and a pro makes it worth it.

Don't get too hung up on the Ranch Fairy, There's been a ton of deer killed with sub 400gr arrows. I consider my arrow heavy at 540gr, and my arrow drops 10" from 20 to 30 yards. That's 73# @ 31" draw. My next arrows will be around 450gr with a wider 3 or 4 blade fixed head. This should help get back to a flatter shooting bow. That said, this fall I will be trying a very big mechanical with my draw length, draw weight and arrow weight, I'll carry more momentum that may give me good results with a big mech head. We will see this fall!

 

[cas6969]

It's easy to want to use mechanical heads because it's so easy to get them to shoot.

Possible failure through breakage or not opening aside, they use up a lot of energy opening, something my gear doesn't really have to spare. I decided like handgun hunting, two holes to let the blood out and two hole to let the air in are better than one.

While I never actually did get to shoot anything with my mechanicals, just getting back into bow hunting now after a near 15 year hiatus, I've decided to go back to fixed blades with more weight. Age and injury have added limitations to my shooting anyway, I can't shoot well enough to shoot "far", so "flatter" trajectory doesn't matter as much.

 

[remmynikon.308]

I tune my bow no matter what I screw on in the fall. I've used slick tricks forever, but I have a lot of energy in my set up that's just used sticking deeper in the dirt. I agree with 2 holes, I'm hoping I can get the best of both worlds, and if not, back to slick tricks or QAD Exodus it is.

 

[Fig]

Dont mean to hijack your thread or shit in your wheaties, but since you said you're open to learning..... are you dead set on mechanical and why? 2 edge single bevel for the win. Several advantages to fixed. I can send you some pics of what a fixed blade can do and some pics of what a mechanical didn't do.

The flight thing is BS. You CAN make fixed blades fly with field points, and just about as accurately.

You DONT need a 3" or whatever entry wound to find/kill a deer. In fact, Ive had multiple deer die in sight with fixed and NEVER had that with a mechanical. I swear some of them dont even know they're hit. A dead deer in site of your shooting position is a HUGE relief.

I originally shot light arrows/mechanical heads because its what the archery shop suggested. Then I had some reality checks and woke up. I don't care what you do but I'll tell you this, I haven't lost an animal since I switched to heavier arrows and single blade, single bevel heads. Just some food for thought on your journey.

There are a fucking million youtubes and a dozen good ways to tune your bow. You already have a Mathews. With their micro-adjust rest I tuned my V3 in about three shots to half an inch, and another dozen to dead on.

You should tune your bow so that the same weight arrow strikes your POI no matter what head is on it.

That said, mechanicals have come a very long way, and are much better than they were 20 years ago. I used to kill deer and find that one side hadn't opened, but it's hard to argue with a dead deer. It's all degrees and opinions, but I would shoot a mechanical at an elk if it's what I had...

I don't though. When I go for elk I am spending a ton of money and precious time, so I want to be 100% certain of my broadhead. When I'm spending $2k-$10k to hunt seriously $50 for a head is nothing.

I've been hunting these for the last five or so years. They're not some thin repurposed razor bullshit, but flying knife steel that can be resharpened and reused even on a miss. They're the tits IMHO.
https://ironwilloutfitters.com/collections/broadheads
There are a bunch of others now that are probably just as good, but I trust these on the 1 shot in a lifetime hunts.

 

[Exergy]

Fixed blade single bevels my dude, or those Grizzly sticks.

Tuffhead Broadheads-Home Page #1 In Single-Bevel | Sirius Archery Products

You can hunt with confidence, knowing that the TUFFHEAD™ single bevel and three blade broadheads. TuffHead has unsurpassed penetration.

siriusarchery.com

 

[Fig]

Fixed blade single bevels my dude, or those Grizzly sticks.

Tuffhead Broadheads-Home Page #1 In Single-Bevel | Sirius Archery Products

You can hunt with confidence, knowing that the TUFFHEAD™ single bevel and three blade broadheads. TuffHead has unsurpassed penetration.

siriusarchery.com

Those Evolution single bevels look same/same to the Iron Wills.

There's a couple of others I've heard are just as good for a little cheaper. It becomes like the flavor of whisky you like. All of them will get you drunk.

Grizzly Screw-In Broadheads

Check out the deal on Grizzly Screw-In Broadheads at 3Rivers Archery Supply

www.3riversarchery.com

Broadheads

The best and toughest single bevel broadhead

cutthroatbroadheads.com

some others are: Zcissy, Steel Force, Savage Village, Zwickey, and Stinger.

Another thing to think about is that I have had the same 6 broadheads for quite a few years now. I had three and bought three more when they came out with the single bevels. They may have lost half a grain from sharpening, and I've replaced bleeders, but unless you embed one in a tree can can't pry it out they are 100% reusable. I take them apart, and put them in a jig on my Tormek and make them as sharp as a double-sided shaving blade (better than new).

I used to buy the latest and greatest mechanicals every year, and once fired they're usually ruined. I have a box of about thirty, leftover broadheads from many years of hunting. There is a hell of a lot more money in that box than in a single set of solids.

 

[skytrooper67]

I been using spitfire "edge" for years. 1.75" wide serrated. 125 grs. Use it in 425 fps xbow with 22". 380 gr aluminum arrows. Total weight right at 500 gr. Blow right threw big buck at 80 yards. Threw the lung/heart only go 25/30 yrds. Blood trail that stevie could follow!