Fixed vs Mechanical Broadheads

[Ruddy Duck]

I've also been trying to find the right balance.
The last two years I was running a 250 spine Victory Xtorsion with 3 blazers in a right-hand helical, 75gr insert, 125gr head and Nocturnal lighted nock at 622.7gr finished weight.
That thing is a hammer, but past 50 yards, due to the weight, my pin gaps were larger than I'd like, which makes yardage estimation a lot more important.
So this year, I'm running a 300 spine Black Eagle Rampage, with 3 blazers in a right-hand helical, 50gr insert, 80gr insert weights, 125gr head, and Nocturnal lighted nock at 527.9gr finished weight, and 20.8% FOC.
My 50 and 60 yard pin gaps are now pretty much the same as the rest, and while I lost about 100gr from my previous arrow, I increased FOC by 7%, so I have no doubt it will perform.

I shoot a 70# bow, and a pretty fast one at that, but if you're shooting inside 50 yards, you're probably not giving up much with a 60# bow. Anything over 500gr and like 15% FOC will hammer. More is better for penetration, but again, there's a balance to strike.

Thanks, I am right around the 530 grain mark and was planning to go more but the pin gap is getting real big.

 

[7mmMag]

I'm not sure if this is allowed or not, and if not I apologize. If anyone listens to the "Meat Eater" podcast, he had some older guy on there that does/did non biased testing with broadheads. I'm not much of a bow guy, but it was fascinating all of the varying aspects when it comes down to what actually does the most damage. Episode 284 if interested.

Dr Ed Ashby. Every bowhunter needs to listen to this podcast episode or look up his research. He has dedicated his life to finding out the best arrow and broadhead setups. Look up his top 12 arrow penetration factors. He ranks them in order of importance.

www.grizzlystik.com is a good website to check out

 

[5575]

I like my Sevr heads.
Been shooting the same design for 30 years starting out with the rock mountain gators. Then the ulmer edge and now Easton archery builds them and gave them the Sevr name. Go to youtube and watch so large broadhead tests, its always impressive how well they hold up.



And for a machined "not pot metal poured "aka montec" I really like the VPA heads. They are a work of art and tough as hell.

 

[bucksnbears]

I won't allow ANY mech head in my camp.!!
Been there done that to many times.

 

[man in the box]

Dr Ed Ashby. Every bowhunter needs to listen to this podcast episode or look up his research. He has dedicated his life to finding out the best arrow and broadhead setups. Look up his top 12 arrow penetration factors. He ranks them in order of importance.

www.grizzlystik.com is a good website to check out

Yep, that's the guy. Like I mentioned, I'm not a bow guy but I am nerdy engineer. The varying degrees his 12 factors contribute to penetration is awesome. All fairly logical after you think about them, but I'm sure like everything else, a lot of broadheads were made to "wow" the bowhunter with this is best or fastest, etc.

 

[5575]

I won't allow ANY mech head in my camp.!!
Been there done that to many times.

What kind of camp do you run?
Ive found the vast majority of any broadhead failure starts with the person releasing the arrow. Hell a deer would need a good surgeon quickly if someone put a field tip through its vitals.
Been bowhunting with mechanicals for over 30 years, killed allot of critters and haven't had one fail me yet.
This guy didn't go 50 yards with an ulmer edge mechanical going through both lungs breaking ribs going in and out.

 

[Bowhunter_24]

Iron will broadheads.

cut on contact. Penetration/pass through is more important to me than cut size.

 

[MarbleEyez]

Iron will broadheads.

cut on contact. Penetration/pass through is more important to me than cut size.

Guy needs a load to buy them!!

 

[espringers]

i don't bow hunt much anymore and haven't a whole lot in the last 15 years. but, i did kill a few deer about 12-17 years ago and briefly used mechanicals. first 2 were killed dead within 50 yards with nice big trails. 3rd was never found. complete pass through, found arrow, it failed to open and very little blood. i often wondered about why. my final analysis was... 15 yard shot, arrow moving mach 10 (actually probably right around 275 fps), the band that held it closed was maybe a bit too big/thick and i managed to not hit anything remotely hard (rib or shoulder). i never switched it up that year and killed another a week or so later with similar results to the first two. nonetheless, i haven't used them since. i've gotten a bit more picky about what i am willing to kill these days and i'll be fucked if i will risk that happening again on a buck big enough that i am willing to kill it.

 

[MuleyMadness]

Grave Digger Whitetail special Chisel tip. They fly very well. Have shot 2 deer that have went about 60 yards. Blood trails were like following paint splatter all over. Used to shoot regular fixed blades but there was hardly any blood trail on 4 double lung deer. That is why I switched.

 

[guywhofishes]

Interesting question.

Let's say you've been convicted to death by broadhead - which broadhead would you pick? Archer gets one shot at you then you can run.

Keep in mind that you have no idea of the skills the archer would have, the distance of the shot, and that you will receive no medical care afterward.

 

[BotnoJoe]

terrifying. I suppose i'd choose mechanical. If i smell the archer before he shoots am i allowed to start running? sometimes my mechanicals come loose off of the "retaining collar" while moving around if i bump a branch or something. Probably caused by user error but it makes me want to switch to fixed

 

[That guy]

I use a pointy rocks that I find on the ground. The groupings suck but the price is right.

 

[Bowhunter_24]

Interesting question.

Let's say you've been convicted to death by broadhead - which broadhead would you pick? Archer gets one shot at you then you can run.

Keep in mind that you have no idea of the skills the archer would have, the distance of the shot, and that you will receive no medical care afterward.

you’re messed up. I like it.

 

[Skeeter]

Interesting question.

Let's say you've been convicted to death by broadhead - which broadhead would you pick? Archer gets one shot at you then you can run.

Keep in mind that you have no idea of the skills the archer would have, the distance of the shot, and that you will receive no medical care afterward.

Have you ever tied two cats together and threw them over a tree branch? Asking for a concerned friend.

 

[guywhofishes]

I’d pick mechanical - looking for the idiot to not prep them right or they otherwise malfunction. At least I got a chance. Might lay around for a week and suffer - but with mech’s it’s either quick death or a chance.

With fixed, if he hits me, I’m in deep do-do, even if I escape the quick death.

- - - Updated - - -

just sorta turning the tables - from the deer’s perspective