I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on which broadhead type I'd better. It seems like I have heard some people say the mechanical ones fail sometimes, but don't know the validity of that claim.
Ethbennett19
Every BH can fail, but mechanical fail more often.
Great fixed heads I think are top two
Exodus (price point head)
Iron will ( outrageous price point)
Mechanical heads top two I think
Sevr
Slick trick torch
Great fixed heads I think are top two
Exodus (price point head)
Iron will ( outrageous price point)
Mechanical heads top two I think
Sevr
Slick trick torch
I have yet to see proof of Mechanical Broadhead failure. I have seen or heard proof of user failing to make sure everything is ok with their broadhead or not knowing the capabilities of their set up, thus the things didn't go as planned. It all depends on your bow/arrow set up.
You are bound to get a lot of responses and start a war of mech vs fixed on here. There are a ton of topics. It usually boils down to a couple things. These are generalities:
Flight: Mech will match up POI to field points better than fixed if you are not good at tuning your bow. If you are good at tuning your bow this becomes a somewhat moot point.
Durability: Mech is often one and done or at the least have to replace blades and other components. Fixed can be resharpened and are more likely to maintain their integrity on hard impacts (big bone or hard objects after pass-thru)
Cut: Mech usually has much larger cut diameter but also has least likelihood of total passthrough. Not saying you cant get a total passthrough with mech, but it's simple physics that the larger cut and flatter angle of the blades takes up more energy to pass thru the animal than cut on contact fixed blades. This is the main reason that cut on contact are the most recommended for low energy setups.
Flight: Mech will match up POI to field points better than fixed if you are not good at tuning your bow. If you are good at tuning your bow this becomes a somewhat moot point.
Durability: Mech is often one and done or at the least have to replace blades and other components. Fixed can be resharpened and are more likely to maintain their integrity on hard impacts (big bone or hard objects after pass-thru)
Cut: Mech usually has much larger cut diameter but also has least likelihood of total passthrough. Not saying you cant get a total passthrough with mech, but it's simple physics that the larger cut and flatter angle of the blades takes up more energy to pass thru the animal than cut on contact fixed blades. This is the main reason that cut on contact are the most recommended for low energy setups.
I think some of the best mechanicals are the old tried and true over the top varieties. The Steelhead, Grim Reaper, Jak-Hammer, Spitfire heads work amazing. And I think the "too much energy to open" argument is inaccurate. I've had nothing but great success with the Steelheads, even shooting low poundage bows.
Agreed. I shoot 60@29.25", 425gr with both fixed and NAP Spitfires. If "over the top" mechanicals rob too much energy, I owe a bunch of dead deer and turkeys an apology. Most certainly it is possible for someone to have low DW and short DL with a really light arrow.....making a mech a poor choice in that framework. But most understand that and make better choices.
AT tends to run on generalties and polar opposite views......all or none. I opt for middle of the road poundage, TAW and BH choices.....which have not let me down. If and when I get less than optimal results with either type head, it frankly boils down to the shooter over the choice of equipment. Although I work diligent at my archery skills, I'm human and don't always perform optimally.....so my BH choices do not bear the brunt of my blame.
AT tends to run on generalties and polar opposite views......all or none. I opt for middle of the road poundage, TAW and BH choices.....which have not let me down. If and when I get less than optimal results with either type head, it frankly boils down to the shooter over the choice of equipment. Although I work diligent at my archery skills, I'm human and don't always perform optimally.....so my BH choices do not bear the brunt of my blame.
The rage with red collars have failed me because they're to stiff. Never had an issue with sevr, rage with bands or black collar, nap 2 blade, rage nc. Best fixed are qad exodus or magnus broadheads.
The advantages of a good cut on contact fixed blade blade broadhead far out weigh any disadvantages. You can look at them and know which one is more likely to fail! If you don't know how to tune your equipment properly or dont have a great proshop to help get you properly setup and tuned... mechanicals can cover up some of these deficiencies but make no mistake they are still deficiencies!
For fixed heads, I don't believe there are really any 'good or bad' ones. Just stay away from the gimmick ones that are ridiculously shaped like those ones that are supposed to cut 'cores' out or whatever. Stick to a 2/3/4 blade 'normal' fixed blade and you'll kill animals if you do your part sending it where it needs to go.
For mech, there are definitely better and worse ones. Bottom of the barrel are pretty much anything Rage and anything on Amazon that is mimicking Rage. The actual percentage of failures in mechanicals is extremely low. Meaning the amount of animals that lived due to a mechanical not opening that would have been killed if the mechanical opened. Most of the time, when someone posts that a mechanical failed, they simply failed at the shot and blamed the broad head OR they're not shooting a bow with enough power and failed to get proper penetration.
I personally use NAP Killzone (but there are lots of great mech heads out there) and not only have I not experienced any failures, the vast majority of deer I have shot with them have dropped in sight. The ones that didn't had blood trails I could follow at a brisk walk. Quite the contrast to the majority of deer I have shot with various fixed heads leaving my sight and me following pin drops of blood to the double lunged carcass. I'll never use fixed heads unless I'm shooting traditional style bow OR I get old enough I can't shoot a bow with enough power for mechanicals.
For mech, there are definitely better and worse ones. Bottom of the barrel are pretty much anything Rage and anything on Amazon that is mimicking Rage. The actual percentage of failures in mechanicals is extremely low. Meaning the amount of animals that lived due to a mechanical not opening that would have been killed if the mechanical opened. Most of the time, when someone posts that a mechanical failed, they simply failed at the shot and blamed the broad head OR they're not shooting a bow with enough power and failed to get proper penetration.
I personally use NAP Killzone (but there are lots of great mech heads out there) and not only have I not experienced any failures, the vast majority of deer I have shot with them have dropped in sight. The ones that didn't had blood trails I could follow at a brisk walk. Quite the contrast to the majority of deer I have shot with various fixed heads leaving my sight and me following pin drops of blood to the double lunged carcass. I'll never use fixed heads unless I'm shooting traditional style bow OR I get old enough I can't shoot a bow with enough power for mechanicals.
There's a bit of a paradox here.
The better a shot and hunter you are, the less you'll need fixed heads because you can more precisely place your shots. However, you'll also be able to tune and shoot fixed heads better.
Folks that need mechanicals to overcome tuning and form issues also need fixed heads more because they are more likely to send one into a deer's shoulder.
The better a shot and hunter you are, the less you'll need fixed heads because you can more precisely place your shots. However, you'll also be able to tune and shoot fixed heads better.
Folks that need mechanicals to overcome tuning and form issues also need fixed heads more because they are more likely to send one into a deer's shoulder.
I hunted with Annihlators this past season. my first year hunting with a bow. I shot 2 deer with my bow and only recovered one. Both were broadside shots. One was broadside shot through the hind quarters, I had never experienced the shakes while deer hunting until I took my first deer with a bow. The second was a perfect broadside shot in the vitals (so I thought). Both instances left minimal blood trails. The hind quartered deer I recovered maybe 30 yards away. I never recovered the one I though was a clean shot. I also never recovered that arrow. My only gripe about fixed blades is poor blood trails.
Truth be told it is a very controversial topic in the hunting industry. The main thing I can tell you from a bow tech POV is shot placement is most important. You need to find a broadhead that is going to tune well to your equipment so that when you shoot the arrow it goes exactly where you are aiming.
Now what happens when the game you are shooting at jumps the shot or you get deflection causing the arrow to go stray off the desired path. This is why I believe you cant go wrong with a cut on contact fixed blade broadhead, whichever one that is easy to sharpen and gives you optimal flight. An arrow build with decent FOC is important because on those deflection shots having that FOC will be able to carry your arrow through the game and still make a lethal shot.
Mechanicals do work but the more mechanical parts there is a higher chance of failure. I don't want to have that question mark in my head when I have a buck of a lifetime in front of me. So my choice is fixed.
Now what happens when the game you are shooting at jumps the shot or you get deflection causing the arrow to go stray off the desired path. This is why I believe you cant go wrong with a cut on contact fixed blade broadhead, whichever one that is easy to sharpen and gives you optimal flight. An arrow build with decent FOC is important because on those deflection shots having that FOC will be able to carry your arrow through the game and still make a lethal shot.
Mechanicals do work but the more mechanical parts there is a higher chance of failure. I don't want to have that question mark in my head when I have a buck of a lifetime in front of me. So my choice is fixed.
Maybe look at John Lusk's YouTube reviews of different broadheads and pick one you like from those. If you tune you bow and only take good shots, any of the ones that get high ratings from him would work.
Some people use mechanicals to get around bow tuning. If a bare shaft is impacting like this: / or like this: \, that's how the broadhead is hitting too, which is a lot of wasted energy/momentum. Then, some people take ridiculous marginal shots, thinking big mechanicals will compensate for poor shot opportunities. They won't.
Some people use mechanicals to get around bow tuning. If a bare shaft is impacting like this: / or like this: \, that's how the broadhead is hitting too, which is a lot of wasted energy/momentum. Then, some people take ridiculous marginal shots, thinking big mechanicals will compensate for poor shot opportunities. They won't.
In my 3 year experience with deer hunting and borrowed knowledge from experienced hunter friends, fixed broadheads are the preference primarily from the things you mentioned:
- Blades opening in flight or staying closed once penetrating (inaccurate shots / wounding v. killing)
- General penetration variability and exit hole consistency (variability)
- Amount of potential penetration
TLDR - I switched to the QAD Exodus and have been extremely impressed with the quality, impact, flight, and results for my 3 kills so far.
QAD Exodus Standard (link)
Hope that helps in your discovery, cheers.
I've used fixed (NAP Hellrazor, QAD Exodus, Magnus) and Mechanical (Rage Trypan, Sevr, Cobra Barbarian). My most successful heads have been the trypan as far as "seeing them drop in sight" however I could not stand how they rattled. The Cobra (125 grain) have extremely thick blades .70 ish and I took a nice body sized buck with it. Amazing blood trail and he did not go far. I did have less of a blood trail than expected with the Sevr 2.0 which surprised me given the great reviews. So in conclusion just pick whats most important to you in a broadhead and go with it.
I have used mechanical heads and VPA single bevels. I prefer single bevels. Partly because I enjoy the process of building my own arrows and sharpening my own broadheads. As far as fieldpoints flying like a broadhead, my single bevels do. More important than mechanical vs fixed is making sure your bow is in tune and arrows have near perfect flight. Any broadhead will underperform if the arrow is impacting the animal sideways.
I will say that over my time of hunting I have tried a lot of Different broad heads, i have 3 tackle boxes full of different types, grains, sizes you name it. I have personally had a failure and i will call it that as it did not hit or wound the deer so I could investigate what happened. I shot the G5 T3 for ever and I never lost a deer and had great luck with them, when they switched to the Dead meats I puchased them as i was out of T3's like stated way back in this thread they are pretty much disposable. I shot at a nice buck with the Dead meat and watched my arrow sail out to the right flipping all around, i missed the deer by about 10 feet. when i got down to look i knoticed a bright blue piece of plastic just off from my stand and when i found my arrow 1 blade was out and part of the blue ring was missing. my only guess was when i released it was enough to break the plastic and the 1 blade deployed causing a terrible flight. so like im sure many of people i have invested several $100s of dollars into different types of broadheads now. I tune my bow for fixed blades i am shooting Wasp Drones but i have just picked up a pack of the SIK that im going to try but i also still shoot NAP kill zones. i figure i will take any issues out by BH tuning and then decide from there. the killzones leave a amazing blood trail and i might try the new ones with the cut on contact heads as the only thing i dont like about out the back broadheads is the chance for taking a quartering away shot that the head could not stick and deflect. but try a bunch of stuff and be prepared to spend some cash on it. also i know most mechanicals come with a practice head but i recommend trying the heads you will hunt with into a soft layered foam block just as i have found 1 out of a pack of 3 wont fly the same
good luck
good luck
QAD Exodus and Day Six Evo X both in 125... QADs are for Racoons, Coyotes etc the Day Six Evo's are for Deer... 27.50DL 70#DW 541TAW FTW...
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