[deadquiet]

PS I should have added if I waited for the perfect broad side shot I might see more passthroughs with larger mechanicals but my goal is to kill the animal first and foremost. I know what I can and can't do after years of shooting game so I factor that in to the shot. IOW I don't change the way I hunt when I switch heads and that probably hurts my passthrough percentage. But then again I'm not willing to limit myself to a perfect broadside shot either.

I'm not saying I take bad shots......just not perfect BS only.

 

[168p&y]

At close ranges and not in high winds, I'm just going to say that a good fixed blade head is always better.

You cannot say you will never hit the shoulder blade. Anyone that says "just don't hit the shoulder" is being narcissistic and using specious reasoning. My 2 biggest bucks (one over 140" gross and huge body), I regrettably drilled the shoulder. I didn't get full penetration but my QAD Exodus got into the vitals just enough (about halfway) to put them down within 100 yards. My setup for those two bucks was a slow Bowtech Revolt 60 lbs 30 inches that shot a 420 grain arrow at around 263 fps.

I seriously doubt a mechnical would have done that and would have just left a broadhead heavily jammed up in the bone and a crippled deer.

2 things are driving mechanical sales, I think. First, a lot of average archers can't get fixed blade heads to fly, so they go to mechanicals. Second, people now have this obsession of gory blood trails and watching the deer fall within 10 yards. This was never an expectation of bowhunting until the last decade or so. Put a decent cut fixed blade through the vitals, walk to the last spot you saw the deer, and you'll soon find a nice blood trail right to the animal. It will just look like someone poured it out with a watering can and not a bucket. The increased bone penetration is worth giving up any advantage that mechanicals have.

A reason so many professional archers hunt with mechanicals (Bowmar, Bee, Morgan, etc) is because they want to shoot 60 yards and farther and often in windy conditions.

We want big cuts because large body deer don't fall over dead like a doe that fits in a pheasant hunters game bag. These bucks are jacked up like super human drug addict. A shot even slightly off they can go miles. Even on a mature buck you only need 8" to hit off side ribs on a broadside shot. As far as shoulder hitting your making false assumptions that a expandable wouldn't make it through. A Grim Reaper or Jak Hammer would of gone through. I'm a fan of your QAD. Probably best fix out there,but blood trails aren't close to a large expandable.

 

[basnbuks]

You gotta remember that anytime you hear people trashing a broadhead the 1st thing they will do is blame the head when 90% of the time it is operator error and they will never admit it.

 

[Daddymac]

What I want to know is there an actual test that can quantify the difference in penetration?

I am a big believer in the phrase “test don’t guess”, but I hate broadhead test.

While they can be an OK basis for performance there is just too much that cannot be accounted for in real life. No two shots at deer will ever be the same. As most will agree, shot placement is the key followed by sharp.

 

[ahunter55]

hey, if you would have shot a Satellite broadhead at a big ole buck back in the 1970's and seen the blades go flying off the broadhead before it got to the deer you could blame the broadhead..

never happened to me but a few times a blade would be missing and you had to be real carefull while field dressing

Yep, was a shop/lanes owner when they came on the market. Arrowed a few critters with them, no problems. Was a shop/lanes owner then & a few customers had problems.

 

[ahunter55]

Did you harvest that 5x5 bull?

Yes. He was unable to get up & rolled over as I was walking up ready to shoot him again. I for sure checked his innards. Lungs were center punched, nice clean cuts & bleach white. There was like NO blood when I gutted him. Ironhead BH.

 

[arkyarcher]

Looking at the professional archery make me wonder if they can actually get one to tune and shoot. Watching them shoot (ive never seen levi shoot a fixed head) some leave a lot to be desired. The one pro that i have seen shoot fixed heads at distance is paige and she's the goat

So Fred Bear wasn't a Professional Archer?

Maybe mechanicals give more endorsement money so you can watch a video of a critter running off with an shaft sticking out to be recovered the next day.

1/2 Bubble is right. Shoot a sharp head that makes you happy and can hit the bull's eye with and be happy.

 

[toddcbrown]

I have always had good luck with fixed and I have had a failure with even a quality mechanical. BUT I would say, first put the arrow on the deer.
Your first concern needs to be building an accurate setup. Once that is something you can do then build on that.

I think Bubble Off makes this point.

I would be more concerned with FOC and flight.

I have the same draw weight and length exactly. I use the Magnus Black Hornet Ser-Razor 125 grain 600 grain arrow. I got 3 pass throughs last year. Blood trails were not very obvious, but they were not needed. The deer died in 40 - 60 yards. (13, 33, 34 yards) from ground blind.

 

[Chris jones]

this guy tested a lot he has 2 videos

 

[raisins]

We want big cuts because large body deer don't fall over dead like a doe that fits in a pheasant hunters game bag. These bucks are jacked up like super human drug addict. A shot even slightly off they can go miles. Even on a mature buck you only need 8" to hit off side ribs on a broadside shot. As far as shoulder hitting your making false assumptions that a expandable wouldn't make it through. A Grim Reaper or Jak Hammer would of gone through. I'm a fan of your QAD. Probably best fix out there,but blood trails aren't close to a large expandable.

like this?

https://www.archerytalk.com/posts/1115796104/

pretty sure i'm the one that processed the bucks to judge and have killed many deer with mechs and fixed over the past 30 years

 

[168p&y]

like this?

https://www.archerytalk.com/posts/1115796104/

pretty sure i'm the one that processed the bucks to judge and have killed many deer with mechs and fixed over the past 30 years

How many have you shot in shoulder with the heads I listed.? I've put a few through ball joints with those heads and had quick recoverys and at least 6" of penetration. I only have 38 years of bowhunting and hundreds of recoverys pretty even fix to expandable. Expandables better blood trails by far on average. In fact my buddies kid last buck he shot at was with a QAD the buck turned on the shot. The arrow went in infront of shoulder angled back no blood. Even tracking dog only found couple spots. Deer lived neighbor killed him gun season but shot should of been fatal. Neighbor loves his muzzys trocars. Every year it's cripples or deer living a lot longer then they should. When he used spitfires it was quick n easy now it's drama every year.

 

[raisins]

How many have you shot in shoulder with the heads I listed.? I've put a few through ball joints with those heads and had quick recoverys and at least 6" of penetration. I only have 38 years of bowhunting and hundreds of recoverys pretty even fix to expandable. Expandables better blood trails by far on average. In fact my buddies kid last buck he shot at was with a QAD buck turned on shot arrow went in in front of shoulder angled back no blood. Even tracking dog only found couple spots. Deer lived neighborhood killed him gun season but shot should of been fatal. Neighbor loves his muzzys trocars. Every year it's cripples or deer living a lot longer then they should. When he used spitfires it was quick n easy now it's drama every year.

What are your bow specs? I did that with 60 lbs 30 inches and 420 grains.

I hit that one right above the head of the humerus, right in the spine of the scap and beginning of the socket.

The arrow broke off and the shaft was wedged in the bone. I got maybe 4" into the vitals. It was bare minimum for a quick recovery (buck went 100 yards), I believe.

 

[168p&y]

Very slow 70 lb 410 grain arrow around 270 fps. When I was shooting the 74# gt500 that arrow shattered ball joint folded the deer it plowed 20 ft. Arrow was 30 yards beyond the deer.

 

[Buck12#]

I hate to beat a dead horse here. I've watched so many broadhead test videos and scrolled through AT reading broadhead reviews for hours and yet it seems like for every positive comment on one broadhead there are three negatives. That or it gets demolished in a testing video and makes me lose all faith. I know fixed blades achieve better penetration. I also know gel blocks are a poor representation of a deers body. What I want to know is there an actual test that can quantify the difference in penetration? What's the loss in KE of a fixed compared to that of a sharp mech? I shoot at 60lbs 29.5in draw 406gr arrow at about 270fps.

SEVR 1.5 Hybrid and never look back!

 

[Budman0612]

I hate to beat a dead horse here. I've watched so many broadhead test videos and scrolled through AT reading broadhead reviews for hours and yet it seems like for every positive comment on one broadhead there are three negatives. That or it gets demolished in a testing video and makes me lose all faith. I know fixed blades achieve better penetration. I also know gel blocks are a poor representation of a deers body. What I want to know is there an actual test that can quantify the difference in penetration? What's the loss in KE of a fixed compared to that of a sharp mech? I shoot at 60lbs 29.5in draw 406gr arrow at about 270fps.

Check out Lusk Archery Adventures on YouTube for the best broadhead testing.

 

[stevenguilmain23]

I hate to beat a dead horse here. I've watched so many broadhead test videos and scrolled through AT reading broadhead reviews for hours and yet it seems like for every positive comment on one broadhead there are three negatives. That or it gets demolished in a testing video and makes me lose all faith. I know fixed blades achieve better penetration. I also know gel blocks are a poor representation of a deers body. What I want to know is there an actual test that can quantify the difference in penetration? What's the loss in KE of a fixed compared to that of a sharp mech? I shoot at 60lbs 29.5in draw 406gr arrow at about 270fps.

W that weight an speed shouldn't have penetration issues on whitetails with either

 

[stevenguilmain23]

Forgot. See John luck videos on broadhead he puts thru all sorts tests and gives em rating

 

[168p&y]

Ya he will sell ya on who ever sponsors him

 

[stevenguilmain23]

He isn't sponsored by any of the bhead companies. I used to shoot muzzy pigman expandable awesome head don't know y discounted. Shot 2 in sevr out havoc Xbox last yr all pass thru 5 out of 7 didn't make it out site. Hoping they come out w the 2 in hybrid this yr Otta be prrfection

 

[BigXX78]

Yes. He was unable to get up & rolled over as I was walking up ready to shoot him again. I for sure checked his innards. Lungs were center punched, nice clean cuts & bleach white. There was like NO blood when I gutted him. Ironhead BH.

Yeah. Some animals have a very strong life spirit in them. It's amazing that he could still move after 1 hour. I've been lucky my bulls have died in seconds. Glad to learn how that story ended. I never shot those, but I know they were/are good broadheads.