Broadhead Recommendations
- Thread starter Dsnow9
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GlockZ
Well-known member
I've had mixed results with mechanicals, but I've never had issue with the fixed blades, for years i've been using either the Slick Trick Magnums or Vipers. Good luck with whatever you choose.
OpenCountry
Well-known member
I’ve been impressed with slick trick standard broadheads. Fly great and tough.
KipCarson
Well-known member
Boy is that ever a loaded question! There’s some strong opinions on the subject as I’m sure you’re aware. What’s the main game animal you’re hunting? That could make a big difference on broadhead choice. Personally I’ve had great results with expandables over the years, the only one I ever hated was the original rages. I can’t speak to their current quality or effectiveness. Of the ones I’ve shot my favorite expandable is the spitfire maxx. It’s dependable with ridiculously good blood trails, and you can grab a pack just about anywhere broadheads are sold if you need more in a pinch. My favorite “hybrid” were the gravedigger line, now a bloodsport head. You have the advantage of a fixed blade if your nervous about blade failure for some reason, and also the blades that expand leaving some of the best holes and blood trails I’ve ever seen. I don’t shoot a lot of fixed blades but this season I’ve been using Simmon’s Makos, 4 pigs and 3 does so far and nothing has made it more than 100 yards, with most of them falling in sight, can’t argue with that. The blood trails were decent but didnt match a large expandable but who cares if they don’t run anywhere. The main thing I like is I can resharpen them easily and don’t have to worry about replacing blades. In the end shot placement trumps broadhead style imo. In the broadhead discussions it seems to me there are far more bad shooters than bad broadhead designs! Good luck with your broadhead search!
Valley1320
Well-known member
dwatling
Well-known member
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- Mar 18, 2016
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I use to shoot Sevr mechanical broadheads, they shoot exactly like field points and no tuning required. Ive harvested a couple of deer with the Sevr with no issue. This year I put an ironwill fixed blade on and was blown away. I harvested a deer and he had his elbow kicked up over his vitals. I didn't notice until I heard the crack of his bones. 53yds through the elbow, ribs, body cavity, and out the otherside. Could never find the arrow but i don't think it slowed down at all. Ironwill broadheads are a little more expensive but more than worth it.
What version of ironwill?
Stay Sharp
Well-known member
This question cannot be answered. You may have well asked, what is the best pizza or beer or "how long is a piece of rope?"
You did not define "best" or what you value in a broadhead
Price?
Durability/re-usability?
Availability?
If American Made?
etc?
I did not include flight (a common mistake many ask about a broadhead) since eery broadhead will fly like a field point if you do your part. And I didn't include wound channel since eery head will kill if properly placed.
The brand or length of arrow also wont matter.
Perhaps include what you value in a head and what you hunt.
Price is secondary, I don’t like cheap things, you get what you pay for in my book
Durability would be ideal
Availability I guess as long as I can buy them somehow would be great
Just want a solid broadhead for elk, deer, bear, and antelope
In a way I left it open to see what everyone thought and then do some research afterwards. Often I feel like all you see is adds or paid reviews and always hard to get a good grasp of what people actually prefer.
KipCarson
Well-known member
I agree with you get what you pay for, to an extent. However I have a hard time wrapping my brain around paying for something like Ironwill. Amazing broadhead I’m sure, I have no doubt I’d love it and it would perform flawlessly, but at 3x the cost of other heads, it would put me to to risking around $48 every time I shoot at something. That’s a hard pill to swallow unless you only get to shoot 1-2 animals a year or have unlimited disposable income. In other news I’m a tightwad lol! There are many great heads that are more than durable enough and will perform great. I would keep that in mind before ignoring price altogether.
Stay Sharp
Well-known member
Im all about broadhead. I have hundreds and hundreds of diff ones and do a lot of testing and evaluations of broadheads. Its the only real important part of the bowhunters gear. I am fortunate to be able to test bowhunting gear on lie critters pretty much year round. I usually devote 2 years to a broadhead killing (literally) tons of animals with it before I go ahead and make recommendations (or warnings) to people wanting the best info. I spent the last two years evaluating the Woodsman Broadhead (from 3rivers archery) I killed a ton of deer, as well as hogs and elk and was able to take 9 animals with the same head (re-sharpen and re-use) I can whole heartedly recommend that head to you for the spices you listed. It comes in a wide variety of weights and can be pretty inexpensive if you buy the originals from 3 rivers archery but they also offer a one piece machined version that VPA machines for them. Those cost a bit more. I can supply you with a lot of pics and video of animal taken if you wish, just PM me.
Prior to that I evaluated Slick tricks for a couple years and liked them except for the small/short/stubby profile that punches game in the side and makes them run further and faster because they know they have been hit whereas the Woodsman head slips through almost undetected by game causing them to stop and look back after running only a short way. That is where they topple over.
For the next 2 seasons I will be evaluating the Palmer extreme 160. Ive already killed 2 deer this year with them and am impressed but they are 160 grains and about 1 1/2" wide so you may not care for that.
Thanks for the info. What version of the woodsman did you use or prefer?
Stay Sharp
Well-known member
I am a fan of heavy setups and high FOC and have lots of kills to back up my choice so I set my woodsman head up for 250 grains for a total arrow weight of 550 grains. You will find them in many grain weights and the VPA made woodsman at this link.
www.3riversarchery.com
They are very easy to sharpen and dont require a guide or tool to re-hone. I can PM you a video showing how.
3-blade broadheads
3-blade broadheads offer bigger blood trails than 2-blades and deeper penetration than 4-blades. They also have the most cutting surface in a broadhead.
www.3riversarchery.com
They are very easy to sharpen and dont require a guide or tool to re-hone. I can PM you a video showing how.
I am a fan of heavy setups and high FOC and have lots of kills to back up my choice so I set my woodsman head up for 250 grains for a total arrow weight of 550 grains. You will find them in many grain weights and the VPA made woodsman at this link.
3-blade broadheads
3-blade broadheads offer bigger blood trails than 2-blades and deeper penetration than 4-blades. They also have the most cutting surface in a broadhead.
They are very easy to sharpen and dont require a guide or tool to re-hone. I can PM you a video showing how.
That would be great! Thank you!
Why such a heavy setup?
I have killed a deer, bear, and a lot of turkeys with my old bow and wonky setup but am trying to learn more and understand how and why everything works now as I get more into it and start thinking of archery elk
Stay Sharp
Well-known member
I do a lot of broadhead testing and arrow setup testing. I do a lot of tuning in search of better flight and maximizing penetration on game. I like to shoot big and heavy braodheads as flight testing had shown me that high FOC requires less fletching to steer big Broadheads. The further the balance point is from the fletching the more the fletching does for steerage of big heads.
I get better flight and much more momentum (I place very little worth on Kinetic energy) with the heavy setups so I can plow through animal or hard bone impact. Nobody ever lost an animal because they penetrated too far.
The cost of heavy weight and high FOC is a slower arrow but so long as the arrow gets there by the end of the season, its all good. This might be overkill for speedy animals like antelope that wont be there by the time arrow gets there,
My Water Buffalo and Vancouver bull setup was a dual walled aluminum arrows with a 250 grain head for a total arrow weight of 700 grains. The water buff was 2000 lbs and the Hawaiian Vancouver bull wa 1000 lbs. Both have very large bones and warranted adult sized arrows. This is not required for antelope. These are some of the reasons I have zero use for mech heads and why I dont use then for the suburban deer culling I do.
The bottom line in all this is shot placement is priority Number 1. No broadhead will be worth a dam if you dont place it in the vitals. Then the head has to be durable enough to do its job and not fail/break. Sharpness is what you own (not the manufacturer) A sharp and durable broadhead that is well placed and exits the far side will result in a short tracking job.
I get better flight and much more momentum (I place very little worth on Kinetic energy) with the heavy setups so I can plow through animal or hard bone impact. Nobody ever lost an animal because they penetrated too far.
The cost of heavy weight and high FOC is a slower arrow but so long as the arrow gets there by the end of the season, its all good. This might be overkill for speedy animals like antelope that wont be there by the time arrow gets there,
My Water Buffalo and Vancouver bull setup was a dual walled aluminum arrows with a 250 grain head for a total arrow weight of 700 grains. The water buff was 2000 lbs and the Hawaiian Vancouver bull wa 1000 lbs. Both have very large bones and warranted adult sized arrows. This is not required for antelope. These are some of the reasons I have zero use for mech heads and why I dont use then for the suburban deer culling I do.
The bottom line in all this is shot placement is priority Number 1. No broadhead will be worth a dam if you dont place it in the vitals. Then the head has to be durable enough to do its job and not fail/break. Sharpness is what you own (not the manufacturer) A sharp and durable broadhead that is well placed and exits the far side will result in a short tracking job.
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I agree with many on here depends on what your shooting are for my home state Pa. almost any head that flys true is fine for a Pa. whitetail or even our average size black bears Ive taken 3 with my bow
in my area it seems a trend for last 20 yrs has been speed speed speed so many shoot lighter arrows
Ive gone the other direction like stay sharp, but havent moved to those weights yet added 100 grns to my arrows this last yr
the high end broad heads will out last and sharpen better than most all other heads so many are shoot and replace due to bending or curled tips
in my area it seems a trend for last 20 yrs has been speed speed speed so many shoot lighter arrows
Ive gone the other direction like stay sharp, but havent moved to those weights yet added 100 grns to my arrows this last yr
the high end broad heads will out last and sharpen better than most all other heads so many are shoot and replace due to bending or curled tips
midwesthunter
Well-known member
There really isn't many bad ones out there now. If you can't get a fixed blade to shoot, your bow is out of tune or it could be your form. G5 montec was one of my favorites, as strong durable and can be resharpened. Slick tricks are another fixed blade favorite. But the new fixed blade favorite is toxic, we haven't had a deer run out of sight.
Nick87
Well-known member
Your going to get about 1,000 different answers on this one. There are so many good options out there and probably very few wrong answers. Imo You need to something sharp and built strong that flies well for you. Be confident in whatever you choose. I think that's a big problem so many guys blame the broadhead as soon as something goes wrong. If the broadhead stays intact and is sharp enough to pass through it's done its job. That being said I really like QAD exodus but I bet I could pick up any other random sharp fixed blade and put it through the lungs they'll be just as dead.
deputy338
Member
Grim reaper whitetail specials, if you’re not big on expandables slick tricks have never let me down.
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