Broadhead Selection

[MT Bound]

I've shot rear-deploying mechanicals for 15 years at treestand whitetail hunting and about 6 seasons of elk hunting. Don't worry about the penetration, IMO, put it where it needs to be and it will do what it needs to, I don't get caught up in the penetration argument from what I've seen on my kills.

 

[hardwoods]

I'm kinda old school and stick with what works for me. I have had luck with 100 grain 3 blade muzzy broadheads. Easy to replace blades and can practice with them. I've not had as good of luck with the 4 blade, but my last couple of bow setups have worked great with the 3 blade 100 grain.

 

[3855WIN]

I had a Rage bounce off a broadside deer. Partner killed it about a month later. Placement was perfect, but it just bounced off with no penetration.

Get to know the neighbors. The deer will leave the five acres after the shot.

 

[FLS]

Ive always shot fixed blades. Theyve worked flawlessly for me since 1984. New bows are not hard to tune, even for a newer shooter. Tons of info out there on how to do it.

 

[dgc1963]

I shoot solids went with a premium broadhead just due to liking a heavy Ga stainless
they fly like darts n let 2 holes in game

 

[bucdoego]

Another vote for Slick Tricks they fly good easy to tune and are a solid tough broadhead. A big plus is they come 4 to a pack instead of the usual 3 to a pack and I see them at $39.99 a pack in stores.
If you like to sharpen your own Magnus stingers are a good head also plus a warranty, they will replace it if you break it.

IIRC, you can replace the blades on the Mangus Broadheads too.

 

[Dan O]

IIRC, you can replace the blades on the Mangus Broadheads too.

yes you can

 

[samuel_284Win]

I am a fan of the Slick Tricks, particularly the Vipertrick model

 

[ccc23454]

My kudo 150s are on way, looking forward to see how they work on a bull or 2 this fall. If anyone needs some 100 grain Montecs pm me can sell you several and practice heads also ( my entire 100gr stock).

 

[nickstone]

My kudo 150s are on way, looking forward to see how they work on a bull or 2 this fall. If anyone needs some 100 grain Montecs pm me can sell you several and practice heads also ( my entire 100gr stock).

I've shot a few animals with Kudu 125s and really like how they perform. I just suck at sharpening them

 

[bigbuck247]

I was a no mechanical guy for a long time until last season I tried the Grim Reaper Razor tips and I wont be going back anytime soon. They have left all the animals Ive taken with them down within 50 yards and more than half within 20 (2 whitetails and 1 texas dall sheep). They leave a good blood trail but I haven't really needed it yet because you see them drop. One was a frontal quartering to me shot that I placed in that sweet spot missing the shoulder and neck and threading it in cutting the jugular on the way into the vitals and it looked like a murder crime scene with pools/puddles of blood every few feet. I looked at the Sevr but I heard too many negative mixed in the positive reviews to try them. I shoot the 1 3/8" grim reaper razor tips which are supposed to be good for everything from deer,elk, bear etc but they have a whitetail special that has a bigger cut if you strictly hunt whitetails and have decent energy with your shots.

 

[shannerdrake]

I have hunted some urban zones where 5 acres is a huge property. Most in that 1-3 range. Quick bow kills and short trails were essential. I always had the most luck with the slap type mechanicals on deer. The big entrance and exit wound are essential. Wait for a perfect broadside shot under 30 yards and all is good.

Never understood the distrust of mechanicals. I’ve been in on close to 100 deer kills with Rage broadhead and never seen a scenario where the broadhead failed. Many times when the shooter did though. True story, I’ve failed to recover two animals I shot with a 300WM. I’ve never failed to recover an animal I hit with a Rage broadhead. And I’ve shot twice as many with broadhead as I have bullets.

 

[shinbone]

For the last few elk hunts, I use VPA 100gn 3-blade vented broadheads. They're simple, durable, and easy to sharpen. I also add a 25gn steel collar from Iron Will to reinforce the weakest area of the arrow shaft, which is its end. This gives me a dead-reliable and sharp arrow with 125gn up front.

 

[golfer]

I am a fan of the Kudu points. If your bow is tuned they fly with field points and are quiet in flight. I pulled one logded in bone last year from a bull and no rolled edges and was still holding an edge.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

I have only used 4 blade muzzy 100s for the past 20 years. Have seen a lot come and go in that time. Have added a lot to the freezer as well.

 

[Tkmalphurs]

I’d always lean towards the slick tricks. In the end a full pash through is petter than not. As well as I imagine your probably dealing with brushy country and I’ve had mechanicals open mid flight from nicking a branch and totally throw off the trajectory of the arrow.

 

[Bowhuntn50]

I switch to the G5 Striker X 125 grain, had success with them.

 

[elevatorman]

The only mechanical head I trust is swhackers. I see lots of benefits, they don't waste a bunch of energy trying to punch a 2" entry hole, the blades are still razor sharp to slice all the important stuff, and they really truly do fly like field points. I've shot a few deer and have had nothing but great results. And all pass through. I still don't understand why rage, etc. Are still making heads that have to waste so much energy cutting a huge entry hole so your chance of a pass through goes down substantially and your blades that just had to punch through ribs now have to cut organs/arteries. You only get a set amount of kinetic energy when the arrow leaves your bow to get the job done and have enough left to punch an exit hole. I always want an exit hole, it's always lower on the deer than the high entry hole (I hunt from trees) and really helps tracking

If I wasn't shooting swhackers I'd personally use a single bevel fixed blade. I just spend a month or two practicing before the season and really don't want to take anymore time to have to tune broadheads and all that.

 

[elevatorman]

Oh and unlike alot of mechanicals, they have no deflection on quartering shots. The broadheads 2/3 the way in the deer before the main blades open

 

[FREAK]

I’ve used them all, my favorite so far has been the 125gr. Tooth of the Arrow. They shoot like field tips and are a 4 blade machined broadhead.

I agree with the above post on mechanicals. If I was to use one I’d go with the swhackers. I don’t use them on elk after a bad experience, but they fly straight and are tough for a mechanical BH.

I also like the slick tricks as you can pick them up anywhere and they are a relatively strong/accurate fixed blade.

If I ever loose faith in my current set up I’ll probably go down the single bevel rabbit hole. I read a lot of the Ashby studies and I think there is a lot of merit to heavy single bevel set ups, especially for elk which is the primary thing I bowhunt.