Fixed vs Mechanical...

No doubt this is a HOT topic. And I sure do not want to stir up a hornets nest or cause a Global Thermonuclear War...

So I will ask the following questions.

I intend to hunt a lot of wild pigs, shoot a few deer and turkeys here in Texas.
I hunt Black bear twice a year in Idaho, and plan to hunt elk there too.

My bow is set at 62lbs draw 27.5" shooting Easton Nano Carbon 400 arrows with a 100gr head, total arrow weight 400gr.

Based on my current personal preference, along with some input from the pro shop and some customers [one that shoots a lot of pigs] I now have 100gr Mangus Buzz Cutt 4 Blade heads.


So based on your personal experience:

Is there a better fixed blade head than the one I have picked?

Is there a suitable Mechanical head that will do what I want to do?

And for what I want to do is one head, fixed or mechanical my best choice.

Also, I would request that everybody refrain from personal attacks.

Lets not make this "political".

High tec bow hunting is new to me, and I know there is a lot of experience here on AR, and I am trying to learn as much as I can.

The Magnus is a good blade, but my choice is a Slick Trick. I've used them on elk with a 28", 60 lb bow and have gotten fantastic penetration. The blades are .035" thick and deadly sharp. The four blade cut makes a massive hole and they fly like field tips.

I am against mechanicals, having had a bad experience with them. You need a lot of energy to properly deploy a mechanical, and on top of that there's just more opportunities for them to malfunction. Keep it simple is my motto.

The Slick trick will do anything and everything that you require, and probably then some.

I like the G5 "Montec" personally.

I like the fact that I can carry a diamond stone and keep a very sharp edge on them.

Your bow has enough KE to do a good job, with a well placed shot, with just about any one of the GOOD broadheads.

Some swear by mechanicals. In my state the are illegal so I won't even look at them.....

another vote for the g5 montecs, though your setup will probably have no problems. your setup has enough energy to do the job with a good cut on contact blade.

i got penetration from behind the last rib to the exit hole just behind the opposite shoulder on a quartering elk with my montecs. my guide was shocked at the penetration, and a 40 yard shot at that.

i have used mechanicals with no problems on small tennessee whitetails, and my dad still uses them (spitfires), but i dont' think i'll ever shoot another one. its just one more thing that requires moving parts, and ol' murphy can creep in and screw things up.

I currently shoot the Bacon Busters and love they way they shoot and cut.
However the last two wild goats I shot in Hawaii did bust a blade off when shot through the shoulders.
Not a big deal, but a deal.

I wanted to do some experimenting with mechanicals several years ago and so I bought the cheapest ones I could get out at Wal-Mart and proceeded to shoot a dozen wild hogs with them.
Results? a dozen wild hogs on the ground dead as nails for the bbq.

Personally I believe that at least 90 % of the people cussing mechs are just repeating crap that they have heard others say.

quote:

Originally posted by bucko:
Personally I believe that at least 90 % of the people cussing mechs are just repeating crap that they have heard others say.

I actually think it's somewhat higher than 90%. Ask someone to only talk about broadheads they have personally shot game with and it dramatically limits their "experience".

I've used the following with great success. (IE. Clean harvest)

Muzzy 130gr Four blade
NAP Thunderhead 100grs
G5 Montec 100grs
Rocket Sidewinder 100grs (mechanical)
Rocket Stricknine 125grs (mechanical)

The Montecs are the toughest heads I've used. They truly can be resharpened to take multiple game.

The Rocket Mechanicals cut enormous holes. The entry hole is actually a lot bigger than some mfgs would like you to believe. The exit holes are just ugly. You want to put something down quick, these mechanicals bleed animals out FAST. The are pretty much always one animal, one head deals though.

Modular Fixed sometimes can have blades replaced and sometimes can't. If the ferrel or tip gets damaged (which happens pretty often). They are done.

Thanks for the info guys.
I am off tomorrow to see if I can arrow a wild pig.

Hopefully I will have a Mangus Stinger Buzz Cut broad head report.

TBG, I must be in that less than 10% group......

I went on my first big game bow hunt in 1965, been doing it every year since.

I shot compounds for a number of years before returning to longbows and recurves.

I tried a coupla different mechanicals on deer and turkey. Shot two deer with mechs and one turkey. The turkey hit at an angle and catapaulted off to the side...won't do that again. Both deer were recovered after long trailing jobs and (to me) too long to death in each case. Never again for me.

Currently I use STOS heads at 160 grains, tantoed tip and very sharp. I also use the 180 grain German Kenetics Silverflame.
troy

NE 450: Eager to hear your report. Mechanicals are unlawful in Oregon, too. Hope to be sneaking up on an elk here pretty soon, too, with my recurve. I was thinking about running Zwickeys or Wenzel Woodsman heads.

Go take a look at some Steel force Phat-Heads. The blades on em are thicker than on some skinning knives. The low profile design makes them fly great.

I have not seen the need to go to mechanical heads. Something else to fail, fixed heads have no moving part to break/fail. Take out the lungs and they all fall down.

I shoot lots of warthogs here in SA and I only used Muzzy 3 blades. I use both 100g and 125g. They work like a treat. It is what every one here that I know uses. Good luck

Well, I did not see any pigs.

My 11 year old nephew and I "snuck" down pig alley one evening, hunted in a blind one evening and cruised around one evening, no pigs.

We did see several whitetail bucks, including 6 really big ones, so bew deer season looks like it will be good.

I did get a chance to shoot the bow at 30 and 40 yards. The HHA sight works perfect, easily adjusting between the yardages.
Near as I can tell with my present skill level the field points and broadheads shoot close together.

Bowhuntrrl

I did buy a pack of Slick Trick 100gr regular heads.

I shot one of them along side my field points and my Mangus 100gr Buzz Cuts.

Again near as I can tell they hit together, at 20 30 and 40 yards.

I did make a mistake and shoot the 2 broadheads into the target together and cut one of my fletchings.

So now I only shoot one into the target at an time.

This sharp stick stuff is FUN.

Also thanks to everyone else for all the info keep it comming.