soroko wrote:

quote:

A 70# bow is more than enough for African game up to and including Eland (the largest of our antelope) I shoot mechanicals with big cutting diameters - Rockets and Spitfires - I like the blood trails from them and the stopping power of the heavier bow but am the first to admit that mostly I am overbowed for what I hunt.

I have used 2 blade fixed heads for years with my traditional equipment. Now that I'm changing to a cam bow, are the mechanicals reliable? I've read some good things about the Rocket Steelheads. Thanks!

depends on what you're hunting for. I shot whitetails for quite a while with spitfires without any issues, and recently went back to fixed blade heads. If i were going to start shooting mechanicals again, I'd use grim reaper razor tips. I'm currently shooting rocket ultimate steel heads, and they penetrate extremely well. As far as reliability goes, I never had an issue with the spitfires, so thats really all I can comment about.

gd

You either like mechanicals or you dont and there can be much to debate either way.

Shot placement is the most important - whether a fixed blade or a mech.

Having said that, the primary reason that I shoot mechanicals is the fact that they impact the same place as my fieldpoints do up to 80 yards. All the confidence that I build up on the 3D range/target range is carried over into my hunting.

When I shot fixed blades, I always had to retune my bow before I went hunting as the fixed did not impact the same place as the fieldpoints. This was a great disadvantage.

Your bow will definitely handle the mechanicals well. I can vouch for the Rockets as well as for the Spitfires.

AC,

I can not preach enough on NAP Shockwave Expandable Broadheads. They are the top of the line head as far as Mechanicals go. I have shot piles of Mechanicals and none have ever given me the penetration of these heads. I would shoot them for anything in NA. They have very sharp blades and a very tough tip. So far I've only been able to test them on a few deer but, I've shot them through bone and still gotten great pentration. I shot one completely through a deers back bone dead center. I've seen muzzys stop in a back bone. Most of the time when I shoot a deer with them they bury deep in the earth behind the animal. One year I shot two Doe with the same head and one dropped, the other took the hit and just walked for ten steps and fell over. I'm not saying they are better than a fixed blade but I will say they will give you fixed blade penetration and field point flight. I don't like Spitfires because they require too much force to open the blades, Some times don't open great on soft tissue, and sometimes will open in flight and cause a horrible planing effect. An expandable with an Oring or tiny rubber band holding the blades is the only way to go, they open much easier than spitfires but will not open in flight. Some have good luck with the SFs and I'm glad they do, they just aren't for me.

I decided to try some two blade fixed heads this season(Magnus) because they shot so well from my Mathews. I was only able to get one deer with that head and will try to get more this season but, I was disappointed with the lack of a blood trail and the distance the deer ran after a great hit. I get huge blood trails with the expandable Shockwaves and Wasp Jackhammer SSTs.

Good Luck

Reloader

Before you take an expandebale on Safari, check with your PH. I have seen and talked to several that did not want expnadables in camp. Supposedly they had problems with them concerning poor penetration and longer and harder tracking of the animal. I have never shot mechanicals so I have no personal opinion, they look really neat. I have shot numerous fixed head brands over the past 30 years and have done well with everything I have shot. Confidence in your equipement due to its performance in the field will make us all lean to what has worked for us in the past. I shot Muzzy 125 3 blade in Namibia without any problems last August. I hear a lot of positive comments on Slick Tricks, and saw from my friends succes how well he did with a steel force on Gir., zebras and elands. There is a world of great products and certain bows shoot certain heads better, same with bullets and rifles. Do check with your PH before going to see if he has any rules equipement wise before traveling and gettting a bad surprise.

I shoot the 85 grain SpitFires and have had very good success. I've only taken whitetails with them but every deer I've shot at with these broadheads have gone home with me that evening.

Good luck!!

For interest sake Reloader, what setup do you hunt with?

You make a good comment on checking with the PH first ......... I had hunted on a specific property on the Limpopo for a number of years. I arrived with a group of fellow hunters who I had organised and the owner was not there - the person looking after the place said that he did not allow mechs - I explained to him that I had hunted there often in the past with mechs and that if I could not hunt with what worked for me, I would leave. To cut a long story short, as I was the organiser, he did not want me to leave and made an "exception." (He had never used mechs but had heard a lot of bad things about them....)

The next morning I shot two warthog with Rocket Hammerheads - neither went further than 30 yards and the blood trail between where shot and where recovered was awesome. The next day I shot a very impressive Impala ram with a Hammerhead - he was dead on his feet the moment the arrow passed through his lungs - he only made about 20 yards.

The "anti mech" guy picked my game up and was quite impressed with the blood as well as quick death of the animals shot. He ASKED to buy a pack of Hammerheads off me - I gave them to him as a gift. Guess what he now uses for warthog...............?

Posting for Soroko.

Blood trail from Hammerhead:








The Entry:



The Exit:



The Blesbok:



[Hopefully I labelled those properly.]

Thanks Charles, appreciated.

As you can see Andy, the bigger blades give great blood trails. The Hammerhead used on the Blesbok cut a rib in half going in and did the same going out. I dont recommend using the big cutting diameters on game over meduim size though.

Soroko,

I've Been using a Mathews LX. Slightly over 70lbs pull @ 30" draw. Hunting Medium game (Hogs and Whitetail mostly) I like to shoot Gold Tip 55/75s with 3 or 4" vanes. Accessories are a Lynx quiver, Cobra dampening stabilizer, Carolina Archery Droptine Whisker Biscuit rest, TruGlo LED lighted Sight, Shrewd Grip, Limbsaver leeches, and LS limb savers. This setup gives me just over 300 fps with 100 grain heads. I used a Bow Tech Patriot for a short time before this bow setup the same. The BT was alittle slower(290s).

The LX is a nice shooting bow.

I've got to order strings soon, my current strings are getting worn a bit.

What rig are you shooting?

Have a Good One,

Reloader

Reloader - The LX has always been a great bow - I shoot a 100# Tribute. The limbs went a while ago and whilst waiting for replacments, I have the 80# ones on. I actually like them and might just leave them on and store the others. I use Easton 300's or Big game 100's with an airtube insert to weigh them in @ 660 grains - broadhead included. I have a cobra easy slide and a Trophy Taker dropaway rest.

Nice Set-up, I bet it's really packing the KE.

When pushing that much energy, do you ever have a problem losing blades?

Have a Good One

Reloader

Reloader - on bigger game, yes I have with the Hammerheads. The Steelheads hold up very well as with the shorter blades they are tougher. The Spitfires blades are thicker than the Hammerhead and I have yet to see one broken.

Soroko,

Another mech. that has peaked my intrest is the Tekan:

http://www.g5outdoors.com/#sec_tekan

I haven't heard many field results with them but, they appear to be a very sound design. Montec builds good heads.

Reloader

Reloader - I got a set of three 125g Tekans as a gift and used all three. I shot an Impala and two warthog with them and got pass throughs on all three and good blood. The blades are real easy to replace and the design allows for a 4 way cut. (The tip gives 2 and the blades the other two.)I was impressed but they are not my first choice. They are also real sharp out of the pack.

Thanks for the on game report with the Tekans, Sounds like they should be great heads for medium game.

Here's an interesting test on several broadheads:

http://www.american-hunter.com/broadheads/broadhead_test.htm

Have a Good One

Reloader

Thanks Reloader - that is very interesting info, deserving of a "Thread Of Its Own."

The 100 grain Rocket Steelhead got a good report. The 125 grain has an obvious larger cutting diameter and the Hammerhead an awesome 2 inch diameter. I use the 125 grain on big game and the 100 grain Hammerhead on Blesbok, Impala, Warthog etc. (As I said, I have also used Tekans and Spitfires with great results.)

The sharpness out of the pack re the Rockets has always been a concern to me............they USED to be sharp, seems to have dropped a bit.

There really is no need to use mechs if your bow is in tune !!! I've been using Slick Trick 4 blade fixed heads for 3 years and can't say enough about them. They fly like my field points out to 70 yards and make an impressive hole. Been there and done that with mechs, just one more thing to go wrong !! The more you can simplify your set up, the better off you are. There are still enough things that can happen, you really don't need to throw the possibility of a mech not opening into the mix IMHO.

So you are anti mech, thats OK. I get tired of that old line about "if your bow is in tune crap" - mine is and I simply made a choice to use what works for me. Save the explanation marks, you make your point.

Having said that bowhuntrrl, the Slick Tricks are as good as you say they are and the rest of your advice is sound.

happy hunting