Hi guys, My wife and I each took a deer last week, (our first each) and we were using the Steelforce Phatheads in 145grs. Excellent accuracy but no blood trail at all. Mine had 6 droplets until the animal collapsed. My wife had no blood, but hers only went 30 feet because the arrow exited the offside shoulder blade.

I'm not a mechanical fan, but the rage does have my attention.

My other thought was the NAP Razorcaps with different weight ferrules to get the weight up and with 6" of cutting surface, it should be OK.

What do you guys think of these? Do you have any pics of a blood trail from your broadheads?

What bothered me, was it was my first deer, and we needed to comb the bush with flashlights to find the deer because following blood was useless. I really don't want this to happen again.

Thanks,

Blood trails depend on a lot of things. If the arrow enters at a downward angle and exits low on the body and if there is significant internal bleeding the blood will drip out of the lower wound. If it's a horizontal shot sometimes the blood pools in the body cavity and doesn't leave a trail. Three blade heads leave a better bloodtrail but sometimes at the expense of penetration.

Following bloodtrails is pretty tricky and the more you do it the better you'll get. Congratulations on the deer!

the chef

Did the arrows completely pass through?

I use 125 gr 3 blade Muzzies. Have taken 11 deer with them with the bow set at about 65 pounds.

Only one has not passed all the way through. It was high and hit the spine. Darned near went through it. I have always gotten a very significant blood trail. I can usually see a blood spray on the off side as they do the death lunge away from the point of impact.

I have seen lighter three bladed broadheads not blow through and that often results in a tough tracking job. I'd much rather have that balance of complete penetration and speed that I seem to have found.

both deer were shot out of 15' ladderstands, and both shots exited the two deer. I'm using Gold Tip lazer II bolts with 100gr brass inserts and 145gr broadheads. My wife has the same bolts less the brass inserts.

I'm thinking that since the Phatheads only have a 1" diameter there wasn't much opening to let the blood leak out.

I may give the Grizz tricks a try. They're a 4 blade as well but 1.250" wide. They're only 100gr heads so I'll have to pick up some 50 grain weights from Gold Tip to keep the energy up.

thanks for the help.

I started using the Slick Trick magnums this year. I have only shot one doe, through the center of the front shoulder and out the other side taking out a rib on the way. The shot was not intended for the shoulder but she heard the bow release and rocked back on her back legs. She made it 35 yards.

From my limited experience and the experience of a few friends, big holes, and good, short blood trails are the norm.

So far I only use the large mechanicals on turkeys. Works great. I still use cut on contact for deer, but if I were wanting a large diameter mechanical I would look at Grim Reaper or Rage.

90% of the time I use 3 blade Muzzys, 100 grain. The rest of the time it's usually a 100 grain Thunderhead. I've been sticking deer and other animals with them since the late 80s. I have never ever had a problem getting pass throughs or finding blood. It pours out both holes every time.

My bows are set anywhere from 70-80 pounds but my draw is 28".

Here is a Muzzy moment: video

I've tried fixed blades several times in the past with ok results. My favorites are the old Trilocks, the Thunderheads, and the Magnus vented two blades. Out of those the Magnus were the most accurate and shot exactly like field tips, but they leave very sparse blood trails compared to the others as they are only two blades and have a very small exit.

For the last ten years I've been trying several different types of mechanicals for the superior flight and large cutting diameter. My best luck has come from the NAP Shockwave 100s as they have very sharp blades and the penetrate as well as any fixed blade head I've used.

A shot through the vitals with a Shockwave usually leaves a nice exit wound and a blood trail anyone could follow with ease.

Many are critics of mechanicals due to several from years past that had terrible designs and also lacked in penetration. Not so with the SWs, they passthru and burry in the dirt on the offside like any other good head.

To give an idea of how good they are, a few years back I shot a doe that moved her head into the flight of the arrow at the shot. It went through the side of her face and still completely penetrated the center of the backbone dropping her on the spot. Not the best outcome, but it happened and the arrow still did it's job. The blades were still sharp, so I cleaned it, spun tested and placed it back in the quiver. A few days later a doe came in at 25 yards, I reached for that same arrow, whacked her through the lungs, she kicked, walked 10 yards and fell over. I'm a believer in the Shockwaves and have used them ever since.

One thing that also hurts alot of mechanicals is huge cutting diameters, if you are pushing a CD of 1.5"+, you will get less penetration. The SWs only have a 1-1/4" CD, so that's probably one of the reasons they've done so well.

I shot two deer opening weekend, one went 80 yards with blood all over, the other only 50 and didn't even need a trail Both were pass-thrus buried in the dirt and both still sharp after recovery.

I haven't bought on to the rage hype yet. It seems everytime I see someone shoot a deer with them on a hunting show, the arrow barely penetrates.

Good Luck

Reloader

I gave the G5 Montecs a try this year. Field tip accuracy, complete pass-through, lots of blood, and venison in the freezer. What more could you ask for?

quote:

Originally posted by Juggernaut76:
I gave the G5 Montecs a try this year. Field tip accuracy, complete pass-through, lots of blood, and venison in the freezer. What more could you ask for?

That's the one. Just awesome IME.

quote:

Originally posted by beretta96:
Hi guys, My wife and I each took a deer last week, (our first each) and we were using the Steelforce Phatheads in 145grs. Excellent accuracy but no blood trail at all. Mine had 6 droplets until the animal collapsed. My wife had no blood, but hers only went 30 feet because the arrow exited the offside shoulder blade.

I'm not a mechanical fan, but the rage does have my attention.

My other thought was the NAP Razorcaps with different weight ferrules to get the weight up and with 6" of cutting surface, it should be OK.

What do you guys think of these? Do you have any pics of a blood trail from your broadheads?

What bothered me, was it was my first deer, and we needed to comb the bush with flashlights to find the deer because following blood was useless. I really don't want this to happen again.

Thanks,

You don't need a new broadhead. Make the shot so the exit is near the bottom of the bucket and you'll get blood.

I shoot with 125 grain three blade NAP,s - crossfire, the actual blades spin independantly of the arrow and the results have been awesome.

I have shot two kudu, three blessbuck, one blue wildebeest, three warthog, one bushpig, one gemsbuck and all have had excellent and easy to follow blood trails even in the sandy areas. None of the animals have made it further than 60 yrds, the closest was a warthog, she walked 4 feet. stopped and dropped dead. perfect heart shot.

458Aubs, i have not tryed those, but i will after reading your results, Thanks ,

For the lats 20+ years my best results have been from Thundrheads and Muzzy, this year im trying out the Grim Reaper, ( go to their web site and watch their vids . very inpressive !)
never used a non fixed blade before but this one got me excited, my plans are to return to africa in 2010 and in africa when a day cost more than ( a lot of us ) make in a week, the last thing you want is a long recovery or lost game.

I have no idea if this is a good head or not,becouse i have not tested it on game myself ,but from what i have seen ,,,ill let ya know , just allways looking to improve .

good luck and let us know how you do.

Here is my buck from this year.I hit him with a rocky mt 3 blade.

Here's a blood trail. I had a passthrough and this is where the arrow fell out. Holes up high and none down low. With a hole down low it's more of a line to follow, up high it sprays out with every breath. Once he's getting low on blood the trail peters out and you'll usually find him fairly close.

the chef

My first three bow kills were with 125grn/1.25" cutting Dia Rocky Mountain fixed blade BH I used in 1985, 1986. Both kills left easy to fallow blood trails, nither deer went past 75yrds. I then gave Nap T-Heads a try in 100grn 1.25" cutting dia because my friend loaned me one and it shot better than the RM/BH out of my bow. Killed 15 deer with them, 13 Dbl/lung easy to fallow blood trails, one stuck in a yearling doe that droped on the spot after the hit, one a liver/gut hit. Left faint hard to fallow trail, but a trail none the less. Found deer, a 140"-10 pointer.

I have moved up (10+yrs ago) to a significantly faster bow (260fps vs 240fps)and 2yrs ago started using Wasp Boss 3-bladed BHs W/1-1/8" cutting dia and have killed 1 doe with them compleat pass through DBL/lung again easy to fallow trail, deer went about 60yrds.

All dear were shot from tree stands, all at a decently steep angle with exit low on oposite side of deer, all left a blood trail that could be fallowed by a hunter willing to be carefull, totally commited and go about trailing the right way.

My point being I have used three different makes of fixed blade BHs, made sure they were as sharp as possable, and I do mean sharp, put it through the boiler room of 99% of my deer and all left blood trails sufficiant enough for me to fallow to recover my deer.

I have helped in recovering deer that were shot with T-Heads, Muzzys, Rocky Mountains, and one expandable, and all left a blood trail that I was able to fallow at least in part and recover them. I am some what embarresed to relate how meny of my fellow bow hunters lack the commitment and paitents to be a good blood trailor. Blood trailing, especially after dark is often a matter of inches covered painfully slow on hands and knees.

I do not know how anyone can say a broad head failed if it was razor-scarry sharp and passed compleatly through the deer and still remained 100% intact.

beretta96
beretta last week I shot a large whitetail with one of the rage 2 blade broadheads.The shot was a well placed double lung. When the broadhead impacted the deer the broadhead was orinetated at a degree that allowed the blade to penetrate between the ribs without cutting them. The broadhead opened as intended to the full 2" cutting diameter. The arrow velocity was less than 257 fps. The arrow did not pass completly thru but the broadhead passed thru the opposite side. The impact shock actually brought the animal to its knees and it expired within 40 yards. The blood trail was amazing. I have only shot one animal with these but based on these results I would reccomend trying them. There is one complaint I have heard regarding these, if the blades of the broadhead contact your quiver they will start to slide open and must be pinched closed before shooting them. I think that there are alot of archers that are concerned when they see this that the broadhead is going to open up in flight and because of this they are buying them and then trading them off before even using them. If you go to www.archerytalk.com you will be able to pick up a pack of them cheaper than retail. I will attempt to post pictures.

I have tried a good may broadheads over the past 30 years, I have had great success with most of my set ups, I shoot a Mathews switchback right now, 70lb, carbon express 350's with 125 grain Steelforce, the cut on impact with the bleeder blades,,,, apparently they call them bleeder blades for a reason. I switched to them after my 06 plains game hunt when my friend and his son used them and everything they shot at looked like a slaughter house scene with all the blood, the video of his red hartebeast was almost like a horror flick. I used the same set up with 125 gn 3 blade Muzzy and lost no animals but not the extreme leaking of blood the steel force made. This August no lost animals and great penetration with them as well. The Steel force blew through a 1800lb eland at 35 ft,, made it about 40 yards,,, stevie wonder could have blood tracked it. Our other buddie used slick tricks and did well with them as well. Here in North America, the thinner skinned and smaller whitetails the Mechanicals will work well on but if you go to Africa,,, some Ph's request no Mechanicals on the big boned , heavier animals,,,,Just shoot some more and find what works right for your set up and get confidence with them.

I have killed a bunch of deer with different broadhead's throughout the 30 plus years of my bow hunting. I have always used a fixed blade broadhead, never trusted the mechanical's. I was always told to keep it simple. I have been using Muzzy broadhead's for 9 or 10 years now, if I remember correctly. I use the 4 blade 125 gr. 1 1/8 inch cut.

I always have had the arrow pass through the deer, I shoot low enough so the blood runs out. If you shoot a deer too high in the lungs, the chest cavity will fill up before you get any blood trail. From a tree stand, the downward angle usually will give you the lower exit wound for the blood trail. I hunt from the ground a lot and just shoot lower to hit the bottom of the lungs and heart.