I was experimenting in my backyard lab shooting a variety of broadheads and contemplating the pros and cons of the different types of broadheads on the market. I am curious what other bowhunters like in their broadheads.

Personally, I have no use for bone breaking power like Muzzy's. From my experience these types of broadheads are the most inconsistent from shot to shot. I do like Thunderhead's though but I don't lump these in the bonebreaking power category.

Cutting diameter is very important to me, and I like what I find in many of the mechanical broadheads (my favorite being the 2 1/2" Vortex). The drawback with mechs though is penetration. I don't hesitate to use these on the 150 lb deer I am used to hunting where I live but for the bigger deer (250 plus lbs),I hunt out west, I don't think I would consider the mechs for these deer, mule deer, or even elk or moose. Although I have hunted neither Elk nor Moose.

Cut on impact probably get the best penetration for bigger game, but are not forgiving on shots that come in contact with bone. Especially on bigger animals.

So what are your thoughts?

Question:
What is the most important thing to you in a broad head?

Choices:
Bone breaking power
Cutting Diameter
Cut on Impact

 

I am a mech user due to their superior flight to fixed blades when it comes to field point accuracy comparison over longer distances.

The broadhead is what actually "KILLS" the animal. The most important factor for me is that it must be SHARP - shot placement is self explanatory in this regard. If a broadhead is really sharp and put in the right place, it allows for easy tracking and recovery due to the blood trail - sharp broadheads leave superior bloadtrails due to nature of the tissue damage they cause.

Cutting diameter is an added bonus as bigger wounds bleed more. I use the 125g Spitfires occasionally on big game but my first choice is the 125 g Steelhead by Rocket - my big blade choice for meduim sized game such as Impala/Warthog is the 100 g Rocket Hammerhead.

I'm going for another category - penetration. A close second is accuracy, because you don't need a ton of energy, big wound channel, etc. to kill a whitetail, but a good blood trail is a great thing to have.

gd

I've been primarily a mechanical shooter with my last few bows due to the high speed which can cause erratic flights with even the best of the fixed blades.

That said, broadheads have come a long way the past few years with many shooting like field points from fast bows. The Problem, most of these new broadheads are only 7/8-1 inch cutting diameter which is ridiculous IMO, I think 1-1/8 would be a better minimum CD.

The 4 most important things things I look for in any broad head are:

1. Must be very sharp
2. Must be very precise and true for perfect flight
3. Must be very durable
4. Must have at least a 1-1/8" cutting diameter

If it meets those 4 and will fly to the same POI as a field point and group like a field point I'll hunt with it.

Good Luck

Reloader

quote:

The most important factor for me is that it must be SHARP

You can say that again!

The best demonstration on broadhead effectiveness due to sharpness is to take a wooden block approx 1 foot long and place two 3/8-1/2" wooden dowels in the block about 4 inches apart. Have the dowels sticking 4-6" above the block once inserted, then place about 20 rubber bands around those dowels. These rubber bands symbolise blood vessels. Take various broad heads, place them on a shaft and shove them gently through the center down to the block. A sharp head should cut nearly all of the rubber bands.

You will be surprised how many factory broadheads will not cut the bands. Intresting experiment and a great way to show young hunters the importance of sharp heads.

Reloader

I shoot Slick Tricks broad heads.

They are easy to tune. I like the 4 blade design that will go through bone like a hot knife through butter.

I do not like the idea that you lose ke with mechanical broad heads. I have also seen mechanicals that will not go through bone.

For me important factors in a broad head.

1. consist flight.
2. strong ferrule.
3. Sharp blades & must be easy to re sharpen.
4. Cutting diameter.


Gerhard

For me sharpness accuracy and strength are the most important. I used to use mechanicals but lost a 4 pt bull elk using a spitfire (when they first came out). The blades didn't open. I've used thunderheads, sattelite titans, rocket bacon skinners, and a few others that i can't remember what they were called. I've used Muzzy 4 blades for the past 3 years with good results. Over the years I have shot almost a dozen moose and 1/2 a dozen elk, all with the bow. I have heard good stuff about the slick tricks, and may try them out this season.

Strange question because all are important. I want a broadhead the stays sharp, has thick blades, cuts on impact, has a wide cut, cuts through bone, penetrates all the way through and will not break on anything. I gave up the Muzzy because even though they killed, I broke every one in the ground on the other side of deer.
I can't see giving up a single thing!

bfrshooter, what broadhead do you hunt with then? Is there one that has all three and flies like a field point?

Maybe a combination works for some. I only shoot mechs and one of my hunting mates is a fixed cut on impact fan. We both agree that accuracy is very important - he gets accuracy with his fixed blades up to 30 yds max - so when we hunt, his 20 - 30 yard shots are taken with a Montec - anything further and he uses a Rocket Steelhead.

We have come a long way from the Stick & String to the compound - we have also come a long way with broadheads, especially the mechs. (Thats another debate for another time though....)

Skyjacker, I have good luck with snuffers and a lot of Cabella's heads. Thunderheads work for me, but I shoot 82# with heavy 2419 shafts. There are some fantastic heads today but most are so expensive and that includes some of the mechanicals that I stay with the best of the cheap. I can't see spending $34 to $38 for 3 heads, plus shipping. They must be making them out of platinum!
What happened with the muzzy is the point would drive back onto the blades after stripping the threads. They shot great and killed great. Lots of stones in the ground here though. 10" of ground on the other side of deer and they will find something to break on.
The secret is to match the arrow to the bow and tune for perfect flight. My broadheads hit the exact same point of aim as my field points at all hunting ranges and a broadhead can be shot across a field, out of sight, without veering from it's flight path, any broadhead, any size. The high speed , light arrows do not have the spine needed and is why mechanical heads are used, just remember most need more weight behind them to penetrate.
I tried some of the wide but real short bladed heads once and every deer went twice as far as one shot with long, wide blades. I see some heads in the catalog that are so small they are only good for rabbits. I firmly believe the blades should be 3X the length of the width. When you cut steaks, do you put the knife on the meat and push down or do you draw the knife across the meat? How do you cut bread?

I agree with bfr.

Accuracy is the most important to me. I shoot thunderheads when it's important.

Very good points BFR. I have experimented with several heads from Thunderheads, Muzzy's, Spitfires, etc. etc.

The two I like right now are the Montec G-5 cut on contact and 2 3/4" Vortex (mechanical). I use the Vortex at close ranges on lighter deer. They are accurate and if you make good contact, you will find the deer. The exit wound on the Vortex is bigger than most rifles. Scary.

I don't trust the Vortex on BIG deer, Boar, or any big game. They just lose too much kinetic energy at the point of impact. That's why I like the Montec G5, I have found them accurate out to 35 yards, and they fly like my field tips. I admit that I am not in the business of taking shots on deer at over 35 yards and not too many over 30 as personally, I think that is taking too much risk in shot placement.

All good points, I demand a sharp broadhead, cut on impact head that flies with great accuracy. I shoot magnus stingers now exclusivly. They are aligned within .005" of true center for great flight. I just returned from Namibia where I used 150 grain stingers on wildebeast, kudu, warthog and springbuck with perfect results.
Many hunters shy away from these "old style" heads due to mis-information on flight results.
Magnus are carefully engineered to align with the shaft. I shoot 282 FPS with no accuracy problems. My bull elk from here didn't even know he was hit after a 100 grain 4 blade stinger went thru him! He turned looked at the arrow on the ground and dropped. I have tried most mech broadheads with mixed results, mostly poor. If you have accuracy problems with magnus heads your bow is out of tune or your form is at issue.

I have to admit that some heads are worth the money like the Montec because they are tough, can be resharpened and will last a long time.
The Magnus stinger really looks good too. The price is right!
I am old school and have gone through the teething days of new style broadheads back when the Bear Razorhead was one of the best and it still works. I have a box of old heads that were so bad, many just broke on deer. I still remember a good head for a recurve, the Copperhead slicer, a good tough head but hard as the devil to sharpen. The only one I ever used that would plane was the Pearson Deadhead. It was HUGE but shot good at hunting ranges. If shot at long distance, as soon as the fletch spin was lost, it would turn and go it's own way. The worst was the original Wasp with the rings holding the thin blades in. Blades got torn up and peel out of the head on deer. Of the newer ones, the Titan was junk. The blade would curl up like a sardine can lid on a bone, the steel was dead soft and could be uncurled with needle nose pliers. I wrote Golden Eagle about them and they would not answer me. I have forgotten the names of many I have. They bring back memories though.
I still have the original mechanical called a scissorhead, made by my friend, Hal Rothgary in Elyria Ohio. When they worked, they would almost cut a deer in half but when they failed, they failed big time. Plastic ferrule!

Still got a bunch of Bear Razorheads. I think I did better with a paper airplane accuracy wise even though I killed a bunch with them. Montecs are quality as welll.

quote:

Originally posted by bfrshooter:When they worked, they would almost cut a deer in half but when they failed, they failed big time.

Sounds like the Vortex.

Stop and think how tough it was to get a recurve tuned for any broadhead! THAT was a challenge. It is so easy today there is no excuse for bad flight.

quote:

Originally posted by Reloader:
I've been primarily a mechanical shooter with my last few bows due to the high speed which can cause erratic flights with even the best of the fixed blades.

That said, broadheads have come a long way the past few years with many shooting like field points from fast bows. The Problem, most of these new broadheads are only 7/8-1 inch cutting diameter which is ridiculous IMO, I think 1-1/8 would be a better minimum CD.

The 4 most important things things I look for in any broad head are:

1. Must be very sharp
2. Must be very precise and true for perfect flight
3. Must be very durable
4. Must have at least a 1-1/8" cutting diameter

If it meets those 4 and will fly to the same POI as a field point and group like a field point I'll hunt with it.

Good Luck

Reloader

You just described the Slick Trick 100 magnum to a "T". And the Slick Trick is a fixed blade head. I've only killed two deer with them but tested the hell out of them and some other heads last year. I'll be using the ST's again this year.

I didn't read all of the replies-life's too short. If you really want to get the lowdown on broadheads it's a good idea to read the Dr. Ashley reports. They're available all over the net. Some very good insights in that information.
What I want to know is why I can't get a broadhead to sharpen as well a my kitchen knives.


the chef