Broadheads

[Buckslayer]

Not to pick on Seth, but I believe therein lies the deciding factor in a lot of cases in regard to this issue. It's fine to take that approach, and trust me I did for years. But what happened was I took a liking to tuning bows when I was learning to shoot. I'm not happy if I'm not shooting beer can groups at 40-50 yards and to do that, you gotta tune and do so frequently. (Not to mention shoot, and shoot, and shoot!) By default, a fine tuned bow will shoot lasers with nearly any fixed blade broadhead. Guys who are comfortable shooting fixed heads to 40-50+ yards and can do so proficiently, are generally tuning junkies also. I say none of this to say our way is better. What I'm saying is for me personally, when "good enough was good enough", I loved shooting my mechanicals. When I started to develop a perfectionists mentally with my equipment, I started eliminating variables. When I build arrows, I weight each nock, insert, field point, vane, then finished arrow so I can batch arrows to within +/- 1 or 2 grains of one another. I also spin test my finished killing arrows. It's just another example of possibly taking things TOO far, but that attention to detail is what eventually lead me back to fixed blades. In eliminating the variables first in my bow and arrows, I was able to take out another variable in "potential mechanical failure" by going back to a fixed blade head. I put two G5 Tekan II's through deer with failures. I've seen Rage failures. I had Grim Reaper failures. Seen a horrible Piston Point failure. Those failures started to weigh on my mind and it got to the point where I wanted to remove that doubt from my own head. When I screw that Slick Trick on the end of an arrow, I know it'll hit where I want and stop after it's done eating. For me, that confidence is vital. This game is largely impacted by confidence and my decision to shoot fixed blade heads boils down to that simple idea...

I personally am not a target/competition shooter...I shoot periodically throughout the year at my block or a 3-d target just to keep consistent groups. I usually just buy my arrows at dicks/dunhams and have them cut to the correct length. If I were to spend more time into shooting and building my arrows I would certainly be more apt to try different setups and tune everything perfectly. Thats just me personally, doesnt apply to anyone else and everyone has certain ways they do things.

 

[Buckslayer]

How in sam hell do you time an arrow? I'm serious... I don't know. Someone there with a stopwatch?

Chronograph?

 

[bowhunter1023]

I personally am not a target/competition shooter...I shoot periodically throughout the year at my block or a 3-d target just to keep consistent groups. I usually just buy my arrows at dicks/dunhams and have them cut to the correct length. If I were to spend more time into shooting and building my arrows I would certainly be more apt to try different setups and tune everything perfectly. Thats just me personally, doesnt apply to anyone else and everyone has certain ways they do things.

I agree man. To each his own. We're all in this for the same reason. Nobody said we had to go about it the same way! That's one of the great things about hunting IMO...

 

[Buckslayer]

I agree man. To each his own. We're all in this for the same reason. Nobody said we had to go about it the same way! That's one of the great things about hunting IMO...

Totally agree, I wish I had the equipment and time to build my own arrows and work on my bow and be able to fix anything that would happen to it, BUT fishing, golfing, and working seem to get in the way especially the working part. I have been dreaming of learning how to do taxidermy for a few years but cant seem to come up with the money, time, space to do so.. As long as I am enjoying nature and being out there I am happy.

 

[brock ratcliff]

Heck Jesse, I wouldn't shoot any of those mechanicals either. Some, however will open when they are supposed to, and stay closed when they are supposed to. The most simple design, no bells and whistles applies to mechanicals too. The true beauty of mechanicals is most noticeable when shooting in the wind imo. And hunting where I do most, wind and longer range shots are the norm. Mechanicals allow me to shoot a low profile, shorter, light weight vane as I don't have to worry about getting that big shovel shaped fixed blade spining for stability. There are junk broadheads in both styles. Koplin comes to mind when I think back a few years... I shot a couple of deer with them too. Red Fury was another that was a worthless piece of garbage. Heck, when Wasp first hit the scene, the schick blades fell out more often than they stayed in, but they were sold as the greatest thing ever since a guy didn't have to sharpen them. I wouldn't trade my mechs out of my compound for anything to kill whitetails, and my snuffers get me all giddy everytime I sharpen 'em. Probably some good and bad with every head on the market.

 

[cotty16]

Who's timing arrows? You can tune 'em if you want, but timing is new to me...

I dont know... They were saying they shoot this time with a whisker biscuit and that time without. How do you know?

 

[epe]

I dont know... They were saying they shoot this time with a whisker biscuit and that time without. How do you know?

Chonographing them. Will tell you the fps. Same thing for gun bullets. Hell I used to use my dads chonograph to test the speed of my bb guns.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Chonographing them. Will tell you the fps. Same thing for gun bullets. Hell I used to use my dads chonograph to test the speed of my bb guns.

I kinda thought that's what you were referring to Mike. A chronograph will give you the FPS by measuring the speed of your arrow as it passes through the chrono. Most bow shops have one and some will let you use them for free. I like to know the numbers mainly to calculate my KE...

 

[Big H]

To each his own, if you like it and are happy with it stick with it. Same can be said for many things in life. I have shot ST's at least 6 years now, they flat out do what I want them to and that is kill deer. I used Razorback 3's for years before they quit making them and before that it was Bear Razorbacks.

Just remember, "It is the Indian, not the arrow", you can outfit some moron with all the best equipment, and he/she will still be a moron. I don't get involved in much of the outdoor hype. Hell, I would still be shooting a Bear Vapor 300 if my buddy hadn't called and told me his uncle was getting a new Z7 and got me a GREAT deal in a 2 year old Matthews Drenalin. When I was trapshooting heavy, I had two basic loads, used one gun (Ljutic Mono Gun) and didn't worry about the guys choreographing loads and shooting different guns all the time. So I guess I am a KISS kinda guy?

 

[cotty16]

I kinda thought that's what you were referring to Mike. A chronograph will give you the FPS by measuring the speed of your arrow as it passes through the chrono. Most bow shops have one and some will let you use them for free. I like to know the numbers mainly to calculate my KE...

Thats good info. I never knew. My biggest flaw is that I'm not much of a technician. I just shoot. If I'm sited in I'm happy. Maybe I need to tweak my approach and be more detailed.

I'm reading and learning guys and gals. Great thread!

 

[rgecko23]

Guys this is a great thread, (we all know this would have been shut down elsewhere)

There is some very good info on here.

 

[jagermeister]

How 'bout a little pot stirrin'..... :smiley_bril:

[video=youtube;aZRzBYuBIc4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZRzBYuBIc4[/video]

 

[RedCloud]

You can do better then that JB.

[video=youtube;Qc-srIw3na0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc-srIw3na0[/video]

 

[jagermeister]

Lol... yea that's a good one too, RC. No matter which BH test video you find out there, one thing remains consistent... the mechanical heads always lack on penetration compared to the fixed-blade heads. I will say, though, if there's one mechanical broadhead I like out there it's the G5 Tekan IIs. I know Jesse didn't have good outcomes with them, but I've had nothing but good luck with them. 4 deer killed and no broken blades, all pass-throughs. Granted, every one of them was a rib shot, but they got it done. That headshot on the woodchuck I made a couple weeks ago was with an old Tekan II... right through the back of the skull and buried into the rocky ground... still in one piece.

 

[RedCloud]

Lol... yea that's a good one too, RC. No matter which BH test video you find out there, one thing remains consistent... the mechanical heads always lack on penetration compared to the fixed-blade heads.

Watched a hunting show the other night and I wish I knew what braodhead the woman was using. She shot a buck at 30 yards with her 40# bow and the BH hit, stuck, and within a few steps fell back out on the ground. She did kill it or at least that was the edited version. I swear that arrow only had at the most 3" of penetration on that buck and if she got one lung she was lucky. I'm not saying it was the BH's fault but I'm sure it didn't help because I have to believe it was a mechanical head that robbed the KE to drive that head into the deer better. Not very many shows out there where they use fixed blades anymore. Her issue was more of a TOO far of a shot for her bows poundage.

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

I'll keep that in mind the next time I get the urge to shoot a raccoon...inside a burn barrel.

 

[Big H]

Watched a hunting show the other night and I wish I knew what braodhead the woman was using. She shot a buck at 30 yards with her 40# bow and the BH hit, stuck, and within a few steps fell back out on the ground. She did kill it or at least that was the edited version. I swear that arrow only had at the most 3" of penetration on that buck and if she got one lung she was lucky. I'm not saying it was the BH's fault but I'm sure it didn't help because I have to believe it was a mechanical head that robbed the KE to drive that head into the deer better. Not very many shows out there where they use fixed blades anymore. Her issue was more of a TOO far of a shot for her bows poundage.

Pretty sure that was Nuge's wife Shermain? I don't think they use mechanicals, but I could be wrong. I know it wasn't saddlepants because the bow was a hot pink or something.

 

[RedCloud]

Pretty sure that was Nuge's wife Shermain? I don't think they use mechanicals, but I could be wrong. I know it wasn't saddlepants because the bow was a hot pink or something.

Nope, wasn't her. I have seen her hunt and know what she looks like. This was a young girl and not one of the main celebs of the show but a friend of one the members and was hunting. She was mid 20's sitting on an edge of a friged forage food plot I think. She had missed a doe the day before at 20 yards but arrowed a good buck at 30 yards and had the arrow fall back out of the entrance hole. I will have to look and see if I can find the episode on-line. I tried earlier but I can't remember what show it was on the Outdoor channel. Most times that channel is background noise but I just happed to be watching the show for once lol.

 

[Jackalope]

The proof is in the pudding.. Funny how i hear people say "when i start hunting barrels or osb i'll keep this in mind" But facts is facts.. The ST not only held it's own with the other fixed blades, it came out with the least damage.. And comparing it to a rage on the osb, the results are obvious. Sure you might not be shooting osb, or barrels, but what about bones, what about a long hard quartering away shot.. It't obvious the rage is robbed of KE no matter what the material is.. Be it meat and bone, or metal and osb.

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

The proof is in the pudding.. Funny how i hear people say "when i start hunting barrels or osb i'll keep this in mind" But facts is facts.. The ST not only held it's own with the other fixed blades, it came out with the least damage.. And comparing it to a rage on the osb, the results are obvious. Sure you might not be shooting osb, or barrels, but what about bones, what about a long hard quartering away shot.. It't obvious the rage is robbed of KE no matter what the material is.. Be it meat and bone, or metal and osb.

Learn me something then, what's the difference between a ST and the 4 blade muzzy 100 that I'm shooting? Are we talking Ford v. Chevy, or Jetta vs Freightliner? Engineering? Component quality?