Broadheads: Mechanicals vs. Fixed Blades

I was wondering what your experience  has been with mechanical blades vs. fixed blade broadheads on deer? What manufacturer's broadhead are you currently using?

I love the mechanicals.  Reason being, first, they have a larger cutting diameter.  Secondly, they fly truer.  I have shot a lot of broadheads and will stick to the Aftershock Archery broadheads.  They are wicked.   Just my humble opinion.

The Top Shot Archery Team
Aftershock Archery Field Staff

I may get called some bad names from the mechanical advocates out there for saying this, but I have thick skin so I can take it:
 
I will NEVER use a broadhead on a big game animal that has the inherent ability to fail -- namely mechanicals.  I understand that mechanicals "have come a long way since their inception", but I feel that I owe it to the game animals that I pursue to employ a broadhead that has absolutely no way of failing if used properly. 
 
I'll be honest, I am not one for change.  In fact, I shot the same brand of broadhead for over 20 years UNTIL I tried the G5 STRIKER.  Once I saw how accurate this broadhead is, I quickly made the switch from my old heads to the STRIKER.  Now, I'm not saying that everyone will enjoy similar accuracy simply by using the STRIKER, but with my particular setup, this head flies better than my field points!  I am using the 3 bladed, 125-grain G5 STRIKER on a 2317 XX78 shaft that is delivered from a 78-pound Hoyt Vectrix XL compound bow.
 
Another factor to consider besides broadhead selection is shot placement.  In my opinion, shot placement should be the Number 1 concern of all bowhunters no matter if a mechanical or a fixed blade head is used.  I'm not advocating this practice in any way, shape or form, but if you zip an arrow through the lungs of a big game animal that is tipped only with a field tip that animal's lungs will collapse and it will soon die, resulting from hemorrhagic asphyxiation.  Collapse the lungs of any big game animal on the planet with a mechanical or fixed blade head and this discussion soon becomes moot. 
 
Take care and Good Hunting!
 
Best Afield,
 
Steve     
 
 

I shot mechanicals up until a few years ago.
 
I used to shoot NAP 125 grain Spitfires.  I had some sucesses with them, but the failures I had with them far out weighed the sucess.  The cou de gras for my switch to fixed blade happened in 2004 when I hit a doe behind the shoulder and the arrow failed to penetrate.
 
I switched to fixed blades and have never looked back.
 
I currently shoot Steelforce Sabortooth 125 grain broadheads and have had great sucess with them.  Do to the fact I am using a faster bow this season(X-Force TS) I will be switching to the lower profile Steelforce 100 grain Phatheads.

Todd Segner 
PSE Field Staff, TRU Ball Releases Shooting Staff,
HIPS Targets Pro Staff, Any Budget Outdoors Writer,
Rage Broadheads Pro Staff, On Target2 Shooting Staff

Chuck Adams used to be very negative when it comes to mechanical broadheads.  Now I see he is a proponent for the Rage mechanical.  I wonder if it's just for the money or if he actually uses them.

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06

Hey all been missing for a while, hog hunting in Ga...what a blast ! I'll post pictures when I'm on my computer... aside from that I really want to try the expandables or mechanicals but I just dont trust them. Even 1 mishap is enough for me. The way I look at it if I screw up 1 shot a year with my cut on contact heads, I screw it up with a bad shot. Now if I get that same shot I dont want to "compound" the problem by having a mechanical fail. Keep in mind I realy want to try them, I also want to use the FOB's but I have yet to try them

Sab

Until I have a deer walk away from a double lung shot from my 3 blade Muzzy, I will stick with them.  What is the old saying...."If it ain't broke...."

Love playing that string music and sending a Muzzy flying!

Denali,
 I'd be happy to take those G5 Srikers off your hands for you & put them to good use- so long as they are 100 grains!
 
 I too used the Spitfire XPs until I had an occurrance of "failed to open".  Last time that happened as I switched to German Kinetics Silver Flames and G5 Strikers (both in 100 grains).  If I know I'm hunting spots that will only afford me shots 20 or closer, I use the G5 Strikers.  If there's any chance for a shot beyond 22 yards, I use the Silver Flames.  Both of these heads fly right with my field points out to 22 yards.  Beyond 22 yards, I see a slight "drift" with the G5 Strikers which increases as I increase distance.  The Silver Flames fly just like my field points out to 40 yards.
 
Rob

May your arrow fly true & avoid all timber

I have shot rocket broadheads (hammerheads and miniblasters) for ten of the last eleven years and never had a failure. Tried the spitfire but they take a lot of force to open. Rockets open so easy you can't even shoot them through the shoot thru mesh of a ground blind. I shoot 70 lbs+ and a 450 gr arrow and that makes a lot of kinetic energy, enough to push the 2 inch hammerhead all the way through every deer I have ever shot. Never lost an animal with the rocket broadheads evev if the shot was a little off the mark. I want the biggest hole I can get and still pass through whatever I shoot.

I have used both fixed and mechanical and without a doubt I like the mechanicals.  I use the Rage 2 blade expandable and I swear by them.
 
Just my .02

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

I grew up hunting elk in the west. In Oregon you can only use fixed blade. It really cut the "comfortable shot distance" down for me due to planing issues out past 25 to 30 yards. I fell that under 20 yards my accuracy isn't affected, but past that I'd rather use a mechanical. I've been using the Rage 3 blades for 3 years now and love them. I've taken two double lung shots and one  through both front shoulders. All shots had perfect blade deployment and "easy-to-use" blood trails.

Kraig Osborne
Hunter since birth, NAHCLM, USN

Before Rage came into the show, there was another one identical to it named the Snyper. When they first came out, I was hunting whitetail in Alberta with a couple of friends of mine and had not see them before. I watched one of these heads split open a ground squirell. I was amazed at how easy they were to open. I also witnessed one go through both grissel plates of a 300lb hog and keep going. I too am thick skinned as Steve is and only use fixed, Thunderheads or Wasp, and have heard the horror stories from using the mech heads on deer. From not openeing to shooting at qtr'ing away shot and have one of the blade deflect the shot and just slice the hide open. I guess it is pers pref. but stay with what works. I also would have to believe that Chuck is in it for the money.........................................................................MPO

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

I'm a fan of fixed blade heads, myself. Right now I shoot Grizzly 190gr 2-blade heads, to be specific. Hard steel, heavy grained, and single-bevel... so even if everything goes completely wrong and I end up hitting shoulder blade or rib, I can still be confident in some level of penetration. That said, it's what works for me - others may fare differently!

Fixed Blade!

I am personally not opposed to change, but it has to work and be an improvement. I have tried, simply due to advertising, several mechanicals in the past, but I always come back to my Muzzy's. NEVER had problems with those doing a fine job in flight or in the kill. Most shots look like a NY murder took place. This past year I tried the 3 blade Rage, thinking - well, an additional blade...another cutting surface - vs the 2 blade... anyway, didn't like them at all. They ended up 'deploying' in my quiver several times during the hike in to hunt and just generally felt like a pain in the ass. They are expensive too. I just promptly went back to my Muzzy's and never looked back.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

NAHC-L, NRA

I'm still sticking to my Thunderheads and Wasp SST's. They still come in 6 paks unlike every other head that USED to come that way.

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

Here we can't use mechanicals for big game - so I have no experience with them.
I don't see the need, either.  My fixed bladed broadheads fly great, and I hit the same spot as with field points.
If the law here changes, or if I hunt somewhere they're allowed, I might try mech. heads someday, but might not, too.

I have bow hunted since the early 1960's and always used fixed blades until two years ago. I finally broke down and tried the Tekan mechanicals 100 gr. I was impressed enough with their performance on deer that I am still using them. If I have a problem with them or hunt an area where mechanicals aren't legal, I will switch back to the 100 Gr. Thunderhead, these are some of the toughest points I have ever shot.

I used thunderheads in Oregon on elk as well. They are some of the toughest fixed blades I've ever shot, but like mention before, they do have a tendancy to plain. Same with Rocky Mountain Satellites, way back in the day. Now that I've hunted other areas that allow mechanicals I strictly use Rages 3 bladers. there are tons of fixed blades on the market these days, I've heard nothing but good things about Muzzys. They don't seem to plain at all. If I had to switch over to fixed blades I think I'd give them a whirl.

Kraig Osborne
Hunter since birth, NAHCLM, USN