mechanical broadheads

What do you guys think of mechanical broadheads? I'm extremely skeptical. I shoot Wasp fixed heads and love them. I still use that "keep it simple stupid" philosophy but maybe I'm missing something. I don't see myself switching over but I would like some opinions. Thanks.

dodgeman_29

Mechanicals have come along way from the ones they first came out with. In my opinion, you still need to stay away from the ones that have the 180 deg flip to open. Cam opening are by far the best. Add cut-on-contact and now you're talking. My wife started out using the Spitfires and as long as the animal is perfectly broadside, no problems, She is now using the Wasp Jackhammers in 100gr fixed.  I have switched from the old reliable Thunderheads to the Steeforce Phatheads. Alot better flying head and NO O-RINGS to deal with anymore. They are a 2 blade,fixed, cut on contact head and have a small bleeder blade in them. They are also a very heavy duty head meaning that they are alot thicker in the body that any of the rest. There are some very good mech's out there, like the Rage. These are a take off from the older Rocky Mt. Snypers. Cam opening, cut on contact head and really do a num. on animals. And they fly like field pts. Stay away from the 3 blades though.

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

Here is what I wrote in June of 2008 on this subject:
 
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", (nothing personal against you Gary, that is exactly what I wrote back in June of 2008 LOL!) 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. 

I recently shot a coyote in Manitoba, Canada at 31 yards with an XX78 tipped with a G5 3-bladed STRIKER and put that shaft tight behind its shoulder and he died within seconds.  I mean I hit a spot the size of a nickel on that yote while shooting out of a ground blind window.  Now that to me is an accurate broadhead/arrow combination.  Why would I use anything else?  
 
Take care and Good Hunting!

Best Afield,

Steve     

Nothing taken Steve. I use fixed on both my bows and my wife uses them also now. I also am not a big fan of mech's. Don't like the failure rates.  LOL

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

I'm going off of personal experience, no "I had a buddy" stories. I shot thunderheads and some wasps for years, I switched over to Rages about 4 years ago and do not have one bad thing to say about them. They fly just like my field points, open when they should and stay closed when they should. I agree with Gary about the over the top mechanicals, they are not worth a second thought. But the cam style, specifically the Rage 3 blades have worked flawlessly for me now for 4 years running. I put one through two shoulders on a doe, spined one doe, two lunged a little buck and a doe, two lunged a better buck (very steep angle), and livered my latest buck (nerves got to me). I can't wait to send another Rage flying.

Kraig Osborne
Hunter since birth, NAHCLM, USN

ko,
 Make sure you check state regs for the 3 bladed Rages. Pa does not allow them as they, when fully open have a tendency to act as a barb, thus outlawed in Pa. I think that are a few other states as well that do not allow any type of arrow to act as a barb when shot.

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

Yeah, New York is another one and Oregon doesn't allow mechanicals at all. Thanks for watching out for a brother in arms though, I appreciate it.
 
To sumarize how I feel about mechanical or fixed........ If you feel good with what you have then you have the right one

Kraig Osborne
Hunter since birth, NAHCLM, USN

I agree, if you are happy with what you have and it is affective, then by all means knock yourself out, have fun and bring home the meat. Good luck y'all and happy hunting...................

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

Steve. I agree with what you wrote 100%. I know a lot of guys are switching over to mechanicals and I don't know a lot about them that's why I asked. You hit it on the head with shot placement too. You put an arrow through the boiler room and I don't care what kind of broadhead you use, that deer should be yours. I've only shot 3 different brands of heads in my 25 years of bowhunting. Savora when I was a kid, Thunderhead and Wasp. I'll stick with my Wasp heads until they quit making them. My arrows fly like darts.
Thanks for the input fellas.

dodgeman_29

I shoot nothing but Muzzy. 3 blade 100gr. Until they quit making them....Muzzy is my brand!

Love playing that string music and sending a Muzzy flying!

Me too, Bowman. I am shooting the Muzzy MX-3's this year and like them a whole lot. Wider cut, shorter blades than the regular 100's. Kind of like a slick trick except with that kick-azz trocar tip. Fly straight and kill great!

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 was wrong when I said I've only shot three different heads in my bowhunting life. It's four. The reason I bring it up is many years ago when I was in my late teens I made the mistake of buying some cheap Satellite broadheads for hunting. I had a small six at 12 yards angling perfectly away and took the shot. I made a good shot and that should have been it but it wasn't. The arrow deflected off of a rib and slid down the side of the deer, never boring into the chest cavity. I watched that buck walk off with the arrow hanging straight down his side. It sliced about 5" of his hide down his ribs up to where it stuck in the back of his shoulder. I let him go and tracked him for about a mile and a half the next day before losing the blood trail. (there was a light dusting of snow) That's one of the two deer that I've hit and not found and it was completely my fault. That is the most terrible feeling in the world no matter how it happens but especially when it was all on me. The lesson I learned is that your broadheads are not the place to cut corners. We owe it to the animals we hunt to use equipment that will make the quickest, cleanest kill possible in all situations.

Good luck, be safe and shoot straight

dodgeman_29

Clients in past years have allot of trouble with mechanical not opening properly, lack of blood trials & no pass through. BUT have to give credit this fall I have seen Rage 3 blades mechanicals work flawlessly....honestly kinda impressed.

Monty,
I have a couple of friends that are using RAGE this year. One with the two blade and one with the three blade. The buddy shooting the two blade harvested a doe...that was one heck of an entry and exit wound. I agree with Stan Potts...looks like you threw an axe through the animal!

Still sticking with my Muzzys though.

Love playing that string music and sending a Muzzy flying!

I stand corrected about the quote on the "axe" comment. It was not Stan "Give me a minute" Potts. It was Chuck Adams. I have only seen the commercial once and got the two switched up.

Thanks Steve

Love playing that string music and sending a Muzzy flying!

I have never been a fan of mechanicals

I started out with NAP Spitfires and had a few failures with them, went to fixed blades until this season.
 
I recently acquired one of PSE's speed bows(X-Force) which is throwing a 370 grain total weight arrow at 310 fps, I could not get my steelforce fixed blades to fly accurately from this bow(the rep from steelforce even told me that if your bow is shooting above 295 fps to use a good mechanical, because the fixed blade is going to plane), so I switched to the rage 3 blade mechanical and boy am I sold on them.
 
This head blew right through the shoulder blade and out the other side on my archery whitetail a few weeks ago and only had to go a few yards to find him. 
 
I was leary of using the rage head based on my past experiences with mechanical heads, but the rage has definetely changed my mind on that.

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