Bigjav
Active member
I'm making the switch to mechanicals this year after shooting fixed blades for years. My question is do I have to align the blades with the arrow vanes like I did for fixed blades?
Mechanical broadheads
- Thread starter Bigjav
- Start date
Brendan
Member
No, you actually don't need to do that for fixed blades either.
You do want to make sure they spin true on an arrow spinner just like a fixed blade for best flight. I will usually decide on a head, buy six of them. Shoot one of them for practice and closely inspect the other 5 to make sure there's no issues.
You do want to make sure they spin true on an arrow spinner just like a fixed blade for best flight. I will usually decide on a head, buy six of them. Shoot one of them for practice and closely inspect the other 5 to make sure there's no issues.
SouthernNwestern
New member
omg not again ... release the hounds..
Bigjav
Active member
Wasn't really impressed with the blood trails I got with the muzzy trocars last year and I couldn't get either the montecs or nap thunderheads to fly straight because my setup was too fast so I decided to try the hypodermics this year
WapitiBob
Well-known member
I like the 3 blade spitfire 125's as well as the Thunderhead 125. I'm only going 260 but both have provided superior blood and faster kills than any other heads I've used.
I use both mechanical and fixed blade heads. I use mechanicals when I need to take longer shots in open country. Fixed blade on big animals and thicker cover where shots are close. I can here it now how fixed blades fly great if your bow is tuned properly and I will agree to a point. Wind has nothing to do with bow tune but it does on arrow flight and a fixed blade broad head is a rudder on the end of your arrow. Mechanical heads cut down on that problem and allow more field point accuracy.
Tkaldahl2000
New member
I have only used Rocket SteelHead 100's which are a mechanical head, and other than one bad shot into the shoulder that I am very sure was non-lethal, and one gut shot I have never lost a deer. They are only an inch and one eighth cutting diameter, so I don't worry about my 60 pound draw weight. The only time I have had poor blood trails was when I got one lung, liver, and an exit through the paunch on a shot that I should have waited on. With that said, I always broadhead tune these days, and I have never gone after elk with them. I used a fixed blade on the one elk hunt I managed to squeeze in last year. The bottom line is that no equipment will ever overcome the result of bad shot placement. If you are comfortable with the choice use itl
JohnCushman
Well-known member
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JohnCushman
Well-known member
The only animal I use mechanicals on is turkeys. I use Rage 3 blades. With a turkey on a well placed shot, I can hit the entire vital area and put it down quickly. I have seen turkeys shot with a bow that ran far or even weren't recovered, and the rage looks like something exploded in the turkey. As far as using them on big game, I feel the deploying blades are a bit thin and flimsy to sufficiently break ribs and do the damage necessary to kill an elk, for example. Yes, they use them on TV, but there is sponsorship dollars at stake. I'm glad that there are states that make expandables illegal for big game. That is just MY opinion and MY opinion only. I know people that kill animals every year with expandables, but There are also many stories of failure to deploys, or deploying in flight, or even in the quiver. I think a well tuned bow will give you field tip accuracy, so using an expandable isn't a catch all fix for issues with the shooter or the bow. Yes, I feel some bows just don't like certain broadheads (it's happened to me), but finding the head your bow likes is a matter of respect for the game we chase. Is an elk not worth $40 for a pack of different brand broadheads that you could sell if they don't work right with your set up? To me, having the most solid blades and a 'dummy proof' set up with a broadhead with less moving part that function properly, is only fair to the animal. It is the same reason I resharpen all of my hooks in all of my tackle boxes every year...to have the best possible equipment for the best results and most respect for the animals we chase. Is it a bit anal? Yes. Giving yourself the best advantage is what we want, right?
Yes, the above statement is MY opinion only, and not meant to start an argument or pissing contest. If anyone chooses to shoot a mechanical head, that is their choice. As long as it's legal where they hunt, then I wish them the best.
But, if I were to choose an expandable, I think I would go with a schwacker. I have a friend who shoots them and they seem like a good design with a thicker deployment blade.
Yes, the above statement is MY opinion only, and not meant to start an argument or pissing contest. If anyone chooses to shoot a mechanical head, that is their choice. As long as it's legal where they hunt, then I wish them the best.
But, if I were to choose an expandable, I think I would go with a schwacker. I have a friend who shoots them and they seem like a good design with a thicker deployment blade.
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Bigjav
Active member
My setup is a 460g arrow going between 305 to 310fps, I shoot a speed bow that maxes out at around 73 lbs and I have 30 inch draw. I think the montecs and thunder heads wouldn't tune because of the open ferrel/blade design but the trocars flew straight. I'm going to be using these to hunt ca mule deer which don't really get that big so penetration shouldn't be an issue. The trocars are very tough and fly straight but I want something that will make them bleed out almost instantaneously
I get it this is an opinion but it is a pretty broad brush. The only reason I say that is I know of a few mechanicals that have really solid blades.
The NAP Killzone have solid blades.
The Rocket Stealheads have solid blades also. This is probably the best/perfect broad head for guys that want a mechanical but still want the penetration. Like mentioned about it is only a 1-1/8" cutting diameter. If you look at the design it would be pretty tough to open.
I am sure there are some others out there.
The classic argument between fixed blade and mechanicals is smaller diameter and better penetration vs big diameter and big cut but less penetration. If you hit close to the shoulder a smaller head gives you a better chance, if you hit closer to the guts a bigger diameter cut is going to give you a better chance for recovery.
I go back and forth, it depends on what I am hunting. For deer and smaller I don't have a problem with rage killzone or any of the big diameter heads. Anything bigger than that I like to go with a smaller diameter head.
The rage hypodermic plus p's are pretty good for bigger game also. Sorry for the rambling.
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
The first response you got was right on.
I have tried about 7-8 different broadheads (fixed and expandable) in about as many years, and I have now settled on one, but the one thing that has proven true with all of them is bowtuning has been the most important factor in my broadhead accuracy.
I have tried about 7-8 different broadheads (fixed and expandable) in about as many years, and I have now settled on one, but the one thing that has proven true with all of them is bowtuning has been the most important factor in my broadhead accuracy.
HAHAHA We do lose sight of the question at hand from time to time...
