What broadheads do you use?

[davewolf]

I've heard numerous stories this year about a well hit deer getting away from hunters using Rage broadheads...I'm among the unfortunate.
Yesterday I read an article claiming that all mechanical broadheads won't penetrate the spine of a whitetail! At this point--no pun intended--I'm not happy with Rage two-blades.

I would like to find a reliable fixed blade broadhead. So that's why I'm asking, what broadhead do you use?
Have a great day!
Dave

[Dave W]

I went to the expandable Spitfires a couple years back, the buck I shot two years ago made it a max of 50yds before keeling over.

Before that I used the fixed blade Thunderheads, took several deer with those with no problems.

[DBinNY]

I've used the 90 gr 4 blade muzzys for the vast majority of my bow hunting career. They are tough and fly well. I've driven them through scapulas, spined one, raking shots, drove one back through a deer and shattered the opposite femur along with a bunch of complete pass through broadside lung shots and never had one fail. In most cases I just resharpen the blades, straighten (if necessary) to get them to pass the spin test (no wobble) and use 'em again. I know everybody on TV uses 3 blade broadheads but I'm not messing with what works for me.

[deadeye]

i used to own a proshop & when muzzy's 3-blade 100g came out that broadhead turned my field game around,cannot shoot 2 arrows without very possibly clipping vanes w/ those, never a muzzy broadhead failure either even a couple times through both shoulders. never had to look any further for a accurate & dependable broadhead!

[swede]

I shoot the 85 & 100gr G5 Montec, Muzzy Phantom 125gr 4 blade and 100gr 2 blade.
The Muzzys are one tough broadhead.

[whelenman]

I went to the Spitfires a few years back. Bloodtrails have been short and heavy and I have no complaints so far. My buddy shoots Thunderheads but just a couple of weeks ago had a bad experience with a high shot that hit the spine and buried up in bone without dropping the deer permanently. Deer went down at the shot and then had to be followed up with several shots before she went down. She was one tough old gal. He put two extra lung shots in her before she quit. Bad shots can happen with any type broadhead.

[farmallm51]

Thunderhead 125s and no complaints.

[petev]

Thunderhead 100's and very satisfied. Though my buddy shoots Rage 3 blade expandable and the blood trail is amazing.

[sw]

I bow hunt, now mostly x-bow - some recurve, almost exclusively and have killed appx 70 deer with arrows - lost 3 deer with arrows. Since Spitfires came out almost all deer have been killed with them except 1 bear with Thunderhead and 5 deer with Rage 3-blades. This is appx 30 deer. I lost only 1 and that was with a 100g 2 blade Spitfire with a poor hit. I've never had a mechanical blade failure that I know about. The Thunderhead, Muzzy,and surely others are extremely good. I shoot Spitfires and Thunderheads interchangably in both my x-bows and 100g Satellites with my recurve.

[tslc]

I do not think you can go wrong with Muzzy or Slick Tricks for fixed heads. I'm using the NAP xp Scorpion mechanicals and like them a lot.

[dougedwards]

I had some problems with the older 2-blade version of the Rage broadhead because the o-ring didn't seem to hold the blades in place very well. I understand that Rage has corrected that problem. When they operate correctly they are a devestating head.

As long as I can get a fixed blade broadhead to fly accurately I doubt if I will try a mechanical again. For the Exomax crossbow I use a 150 gr Magnus Stinger. For my Martin Cheetah compound set at 60 lbs I use the 100 gr NAP Bloodrunner which is a fixed blade head that expands on impact. Take a look at this rather graphic result of an animal shot with a NAP Bloodrunner.



Doug

[davewolf]

Some impressive stuff here to include Rage...but it sounds like most folks here like Muzzy Broadheads. At this point, I want something that I can depend on, and I'm just concerned that mechanical broadheads still haven't come of age.
Just wanted to add that my 10-point xbow calls of 100-grain heads. If you can find a summer issue of The Primitive Archer, you'll get to read the article I referred to at the beginning of this thread.
Seems like a like of study has gone into it, and as hard as I hunt, I don't like hinging broadheads swinging open like an old barn door!
Thanks for all the input and I hope others comment as well!
Have a great day!
Dave

[wilmsmeyer]

For the 1st 20 or so years I used Wasps 3 blade. Remember the coppery colorored ones? Used those for 5-6 years and switched to the SST hammers after they came out as the tips were much better designed and could be easily honed on a stone (the tips)...being hollow ground. I recently switched to the montec one peice 3 blade head. They can be resharpened easily and they are very hard to ruin in a target.

Also, every one has passed the spin test. No more buying replacement blades either.

Always have been a fixed blade fan. Always has been 3 blades although 4 blades would be just fine too.

[sagittarius]

I use NAP Nightmares with my Scorpyd crossbow, only because they were recommended to me by the people who make the vanes used on my Gold Tip Laser arrows.
Have been using Steel Force broadheads with my compounds since 98' and have found no need to change.

[rons]

I've shot a bunch of diffrent broadheads,over the years. I've had the best luck with Muzzy's,period! They fly great,leave a massive blood trail,and stay together! You can't ask for more from a broadhead. Ron

[rons]

Nov 12, 2009 21:13:33 GMT -5 davewolf said:

I've heard numerous stories this year about a well hit deer getting away from hunters using Rage broad heads...I'm among the unfortunate.
Yesterday I read an article claiming that all mechanical broadheads won't penetrate the spine of a whitetail! At this point--no pun intended--I'm not happy with Rage two-blades.

I would like to find a reliable fixed blade broad head. So that's why I'm asking, what broad head do you use?
Have a great day!
Dave

Dave,the "old add age" (if it ain't broke,don't fix it) goes a long way with broad heads. I used mechanical broad heads for a couple of years,when they first came out. After a few failures( blades breaking off,opening in flight,ect. I thought? What was the matter with the Muzzy's I've shot for years? Went back to them,and have been a "happy camper" ever since! I've seen many deer "drop" from the tree stand,while using them,and you can't ask for more than that! A bad HIT is just that.A bad HIT! NO broad head will make up for a poorly placed shot,and if it's a well placed shot,and performs poorly,that should tell ya all ya need to know. The latest,and greatest broad head syndrome,has made the companies allot of money,but in the end,you can't reinvent the wheel! ;D If a broad head flys well,kills quickly,and stays in one piece,that's about as good as it's gonna get! Ron

[doegirl]

IMO, one should match the broadhead with the game and the kinetic energy one's setup produces. When I shot vertical bows, I did best with 2blade COC like Muzzy Phantoms without the bleeders and SilverFlames. I had to conserve as much energy as possible into penetration. I really had no breathing room with larger cut, multiblade heads.
Now I'm using a crossbow. I can't think of a better head than a Spitfire. Big wounds and short bloodtrails. And my crossbow loves 'em. But, my crossbow produces over twice as much KE as my Bowtech 82nd and Equalizer did. It does not take an engineer to figure out that a big mech like a spitfire takes quite a bit of effort to slice though a deer's chest cavity.

[dpoor65]

Muzzy 3 blade 100 gr. countless deer and half dozen elk....can't beat em IMO.

[tslc]

This guy has tested a lot of broadheads and charges for the info, but shows test results for free for many of them.

www.broadheadtests.com/broadheads3.html

[sw]

Nov 22, 2009 20:15:10 GMT -5 tslc said:

This guy has tested a lot of broadheads and charges for the info, but shows test results for free for many of them.

www.broadheadtests.com/broadheads3.html

Thanks for this link.

[newdr]

Rage two blade

[boarhog]

I started bowhunting with the old Bear Razorhead. heavy, but worked well on more than a few deer, including a couple of "spine" shots. Later I tried Wasp, Sattilite, Razorback-5, and a few others I can't remember. Had all the newer models fail at one time or another. The Wasp would peel the blades off if bones were hit, and the Sattilite would bend or fold up. Razorback didn't penetrate well enough to suit me. Finally settled on the Muzzy or Montec 100 grain 3 blade heads. Both are durable, and penetrate well. I have not had either head fail, if I did my part. I have not yet tried any mechanical head.

[pposey]

Muzzy 90 grain 4 blade, fly well and are very very tough

[bowbender6]

broadhead test article

www.bowhuntingworld.com/ArticleContent.aspx?id=1856

[mkjstep]

G5 Stryker

[blacksavage]

thunder heads and rage 2 still trust the old thunder heads a little more

[skwirl]

Montec G5 switched last year for a pig hunt and never looked back