Anyone here a fan of using Thunderheads with traditional equipment?
I have used them on a bunch of deer with compounds but recently received a suggestion to use them with my recurve rather than buying new cut on contact heads. I need to go back to a 125 grain head due to tune.
Shooting 48# Covert Hunter, 445 grain arrows at 194 fps
I shot them with aluminums out of a old Jeffery recurve back in the early 90's. They worked fine for Whitetails.
Never used so being a fan isn't in the mix but I don't see why they wouldn't work.
Mike Mitten used them in the past with good results. That man has killed a ton of deer.
I used the 2 blade 150 grain thunderheads for awhile. I actually just sold the 3 boxes I had here on trad gang last fall. They are tough and well built. The problem I had with them being vented is they whistled going down range. So I stopped using them. I did harvest a doe with one and it cut through her like butter. I was impressed and the blades can be resharpened which is nice. The 3 blade 125 grain was will work just fine to I bet. Nice sharp strong head.
It takes me a long time to sharpen heads to where I like them. These were suggested as an alternative
There is nothing wrong with using them IF your equipment is up to the task. Your spec's posted tell my yours is.
They have killed a ton of deer over the years.
I have some old Thunderhead three blades on front of my turkey arrows this year that I hope get a trial. My second tag starts tomorrow !
I used them years ago on deer. Shot thru them just fine. The local Wall Mart had them for three for 9 bucks at the end of the season. May shoot them again this year. The slicktrick is another great flying head and makes an awesome hole like a 12 gauge slug.I would not be afraid to shoot these out of your set up at deer either.
I'm a long time fan of the Thunderhead 125 and they remain my favorite in that type of head. I don't use them much anymore, but I still have some arrows around tipped with them "just because".
Your set up will do just fine with Thunderheads on deer. Hit them where you are supposed to and you should be getting pass throughs.
A now long gone archery shop around here had some tattered success photos laying on the counter. One of them was a 12 year old girl with not one but two deer she had shot the same day. She was using a 27# bow and Thunderheads with something like a 22 inch draw. Obviously she put them where they belonged!
Tons of deer have died to a thunderhead. I killed one with it years ago. I just didn't like putting them together. Pain in the butt with so many pieces to assemble
I have shot them out of several LB's and recurves. They always preformed great. Never a bad result and they are sharp right out of the package.
I used an R-3 Tru Angle ceramic sharpening stone that maked it easy to resharpen or touch up assembled Thunderheads instead of buying new blades.
Not long after the Razorback 5 hit the market I got a prototype of the Thunderhead 2 blade, 150 grain. Went out right away and killed a coyote with it.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/coyoterailfence.jpg)
I guess the head was a little big for most compound guys... 1 1/2" wide not to mention the bodacious 150 gr. weight. Any it didn't exactly set the world on fire and before long the Thunderhead 3 blade hit the market.
Used to be a guy on here that was all he used and at that time 8-10 yrs. ago he had killed 20-30 deer with them..I've shot them but not hunted with them from a recurve, have killed probably 15 deer with a compound.
I have killed a bunch of deer with both Thunderhead 125 and 85s. Most of my bows were around 50#. One year when my arm was injured, I killed a nice buck with a 43# recurve tipped with a THead 85. It worked perfectly.
Been there done that both trad and well you know :eek:
I have the 180 grain 3 blades!
Shot a big doe, with a 2117,
55lb.black locust selfbow.
12 yards, pass thru, about 60 yards recovery!
Those are tough heads!
First time I shot an animal with one, gopher along friends house foundation, took his head off, hit block, only small chip on one blade.
60lb. Howard Hill Big 5 longbow!
Thunderheads are great broadheads, you need not worry if they will work with your setup.
I used Thunderheads for several years with excellent results, usually when shooting those skinny Beaman carbon's with the overserts. One year the arrow/broadhead combination accounted for a spot and stalk bear, several whitetail deer, a cow elk, and a Mountain Goat.
Personally, I'd worry more about my accuracy and arrow flght.
I've killed a slew of critters with T-head 125, 3-blades, from 50ish pound longbows and recurves. I do believe that cut on contact is better though.
Bisch
I have killed a few deer with them from recurves as well as the muzzy 3 blade.. I would use them if I had them but if I had to buy I would get a cut on contact head. RC
RC beat me. Thunderheads and Muzzy both work great!
I think they're a good broadhead. Sharpest out of the box broadhead I think you can buy.
I'd try to file the tip down to more of a 3-sided pyramid if possible though. Give it better odds at cutting rather than punching.
I do that trick with Muzzys. I take the blades out and a short piece of arrow shaft with an insert...file all three sides down so it's technically a pyramid cut on contact much like snuffers or woodsmans. That little truck right there makes Muzzys one of the most underrated broadheads available for trad. They're cheap, sharp, and blades are easily replaceable.
Before:
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w124/bow_project/BH%20test/muzzyhone2.jpg) (http://s175.photobucket.com/user/bow_project/media/BH%20test/muzzyhone2.jpg.html)
After:
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w124/bow_project/BH%20test/muzzyhone.jpg) (http://s175.photobucket.com/user/bow_project/media/BH%20test/muzzyhone.jpg.html)
As I said, the same can be done with Thunderheads as well.
A few years ago I was using Thunderheads out of my recurve. A buddy was using Zwickeys. We were practicing on a coffee bean sack filled with plastic bags at camp. The bag target was about 18" thick. My first shot with the Thunderhead penetrated about 8" and stopped. His Zwickey didn't even slow down. We were both shooting around 60#. At that point I switched to cut on contact. HAVING SAID THAT I found the Thunderheads to be a good quality head and I killed several deer with them. I switched because I liked the better penetrating characteristics of the CoC heads.
I have used them in the past had good results with them. Good flight, penetration, and great blood trails. The only reason I not shooting right now is I went with a solid head and enjoy sharpening my own BH.
Very good broadheads!
Tundra
I would use them in a pinch but would prefer a cut own contact
I know a couple people who don't go on forums and they use thunderheads and have been maybe since they first came out,,, they love them from what I hear and they will never shoot anything else maybe because they each have so many now but I hear no complaints other than if the head loosens up..
these guys lock tight the heads in the inserts...
they always said they rather be resting than sharpening broadheads so they always liked how they could change the blades easy if dull..
Muzzys are great too a head that was designed by a guy who shot a longbow,, and GVD above showed the right pic sharpening that point it would pop hair,,, I always thought Muzzy was the best when it came to replaceable blade heads because of that convex point Alone!