I'm getting back into hunting Traditional style. What's out there that flies good, works right after the impact and is reasonable in costs for non-mechanicals for deer out to 30 yards?
Forgot to ad replaceable blades and non-replaceable blades.
Sorry.
most any cut on contact broadhead will get the job done on deer if the broadheads are sharp, the arrows have good flight, and your accuracy is consistent. reread this over and over :readit:
you will undoubtedly get a gazillion replies about 'what broadhead is best' but just loop back up to my first sentence and do have fun. :)
get some new grizzlies. I love em
be aware of single bevel broadheads such as grizzlies - they are fine broadheads byt are meant to work best if the bevel is compatible with the wing of your feather fletches!
QuoteOriginally posted by Rob DiStefano:
most any cut on contact broadhead will get the job done on deer if the broadheads are sharp, the arrows have good flight, and your accuracy is consistent. reread this over and over :readit:
you will undoubtedly get a gazillion replies about 'what broadhead is best' but just loop back up to my first sentence and do have fun. :)
X2
It's personal preference really. Some like two blade and some like three etc. etc. Just take the info Rob gave and find a head you like that fits your set up.
In replaceable blades I like Stingers a lot.
My favourite head is the old Bear glue on Razorhead, an that's more a romance/history type of thing for me anyway.
I just love saying "I just shot that critter with a 30 year old broadhead made by Mr Bear himself,,,maybe a little of poetic licence there,but it sounds good to me ;^)
After that,,,well just about their all of them pretty good.
Rob really just said all you need to know,,,all the rest is just personal preferance.
I am VERY please with my Abowyers. I haven't killed any thing with them yet but I have stuck a brown bear all the way through a dead 800# angus at twenty yards with a 50# longbow. They fly like darts!
ANY of our sponsors (see top of page and sponsor list in drop down) will have a good assortment of the best trad heads money can buy.
Start by browsing there.
Might add that the Woodsman broadhead is just about foolproof and covers the criteria you offered.
Hill broadheads.Cant beat the flight.IMO
Simmons boadheads for me.LCH
Everyone is right about one thing, if they are a sponsor here, they have a following here. I used to shoot the old Cam Lock Wasps and Thunderhead 125's. I'm just looking for good arrow flight and decent performance.
Thanks.
QuoteOriginally posted by Nick559:
Everyone is right about one thing, if they are a sponsor here, they have a following here. I used to shoot the old Cam Lock Wasps and Thunderhead 125's. I'm just looking for good arrow flight and decent performance.
Thanks.
ya suckered me in. i'll second what charlie said - woodsman heads fly great and can make big exit holes in deer.
I wan to add that the new grizzlies are better than the old. Ie easier to file cuz they are already at the best angle. They also keep an edge. I put one through a turkey and it still popped hair. Thanks for the bevel reminder rob
for the money magnus are a great choice, I have killed several animals with the two blade, have a few snuffers that fly great but have trouble getting them sharp enough. I just bought some woodsmans and have them shaving sharp already but haven't been able to shoot them yet but don't expect trouble.
The stinger's are good for replaceables and muzzy has a reputuation there as well.
Well, if you do this for awhile, you will probably try alot of them. That's the fun part!
Confidence that you can get a razor edge, and maintain it, along with great flight, goes along way. All the solid heads available, will do the job, if you do your part!
As for replacement type, I don't think there's any better than the Thunderheads.
Most any cut on contact broadhead WITHOUT MOVING PARTS!
They all have their following and for the most part, they all work if they are sharp!
Remember the original impact broadhead with the little brass razor blades? I shot a 250 pound buck with one. One blade hung up and broke off in the hair at entry, one was between ribs in the rib cage, and the last one was chipped down to just a piece agout 1/8" high and 1/4" long that went through the heart. The buck only went a few yards and went down. If I would not have hit the heart I do not believe I would have recovered the deer, stay away from anything that can break up on impact. I have killed deer with almost every standard two blade from the 60s up to the Grizzlies of today. I would say if you have any doubts simply go with a standard two blade and and know that if it is sharp enough it will do a better job than the old impact did or any weak broadhead that does not have the strength to survive the impact of the hit.
Any of the Ace line of broadheads will do the trick at a very reasonable cost. They are the oldest production broadheads still being made and still work great. I'm kinda partial to the 165 gr Express.
Actually, about 15 to 20 or so years ago I took part in a study where most all of the available broadheads available at the time were studied and tested for initial cutting ability and initial penetration. Carefully selected and measured hides and test control media (for uniformity) were tested with a pressure measuring device to measure initial penetration on impact and measured in foot/lbs per square inch. This was done with and without rotational forces applied. If I can locate the copy of that data I will publish it here on TradGang.com.
Of course, almost all of the available broadheads available at the time are no longer made with the exception of the old standbys like Bear Razorheads and Zwickys.
I've been bowhunting since 1976 and have seen everything from the spectacular to the miserable in broadhead performance except for the last few years.
What I really need is flight and planing data along with cost effectiveness to aid in my selection.
Thanks and keep the suggestions coming, I'm taking notes.
Forget spending hours sharpening stubborn heads, get some STOS you will love them! A little touch up out of the package and you are ready to go.
I use 125 grain Magnus II broadheads with my woodies. For my aluminum arrows I use 150 grain Magnus Stingers.
been pretty impressed at my tuskers, and the price cannot be beat.
Your going to get every Cut-on-contact BH listed..
Muzzys, grizzies, Magnus and the list goes on. You also have 2, 3 and 4 blades to pick from. Lets not forget trade points or even Knapped points ( glass, stone ) or Bone. Some States You can only use Metal points.
Read some of the threads and see what everyone is using and that may help you pick which type/style/weight BH You want to try. You can also try and trade other for BH's...
STOS
I agree with every body!!, I think that I've tried almost all of them it seems. I don't think that I've had a problem with any of them. For a replaceable head, I like the stingers and the phantoms, but I've only have experience with the older phantoms, that were 145grns(I think). right now, I've settled on the woodsmen and the magnus II's for good flight and ease of sharpening.
Oh, I've never tried STOS, but my buddy has, and they too are strong, easy to sharpen and fly well out of his set up.
Truth be told if you have good arrow flight and a bow that's at least 45# at your draw weight, pretty much any 2-4 blade fixed blade COC or modern replacable blade will do the job just fine on deer.
When it comes to Trad & deer sized game using fixed blade broadheads is probably as much or more about tradition & romance than anything else. Fred Eichler bumped off the Trad Slam and if I recall correctly, did in most (if not all) of the species with Muzzy Phantoms.
Chalk up another one for STOS. I shoot the 145 grain.
NDTerminator is right about the romance and tradition. Seeing the broadhead is half of the fun. No romance in a mechanical.
Magnus Snuffers are a great performing broadhead and a good value. Easy to re-sharpen and not a big downer when you damage/destroy one due to their cost. Typically six pack for less than $30.
How do they fly out to 30 yards?
QuoteOriginally posted by Nick559:
NDTerminator is right about the romance and tradition. Seeing the broadhead is half of the fun. No romance in a mechanical.
Amen, bro. There's something about seeing that two blade Magnus or 3 blade Snuffer that I sharpened & stropped with my own fiendish hands up front at full draw... :D
And what brings to mind deer season any better than clicking a bleeder blade into place on a Bear "greenie" Razorhead?
I've been kicking around ideas as to which broadhead for a long time and recently decided to use nothing but magnus heads due to their unconditional waranty.Any head damaged can be replaced no questions asked,just send them the old head.
Hard to beat the eclipse, you can shoot it 2 or 4 blade, what ever you prefer.John
A warranty on a broadhead. What will they think of next? I guess its not like those old knife warranties for loss too? That would be too good to be true.
I am very impressed with the woodsmans and do prefer to tanto the point to a pretty good chisel instead of the needle point.Theyll all do a good job for you if you double lung them and take good shots.Really breaks my heart to see alott of modern guys shooting such teenie lite broadheads and shooting animals so far away.Oh well,itits industry driven .Oh yea,You cant beat a good old zwickey,any model.Kind of a pain to sharpen,but penetrating killing motorscooters.Chanumpa
I would go with Montecs, they are solid steel and I personally think they are better than Snuffers.
magnus
So many choices!! and they all work if you do your part.
J
I've tried lots of different heads on game and continue experimenting. The Thunderheads you used to shoot have consistently lived up to my expectations so I don't think you should feel compelled to switch... especially if you cannot put a comparable edge on a fixed-blade head.
I still have some and saw them for sale at a friend's archery store/range yesterday (unfortunately he carries only modern compounds). Still being produced after so many years says something about the product.
Thanks.
I like the zwickey no mercy single bevel. They fly well and are tough. Takes some work to cut them sharp.
SNUFFERIZE'M
Simmons Sharks.