I will have some of the new VPA 2 blades in my hands tomorrow to play with. Stay tuned . . .
I really hope they turn out as good as I think they will since I pre-ordered 6 of them for my September elk hunt.
What weight Mark?
Gary, I went onto their website and ordered the 200 grain.
I shoot the 250s but will be getting samples of all the other weights as well. Stay tuned . .
Still waiting for the mailman, HA!
Gary,
I think your mail man is out hunting with some new broadheads. :D
I'm jealous since I have 2 packs of the 250's coming sometime soon I hope.
They've arrived. I pulled a 250 gr. from the package and gave it a spin test. Spun absolutely true using a spin check and also by simply spinning it on it's point. I immediately checked one edge on my arm and it grab at some hair but didn't exactly pop them. After a couple of minutes using my KME broadhead sharpener the head is rolling hair without a snag. I'll post some pictures and more detailed information tomorrow. The heat index is about 110 degrees here today and I'm not that anxious to test anything outside other than a water sprinkler:^)
I'm getting ready to brave the heat index in an attempt to give the heads a few down to earth tests. Now where's my sweat band?
Just know that we are with you Gary.I plan to brave the heat myself to do some shooting.It looks like it may hit 70 here today.
70??? That's a COLD FRONT!
70!!!!!!!!!! It doesn,t even get that cool at night! Haven't seen 70 in over a month. Now winter time ya got me beat big time.
I hope to get everyone's heads shipped by the end of the week. I have alot of orders to fill between these and the unvented 100gr Terminators we just released. 150s have been presold out now. Have a few packs 175s left. We ran a few more 250s and 200s than the others but they are about 2/3 sold too. rayzor-vpa.com is the store.
Early-Mid August for the next batch.
Gary, I ordered 1/2 dozen 250's also... Bet they will fit the program very well..
Seventy degrees indeed.... Hmph, let's hear you bragging come January, LOL... Wish I was there !
What are the specs on the new 2 blades I know the weight but I cant find how wide they are?
Thanks
1 1/8"
pics?
QuoteOriginally posted by Txnrog:
pics?
Do a search. Pics are here on another thread. :archer:
Getting ready to sharpen, shoot, and take photos. The weather cleared this morning so I can finally begin playing with the new heads. I drove to my uncles's meat processing plant this morning to obtain a few "targets" for my homespun tests. Luckily he was in the middle of processing a beef and huge hog! I managed to talk him out of a few target worthy tidbits, including a shoulder section, ribs, and brisket with fresh muscle tissue, tendon, and fat still intact on each. I had him cut these into multiple pieces so I could slam more than a few arrows home.
FYI: I will be shooting each arrow out of a 58 pound Tall Tines recurve using a 580 grain Easton Axis shaft.
Please remember that what I am doing isn't intended to be an any way definitive in nature. It is what it is, simply one bowhunter's rather crude methods of gathering an initial impression of a new 2 blade broadhead design. Hopefully it will provide some useful information.
Time to let-r-rip! Photos will be posted today.
I am most interested in how easy you can sharpen them.
By the looks, they'll be almost impossible to tip curl/break
I can already speak to that Brad. They're extremely easy to sharpen. I ran one of those handheld sharpener knife shapeners (V slot) across an out-of-the package edge and it quickly produced an edge that will cut hair. I sharpened the other side using my KME broadhead tool, using a coarse and medium stone which produced an edge that rolled hair without effort. I use light, alternating forward strokes on the med. I'll be posting sharpening photo too.
sweet ... I'm needing new broadheads this season, I am a firm believer in 2 blades, and I want a head that gives me the least likely chances of failing (think tip curling, ferrule bending/breaking etc)
these VPA's are pretty tanto tip extreme ... but Ashby studies have proven good to me over the past few years, don't doubt them now right? :)
I'll keep reading ...... look forward to what you post on them
I just finished with my first tests and all I can say is WOW! Pictures within the hour.
gary i hate to be the stickler type but its been over an hour!!! :D lets see the results.
You're not going to believe my luck, but I logged in to post the results and my DSL was DOWN. Been on the phone to Windstream and now have things working, so here goes.
Here's a description of the photos to follow. The same broadhead was used for each shot. I sharpened it after removing it from the package and again after the bone and wood shots were completed. An Axis N-Fused 340 was used for most of the shots, however I did switch to a Beman 340 for one or two shots just to see how it flew. Neither shaft was damaged in the least.
I used my current hunting setup, a 58 pound Tall Tines recurve and approx. a 580 gr. arrow. As far as sharpening, I established the edge I prefer on the head before and after the tests using a KME broadhead sharpener. This is what I currently use and my intention was to do a few simple tests for myself to share with you guys. As I said earlier THIS IS WHAT IT IS and you are certainly welcome to draw your own conclusions. Hopefully you can find something useful in what I have done.
FLIGHT
I unscrewed my 250 gr. field point and replaced it with a new 250 gr. VPA 2 blade. After doing two spin tests, one on the tip and the other using a spin check (ZERO wobble), I proceeded to shoot one arrow at a time into a dense black foam broadhead target. Each time on release I picked up a tight spin off the bow all the way to the target. The black background and yellow fletch made that possible. No wobble, flip, unusual noise or other funnny business. Good enough to go.
Suffice it to say that the 2 blade head flew just like my field points do at 15 yards, at least I can't shoot or see the difference:^)
"Flesh, Bone, and Wood Plank Shots"
For each of these I mounted a piece of "fresh critter" (the first was a shoulder blade) against an unused section of broadhead target in order to provide the most resistance. The idea was to see one, how the arrow penetrated the "tough stuff", and two, how much farther it would then penetrate into the dense foam - which obviously is a harder material to slice through than the body cavity of a big game animal filled with soft tissue. I also took the time to mark the points on the shaft where each arrow met the bone and also measured the total pentration using a tape measure after I carefully pulled the whole thing from the target.
After those shots I placed a 1 inch thick piece of pressure treated deck board against the dense foam. I took a shot that hit with the grain and another smacked against the grain. Both easily split the thick board.
Upon examination I found that - other than dullen edges, the head was no worse for wear. The tip remained perfect, and a quick spin check found the head to still be true. That tip is a BRUTE.
Finally, I went back to my KME and a well oiled coarse stone to bring the edges back to life. First, with a push-pull motion to "make a burr", then a series of forward strokes only, getting lighter and lighter as I alternated sides. One photo shows how easily the resulting edge cut hair from my forearm - using only the course stone.
What can I say at this point other than so far so good. I'm actually pretty impressed with the toughness, flight characteristics, and sharpening ease of these heads.
(NOTE: Hit the F5 key to refresh the page if any photo fails to download!)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/test12.jpg)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/testa1.jpg)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/test1.jpg)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/test2.jpg)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/test3.jpg)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/test4.jpg)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/test5.jpg)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/test6.jpg)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/test7.jpg)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/test8.jpg)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/test9.jpg)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/test10.jpg)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/test11.jpg)
(http://logsdonstudios.com/test13.jpg)
looks like this head will be around for a long time and take loads of game. i'm ready for my own :D
That last photo shows the cutting results AFTER the head had been shot into the bone, flesh, and wood. I resharpened the head using a KME sharpener and coarse stone. After several light, alternating, forward strokes on the single stone it did this to the hair on my forearm. Not a catch and pop type of cut either, I'm talking rolling it off without a single snag.
NOTE: If any of the above photos fail to load, hit the F5 key to refresh your page.
Great review Gary. Thanks for taking the time to put it through its paces.
Thanks for the review. Added another thing to my want list.
Informative and entertaining positive results.
The only downside could be that I wasn't at all surprised.
These heads, I suspect, will most definately more than substantiate their effectivenss and toughness as years go by.
Searched the other threads but still have a couple questions. How long are the 175's and are these going to be color coded like the others?
Thanks Gary, Look forward to receiving mine soon. Ready to get the KME out and do some sharpening.
I haven't measured one Rob, but it's noticably shorter than the 250, although the same width.
I didn't do anything unusual when I sharpened and re-sharpened that head, other than perhaps stopping after working it only on the coarse stone. Basically, I did approx. 15 short back and forth motions on the stone to establish a consistant angle and burr, then did the same thing on the other side. Followed that up with 8 med pressure, forward strokes on one side and the same on the other side. Did 3 forward strokes on each side, then went to a lighter and lighter pressure as I flipped sides using single strokes. It went very fast and the hair rolled without any effort. I will play with the med and smoother stones later, but I wouldn't have any problem hunting with the edge I created using only the coarse stone.
Thanks for the pics and tests Gary
Ever since i put my hands on the VPA terminator iv been asking about a 2 Blade, Bill and I at zipper talked about it for a while.
Its great to see a broadhead that is flawless, The quality and strength is unmatched.
The design of this new 2 blade has everything i could think of for the ultimate 2 blade, from Whitetail to Elephant i have absolute confidence in it.
Iv just got back from our Buffalo season, i was shooting the 300gr 3 blade which now i have no doubt saying is the strongest head i have ever seen and shot, and iv played with just about everything out there. I killed 2 buff a big scrub bull and 6 hogs with the VPA 300gr
I shot them against all the big name 2 blade and single bevel 2 blades, and they out performed them all.
Ill be getting some of the 150s and some 250s for my 3 months back in SA at the end of the season.
" . . . I killed 2 buff a big scrub bull and 6 hogs with the VPA 300gr" Wow Andy, you need to slow up some, HA!
Those are some tough looking heads, almost makes a guy want to shoot 2 blades again ;)
Nice.
Gary, whats the length to width ratio aagin for the 250gr?
That is one bad looking broad head! :thumbsup:
Thanks Gary! Decisions, decisions. . . . but was gonna get VPA or WW 3 blades anyway for my fall hunting set-up. :thumbsup:
The head's not really that long Mike, and nothing close to a 3:1 ratio, but I have to say that it flies really well for me and hammers home with authority. It's THICK throughout; I don't have a set of calipers so I'm not sure how heavy that tip is, but it's strong and never hinted at bending or curling after those shots. The edge on the tip remained intact as well. I wasn't sold on that wider tip until I slammed it through those obstacles and saw how it held up . . . couldn't believe how perfectly it spun afterwards!
My main "go to" heads have been the 250 gr. VPA Terminators Will, but these new 2 blades may be the ticket for guys who prefer a 2 blade or are looking for super durability. I'm going to give them a shot at my quiver this year.
What weights are they going to be available in?
I think I read 150, 175, 200 and 250 grain.
Am I blind, I don't see them on the VPA site
They're not on the site yet. I would love to slap a set of these on my fmj's.
Great review as always. I will try these now over the abowyer. They seem as durable and are cheaper. I do so much wish they made a 300grain head in this. Did I read in a previous post something about them making a 300 grain head, but it would be the same size as the 250 due to tooling costs? I may just be dreaming. I have loved the bowyer heads. How do these compare in size to the wapiti?
Spurs,
We are making a 300gr and we were able to go longer. It is 3.1" long and should be available in obout 3 weeks.
Thanks,
Jeff
can we order the 200 grain now?
thanks
Patrick
Patrick,
Yes we have some 200gr. ready to ship.
Razor-vpa.com under our dealer page has some in stock. We just don't have "official" packaging yet.
Thanks,
Jeff
Glad to hear about the 300 grainer and it's length.Super tough looking broadheads.
QuoteOriginally posted by Boomerang:
Spurs,
We are making a 300gr and we were able to go longer. It is 3.1" long and should be available in obout 3 weeks.
Thanks,
Jeff
could you give all the other dimensions of your next 300gr please (thickness and width).
thanks
I have forgotten to say that we are a few looking for the 300gr very close in my country...
I would like to add I am a great fan of the VPA BH, they are strong like rock and I am crazy about them ...they fly like darts even with my destroyer (350fps IBO)... I have done a review about them : clic (http://www.blog-archerie.com/test-lames-vpa-terminator-125gr-vs-300gr/)
the SGT screw in are also very tough and I have got great results with the 100, 125 and 175gr one...only the 250gr have broken very quickly at the screw level...maybe they are too long for this screw diameter.
The blade thickness is close to .070 and the width is 1-1/8".
QuoteOriginally posted by Boomerang:
The blade thickness is close to .070 and the width is 1-1/8".
the width is the same for the 300gr? or should it be possible to make them wider like big jim with the terminator?
I got a half dozen inbound. Can't wait to see how they fly.
I ordered three 175's to try out. I really like the solid, no adaptor design... tanto tip and no aluminum ferrule. I bet they are bone splitting as shown.
I just ordered a dozen of the 250 grain 2 blade heads and a half dozen of the 250 grain 3 blade heads. I will order the 300 grain 2 blade heads when they are available. All the broadheads look fantastic.
I have shot most of the expensive, heavy broadheads designed for really big game, and these look like some of the best. I am not a huge fan of vented broadheads, but the Silver Flames in the past have been of excellent quality, although expensive. The ABS Ashbys are excellent, and so far have been my favorites for the monster animals out there, even though they are also expensive. Based on what I have seen with the VPA 3 blade broadheads, including the 300 grain heads that Andy has been killing buffalo with in Oz, the design, metallurgy and craftsmanship of the VPA heads seems to be of the highest quality, which is why I am so excited about the new 2 blade heads. I prefer 2 blades to 3 blades for the biggest game, despite Andy's great success with the 300 grain Terminators. I have shot the 300 Xtreem 3 blade heads for some time now and think they are generally of equivalent quality to the 300 grain Terminators, but the Terminators cost less and are readily available. I can say that some of the two blade broadheads I have used that I thought would be hell-for-stout have failed at very inopportune times on heavy game, so I am hoping that the new VPA models will not have that problem. I doubt they will from what I see of their design and build, along with the experiences associated with the 3 blade VPAs.
Gary, what I have seen that seems to be the most common failure mode of the two blade heads is hitting a hard object (i.e., bone) at a 30-45 degree angle and having the forward part of the broadhead bend or break. With some shafts such an impact can even break the arrow. Would you be amenable to conducting that kind of angled strike test shooting at some unyielding material to see how the broadhead survives? It would be best if the broadhead would strike the target with the blades in a vertical position to put the maximum load on the head in its weakest orientation. I would be glad to conduct those tests, but I hate to tear up a head just to see how well it fares. Maybe the guys at VPA have already done that kind of testing, which in my opinion ought to be a requirement before marketing a broadhead of this type. I know they are expensive to manufacture, but doing destructive testing on a few of them to see whether they will hold up to their intended use is something that the manufacturer should do as opposed to having the hunter do it in the field where all sorts of bad things can result from a failure. I have had those failures before, and fortunately have not had any terrible outcomes, such as the loss of human life, but I have lost game when a broadhead failed, which could easily have been avoided by prior testing. I don't expect a broadhead to withstand every possible impact. I do expect it to withstand the vast majority of impacts that the manufacturer could reasonably expect it to be subjected to when hunting the animals that the broadhead is designed to kill. If there are potential problems, I sure want to know ahead of time so I can choose a different broadhead. I can say that past experiences with failure in some broadheads is what has caused me to purchase the 2 blade VPAs with the expectation that it will live up to the reputation and experiences of the 3 blade VPA Terminators.
Allan
Quotethe width is the same for the 300gr? or should it be possible to make them wider like big jim with the terminator?
[/b]
This is a great point. I would love to know if the width can be mad larger.
I might have missed it? But where is the best place to purchase these in two blade 250gr.
RLA,
Here is where you can get them right now.
Rayzor, Inc.
(540) 819-1776
rayzor-vpa.com
Thanks, I just ordered six, I'll be shootin them this fall!
1st batch of the 150s and 250s are sold out. More in a couple weeks.
any plans in the future of making a single bevel head?
No immediate plans for a single bevel but nothing is out of the question.
We're down to just a few packs of 200s and 175s of the first run.
Have ordered some of each size for different uses but would love to have some 300 Single Bevels if you ever get around to it.
are these heads hunting sharp out o fpack or at least have the angle already set so sharpening is easy???? love the looks of this head
Just got a pack of the 200's. They look like great heads, but mine where no where near sharp out of the pack. Not dogging them, but I expected a better edge. I'm still excited to use them this fall.
Also, what is the best way to sharpen the tip on these?
Not very sharp out of the package, but like Gary said mine got razor sharp quickly with the KME broadhead sharpener.
well thats not good news for me. going to have to order a kme. why are most trad heads dull? never ran across a head made for compounds that wasnt hunting sharp out of the pack