Anybody use this style broadhead out of their traditional bow?
I don't think you'll see too many Thunderheads used with Trad Gear. I used them with much success in my wheel bow years but this is a different game. Cut on impact (with a heavy emphasis on two blade heads) is most common in my opinion. It still boils down to getting a razor sharp, well tuned arrow in the right place but I would look to Abowyer, Grizzly, Stos and many other fine heads when shooting a recurve or longbow.
I would recommend them if and only if you truly are incapable of sharpening a broadhead. However they will not perform as well as any cut on impact type heads. I prefer to use a long narrow 3 blade (VPA/Woodsman elite) for all of my hunting purposes.
There are still many archers using the Thunderheads as well as the original Muzzys. Some folks have a hard time sharpening more traditonal style heads; and the replaceable blade type heads are the ticket.
I've seen quite a few post over the years with trad shooters using thunderheads with success. If I wanted a out of the package sharp broadheadhead I would go with Steel Force or muzzyphantoms though.
Rob
Yeah, 3 years ago, shot a big doe with the 180 grain heads. Used a Black Locust selfbow, built by Gary Davis, and shot an 2117 alum arrow, too.
Yeah, I know that's not right, just had to give 'em a try! Thunderheads are probably about the best modular heads made.
Black Widow, carried them in their catalogs over 20 years ago.
I use 200 grain Phantoms. I've always heard good things about Thunderheads but the heaviest was 125. Now they make a 170grain which was made for big game and now is a big hit with the xbow people. I think these would good out of my longbow to.
Mike Mitten used Thunderheads with great success, I PM'ed him about them when I read his book. He said they work will, that being said he shoots a heavy recurve with long heavy arrows. But I think he knows a thing or to about killing critters!!
They made BIG Thunderheads years ago, and I believe a 2 blade. They work, but there are better choices for trad gear.
I shot a mature doe this fall using an Axis 500 shaft, 50 gr brass insert and a Thunderhead 125. I shot it with my DAS 48@27. The shot was 15 yards, complete passthrough. She ran 40 yards and tipped over.
I have shot quite a few others with similar results. I'm not saying they are the ultimate head for trad gear, but they do work great.
I use 100 grain brass inserts behind my 200 grain Phantoms. I'm shooting 45@26. A 170grain wouldn't be much of a drop.
The buck in my avatar was killed by a 100 grain Thunderhead on a Vapor shaft. Bow was a Morrison, 51@29, complete pass through, he went 45 yards.
While I use VPA's now I wouldn't hesitate to use a Thunderhead out of a properly tuned setup.
David
i use thunderheads they work like a champ!
NAP started building 175 grain 3 blade heads for crossbows inch and a 8th cutting they zip right through deer.
i have afew boxes of the old 150gn 2 blades i killed 2 deer and a fox with them this year and they are 1" and 3/8 cutting passed right through!
and both fly great and the tip is very narrow it should be considered a cut on contact the point is small and sharp..
USE'UM
Years back I found a huge aluminum arrow, a 2419, with a ball of dry deer hair on the end and one plastic vane missing. Under the dry ball of deer hair was a half bloody mop of deer hair, under that was an original Thunderhead. I could see no blood in the area but the illegal permanent stand, public land, was obviously the source of its flight. About three hundred yards down a deer trail through some prairie weeds on the edge of the public land, I found a doe shot through the lungs with the missing vane stuck in the fur at the entrance hole. No blood. I do not know why the broadhead grabbed so much hair on the entrance, I use serrated Hills and that has never happened to me, but I do know that a broadhead coated with hair will not cut much and will not leave any blood trail, although it did blow through both lungs and eventually kill the deer.
After giving my compound stuff away I was left with some extra Thunderhead 125. With 100 gr. inserts they do well at killin. There was always a common misunderstanding that the blades once dull were finished but to the contrary they were easy to restore to shave sharp on a good oilstone. Once my stock has been depleted I wont purchase any more but till then they will serve okay. Killed one hog and lost another with them. The hit pig was a pass through and expired at 10 yds. There is this less than traditional feel that I get from using them but one day they will be forever gone. Then I must decide on a replacement and with all I've read here I shouldn't have any problem.
The new ones are called the Thunderhead Magnums and they are 170 grain. They also sell a matching 170 field point.
The chisel tip on the Thunderhead/Muzzy has been a proven killer for years.
Although, as a compound convert who's killed a lot of deer with a Thunderhead, I'd steer clear of a "regular" Thunderhead with lower weight bows.
However, there is a cut on contact Thunderhead in 100 and 125gr that is a fantastic 3 blade, if one wants a 3 blade.
Take a look...
http://www.newarchery.com/products/1-18/broadheads/thunderhead-xp.html
Bob, I know cut on contact are supposed to be better out of lower weight bows (45 for me) but the chisel tip is only a 1/4" long and then you are at the cutting blade. I don't see how that 1/4" makes a differance.
Someone did a demo years ago with animal hide and various broadheads, and a scale measuring how much force it takes to penetrate that hide. Replicate the demo and find out for yourself if that 1/4" makes a difference, or if the cut on contact makes a difference on how efficient your set-up will be with either head. Let us know what you find out. :thumbsup: No one is saying that the Thunderhead WON't work or that it CAN't work, that has already been proven that it WILL work. Is it the BEST choice?
I saw that demo, it was done by Paul Brunner, It made sense. The only difference that I saw was the fact even though it took more force to get the replaceable blade head thru the hide than the 2 blade, there is a big differance between holding a hide and putting pressure on and an arrow going 140-180 fps. I like 2 blades ,but I would use a Muzzy or a Thunderhead anytime.
:confused: George IMPO the poundage you shoot you would be better off with a 220 gn Muzzy Phantom. Remember the 6 Pt I shot last year? Or a KME sharp 2 blade. Hit them in the right spot = end of story. :archer:
I have quite a few 160gr 3 blade sitting in a box if someone uses them.
By the way in my Broadhead box I have some old 155 :scared: :eek: :scared:
Thunderheads are excellent broadheads. I'll bet I've seen at least 50 elk taken with them and I've killed a dozen myself using them over the years.
I have changed to the WW with the 3:1 ratio for my traditional gear because i like 9" of blades better than 6" going through the critters.
i wouldn't hesitate at all using thunderheads with a brass insert to give a bit of FOC punch.
Kirk, I use 100 grain brass inserts with my Phantoms. Those inserts with 170 Thunderheads should do the job on N.J. whitetails even with my 45# longbow. You agree?
Was looking at my 2012 3 Rivers catalog, they're carrying the 100 & 125 grain Thunderheads!
QuoteOriginally posted by BUCKY:
Kirk, I use 100 grain brass inserts with my Phantoms. Those inserts with 170 Thunderheads should do the job on N.J. whitetails even with my 45# longbow. You agree?
Absolutely.... the key to any broad head set up you use is keeping them sharp and putting them in the right spot in the vitals.
I've killed a 300 Russian boar with thunderheads and the sheilds on that sucker was 3" thick.
Thunderheads work great and are the head I recomend to those who are "sharpen skill challenged" Blades are always sharp out of the box and the head is pretty strong. I used them for years till I figured out how to sharpen snuffers...........
I have killed tons of animals with Thunderhead 125's. I shot them for years because I was/am sharpening challenged and always felt a razor sharp T-head was better than a so-so sharp cut-on-contact head. I now shoot GK Silverflame XL's and have learned how to get them scary sharp on my KME knife sharpened. It is still hard for me to do and I dread having to sharpen them but I love the way those GK's perform.
So the answer to your question is.....YES..... There are some people who have used Thunderhead broadheads out of a traditional bow.
Bisch
I am aware that there of some who have used Thunderheads out of Traditional bows....and with some success. I would refer to Dr. Ashby's penetration tests and see if the design of the Thunderhead is in line with his findings. You can shoot a field point through an aniaml with killing results as well but I don't think that is your best option either. I have killed well over 100 big game animals with Traditional equipment on three continents. In my experience, two blade, cut on impact broadheads give you the best chance of producing a killing shot...especially in the event that the shot is into a heavy bone or less than ideal placement area.
QuoteOriginally posted by Kirkll:
I've killed a 300 Russian boar with thunderheads and the sheilds on that sucker was 3" thick.
Kirkll, just to clarify: Was that with a tradbow?
my mentor shot the old 150 grain two blade thunderheads. He downed blacktails, black bear, elk and moose. Granted he was drawing a 70 plus pound bow and I am sure he draws at least 29".
I have had good luck with the 125 grain Thunderheads, fly great good penetration. Hard to sharpen.
Thunderhead 125's and xx75's is all me and my buddies used for years.They worked great out of our longbows and recurves,60-75#.That was better than 20 years ago. When I switched to wood arrows I used Grizzlys. They worked great too. Main thing with any head is to have it SHARP.
The hide test never made much sense to me. Try pushing a bullet through the hide with your fingers.
I have used them and they worked great.
Not meaning any disrespect, but the hide test along with the whole host of others has not proved a thing. No one has been able to come up with a test material that will replicate a live animal. Hair, living tissue, blood, bone etc. all come into play. We are talking NJ whitetails here, not the biggest deer on the planet. A 45 pound bow with a properly tuned arrow, and a sharp thunderhead put in the right place will take deer all season long. To be honest, in the past four seasons I have not seen much of a difference between thunderheads and woodsmens(I use both). Both heads make a big hole, both come out the other side of the animal and both get buried in the dirt. Thunderheads are 40 bucks for 6 and the older glue on woodsmens are a tad cheaper if you shop around. JMHO
Lotta fellers used them around here back in the late 80's but now day's there are tons of options so I never see anyone using them. I hate all replacable blade heads! Oh did I tell you I use FF strings on all my selfbows! Go figure. DD
I have killed several critters with them out of bows from 49-55# and never had any problems. Biggest critter with them was a caribou and smallest a turkey. I like the razor sharp blades and they always flew very well. I was shooting the 125's mostly but did kill a nice whitetail with the 160grn 2 blade.
I used thunderheads for years, but have went with the 2 blade hype over the last few years.
To resharpen them I remove the blade then used a small piece of emery cloth and forceps to hold the blades. Then use a ceramic rod to sharpen the blades. I never had a problem getting them shaving sharp.
we love em - deadly !! - I keep em on my daughters bow so I know they are sharp. I use sharks :) - hey Doug good to see ya!
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