A) extremely durable, never a tip curl
B) ultra razor sharp blades
C) never needs sharpening, just replace
D) flies great
I'd love to stick a big cut on impact head on my graphlex arrows - but I keep coming back to my Thunderheads.
I've shot trad 3 years, my only trad kill was with a Thunderhead. Since then I've lost deer with cut on impact heads, and a G% Striker.
So my question is ...... if I can't get a resharpenable broadhead ultra sharp, why not use a Thunderhead ? The A,B,C,D above I know to absolute true because I've used them for years.
I am shooting a 56# Zipper, 500+ grain Graphlex shafts (without the broadhead) and drawing about 28"
shoot what you like and trust...who says you can't shoot Thunderheads?
Thunderheads are a great head if you have enough horse power to drive em. Your Zipper is probably fine to do the trick on Whitetails with that head. If you go to bigger game, I'd go with a cut to the point to get better penetration. I'm totally paranoid about an exit wound and will go to extremes to get it. My setup shoots my WW through elk everytime and that makes me happy.
Mike
I used Thunderheads for years when I shot wheels and killed lots of animals with no problems. Of all the replacable blade heads made I think they are one of the best.
Since switching to traditional 5 years ago I haven't used them. I did take me awhile, but eventually I learned how to sharpen a cut on contact head.
With your set up on deer sized game and good shot placement I think they will do the job. But if you can overcome some of the other obstacles like sharpening, good flight, and pick a durable head, I do think the cut on contact offer an advantage on larger game and/or less than desirable shot placement.
Larry d Jones shoots em,have seen the BowHunter show with him in Africa useing Thunderheads.
Thunderheads are great blades, except they come apart when hitting bone sometimes....I've taken a half dozen elk with them using a compound, and seen a bunch more harvested with others using them....But i haven't much experience with them at slower speeds....common sense tells me a two blade is the ticket for traditional style...we'll see...I'm field testing Land sharks, Steel force & Magnus right now and they all fly great! We'll see how much damage they do on some critter here pretty soon. Those Land sharks look wicked!
my 02 cents......Kirk
The main part of this whole gig is to enjoy yourself to the fullest. Don`t cause yourself a moments grief using something you don`t want to use.
Personally I ENJOY sharpening broadheads. If I didn`t, I would probably shoot a Thunderhead.
Happy hunting. ;)
I've killed a bunch of deer with Thunderhead 125's.
You killed one with a Thunderhead, and lost two with other blades. People have lost deer with T-heads and killed them with cut on impact. You are still in the early stage of the experiment. I'll bet on the cut on impact. Have you tried a Stinger? Former Thunderhead User
Thunderheads are fine heads. I shot a ton of deer with them when I shot my hand-drawn compound. Never had any blades come off or any problems whatsoever. If you have a bow with decent speed, you'll blow right through a deer.
I have Thunderheads and have used them for years. I would not hesitate to use them.
I have shot deer with them, and with good results. If the blades come out, they were not put in right in the first place. I always tug on them after they are on the shaft. I have even tested them on a few trees. They also resharpen well with a Tru Angle ceramic stone. That being said, I am really loving Razorcaps.
I shoot my Muzzy's all the time and they do great, I just touch up the trocar tip on a diamond stone and they cut on contact as well. Have taken alot of animals with those heads, big and small. Replaceable blade heads will work just fine with adequate arrow and bow weight. Mark
I've killed several deer with my 125 grain Thunderheads and a round wheel PSE set at 62 pounds. I would not hesitate to use them again with my 50 to 55 pound long bows. With that said I have no problem sharpening my WW, Magnus or Muzzy heads and they are my heads of choice out of my traditional equipment. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
If a WW, Snuffer, or Razorcap works, I would guess a Thunderhead would be fine.
I don't waste a lot of time worrying if anyone else approves of much of anything I do. I figure I have to please the Good Lord, my wife, and my boss in that order, and that's about it.
So being, I shoot vane fletched aluminium arrows off an elevated rest on a couple of my recurves. Just ordered an SRF sight to experiment with. I've been using Magnus broadheads but in the next few days will begin testing arrow flight & accuracy with 3 blade replaceable broadheads. I even shoot my compound bows regularly. :eek:
The way I see it, I'm an archer and bowhunter before I'm Trad or Modern.
So I say shoot em' and have a ball...
There probably isn't a bigger fan of thunderheads out there than me. THat said I will not be shooting them on my trad setup. I don't feel it has adequate power for good penetration. Maybe on a different/faster setup I'd be so inclined, but not my current one.
QuoteOriginally posted by rybohunter:
There probably isn't a bigger fan of thunderheads out there than me. THat said I will not be shooting them on my trad setup. I don't feel it has adequate power for good penetration. Maybe on a different/faster setup I'd be so inclined, but not my current one.
Amen brother...amen
What about the newer Hellrazor? What is the opinion on these? I am currently set up with Magnus Stingers but have looked a the Hellrazor and the G5 Montec.
Even looking at the Razorcaps.
Josh
They are a great head , used them for years in 125gr. You should have no issues w/ them. Mike
They are desighned for fast wheel bows.But you can shoot what ever you like.Have you ever had penetration problems with them?
NDTerminator........Perfectly Put........Mark
You won't bend that head on a rock and the blades are sharper than anybody's from the factory, as long as you have the ponies to put it in there, you're good. Besides... what NDTerminator said.
+2 for NDTerminator --> good to know theres more of us out there..
I think I started shooting 125gr Thunderheads in 1986? Back then a fast compound shot arround 200fps AMO(I think). I have taken arround 50 deer with thunderheads. I went back to Traditional archery in 1994 and went thru several broadhead changes, 2 blade,2 blade with bleeders etc.. I have been shooting razorcaps for 2 hunting seasons and this year will be my third. There are alot of good choices out there.
I still have in my broadhead tackle box a couple of Thunderhead TWO blade heads I think they are 150/155 gr heads. Who remembers them?
QuoteOriginally posted by bentpole:
I still have in my broadhead tackle box a couple of Thunderhead TWO blade heads I think they are 150/155 gr heads. Who remembers them?
They were indeed 150 grain two blade heads. the Thunderhead 160 were the 3 blade version. You can still find them on **** every once in a while.
Josh
with a 525 grain total weight setup, I punched through the ribs on both sides of a 200+ pound KS whitetail at 22 yards 3 years back. Awesome damage.
I'll be shooting 650 grain total weight now, 56# Recurve ..... and going after caribou.
I will not shoot a 2 blade - too many of my broadheads tests have resulted in bent tips, curling etc.
I like the 3 blade snuffer/WW type heads, never have I gotten one Thunderhead sharp
So - the choice is really this IMO ....... shoot a WW or Snuffer head thats Cut On Impact, but not as sharp or shoot a Thunderhead thats a chisel tip, not COI but ultra razor sharp.
I'm heavily leaning towards Thunderheads ...... thanks for the PM guys too. Especially the guy thats shoot 49# @ 29" with trad and kills animals with Thunderheads :)
Many moons ago when I shot aluminum arrows I used Thunderheads with my recurve and they did awesome! :)
There seems to me to be too much unfounded concern about the issue of penetration. All these tests with hides proclaim a definitive standard that has resulted in too much political correctness. The problem with all this is that hunters who are woefully ignorant of these tests and the resulting standards are somehow killing tons of deer with 3 blades, replaceable blades, etc.
Some of us have forgotten how deadly a trad bow really is and have adopted in some way the mindset of a compounder; to whit, "Those bows don't have enough power to kill a deer."
"They are designed for fast wheel bows......"
Hillboy,
I used Thunder head 125's back in the 1980's ... I dunno if I would sat they're designed "fast wheel bows"... If my memory serves me the round wheel compounds at that time were blazing if they sniffed 190fps and you needed light arrows and something like the then new PSE, or a Martin Firecat cam bows to get over 200fps. My main hunting bows (Howatt hunter and Leon Stewart R\\D long bow will push a 125 TH on a 2219 out at ~185fps minimum.... basically the equivalent of that era's compound....
I still keep a half dozen aluminum 2219's with 125gr razor heads around as "emergency back up arrows"... ie: The 2219's will fly well from any of the bows I'll hunt with.
Brad,
125 grain TH's have killed a lot of deer over the years and there have been a lot worse choices on the market. If ya got 'em make sure they're sharp and use 'em... You can always go to another cut on impact head if you don't like the TH's performance.