For me my choice is 160 GR Hills ,they fly great and get the job done in short order. Just curios what your broadhad of choice is?
:coffee:
Vikings & Silver flame XLs
160 Grain Grizzly Kodiak Left wing Bevel!
I experiment alot. I've always been a Zwickey/Magnus guy, but shot my bison with a STOS. I was impressed with the head and took quite a bit of game with them after that..
Then I won some Ribtek 160's on the St. Jude auction. They fly and sharpen really well.
If I had to pick one, I'd take the STOS.
I havent hunted with any 3 blade yet...
Don't care. I have a 5 gallon bucket full of broadheads. I just grab 4, load my quiver & go hunt. They all work.
They all weigh between 150 + 300gn & honestly, at 25yds I can't see any difference in arrow flight.
Right now it's two-bladed Magnus 125 gr. vented with aluminum screw-in inserts installed.
But, I do have a few Magnus two-bladed Stingers that I may try soon.
Never really cared much in the past....but really liking my 200gr. VPA's!
Snuffer 160
Pretty much using the VPA 3 blades these days. Always liked the Snuffers and had good success with them too.
VPA 3 blade...never seen a better flying head, penetrate like crazy, easy to sharpen, tough as nails. They got it all.
I'm always switching broadheads. It is cheaper than switching bows. :D
The flavor of the month is Simmons safari's and I really like them so far.
Simmons!
VPA's/Woodsman Elites are my fave.
In two blade heads I really like STOS.
I like the Ace 145 grainers and also have about 20 190 ribteks. Looking at the price of Ribteks from Oz, I won't be buying any more. Gonna try the 200 gr grizzly!
Another vote for the VPA three blade.
They make a heck of a hole. :thumbsup:
Anyone thats sharp. 2, 3, 0r 4 blade. But if I had to choose one it would be the Zwickey 4 blade.
I like the VPA's, I have the 160gr on my 2016's for my 52# bow.
When I was shooting my 48# bow with 1916's I liked Magnus Stingers in 125gr.
I like the Grizzly line with the weight depending on what works best for my arras. Combined with the KME sharpener, I found out just what "scary sharp" really is!
I like my Zwicky Eskimos as well!
3 blade=VPA, especially the 1.25"
2 blade, Z Delta, Magnus 1, Ace, Eclipse (wish they made a 160-175).
Eric
I like to play around with different arrows and have probvably tried most of them. My favorite to date have been VPA 3 blades, however this year I gave 160 gr Grizzly's a try and killed a small buck with it. I also tried 150gr Stinger 4 blades a week later and killed a nice mature doe. After seeing the damage the Stinger did to the doe it has become my go-to broadhead.
VPA 2-blades. Still shooting one that has taken 4 deer and a hog in the last 2 yrs.
150gr VPA Penetrator and GK Silverflame
VPA 3-blade Terminator...
250 gr 1 1/4"
Big Jim's Big-3, 300 gr, 1 1/2"
175 grain 1 1/8"
Depending on the bow and the setup...
I like to shoot as close to 200 gr as possible. Snuffers and Tusker Deltas being my "go to" heads right now.
Magnus stinger
Woodsman have been very goo d for me, but I have some eskimos and some simmons treeshark and land sharks I am going to try this year.
Have 135 grain Magnus 2 blades in my quiver this year with 75 grain woody weights
Mowoc Dot or Semerod 54
Let's just say I am a steel force fan, I am eager to put my 150 grain Steel Force Hellfire 4 blade broadheads to the test on an animal, they flew so well with my field points that I accidentally shaved part of the hen feather of my field point arrow off! I got that sucker razor sharp too, I got it to where it shaves the hairs off my arm (they are really sharp out of the box but I wanted them to shave!)
Either that or I would go with the 190g Steel Force Phat Heads (2 blade), or 220g Steel Force Traditional Series left wing bevel (2 blade) (true 3:1 ratio: 3" long, 1" wide)
Simmons Treeshark. It's the only broadhead endorsed by the CBA (Colorblind Bowhunters Association).
Having bowhunted since 1954 the most lethal broadhead I have ever used is the Razorcap. Most game I have killed with them has gone down in sight and those that didn't left excellent, and short, bloodtrails.
125gr Magnus Stingers are what I use
I like the RFA Pheonix heads (single bevel VPA's) the best but I simply can't get them to fly well for me out of my particular longbow setup and my Stingers fly like darts so it's all Stingers for me.
125 Grain Helix single-bevel with 100 grain brass insert.
QuoteOriginally posted by Landshark160:
Simmons Treeshark. It's the only broadhead endorsed by the CBA (Colorblind Bowhunters Association).
:laughing: That's good!
You will find either STOS 160's or Snuffer 160's on the end of my arrows.
That's funny Chris. If you doubt it I know Chris has some pictures of the carnage the Tree Sharks do. I tried them this past weekend. Holes like big mechanicals with the benefits of a great fixed blade cut on contact.
I have killed critters with Thunderheads, Magnus, Steelforce and Stingers before I tried the Treesharks. I don't foresee a change unless it's to the Tigersharks.
Chris
I don't mind spending on quality, I use the Abowyer single necrosis exclusively. I have yet to handle a single bevel as nice as the Abowyers period.
simmons landshark or vpa 3 blade
Stos 130 gr. Though I have no complaints with the Magnus II 125 gr and RibTek 125S & 125W I have used in the past.
All seem to work equally well. I have three kills on the same Stos head I used this year. They fly great and kill well.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Stumpkiller/Bowhunting/DSCN0667.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Stumpkiller/Bowhunting/HPIM2178.jpg)
When i was shooting carbons with high FOC weighted arrows i shot VPA 3 blades... now shooting aluminums with normal FOC i am using 145 grain stos.
There are so many good broadheads out there now-a-days I just can't pick just one!
2 blade- Z delta, Ace Standard, Magnus Mag II
3 blade- Woodsman
4 blade- Zwickey Eskimo, No Mercy
I have always had good luck with the big 2 blades, Magnus I, Zwickey Delta. I am now trying out some of the Simmons landsharks due to stories from Chris with his pics of awesome holes and blood trails. All I need is a deer to cooperate.
150gr GK Silverflame XL for me!
Bisch
I have a massive stockpile of old Bear Razorhead S/S's in 145gr but I've been looking hard at the Tiger Shark and Tree Shark. I really like the looks of the Silver Flames but can't justify that much money unless I were going to africa where the extra blad thickness might really come into play. I just bought 6 more dozen Bears that were on the back shelf of the local sporting goods store for a about 10.00 a dozen and I believe I picked up about 10dz bleeders for a couple bucks per dozen.
STOS 160 grain.
Moleman, I like the Hill's also.
Right now 180 grn Silver Flames
There are so many good broadheads on the market, and some of those are really great ones. Just as with bullets, most broadheads are made to handle deer sized animals with no problem, so you can pretty much take your pick of the standard broadheads and do fine.
It is when the animals are big and tough to kill, or (less so) when the bow is marginal in its power, that the super-premium broadheads can start making a big difference. For instance, Burnsie has just mentioned Silver Flame broadheads. With a 50 pound bow and good arrows tuned to the bow, you don't need a $35 broadhead to kill a whitetail deer. An inexpensive broadhead that costs $5 will get the job done just fine if it is one made from reasonably decent steel that is properly constructed. Using that same 50 pound bow, the Silver Flame may hold up better when hitting the rib of a big elk, moose, grizzly or some of the big African plains game (which involve much more expensive hunts that also help justify expensive broadheads), but no one actually needs a Silver Flame to kill a deer. On the other hand, there are people who simply must have the best, regardless of cost.
For hunting really large, dangerous game, a super-premium broadhead is almost a necessity to most hunters to assure the greatest probability of maximum killing performance. For Cape or Asiatic buffalo, I now will choose to use either a Tuffhead or a VPA broadhead, because I know they will penetrate well, maintain sharpness, and hold up to heavy bone strikes. Other premium heads I have used failed under some of those circumstances. I have not used Silver Flames, but know others have had good experiences using them on the largest game animals. I have used the ABS Ashby heads and found them to work well but with more damage to them from being shot into animals than what I choose to tolerate for their high price. Other people have had some unfortunate experiences with the Ashby heads in the past, perhaps related to heat treatment of certain batches. They're very good heads, and I like them quite a lot, but they cost far more than a similar VPA or Tuffhead, with both of those less expensive heads, in my experience, working as well or better and holding up better under the hard hits that are commonplace when shooting animals that weigh a ton or so.
Most of the time I hunt deer or hogs, I shoot less expensive heads like Stingers, Hellfires, Tuskers or some other fairly inexpensive broadhead, and I have had no problems with them, other than the failure of a Bear Razorhead years ago that hit a big buck's shoulder and failed to penetrate. With a heavy VPA or Tuffhead, the broadhead would have been fine, and I might very well have had good penetration, but the Razorhead was no match for the bone. With the comparatively reasonable cost of the VPA and Tuffhead broadheads, there is no reason not to shoot them routinely, as some folks do. Losing them is much more of a problem than damaging them beyond re-use. And if you inadvertently hit something hard on a deer or a hog, you still have a decent chance of getting into the vitals.
Allan
Zwickey 170 grn at the moment. Big holes and dead deer make this hunter very happy.
Simmon's heads out perform everything else I have tried.LCH
For all my hunting I love Simmons. I've used the tree sharks, safari heads, interceptors, and tiger sharks and have had exceptional blood trails with all. None of it really matters if you hit em where your supposed to but on marginal hits your choice of broadhead becomes very critical.
I vascillate between the new Grizzly 200s and ACE 200s. No complaints with either one and have had both do the job well when I did mine. And occasionally even make up for it when I botch my job a bit. I've done well with old Bears and wouldn't hesitate to use them. Also done well with Eclipses. But I've kind of settled onto 200 grain heads and there are only so many of those. I like the single bevel design, although after I shoot these up, I may go back to the ACEs due to the price of the Grizzlies. But either way, a fine head.
Ace Express 165 this year but I am going to use Magnus in the future. Sharpen easily and don't rust. :thumbsup:
Magnus rite now- sometimes zwickeys- I acquired some bears that I plan on shooting as well
Woodsman Elite or VPA.
I'm leaning towards the Simmons tiger shark. They look purdy dang intimidating!
Jason
magnus 4
ww
this year I shot a buck with a grizzly
probably my favorite is the original WW 125s
simmons land sharks or the big snuffers...haven't killed with either though so its all hypothetical.
Simmons tree sharks,I am color blind and now it does not matter. :bigsmyl:
Bear super razorheads.
Lately it's classic grizzly single bevel, 125 + 75g steel adapter. This is mostly because I finally mastered sharpening them! Also use Simmons, WW and STOS heads at times. Like Rob, I don't find too much flight difference and they are all insanely effective heads.
Allen (amar911),
Spot on with all your comments, definitely don't need some of the high dollar premium broad-heads on deer size game. I've been lucky enough to pick up Silver Flames by staying attentive to the classifieds and getting them at prices relatively close to what Tuffheads and Abowyers go for. However, VPAs are a great value, I haven't been able to find the SFs in their price range. I definitely wouldn't be using the Flames if I had to pay the full retail of $90-100 for 3. I especially keep my eye open for the original German Flames, I just like how dang sharp they are and how easy to touch up.
There are about a half dozen brands of broadheads I'd switch to tomorrow if my Flames were gone - Magnus, Ace, WW..just to name a few.
I'm using magnus 2 blades, but hope to try some tree sharks next year!
Simmons, Howard Hill, Zwickey and Ace
For me it's the Zwickey Cliff's..... Glue on with a 75grn Adapter, gives me right at 210. Besides, they Look Cool to. :)
Simmons Sharks and STOS.
Im a big fan of the Woodsman Elite
Zwickey Delta-Mean and Green!
Outback broadheads Supreme FE
3 inches of single bevel desctuction!
giving some Ace 160gr a try
I've never seen a need for 3 blade heads, mostly because I have a short 26.5" draw and shoot about 45#. Here's the latest blood trail. 170 gr Kodiak (griz SB). It was short.
(http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww260/overspined/1944E657-A87D-49FF-92EB-9F8964C14A5B-329-00000059000F3171.jpg)
Just before I shot this deer (one hole), I had shot another with a pass through and it was tough to tell which way the deer ran because there was so much blood. 3-5' spray on both sides of the deer. No joke. I think I'll stick with this design.
Zwickey Delta 4 blades....since the 80s.
Burnsie,
I'm all for shooting expensive broadheads if money isn't a consideration, and for some of my hunting, the cost of the broadheads is so insignificant by comparison that I don't even consider it. If everyone on TradGang could be "sponsored" and provided Silver Flame broadheads for little or nothing, I can just about guarantee you that Silver Flame would be the most used and popular broadhead among the members here. They are GREAT heads, and I would use them on ANY animal I could shoot with a bow. It's good that you found some at a good price. Keep shooting and enjoying the quality of such an outstanding head. You are probably already spoiled.
I do think you will like the VPAs and Tuffheads. Remember to carefully choose the screw-in adapters for the Tuffheads, or any other glue-on broadhead. Most of the commercial models are not made of quality steel and will be far weaker than the Tuffhead. It's not fun to shoot an arrow into a big animal and have the hunter, bow, arrow and broadhead perform perfectly, only to have the insert bend. Most of the time the job of killing gets done anyway, but sometimes not. And the bent insert causes all sorts of problems in trying to re-use the arrow and broadhead.
If anyone knows a good source of quality broadhead adapters, please let us know. Joe Furlong, who makes the Tuffheads, is getting some titanium adapters made for the heads, and Abowyer has done the same thing, but those adapters alone are more expensive that many broadheads. They are a good option, but good quality, heat treated steel inserts would be as good or better. There are high strength, heat treated bolts made by the thousands every day, so the manufacturers have the capability. The trouble is having the demand for enough units and then keeping the cost down on such a low volume item, and not many manufacturers are willing to tool up for such limited production.
Allan
Simmons Interceptors.
I was planning on using VPA three blade 175gr on my gold-tip arrows but at $40 per three I think I'll stick with my Zwickey Eskimos. I'm still using the Bear razorhead on my cedar arrows.
My all time favorite is the VPA 3 blades in what ever weight I want to use. For a two blade though my vote goes to grizzly's
I like my VPA 2 Blades for my 40lb bow.
I have had good success with Ribteks , Ace 160's , Stos and Snuffer 160's ......
New Zealand Bound Series:
Battle Axe...Two Blade...2 1/8"...290 gn (utilizing 100 gn adaptor)...Single Bevel...Resembles a Shark, however is much more indicative of a Tiger Fish.
Big Jim...Three Blade...1.5"...300 gn...(Mfg'd by VPA)
For deer sized game my choice is 200 gr VPA 3 blades.
For Elk I shoot 160 gr STOS.
I've been partial to the regular Woodsmans the last few years. but I also like Magnus 2 blade, Snuffers and Bear Razorheads (Greenies)
Really liking the ACE as of late!
For 3 blade im leaning towards VPA'S and 2 blade would have to be Simmoms Tree Sharks. Haven't had a chance to use the 2 blade VPA's yet but they are on my Christmas list!! I cant get my Stos 160's to sharpen, that laminated tip is giving me all sorts of problems....I really should invest in the KME broadhead sharpener because I cant get the knife sharpener to work on Stos for some reason
Been using snuffers for years warming up to the simmons tiger sharks.
I really like my stingers and you can't beat the warranty. Has anyone tried the eclipse wolverines? I am intrigued about single bevels and they also have a killer warranty.
I am a believer in the concave design of the Simmons after shooting a deer with it. I wish someone would make a similar head made with a polished and harder steel.
Those Eclipse broadheads look to be very economical in comparison to the similar Silver Flame.
I like the WWs,Meagnus snuffers,Simmons intercepter+Treesharks,Zwickey Deltas and of course you just cant beat a good ol Bear.Havent tried alott of the others,and havent shot anything but foam with the Simmons yet.Maybe next season nock on wood.
QuoteOriginally posted by Fastltz:
I really like my stingers and you can't beat the warranty. Has anyone tried the eclipse wolverines? I am intrigued about single bevels and they also have a killer warranty.
I've taken a lot of animals with the stinger 4 blades, but they bend so easy that last year I tried the Eclipse Werewolves in rb. After a bum shot on my part, I centered a vertebrae cracking it open enough that the broadhead cut the spinal cord. Down the elk went and a quick followup sealed the deal. I'm sharpening challenged but these are a piece of cake to get insanely sharp.
Now if I could only get my broadhead addiction under control and stop the experimenting I could save a few $$$!
I have tried many BHs since I have been bowhunting (2,3,4 Blade)....
Recently I made a trip to South Africa using a Fred Bear TD recurve 485 grain arrow with 100 grain Magnus 2 blade fixed BHs.
On my first day I arrowed a mature Kudu Bull with a well placed vital shot ( in the center of Heart/Lung area broadside) at 17 yds. He ran about 200yds and fell stone dead.
Like hunting with a rifle, it's SHOT PLACEMENT that counts the most !!! A wounded animal with a poor placed bullet, no matter what caliber, is still a wounded animal that may or may not be recovered..... It's the same with a poor placed arrow!!!!
That is why we teach in our Bowhunting classes a complete chapter on SHOT placement and the idea of waiting for a good broadside or quartering away shot on a relaxed game to maximize good penetration and accurate placement in the vitals.
I also arrowed a Blue wildebeest with a broadside shot that actually missed the vitals but caught him in an artery which allowed my PH and tracker to follow in hot pursuit which ended in a recovered animal. He bled out quite profusely to allow us to follow him as he broke from the herd. Not the best of situations but the BH did its job.
I am very happy with this BH and find the 2 blade flies well. So looks like that will be my BH of choice.
Here are some pics:
(http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af258/archerman101/KuduBull4copy2.jpg)
(http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af258/archerman101/Wildebeeste8copy.jpg)
VPA 300 grain three blade!
Eclipse, 145 grain with bleeder. Haven't ever heard of one failing, regardless of the size or toughness of the critter being hunted.
Bob, as can be seen in my signiture line, I agree with your thoughts regarding accuracy.
QuoteOriginally posted by moleman:
For me my choice is 160 GR Hills ,they fly great and get the job done in short order. Just curios what your broadhad of choice is?
:coffee:
This is what's in the cabinet depending on the intended quarry/bow used:
100g silverflames
160g zwickey eskimos
200g ABS masais single bevel
Simmons Tiger Sharks, Big Snuffers ,Original woodsman ,Magnus I and Zwickey No mercy.I usually carry four broadheads while hunting and sometimes they all may be different in my quiver. Probably killed most of my critters with Mag I`s and Simmons.RC
I have played with others and have different heads , but when the quiver gets filled each fall, spring bear or turkey, I always have an original Woodsman on my arras, they have and will continue to do anything I need. A great head.