Not impressed with expandables at all!

[Erik]

Had an experiance last night that reinforces my opinion of expandable broadheads.
When I returned from hunting last night a man knocked on my door and asked if he could track a deer his son shot that had ran onto our property. I said no problem, but I'd like to come with you and maybe I can help.
We drove back to where the deer had jumped the fence, and right away we found a little tiny spot of blood on the ground at the fence. We walked around looking for more but to no avail. I decided to try to blind track it walking in the direction I thought it might have gone to see if maybe I could pick up some blood. Well about 50yds from the fence I found his arrow, and I knew right then and there we were probably not going to find this deer. He was using beeman 45-55 arrows tipped with a wasp expandable broadhead. The head was actually closed when I found it. I guess they close back up after they fall out? One of the blades was broken off, and there was alot of hair all caught up in the blades. Not alot of blood, and it was obvious it never went in very deep. Maybe? 4inches at the most? I didn't say anything to them until after we spent several hours trying to find more blood, but around midnight I finally said you know I really doubt we're going to find this deer. Those broadheads suck! The man seemed a little miffed at me for saying that. He told me he has killed deer with them, and that his sons deer probably was just hit high and was bleeding internally. I told him I really doubted the deer was dead, but maybe we could try again in the morning.
Well here I am and he has yet to show up. I'm going to wait for another half hour, but then I'm heading to work. He's never going to find that deer I garantee it. I can't believe I wasted so much time helping him look last night, but what else could I do?
If you know anyone using these broadheads I would seriously try to talk them out of it. I really fealt bad for the kid. It's not his fault. I gave him a couple of my montecs to try. Hopefully he uses them.

[wolfgang510]

Just because you find and expandable closed does not mean it did not open, just that the force of the arrow backing out of whatever it was in (deer, target etc.) closed the blades. I can think of plenty of similar stories of lost deer shot with fixed blades. Ever consider the boys shot wasn't so good. I don't care what head you use, a bad shot will not kill a deer. Very easy to blame the broadhead instead of yourself on a lost deer. How many deer have been lost because a fixed blade caused the arrow to plane. I'm not saying expandables penetrate as well as fixed, just that there are tons of variables determining a dead deer or not--and a well placed arrow will kill a deer with just about any broadhead.

[Trushot_Archer]

With teh arrow you descibed....doesn't sound like a gooid setup for mechanicals anyway. My guess is he was shooting less than 55lbs and just plain didnt have the KE to get the best performance from a mechanical.

Poor shot placement and lower poundages...no head can do the job IMO but definitley at a disadvantage with the Mech.

[mich buckmaster]

The BOY was probably shooting TOO low poundage for the arrow anyway. I wouldnt blame the broadhead EVER!!!!!!!!!!!! You can shoot a deer with a fieldpoint, its where you shoot it that matter. What if he shot it in the shoulder, the leg, come on, you cant blame the blade, but then again it is your opinion.

And I would also NEVER say that tracking a deer is a waste of time. If someone put a shot ANYWHERE on a deer then WE as hunters owe it to the deer to track it and track it some more.

[explodingvarmints]

you know it's just like anything else that is left to opinion. if you have a bad experience with a chevy truck then your most likely not going to buy another chevy truck. the way i look at mech. heads is simply this.... indians used flat sharpened pieces of stone on the end of an arrow to kill to survive. now with all the technology we have at our disposal why should we still be using somthing that resemebels that flat piece of stone? yes it worked but i have learned that there is always somthing better coming out next year because of technology. i shoot enough ke to send these wasp mech. through ribs on either side. but i know that poor shot placement will not be as forgiving with mech. so i practice

i remember shooting a couple of gimick broadheads a few years ago and while shooting having a arrow hit the target almost sideways, then throw on a mech. head and it flew perfect...... sold

[Airoh]

Erik I was'nt there but with the information you have given us I do not see how you can blame the broadhead on not being able to find the deer.

We don't know where the arrow hit the deer or the poundage of the bow,type of blood, how far the deer was from impact and on and on.

I would not give anybody a broadhead unless I knew they were capable of sharpening the broadhead themselves. We have a couple generations of hunters now that have relied on razors to shoot their deer with. Many if not most do not have the means or knowledge on how to get those broadheads sharp enough to go into the woods with.

[Fred Bear]

I with you on those expandables. I shot a buck yesterday and got nothing for penetration.!!! 2 deer I have had trouble with out of 3 years. I shoot plenty of KE. 65lb mathews legacy. Shot placement, it was right in the 10 ring. I have killed several deer with the rocket sidewinders but it's these 2 deer that are gunna have me leave them at home. The one I shot was slightly quartering away and I think that I got some deflection off a rib. The arrow only penetrated maybe 4 inches. I am blaming this one on the broadhead.

[strat69]

For all of us who have contemplated expandables...this is a great discussion. Thanks to all who share their personal stories and experiences.

[farmlegend]

Here's a big reason I use fixed-blade heads - the only thing that opens on impact is the deer. No need to wonder if the broadhead's mechanics will function properly or not. Even if they fail only 1% of the time, that's too much for me.

I've also heard a number of very credible horror stories of mechanicals deflecting on impact and the arrow literally changing direction within the deer. Just one more issue not to worry about with fixed blades.

And one more thing - mechanical broadheads got no style! Butt ugly! :lol:
Just imagine two bows hanging side-by-side, one with a quiver full of mechanicals and the other with hand-honed traditional heads; beauty and the beast!

I know when I see a quiver filled with Zwickeys, I figure that guy is serious.

[Byron]

farmlegend,

All the problems you described apply to jackknife-style mechanicals, but not to the Snyper. The only exception may be your preference for style. :lol:

By the time the blades hit the skin, they are open and locked back just like a fixed-blade head. No strange deflections, no tiny entrance holes, deep penetration, and no real way for the blades to fail to open up. Add in perfect flight, and you've got a winner. :D

Perhaps we need a new category for the snyper type heads to be separated from the other mechanicals...

Best Regards,
Byron

[cshqck]

I switched to mechanicals because I could not get my muzzy 100 grains to fly straight consistently. I spent a lot of time and money making sure my bow was in tune because that's what a lot of people were telling me. Your broadheads aren't flying straight because your bow's out of whack. Yeah right. I'd much rather have the confidence that I'm going to be able to put a good shot on a deer rather than knowing that the alternative is that a fixed blade may not fly straight. I feel I have a much better chance with a mechanical flying straight. I'll take my chances of it not opening properly as opposed to a fixed blade not flying right. Just my opinion.

[kingfisher 11]

Ok Guys, what do you think about Game trackers First cut magnums? They combine the fixed blade cut on contact with two small bleeder expandables. The fixed blade is 1.0" and the two expandables open to 1-1/4"

I picked up a package at Pollington's yesterday. My son has had them for a year. The guys up to Pollington's love them. I shot them out of my bow and they fly perfect. Yet, I still have a blade to cut instead of a point.

I plan to give them a try. They do not plain and even if the expandable blades fail. You still have the main blade to inflict critical damage.

[TrailFndr]

I made the switch to mech's several years ago, and have never looked back. Good shot placement is the key. I can tune my Bow on the range, and never have to change anything for a broadhead. Whats the point of getting everything right, only to have to change it the week before the season due to the difference in how the Head makes hte arrow fly? seems like a total waste of time and effort.


I have NOT had any bad experience with the Mech's...have dropped 5 deer...each with ONE well placed shot. Never had a deflection, never had any problems what so ever.

When I shot Thunderheads, it was a constant battle to practice all year, only to have to change things when I changed heads...and I have had those plane off target, Never had that with a Mechanical..

[mondrella]

There are 6 of us in our group that hunt with expandables. We have tried many different kinds right now our favorites are the rockets. anywhere from 100 to 125 grains. We have killed more deer than I care to count with these heads. Heck there have been times I shot 3 does in a single evening and watched 2 drop in sight and the third heard her crash. I would hate to even try to count the number of times they did thier job. I would bet I could be just as sucessful with field points it is all about shot placement. I can think of only 6 deer that were not recovered using expandables. I bet many on here that can name one guy who lost 6 deer in a year with a bow. All I know is I love the 21/2" cut it opens them up very well. I shoot 74lbs out of a pieced together bow and with my hunting arrows XX75 2215 at 271/2" I have speeds of 302fps. I have made poor hits thru both shoulder blades and dropped them in thier tracks and the head was still useable after replacing bent blades. I can't say how regular heads work because there is no way to get them to fly right out of my setup.

[Cherokee]

After a miserable experience with 100 grain NAPO Spitfires on a whitetail, I was searching this site for some solace. I've read both pros and cons to mechanicals...the cons were all similar to my experience...poor overall performance except for flight. A thread here discussed the virtues of the new NAPO "Nitron" heads...so I purchased a three pack. Last night I decided never to go back to mechanicals. I originally made the switch to mechanicals to get more consistent flight never thinking much about the possibility of failure to penetrate at twelve yards with my 60# compound on a whitetail. The Nitrons fly like field tips and I experienced complete devastating pass thru. I will NEVER be made a fool again with mechanicals and suffer the anguish of not being able to find hit game. As a youth ,well over twenty years ago, I was told ,at the old Bear Archery Center, that "the best broadhead is the one that kills your deer"....many of you from Grand Rapids know the source of that comment. I suspect he wouldn't think too highly of mechanicals...why make things difficult? A great performing fixed blade is the one that will continue to kill my game.

[strat69]

Interesting discussion. I appreciate everyone's input. I went for a bit more speed this year during the summer. I switched to carbon and lighter tips. Achieved speeds of 275 fps shooting 67# out of an older Revolution. BUT, when I tried to get broadheads to fly....I thought I was going to wrap the bow around several trees!:tdo12: Really was a "trying" experience.

Since I have never tried expandables in a live-fire situation, I went back to my old setup. XX75 2514's at 68# with 100gr Muzzy's. I lost a bit of speed (240 fps) and made up in weight so my KE is better, but I was a little disappointed about the "tuning" issues I was having with the lighter and seemingly, more critical, setup.

Maybe next year I'll try some of these "wonder drugs." Again, thanks to everyone for their opinion.

[wolfgang510]

Those snypers look pretty good but I don't know about only having 2 blades. I also don't know about the small entrance hole argument against jack knife blades. Reason being is I shot a buck two years ago with a spitfire and upon impact I witnessed a large spurt of blood erupting from where my arrow went in. The entrance hole was big. Noone in my hunting group has ever witnessed that on a deer they shot with a fixed blade. BTW the shot was a double lung pass through slightly quartering away.

[Swamp Monster]

I would shoot the Snypers without worry, but as for the rest of them (ok maybe the Tekan as well), you can keep them. I'm with Cherokee on this one. Todays compact fixed blades that are designed to shoot well from fast set ups and light arrows basically make most mechanicals obsolete. I'm shooting the WASP SST Bullets and they fly like field points at speeds close to 270 fps and I am certain that everytime I let one fly, they will not fail. Hard to have that kind of confidence in anything mechanical let alone broadheads. I have used NAP shockwaves and they worked all right but nothing spectacular.

[dongiese]

Hey you guys can stick with any tip you want, my broadhead we allways be VORTEX. I took a Doe sunday evening with a vortex 100grn 2 blade and wow, i should have taken a picture of the exit hole.

My hunting parnter shot a 6pt on saturday that we looked for for 2 days with a damn spitfire 3 blade "SUCKS" IMHO.

[Fred Bear]

what is the advantage of a mechanical if you can get a fixed blade to fly straight? The way I see it mechanicals only have one advantage. That they fly good. But do they cut good? 9 out of 10 times I think that they do fine. It's that 10th time that counts. I dont want any animal not recovered. I switched to g5 montecs today from those nasty mech and they fly great. Now my arrow can begin cutting the instant it hits the deer with out any of that waisted movement of the arms and rubberband eating up my presious penetration and kenetic energy. I'm gunna steer clear of the mechanicals as long as my new montecs fly great.
I only went to mechanicals because muzzys just would not fly out of my bow. Muzzys are tough to get to fly good out of some bows.

[HEAVYSHOT]

I have never had a broadhead plane or shoot any different than my fieldtips I used to shoot 125 thunderheads and made the switch to 100 gr. muzzy this year and never had to make an adjustment from field tip to broadhead. And my bow shoots 274fps. My thought is why on earth would you want to give up any penetration. Tune your broadheads tune your bow and practice, practice, practice, and when you think you are shooting good practice some more you owe it to the animal.

[rodboy]

Hello boys!!
Can't help wondering whats better. I've been shooting for a long time and came to the conclusion that what ever you take as long as you can get it in the vitals will do the job. I know some dudes that will shoot the heaviest poundage just so they can have the the most amount of k-energy, but the thing is if you cant get the vitals, it is useless. A girl buddy of mine shoots a 40 lb bow and she always kills. The trick is to practice and practice.

Myself I shoot a 56 pound 29.5 inch at 286 feet per second. I use carbon with a rocket mechanical tip and never lets me down..

It's all about placement!!!

[worm jacked]

rocket steelheads 100 gr have my vote . I have shot 5 bucks with them and lost one due to my bad shot not the broadhead. shot placement is key all shots were passthrough and longest shot was 28 yards . I hear people say they shot a deer a 40,45,50,55 yards with a bow thats just nuts and it must be the equipment when they can't find it because of a hail mary shot. Everyting out there will work within it design limits. so pick your equipment and stay within your and the equipment limits. :rant: