Ok ok, I'm sure this has been addressed but....

[Merlot]

Can kill a deer with a zucchini if you double lung 'em.....ok, maybe not a zucchini. I only use fixed...the less moving parts, the better,  IMHO.  

[ApexerER]

I have never used a fixed broadhead. Not necessarily against them. I guess I just fell for all the marketing. I had Rage Heads but never shot a deer with them and I felt like every time I looked at my broadhead a blade would be hanging. I bought some NAP Killzones, have never had a blade fall and they have left some nasty holes in the deer I have shot with them. I don't see any reason to change what is working....

[Five Seasons]

15 hours ago, buffalojay83 said:

 

What do you like, fixed or mechanical broad heads and why? My mechanical didn't open last year and led to a 2.5 mile blood trail in the snow during the rut. Yes I recovered the deer, I'll never forget that hunt.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

falls into the category of "you can't go wrong" for me. Personally I shoot rage mechanicals and have for 15 years and haven't lost a deer yet. I like the extra wide cutting pattern as not all shots are perfect and even a few spines have been fatal. They fly right for me and that's really all there is too it. Yes the downfall is that it's one more thing to go wrong, but the latest generations have improved with features to limit this.

I will add this about your post. If you had a 2.5 mile blood trail... well that's saying something positive too.

[Robhuntandfish]

Have tried a few. Rage were fine but hated those collars. Be sitting in tree and look at one side of it flopped out of collar. What a pita. Esp if walking thru brush.  My absolute favorite are the grim reaper whitetails.  Mechanical 3 blades and a solid tip to punch through.  Leaves a huge wound in and out. And they stay together til impact.  I wouldn't use them on low poundage bow and would go with a muzzy for that. But I have had such great luck with them.  All I shoot for practice now is their practice tips that come with a 3 pack.  

Edited July 17, 2019 by Robhuntandfish

[Five Seasons]

15 hours ago, BeIo said:

30, plus years of killing deer with a bow and arrow , fixed for me .cut on contact Mangus Stingers . Once a few year ago I tried a Rage , buck died , but I was less then impressed by performance .

Its all

 about shot placement , double lung it and it’s dead within 15 seconds no matter the head  , don’t take iffy shots expecting the head to make up for poor shot choices ,imho .

 

15 hours ago, Lawdwaz said:

You freaking guys and your swapped names have all fugged up..........

Belo my ass, I KNOW that's you Larry.

reading this after my post above lol

One belo is 30 years of fixed only and the other is 15 years of mechanicals only 

Edited July 17, 2019 by Belo

[Jeremy K]

Bottom line, fixed or mechanical ,you put one through the ticker and it's game over.

[buffalojay83]

13 hours ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

I’d like to hear details of that hunt, where’d you hit him, how do you know it didn’t open etc? Not doubting you I just find this stuff fascinating. I tune with Montecs and hunt with a cheap Carbon Express mech that I have had great success with on deer bears and hogs


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Alright, I took off of work the last week of bow.  I saw the buck that I ended up killing on Tuesday and passed on him in hopes of seeing Mr. Big.  Didn't see him.  Went back on Thursday and the 1st buck came right back down the same trail (i thought) nose to the ground and moving quickly.  I wanted to make sure my freezer wasn't empty so I wasn't gonna pass him twice.  I stopped him with a 'bahp' and he paused I took the shot but he was a little further than where he was on Tues. (about 5-10yds).  I hit one lung and he bled like crazy, ran up to the top of the hill/trail and waited.  I was hoping he'd bed down, but he put his nose back to the ground and walked off.  I waited about 45mins before I came down from my climber, went to look for blood and my arrow.  Found the arrow and it hadn't opened!  There was some snow on the ground so blood was easy to spot and there was a lot.  Left to get a cup of coffee and some grub and to give him some time.  Came back a few hours later and started to check out the blood trail, very good blood, he bedded down a couple times and jumped a narrow creek, tons of blood, I didn't know how he kept moving.  Followed the blood as far as I could, charlie horses in both legs lifting my big boots in and out of the snow, hiking ridge-lines following this mfer.  Blood the whole way.  Got to a clearing on the neighbors property, blood trail going right across it.  This was 2.5 miles trail so far.  Backtracked the 2.5 miles back to point of the shot.  Stretched the legs a bunch.  Tried to get contact info for the landowner.  Finally got a number from an ad she had placed for work.  Called her and explained what happend, and that I was asking to access their land on the other side of the cleared field to take up the blood trail.  Her husband hunts and she was okay with it, I thanked her and thanked her for even picking up the phone and giving me time to talk with her.  Now I'm hanging half out of my truck laughing trying to stretch my damn legs because they've both seized up with cramps!  People driving by me like, wtf?!  I drive to the property, walk up to where the blood trail starts on the other end of the field.  Thank God for the snow!  I see antlers in a thicket, then eyes looking right at me, it's my buck, he's alive, he's tired, a hot doe on the other side of the thicket bounds off.  He gets up, staggers off after her.  Shit!  I load an arrow and follow.  He beds down further in the thicket.  I see him get up, I circle the thicket walking around a mound of dirt/soil.  He's beat.  I put another arrow in him to finish up.  He died a few long minutes later.  Man that was crazy!  I drag him out to a spot where I can field dress him, tag him, then a nice easy down hill drag through snow back to my truck.  Great, my back tags and buck tag are gone!  This is a great day!  I load him up, it's dark now, then drop him off at the property I hunt.  I run to walmart to get spare tags with 10 mins left before they close the desk.  I run back, tag him, put him in the truck, drive back home, EAT everything in the house, and sit down.  My wife asks what the hell took so long, haha!  I've been shooting my bow consistently all year to get the reps in and hopefully ensure a better hit.  76 days till I get to try again. 

[The_Real_TCIII]

Alright, I took off of work the last week of bow.  I saw the buck that I ended up killing on Tuesday and passed on him in hopes of seeing Mr. Big.  Didn't see him.  Went back on Thursday and the 1st buck came right back down the same trail (i thought) nose to the ground and moving quickly.  I wanted to make sure my freezer wasn't empty so I wasn't gonna pass him twice.  I stopped him with a 'bahp' and he paused I took the shot but he was a little further than where he was on Tues. (about 5-10yds).  I hit one lung and he bled like crazy, ran up to the top of the hill/trail and waited.  I was hoping he'd bed down, but he put his nose back to the ground and walked off.  I waited about 45mins before I came down from my climber, went to look for blood and my arrow.  Found the arrow and it hadn't opened!  There was some snow on the ground so blood was easy to spot and there was a lot.  Left to get a cup of coffee and some grub and to give him some time.  Came back a few hours later and started to check out the blood trail, very good blood, he bedded down a couple times and jumped a narrow creek, tons of blood, I didn't know how he kept moving.  Followed the blood as far as I could, charlie horses in both legs lifting my big boots in and out of the snow, hiking ridge-lines following this mfer.  Blood the whole way.  Got to a clearing on the neighbors property, blood trail going right across it.  This was 2.5 miles trail so far.  Backtracked the 2.5 miles back to point of the shot.  Stretched the legs a bunch.  Tried to get contact info for the landowner.  Finally got a number from an ad she had placed for work.  Called her and explained what happend, and that I was asking to access their land on the other side of the cleared field to take up the blood trail.  Her husband hunts and she was okay with it, I thanked her and thanked her for even picking up the phone and giving me time to talk with her.  Now I'm hanging half out of my truck laughing trying to stretch my damn legs because they've both seized up with cramps!  People driving by me like, wtf?!  I drive to the property, walk up to where the blood trail starts on the other end of the field.  Thank God for the snow!  I see antlers in a thicket, then eyes looking right at me, it's my buck, he's alive, he's tired, a hot doe on the other side of the thicket bounds off.  He gets up, staggers off after her.  Shit!  I load an arrow and follow.  He beds down further in the thicket.  I see him get up, I circle the thicket walking around a mound of dirt/soil.  He's beat.  I put another arrow in him to finish up.  He died a few long minutes later.  Man that was crazy!  I drag him out to a spot where I can field dress him, tag him, then a nice easy down hill drag through snow back to my truck.  Great, my back tags and buck tag are gone!  This is a great day!  I load him up, it's dark now, then drop him off at the property I hunt.  I run to walmart to get spare tags with 10 mins left before they close the desk.  I run back, tag him, put him in the truck, drive back home, EAT everything in the house, and sit down.  My wife asks what the hell took so long, haha!  I've been shooting my bow consistently all year to get the reps in and hopefully ensure a better hit.  76 days till I get to try again. 

Great write up! Did you do the autopsy and see that the blades didn’t open? I know some styles can snap back closed after exit


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Don_C]

They can all work well and they can all fail. Shoot what you're confident with. I have had both good and poor results from Grim Reapers, Rage, NAP and God knows what else when I first started shooting mechanicals in the early 2000s. There is no magic broadhead that works perfectly every time. Too many variable. I was shocked one time to see a grim reaper blow through two shoulder blades, and then to watch one nearly bounce off of a deer with an inch of penetration a week or so later. My feeling is that they can all work perfectly when placed perfectly and they can all fail for any number of reasons. 

I have a new set up this year and want to try something new so I'm probably going back to fixed,  Magnus Black Hornets.  But the Rage Hypodermic is calling to me... They give me penetration anxiety though!

[moog5050]

2 hours ago, BowmanMike said:

I am trying the Montec G5 this year,switched from the muzzy three blade. I found some of the muzzys wouldn't spin very well on my arrows,got a wobble. 

The only time they did not work was when i hit a doe either in the spine or high shoulder,but not much would have.

For whatever its worth (not much as its only me experience), the one fixed I will never shoot again is the montec G5.  I had the absolute worst 2 blood trails with that head with dead deer not too far away (ie decent shots).  They are tough heads though.

[rob-c]

A broad head , fixed or mechanical is only part of the puzzle. A bow should be tuned the best it can be . A proper spine  arrow plays a big part in tuning a broad head in flight and to the bow . 

I’ve shot mechanicals for years but always had the bow tuned to shoot the old school muzzys and nap thunderheads. I knew if I could get them to fly,  I was usually pretty good to go. 

One needs that arrow coming out the bow as straight and true as possible. Because old Murphy can rear it’s ugly head at any time. A rough release , a small twig we didn’t see, buck fever, etc. So many uncontrollable things that could cause the arrow to fly just a bit funky. 

In the end any sharp broad head will kill a deer put in the right spot.  But anything we can do to help that arrow and head fly true and find that spot is critical. 

[Five Seasons]

1 hour ago, buffalojay83 said:

Alright, I took off of work the last week of bow.  I saw the buck that I ended up killing on Tuesday and passed on him in hopes of seeing Mr. Big.  Didn't see him.  Went back on Thursday and the 1st buck came right back down the same trail (i thought) nose to the ground and moving quickly.  I wanted to make sure my freezer wasn't empty so I wasn't gonna pass him twice.  I stopped him with a 'bahp' and he paused I took the shot but he was a little further than where he was on Tues. (about 5-10yds).  I hit one lung and he bled like crazy, ran up to the top of the hill/trail and waited.  I was hoping he'd bed down, but he put his nose back to the ground and walked off.  I waited about 45mins before I came down from my climber, went to look for blood and my arrow.  Found the arrow and it hadn't opened!  There was some snow on the ground so blood was easy to spot and there was a lot.  Left to get a cup of coffee and some grub and to give him some time.  Came back a few hours later and started to check out the blood trail, very good blood, he bedded down a couple times and jumped a narrow creek, tons of blood, I didn't know how he kept moving.  Followed the blood as far as I could, charlie horses in both legs lifting my big boots in and out of the snow, hiking ridge-lines following this mfer.  Blood the whole way.  Got to a clearing on the neighbors property, blood trail going right across it.  This was 2.5 miles trail so far.  Backtracked the 2.5 miles back to point of the shot.  Stretched the legs a bunch.  Tried to get contact info for the landowner.  Finally got a number from an ad she had placed for work.  Called her and explained what happend, and that I was asking to access their land on the other side of the cleared field to take up the blood trail.  Her husband hunts and she was okay with it, I thanked her and thanked her for even picking up the phone and giving me time to talk with her.  Now I'm hanging half out of my truck laughing trying to stretch my damn legs because they've both seized up with cramps!  People driving by me like, wtf?!  I drive to the property, walk up to where the blood trail starts on the other end of the field.  Thank God for the snow!  I see antlers in a thicket, then eyes looking right at me, it's my buck, he's alive, he's tired, a hot doe on the other side of the thicket bounds off.  He gets up, staggers off after her.  Shit!  I load an arrow and follow.  He beds down further in the thicket.  I see him get up, I circle the thicket walking around a mound of dirt/soil.  He's beat.  I put another arrow in him to finish up.  He died a few long minutes later.  Man that was crazy!  I drag him out to a spot where I can field dress him, tag him, then a nice easy down hill drag through snow back to my truck.  Great, my back tags and buck tag are gone!  This is a great day!  I load him up, it's dark now, then drop him off at the property I hunt.  I run to walmart to get spare tags with 10 mins left before they close the desk.  I run back, tag him, put him in the truck, drive back home, EAT everything in the house, and sit down.  My wife asks what the hell took so long, haha!  I've been shooting my bow consistently all year to get the reps in and hopefully ensure a better hit.  76 days till I get to try again. 

can you really be positive that it didn't close up on exit somehow? 

[buffalojay83]

No, I can't be sure.  It may have closed back up, I didn't even know that was a possibility.  But now I do, thanks !

[Five Seasons]

6 minutes ago, buffalojay83 said:

No, I can't be sure.  It may have closed back up, I didn't even know that was a possibility.  But now I do, thanks !

someone said it best. Have a bad experience and you'll probably switch. I would have had a quick gander at the lung and entrance hole. You can tell for sure if a rage opens up  by the size of the slice in the organ. And the trypans... man just look at the entrance and you'll know for sure.

[BowmanMike]

2 hours ago, moog5050 said:

For whatever its worth (not much as its only me experience), the one fixed I will never shoot again is the montec G5.  I had the absolute worst 2 blood trails with that head with dead deer not too far away (ie decent shots).  They are tough heads though.

Double lung hits?

 

[dbHunterNY]

15 hours ago, moog5050 said:

Say what you want but the rage have left some absurd holes in deer for me and I never had one fail.   Obviously I hunt trad bows with fixed but I do miss the blood trails a blind man can follow from the rage.  Any sharp head on a well placed shot will work.  Huge cutting diameter just works better if one doesn’t like searching for blood specs.  

can't lie if i was ready and had more time to hunt with the recurve i was going to fling a Rage titanium from my recurve to see how it'd do on a turkey at 15 yards or so.

[dbHunterNY]

i use all kinds of heads. from magnus stingers with the recurve to other fixed blades to Rage mechanicals on compounds with more energy. in a tuned bow they all work as long as they're sharp. honestly though with wind and certain conditions i'd hands down rather have a stream lined mechanical i can trust than a head with wings on it.

[moog5050]

5 minutes ago, dbHunterNY said:

can't lie if i was ready and had more time to hunt with the recurve i was going to fling a Rage titanium from my recurve to see how it'd do on a turkey at 15 yards or so.

Turkey probably fine.  I don't think there is enough KE/Momentum for a recurve on deer.  Not willing to even try it. 

[dbHunterNY]

Just now, moog5050 said:

Turkey probably fine.  I don't think there is enough KE/Momentum for a recurve on deer.  Not willing to even try it. 

agreed. that was the intent. only fixed cut on contact heads i have for the recurves. well recurve. after shooting the Bruin custom i last got my Bear Super Kodiak probably won't see much use way nicer draw and better cast.

[moog5050]

46 minutes ago, BowmanMike said:

Double lung hits?

 

One - the other was back and liver shot.  Both dead within 150yds.  But very little blood.  Like I said, just my experience.  Try them for yourself.

Edited July 17, 2019 by moog5050

[dbHunterNY]

people often blame broadheads on a poor shot, deflection at impact or when passing through, operator error (not keeping them sharp or replacing bent parts), or simply that specific hit that happened to not bleed for the first 30 yards or so. crazy things happen every time you shoot a deer.  heads wouldn't be put back on shelves if they couldn't get the job done. they all work. you just have to know the limitations of your bow setup.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Rage blood trail from last year.  Out both sides and a hole that looked like I used an ax. 

[moog5050]

3 minutes ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

Rage blood trail from last year.  Out both sides and a hole that looked like I used an ax. 

Even I could follow that trail!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I'll be using these this year as I head out with the recurve. 

https://vparchery.com/product/vpa-2-blade-broadheads-250-grains-1-18-width-3-pack/

[ATbuckhunter]

1 minute ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

I'll be using these this year as I head out with the recurve. 

https://vparchery.com/product/vpa-2-blade-broadheads-250-grains-1-18-width-3-pack/

Looks like a good head, but you'll have to watch for rust on them. They're high carbon steel if I read correctly