Mechanical or fixed broadheads?

[Forest Hunter]

Which do you use and why? I have only bow hunted big game for a year. I got one whitetail with a fixed three blade. I practiced with it and it worked fine. When I shot at the doe it curved up and hit the spine. It was a bittersweet moment that the doe dropped but the broadhead made the arrow hit high for some reason. Mechanical broadheads are closed in flight and I think that they could make this issue much easier to deal with. What are you opinions?

[WNYBuckHunter]

I doubt the broadhead made the arrow fly high. It was probably either you misjudged the distance, picked the wrong pin, or the doe did what many deer do when they hear the bow or see movement, they drop their body down extremely quickly. As long as you have your bow tuned for them properly, just about any broadhead can hit with your field points, mechanical or fixed.

I have shot deer with both types. Both did their jobs. Fixed blades have given me the fewest issues and are the simplest design, so that is what I have gone back to and will stay with from here on out. If you are shooting a slower or lower poundage bow, you should stick to fixed blade, as some of the mechanicals out there require a certain amount of speed and kinetic energy to function at their best.

Just my 2 cents.

[MuzzyLoader]

I doubt the broadhead made the arrow fly high. It was probably either you misjudged the distance, picked the wrong pin, or the doe did what many deer do when they hear the bow or see movement, they drop their body down extremely quickly. As long as you have your bow tuned for them properly, just about any broadhead can hit with your field points, mechanical or fixed.

I have shot deer with both types. Both did their jobs. Fixed blades have given me the fewest issues and are the simplest design, so that is what I have gone back to and will stay with from here on out. If you are shooting a slower or lower poundage bow, you should stick to fixed blade, as some of the mechanicals out there require a certain amount of speed and kinetic energy to function at their best.

Just my 2 cents.

That's probably the BEST answer to your question Forest.  I shoot fixed blades because I have a lower poundage bow and a short draw length.

[Forest Hunter]

Thank you both. I only shoot fifty pounds with a twenty nine inch draw length. I feel like I can trust a fixed broadhead more because of how it can't fail as long as I get a good shot. Thanks

[fasteddie]

Bob Foulkrod , one of the hunting Gurus , once said that 55 Lbs and under should only shoot "cut on contact" blades . Over 55# mechanicals are okay .

[G-Man]

I've used both but if the first deer you got the brodhead worked fine. The second didn't...sounds like a shooting form error or perhaps a more alert doe dropped when it heard the shot. Fixed blades work fine and can be put in the same hole as a field point. Deer can jump a string(drop down) a whole body with from top of back to brisket extremly fast especially if alert! So fast it looks like you shot high. Distance to the deer , how alert it is all play a factor. Rule of thumb aim at lower 1/3 of deer vitals if over 20 yards its doesn't matter how fast your bow is a deer is quicker... don't believe me watch some deer vids that show misses in slow motion a lot of the time the archers aim was on..deer moved before the arrow got there...

[sweet old bill]

I shoot 3 blade fixed BH's, as I now shoot only 56 lbs at 29 inch draw. It use to be that under 60 lbs a closed in flight BH may not open, but now in today market after 12 years or so of testing I think they all will work. I just love the new smaller Bh.s that are fixed blade and they fly like a dart for me. I have 3 that I use to shoot at a BH target when we get closer to the start of the season. I pratice with them.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Rage has a mechanical that would work for you, the 40KE if you really want to try mechanicals.

http://www.ragebroadheads.com/Products/40-KE-Broadhead.php

[phade]

Grim Reapers seem to be about the only mech head I have dealt with that is reliable to the point I am comfortable shooting them (1 3/8 Razorcuts).

Outside of that, I've stuck namely with Slick Tricks, Stikers, or a Striker-variant (Blackouts).

My best guess is that at the moment of truth, being a first take, you probably forgot to bend at the waist if you were in a stand.

It happens. If you can get in a stand a practice before the season, that'll help you quite a bit.

[gfdeputy2]

I shoot the Rage 2 blades & haven't had a problem with them I have a very short draw (25.5") & shooting a little over the 50# mark have taken two deer with these broadheads & neither went over 50 yards

but I will say if your broadheads are working stick with them don't get caught up in the hype of the biggest baddest blah blah blah garbage & I agree with everyone else there are so may things that can go wrong bowhunting & most of the time it is a shooters mistake not equipment

[Deerthug]

I have used fixed 3 blade with so-so results Just bought the G5- T-3 mechanical to try out this season. It Got good reviews. Hopefully it will put a nice big hole in a buck this weekend.

[UpStateRedNeck]

I shoot the rage 2 blades, love them to death, but I shoot a 28.5 draw and 65#. My reasoning being that they seem the most humane way to drop a deer very efficiently, at least for my setup.

[fasteddie]

I had a bad hit on a buck today and that Rage 2 blade tore him up inside . They fly great !

[Forest Hunter]

I bought a pack of the rage 125 grain two blades as a christmas gift for myself. They had a chart where it showed where you should use the 40ke and where you could use the normal and i was in the normal 2 blade side. I have watched plenty of videos and have tried my best to learn how they work. I can understand why everyone loves them, i have not even tried them out and I already love them.

[fasteddie]

I have had good luck with the Rage 2 blade expandables but may play aroung with the Muzzy 100 grain 3 fixed blades this summer to see how they fly .

[Doc]

The only reason that the mechanical broadheads were even invented was because bow-hunters often have bow tuning issues and/or arrow tuning issues and/or shooting form shortfalls that will send even an arrow with the best fixed blade design spiraling through the air in an unpredictable direction. In order to fix those basic set-up and form problems, inventors decided to eliminate the planing features on the broadhead. That doesn't mean that the tuning problems or the shooting form have been cured, it only means that a band-aid has been applied that masks those problems. However, for many that does the trick and does eliminate some of the inconsistancies. I guess whatever it takes to get the job done is what you have to do. For a lot of people, mechanicals have made the difference between a kill and a wound. I guess it is just one more potential variable that is put under control. For myself, I do spend hours practicing form perfection, and bow tuning, and have had pretty good luck with fixed blade heads.

[TreeGuy]

Rage, never had a problem, 70#, 29.5". Looking forward to the new line of rage as well, a huge new 2 blade and another designed specifically for turkeys.... rage in the cage is a saying I live for !

My old man swears by muzzy fixed, 50#,30". Has had issues but has also thrown alot more arrows than me !

Use what shoots the best for YOU. And follow manufacturers ratings for #'s and spine/ grain of arrow etc.

[ants]

I switched to Rage 100 gr. last year when I got a new, faster bow. I took a buck with one Holloween morning and it seemed to do well, but no better than the Thunderhead 125gr I used, for years, with the old bow. So I would say use what shoots the best with your bow. Even if you have to waste a couple broadheads shooting into your target, at least you'll know what flys good. Although Rage comes with one practice head.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Even if you have to waste a couple broadheads shooting into your target, at least you'll know what flys good

Thers another reason I have gone back to fixed, I had enough of having to spend another $40 to $50 after every 3 or 4 shots with my broadheads. I have also gotten tired of replacement blades, so I am taking it a step further this year by moving to a fixed broadhead that I can easily resharpen and reuse.

[Nomad]

Myself I love fixed cut on contacts. Fly the same as my field points as any head should. I feel the deer feel the impact much less with cut on contact, about half of my deer run or jump a few steps and stop and look around.... fall over. Most years my tracking distance is zero as i watch them fall/

[Red]

i shot the snyper 2 blade 100 grain mechanical for years me and the guys i hunt with all used them they were great always opened then they sold their design or whatever to field logic and te rage was born almost identical broad heads the rage is just a little bulkier then the snyper was. this year i switched to the rage since i couldnt find any snypers and i was very pleased i shot a nice 8pt double lungs dropped in its tracks. my buddy that i hunt with shot 4 does none went over 75 yrds and another buddy took a monster 8pt that went 40yrds and a doe. very pleased.