mechanical - expanding. Is there a difference?

[bow_hunter44]

I'm fairly sure that is a dumb question, but I feel compelled to ask for two reasons. The primary reason is that here in good ol' Idaho, the use of "expanding" broadheads is illegal. In reading posts here and other various references about broadheads, they are refered as mechanical OR expanding. So is there some grey area, subtle, difference? The second reason I ask is that I am a LONG way behind the power curve regarding the technological advances in archery (I purchased a new bow last weekend, my first one is about 15 years). Many of my long standing paradigms fell by the wayside in invesitigating, and testing of, new bows. Now I'm wondering about my long standing paradigms about broadheads, mechanical and/or (?) expandable.

[Paul L Mohr]

They are the same thing. You either hear them called expandables or mechanicals. Same concept either way. The blades of the head are mechanically expanded as they enter the target.

Keep in mind there are a few heads that employ both a fixed blade, and a pair of expandable blades.

Paul

[hallj86]

You might be confused as to the laws. I never heard that you couldnt use mechanical ones. The stipulation you might be talking about is that they cannt have barbs on them wich will hold the arrow in the deer, like the ones used for bowfishing.

[bigbulls]

I never heard that you couldnt use mechanical ones.

There are several states that do not allow the use of mechanical/ expandableheads.

Mechanical and expandable are both used to describe the same type of head.

[hallj86]

Really I dint know that. What is the reasonsing behind it?? I love my mechanical ones they fly just as good as a field tip I just put them on and I dont have to tune any different. Is the reason because the size of the cutting channel or is that they used to be unreliable.

[bow_hunter44]

Actually the rule in Idaho applies to both barbed and expandable broadheads. And thanks for the replies. I assumed that there was no difference between mechanical and expandable but I wanted to make sure. Again I am assuming, but my guess is that Idaho has a rule against expanding broadheads due to unreliability. Bummer, I would like to try them....

[Roskoe]

Maybe Idaho F&G knows something we don't. I, too, like the way the expandables fly. I'm going to try them on turkeys next month. But one of my buddies wasshooting his NAP Spifires into a Block 4X4 target this week in preparation for gobbler season. One of the broadheads broke two blades off in the Block target. This is new head that has never hit anything but the layers of styrofoam in the Block. Has me wondering how they would hold up on large game.

[bow_hunter44]

Maybe the Idaho Fish and Game does know something we don't.... My paradygme regarding mechanicals came from years ago, when they first came out - a local shot an animal, the mechanical failed to open (verified by a pass through) and, of course, bad things happened. I recently read about some testing done where one a mechanical had one blade fail to open when hitting a foam target. So... I dunno

[hallj86]

You have to understand that when you shoot a mechanical the force that stops the arrow also forces the blades closed. Tape paper to the back of the traget and that will tell you if it opened.