Simmons Shark 125 grain

Accuracy 4 points
Plywood 5 points
Tire 4 points
Steel drum 6 points
Cutting diameter 3 points
Blades 2 points
Non-mechanical head 2 points
Total Score: 26 with a blade sharpness Rating of C+

The 125grain is the smallest head in the Simmons line. It has a cutting diameter of 1 3/16” and can be shot as a two blade, or with the bleeder blades, it can be shot as a 4 blade head. Simmons heads are unique in that they resemble a sharks tooth, the rear of the blades are concave sweeping outward. This gives the head a distinctive profile.
I tested the head with and without the bleeder blades installed. With them the head had a good deal more blade surface in which destroy soft tissue. Without them the head penetrated better, and accuracy improved a good deal. . The bleeders are made to bend or break off when hitting bone or hard materials. I found that they worked very well. They bent in the plywood and steel drum, but broke off clean in the tire. Overall I found the bleeders were designed well, and worked as they are made too. The down side to them is that the accuracy was not as good with them installed. Of course I was shooting 4” right helical vanes. With a 5” feather I suspect the extra control would improve accuracy a good bit. After testing the heads both ways I personally prefer to shoot them without the bleeders. They also increase the weight of the broadhead by 12 grains or so.
The following results are from the head shot without the bleeders. I found the accuracy to be excellent. They grouped consistently and very close to my field points at all ranges. In the plywood the head fully penetrated and without damage. In the tire the head again fully penetrated without damage. The steel drum test was very impressive. The broadhead fully penetrated both sides, and without damage. This is outstanding performance. No other fixed blade head has fully penetrated both sides without loosing all of its blades. The only other head that made it all the way through undamaged was the Rocket steelhead 125, and it managed mostly because it didn’t fully open on the first side. With the bleeder blades installed the head made it through the tire and plywood. In the steel drum the bleeders kept the head from fully penetrating the rear wall, but the performance was still respectable.
All and all the 125grain Simmons shark is one impressive head, its strong, accurate, and penetrates very well. I think the combination of the moderate cutting diameter and unique blade shape help to promote penetration. The heads are not ready to hunt with out of the package. You will need to sharpen them, but I found this a very simple task, even for the bleeder blades. I was very impressed with the performance of this broadhead. I think it would be an excellent choice for someone looking for a two blade 125 grain head, or those that want a larger 4 blade cut on contact head and are willing to shoot larger fletching to better control the arrow.