TFOX, tell me one setup of legal draw weight that a fixed blade head absolutely will not work on. Then outline the parameters for what setups should NEVER use any mechanical, regardless of cutting diameter. Then outline what animals should NOT be hunted with mechanicals, because of their size and toughness.

When shot out of a well tuned bow, with adequate energy and good shot placement on medium size game, they can and do produce excellent results. Poorly tuned bow, inadequate energy, bad shot placement and we wind up with yet another 'mechanical broadhead failure' thread to argue about. Not so?

One of the two overriding faults of mechanical heads is that they require a certain level of energy to do their job. Too many people with too little energy are using mechanicals, mostly because they hear all the rave reviews about them, from guys that are generally using enough energy to down an 18-wheeler. The other fault is the inescapable fact that too many people are using them because they simply cannot get fixed blade heads to fly straight. As you yourself have repeatedly pointed out, a well tuned bow is even more critical with mechanicals than it is for fixed blade heads.

Penetration tests... We've covered this ground time and time again and now, once again, I feel compelled to point out that the penetration tests you and everyone else keep referring to are made on foam or other assorted artificial materials. I never have, and never will, agree that the results obtained from those 'tests' can - in any way, shape, form or fashion - accurately predict actual results on skin, flesh and bone. It's like saying that taking a capsule of vitamin E is good for you, so taking a capsule of cyanide will be good for you too. Things do not work that way.

Anyway, taking all things into consideration, it is flat impossible to say that mechanicals are just as good as, or better, then fixed blade heads. For well tuned setups that produce adequate energy, good accuracy and limited to deer size game, then maybe I couldn't disagree with that too much. I know what you're saying when you point out they shoot more accurately in windy conditons and such, but you should have qualified that comment when you made it instead of making it sound like a blanket endorsement.