OHIOFIREMAN

I've been pouring over all the posts and have read what fixed broadheads and what mechanical broadheads everyone prefers. But how does one make the dissision of fixed or mechanical? I've been using fixed and like them but thinking about trying the rage mechanical.

Roskoe

I'm kinda going through the same thought process. Really like the way the mechanicals fly, but a lot of my fellow archers out here think they are risky - particularly on elk. I have also heard credible stories about angling shots where the expandable caused the arrow to deflect and stay on the outside of the ribs. This was on an antelope, which is not a very heavy boned critter.

There is also quite a bit of discussion about whether one needs a heavier bow to get good performance from mechanicals. Takes a certain amount of energy to get them to open.

Expandables also seem "safer" in terms of the potential to accidently cut yourself.

One head that seems to be shooting pretty well for me is the G5 Montec. They have a great reputation for elk. I'm sure they would shoot through a deer even with a low poundage bow. Just takes a little more tuning to ge them to impact the same spot, and the ability to sharpen them.

Howler

For me, I take into concideration the animal I'm hunting and the most likely shot distance that I may enounter on that animal.
For instance, when I am planning on hunting turkey, obviously the animal is small and penetration won't be an issue with a large cutting mech. out of MY bow, and I want a lot of cut on the way through the animal.
When I hunt antelope, again a small animal, BUT my shot may be on the long side, so I stick with a fixed blade because I expect my arrow to be loosing KE at longer distances.
On whitetail, I fully expect my shot to be maybe 25 yards, so I think either head would give me plenty of penetration, BUT if I oops and hit the shoulder, I want the fixed, so that's what I choose, although I've shot several with expandables with no problems.
On elk, they are big bodied critters AND my shot may be longer, so I want all the penetration I can get, so I go with fixed!
So that's how I decide.

adewilde

I've used both mechanical and fixed. My expierences with fixed left a lot to be desired with a wounded deer i never found, i managed to find 8 spots of blood over 400 yards from the shot and that was it. The other draw back of fixed I could not get them to fly right after 20 yards. Since then i have switced to the Spitfire expandables. Of the four deer i shot the furthest went 200 yards. I shot two at an angle and don't see with this broadhead how it would deflect off an animal that is quarting unless it was standing strait away. Me personally I will continue to use my Spitfire mechanicals.

KodiakArcher

Examples of how one or the other style didn't work usually come down to one thing and one thing only; poor shot placement. They both work well. The preference for me is purely a comfort thing. I'm really a freak about keeping blades scary sharp and I don't like those blades waving around out in the open. I feel safer using expandables. Problem is that AK doesn't allow expandables on any of our larger critters so I have arrows rigged with both; expandables for deer, caribou and black bear/ fixed blades for goat, moose and brown bear.

scaupstopper

I have video of a spitfire that had never been fired orhad the blades open (by me)opening halfway to a 13 point buck and turning left, thus skewering him through the guts in an open field. (OK you dont see the broadhead open< but the left turn is so dramatic that even spitfire admited that was the only explanation)

I sent this video to spitfire and they sent me a bunch of replacements. I gave them away.

I do regret not inspecting the head before using it, and I also suspect that the package, which is easily opened may have been opened, and the head may have been played with. (I watched the bow shop guy open a package a week later, open and close the heads to demonstrate them to a customer several times and put them back in the package at Gander Mountain)

So it may not be Spitfires fault, but be sure you inspect the head and be sure the box is factory sealed.

mobow

With today's bow efficiencies and improvements on mechanical heads, there no reason not to anymore. I shot fixed heads for a few years, and took some deer w/ them. I made the switch to mech's for the giant cutting diameter. I'm pumping 75 foot pounds of KE so that 2" Hammerhead won't have any troubles..Should make for a great trail.

BGfisher

I don't think he meant the arrow could deflect. They have been know to "cartwheel". That meaning that as the head enters on a quartering shot the blade that contacts the hide first creates drag thus "throwing" the tail end of the arrow sideways as it enters. This can alter the path the arrow takes through the animal and greatly impede penetration.

As for only having 8 spots of blood over 400 yards? Any sharp head placed in the boiler will yield buckets of blood very soon after the impact unless something blocks the wound channel. Sharp blades rom a well tuned bow is the secret. Remember the words "well tuned". This is the shooters responsibility.

bigbulls

Exactly the same thing can be said about fixed blade heads.

There are tooooooo many excelent fixed blade heads out there that will fly as good or better than many of the mechanicals on the market.Fixed headsare many times stronger and reliable than a mechanical head could ever be.

The fact is that white tail deer aren't exactly tough to get a broadhead through. The majority of people that are hunting with bows these days can choose either one and be just fine.But remember that regardless of which one you choose the shooter has the responsibility to make sure the bow rig is tuned well and firing the arrows straight. If the arrows are not flying true then penetration, KE, accuracy, will all suffer and may still result in bad shots and lost animals.


Adewide, if you only got 8 spots of blood in 400 yards then that animal was shot through the guts, maybe the liver,and definetly though the lungs/ heart. If your fixed blade heads were flying bad after 20 yards then they weren't leaving the bow flying good to begin with. They don't just decide to start flying bad once they reach a certain distanceThe one deer thatwent 200 yards couldn't have been a good shot either.They just don't run that far after a broadhead cuts through both lungs.

LittleChief

I just picked up my first broadheads, and after months of listening to opinions, reading polls and other reviews, I finally decided on Grim Reaper mechanicals. I'm not worried about quartering away deflection with these due to the distance that the point extends past the closed blade edge. I don't have to worry about penetration or activation power shooting 300 fps either. The main reason I decided on mechanicals was simply the wider cutting path available. Being colorblind, I need (or maybe just want) that extra blood on the ground. I did decide on the 1 3/8" cut instead of the 1 3/4" cut. I do want to make sure that I get a good pass through. Don't know if I'd get that from the 1 3/4". Anyway, if you haven't seen this, check out the pics at this Grim Reaper address:
http://grimreaperbroadheads.com/RazorCut.html