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General Guide to Broadhead Selection...

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General Guide to Broadhead Selection...

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Old 12-10-2007, 07:02 PM
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Default General Guide to Broadhead Selection...

There's alot questions regarding "what's the best head for my setup". I thought, perhaps, a sticky including a general guide, based on KE, could be used as a quick reference. The intent is not to debate on what brand of heads are the best, but what design one should be using. This is what I think. Feel free to chime in, as quite a few of you have more hunting experience under you belt than me. I would like this to be a team effort, if possible. The game targeted here is whitetail deer.

1. Low Kinetic Energy (less than 45lbs KE): Cut on contact heads such as Stingers, Montecs, and Muzzy Phantoms. Small, low profile replaceable blade heads such as the Wasp Boss Bullet as well. Keep cutting diameter under 1 1/8 inch.
2. Moderate Kinetic Energy (45-55lbs KE): Full sized "old school" replaceable blade heads like the Thunderhead. Smaller mech heads up 1 1/4" and no more than three blades.
3. High Kinetic Energy (55+): Big cut mechanicals such as Rage and NAP Spitfires can be used.
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Old 12-11-2007, 07:46 AM
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Default RE: General Guide to Broadhead Selection...

I don't think the Rage two blade requires that much KE to work. I might put it in the moderate KE category. The big jackknife type expandables, however,seem to require more KE -as your chart implies.
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Old 12-11-2007, 08:07 AM
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Default RE: General Guide to Broadhead Selection...

Thanks for the input, Roskoe. The Rage/Snyper is a different design than a jacknife style mech and may not deserve to be bumped up in the KE requirements.
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Old 12-11-2007, 05:11 PM
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Default RE: General Guide to Broadhead Selection...

For the really big over the top mechanicals like Rocket Hammerheads, etc, I think 55 KE might be too low. I'd say minimum65ft-lbs KEto be safe.

I'm talking about the 3 blade, 2" cut over the top mechanical heads....
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Old 12-11-2007, 07:36 PM
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Default RE: General Guide to Broadhead Selection...

At least one of these big jackknife expandables recommends 280 fps minimum for their heads.
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Old 12-11-2007, 07:38 PM
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Default RE: General Guide to Broadhead Selection...

Would you put the Slick Trick in the low KE category? And the regular Muzzy as well?
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Old 12-11-2007, 07:40 PM
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Default RE: General Guide to Broadhead Selection...








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Old 12-11-2007, 07:41 PM
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Default RE: General Guide to Broadhead Selection...

I personally feel shot placement is more imortant than the broadhead. That being said, make sure it is sturdy and sharp and hitthem intheboiler roomand you have a dead deer.
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Old 12-11-2007, 07:51 PM
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Default RE: General Guide to Broadhead Selection...

ORIGINAL: gzg38b

For the really big over the top mechanicals like Rocket Hammerheads, etc, I think 55 KE might be too low. I'd say minimum65ft-lbs KEto be safe.

I'm talking about the 3 blade, 2" cut over the top mechanical heads....
Yeah, those are big, big heads. It has been suggested (shtr) that another category needs to be added: +65lbs KE for those really large jack knife style mechs.
I'm inclined now to put the slipcam style mechs in the 45+ category, since the ke required to open those is next to nil. You still have to deal with the larger cut, however.
Again, this is a general guideline we're trying to formulate. There will certain heads that won't match to the ke requirements. Case in point is the Rocket Steelhead. Should be in the 45+ category, but I think no should be afraid to use it if their setup generates less kinetic energy. That little mech is renowned for it's penetration ability.
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Old 12-11-2007, 08:06 PM
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Default RE: General Guide to Broadhead Selection...

My wife is getting right at 36ft. lbs of KE in her set up at the moment. I have her shooting 100 grain NAP hellrazors. They are a cut on contact head with a 1 1/8 cutting diameter. She is 3 for 3 on whitetails this year. One was at 19 yards and another was 25 both were complete passthroughs and the third was 39 yards. The arrow didnt go completely through but the buck went less than 40 yards.
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