Spitfire Disappointment
 

I shot a doe last night with a 100 grain Spitfire on an 29" ACC 360 out of a 65# Martin cougar at 16 yards. She was standing straight broadside, I hit here 3" Back from the shoulder and center of body in hight. Perfect double lung shot. I had NO pass through. I can not believe that this arrow didn't pass through. It left only a mark on the inside of the opposite side rib cage. I caught two ribs at the same time with the blades but that still shouldn't of mattered! It did leave a nice hole in the entrance side! I will not shoot another deer with these heads. I new I should of stuck with my Muzzy's. BBBB....BAD TO THE BONE

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

I tried the 125 grain Spitfires a couple years ago and lost two does,one week apart. Both were good hits, I left the woods and came back in the morning before work.
Good blood trail at first, then petered out. I found both arrows about 30 yards down the trail. Niether were pass thru shots.
I was shooting my FX at 60 lbs.
I went back to Magnus/Nugent 2 blade and have had pass thru shots on almost every deer since.
I know people that swear by the expandables but they just didn't work well for me. I hate losing deer.
It had been about 10 years since I had lost a deer up to that point.

It will be fixed blades,cut on contact for me!

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

My cousin uses the 125 gr. spitfires and absolutely annilated a buck this year with it. Complete pass through and there was tons of blood . It didn't even make it out of the field.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

I have taken 3 deer with the Spifires and 2 with the Scorpion XPs. All were pass throughs from my tree stand about 20 feet high.
I am now using Wasp Sharpshooters, Stingers and Slick Tricks just to see how these heads work this year.
Whether or not expandables work well or not is a dead horse. Too many arguments about them already. Just use whatever head you fell comfortable with.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

shot the 100 gr spitfires for two seasons. first shot was on a four pt at 6 yds quartering away. poor arrow penetration, but that deer only made it 12 yds before piling up. the next was a doe I lost at 20 yds. poor penetration again. I only shot these because I was having set up problems and my bow was 2500 mi away with me in the usn. I don't understand how some of these celebrities have pass throughs all the time on video. my bow was a 70# xi shooting a 450 gr arrow at about 245 fps. I've since gone back to my trusty thunderhead 100s, and haven't had an issue since. hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

Buelhunter, you're right on the money. Too much energy lost on impact with mechanicals. I like the NAP Thunderheads. One less thing to go wrong, especially if it's a trophy in your sights.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

I used 100gr Spitfires for several years because I couldn't get fixed blades to fly right out of my Mathews LX. I was generally disappointed with their performance and lost 2 well-shot deer while using them. One was a doe that was about 10 yards, did not get a complete pass through and a very poor blood trail. The other was a buck that also was a good shot at 20 yards, weak blood trail and never found him. Am going back to 100gr Thunderheads this year and have them shooting pretty well. I did shoot a buck last year, 20 yards quartering away that left a fantastic blood trail and the deer only went about 75 yards after the shot; so it wasn't every deer that was a problem.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

I'll take all your spitfire heads.No problem at all with them. I've taken several bucks and 2 does , plus a couple turkeys, all pass thru's, and excellant blood trails.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

Big John, is that triangular cut in the heart from the Spitfire or when you were cleaning him?

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

All too often "we" blame the broadheads for "our" poor shots!

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

Gee the deer I have shot with them all were pass thrus and exit holes like a slug gun.Last year the lung was hanging out the exit hole

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

First off, before I start... I shoot fixed Thunderheads. It's a given you loose some energy with mechanicals. Some of the horror stories above probably point out a couple points worth mentioning. Regardless of what manufacturers say, I think it's pretty much a given that you have 60 or above KE to shoot the things. Secondly, some stated he was having "Set Up" problems and went to the mechanicals. A mechnical is not a repair for flawed tuning. In fact, because of the energy loss when opening, you sure enough should not have set up problems if you go that way. Your bow better be tuned to a T. It just won't work if the arrows are hitting less than at 90 degrees. Any fishtailing or porpousing will exaggerate lost energy. I thought I might try some mechanicals last year. I bought them and shot them, but then couldn't find the replacement blades for them. I decided I might try them this year. Well, I was out shooting my old standby Thunderheads. They're dead nuts on at 20, 30 and 40. Why in the world would I even think of fixing that which isn't broke. So, I'm still on Thunderheads after umpteen years. You got to tune those bows boys and girls. And if you get it tuned, it doesn't matter what you shoot as long as you don't push the envelope and step outside the "REAL" guidelines, not the manufacturers hype. Knowing Big John, he could launch a rock and get penetration. It's all in the setup.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

Great responds Dave I coulden't have said it better! When tuning your bow look for perfection. You are what you shoot.Why sould you accept any thing else from yourself for yourself? Mike

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

So a 16 yard perfectly broadsidedouble lung shot is a "POOR" shot[&:]

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

A bow doesn't get tuned any better than mine is;)........And don't be telling me I made a "POOR" shot.[:@]

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

I've shot two deer that they have worked well on. But all it takes is one poor performance and their gone. I've never had any problems with Muzzy's. I tried expendables because I liked the cutting diameter, NOT because of tuning problems. My Muzzy's are dead on out to 60 yards same as my field pionts.............Tuned enough for you???????????

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

I feel Expandables are the only way. They double the cutting diameter. Just tried the new Hypershock by Aftershock Archery. They work great shot a doe with a 60 lb pull at 20 yrds clean pass through like butter even after going through a rib and the doe went about 70 yards watched here fall they work great. Oh and they open after about one inch of the broadhead is in the deer to help lessen deflection on angled shots.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

I can't complain about them so far. Double-lunged a doe from about 16 yds, slice a rib clean in two on exit, complete pass thru, stuck in ground. Shot a turkey from about the same distance but hit wing/hip. No pass thru but had some real yummy turkey breast. I will be using them this season. I am going to try some Muzzy's also. The thing about the Spitfires, really any mech, is to tune the head also. If you are using them straight out of the package you probably are starting with trouble. I take them apart and clean them, oil them, and adjust the tension so they are opening just right. You have to keep checking and adjusting as needed, not to mention keeping a sharp blade.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

That's too bad!!! Since you're not going to use them again , send them to me and I'll put them to good use.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

Davidmil is right, and to expound a little more, shooting at paper and targets, and shooting at fur is two different things. When the animal gets in position, breathing gets rapid, bow hand may quiver a little, release hand may quiver a little, punch the release, all these things may affect arrow flight , leading to poor penetration . Maybe the wind is blowing a little too much, maybe your arrow clipped that leaf or twig! Want to try an experiment? Get into a good fight with the wife, and immediately go outside and try to paper tune, boy what a surprise you'll get. I can tune a pretty good bow but not when I'm nervous or excited, and lookin for the wife to sneak up behind me with a rollin pin.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

At 16 yards65#'sand aAcc 360 and a 100 grain tip the arrow should be able to do loop de loops and still pass trough a doe at that range!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like I said I've had them work awesome I just don't need any other concerns when shooting that P&Y here in the near future!!!!!!

I started this thread with a concern about the performance of a product, and what I got back from some of you is that I for one don't know how to shoot. And for two I don't know how to tune a bow. Thats fine I don't claim to know it all but I'll tell you this. I have been bow hunting for 18 years and have harvested many deer and a Moose with the bow. I also have been shooting competitive archery for five years. I can and do shoot well and can and do tune my own bow to close to perfection.Maybe I'm just takeing this a little to personally. After all the deer only went 100 yards!!!!!!!!!!

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

I use them and have had good luck. I have taken 10 animals a mixture
off hogs and deer. The only time I have not had a pass thru was on quatering
away shots on hogs. It slammed intothe opposite elbow and stopped. Even
these only went about 50 yards. I was using a 64# Jennings Rackmaster so I can't
explain your lack of penetration. But I wouldn't blame you for changing heads.
If that happened to me I would drop them too.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

The products work quite well, when fixed up with the proper set up, don't be so quick to blame the broadhead themselves, NAP recommends at the least 55KE for the Spitfires to open properly, and like stated before I would most likely use them with a setup producing 60KE or better. I use Rocky Mtn Snypers, probably one of the easiest opening mechanicals, Spitfires are known to be one of hardest opening mechanicals. I can tell you, I have had no problems with my setup. Go back to what works, whether its Thunderheads or Muzzy's, but don't blame the product for for a misfortune, there are many things that might not have been noticeable to the human eye, that could have happened in those 16yds. This is why we hunt, not kill, because sh** happens!!!!!!

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

Bird Hunt... I wasn't saying you couldn't tune or shoot. I was making statements with regard to "OTHER" posts I"ve seen over the years. I agree too, you should have had a pass threw. My Thunderheads would have been stuck in the ground to the point it would take a goodtug to remove it if it his some roots. The point is, that all too often it's NOT the equipment. At other times it is or it's a combination of equipment that is at fault.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

i shot the 85 grain spitfires last year from my 60# bow,that was prolly not anywhere nere perefect tuneing,,and shot a button buck from 15 yard or less,,(cant remember)and the arrow only went in 7 or 8 inches from what i could tell,,we never did find the arrow(3-39 a/c/c) but did find the deer after about 70 or 80 yard,,with barely any blood at all

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

Spitfires Hmmmm?
18 for 18 on whitetails
2 for 2 turkeys
1 for 1 red stag
1 for 1 fallow deer
1 for 1 corsican ram
2 for 2 ground hogs
2 for 2 raccoons

No problems with them here! I love them! I know my day will come where I wound an animal but that happens with any broadhead. If you hit a deer in the vitals you will get it.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

I did not wound the deer I found it dead within 100 yards. I made a double lung shot. I am disappointed with the penetration I got. Two years ago I shot a doe at 37 yards with 100 grain Spitfires and a Easton light speed. Clean pass through! I can't figure out why I didn't get a pass through at 16 yards with a heavier arrow set up. That arrow shouldn't of even slowed down!!!!!

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

I've shot small does at 15 yardsand the arrow stuck right in a rib on exit...while I've shot very large deer with the same rig and had complete pass thru at 38 yards.

Don't think into it too much.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

There are a few things you need to understand about the Spitfire line of broadheads.........first and foremost is the workings of the "Retention" clips.
Not all Spitfire heads that I have used or handled opened the same in hand.....some allow the blades to swing open nicely while others are so tight that they are practically strangling the blades. There was too much variation in opening force for my tastes on a head that already requires a little more energy than most other jacknife style heads.
If I was going to hunt with Spitfires, believe it or not I would actually remove the retention clips entirely and shoot them with the Rocket style rubber bands.
There are too many variables from shot to shot, arrow to arrow ,or head to head let alone anatomy hit to expect every shot result to be identical.
They are a high quality head, nice blade sharpness, but the lack of a rubber band comes with a price........many times that's less penetration than a head of a similar cutting diameter as a result of tight blade retention clips.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

Matt from PA pretty much summed up my experience with the retention clip deal. I went to the shockwave with the rubber o ring . slide that back, tip the head up, and the blades should fall open or down just by gravity. if they don't don't usethem. Glad you got the deer.good shooting.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

Sorry to hear that you were not entirely pleased with the heads. Glad to see you got your deer though.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

Spitfires are one of my favorite heads. I have had a pass through on every animal I have shot with them. Blood trails are massive too.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

Mike........and your results have a great deal to do with the above.;)
That is a good choice of broadhead to compliment your set-up.
For the absolute best results time and again with Spitfires, that type of performance is a nice thing to be sporting.

(Well that and Texas deer only weigh on average........what about 15-20lbs?;):D)

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

I am a great defender of mechanical heads. Most problems that people have with them are related to tuning issues or shooting one with too wide of a cutting diameter for the amount of KE their bow produces. That said, it has been my experience that Spitfires with their stiff blade retention clips and wide cutting diameter require a lot energy to achieve consistent pass throughs. My advice for a mech head would be get yourself some Rocket Steelheads in either 100 or 125 grain. The only trouble you will have with them is digging them out of the ground and tree stumps on the other side of deer.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

The entrance wound on this animal was massive. It is what the exit wound normally looks like with and expandable. The blades and retainers where new and the blades seemed to open very easily.

What if the blades opened before they hit the deer?

The arrow should of passed through easier then right?

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

Spitfires have always worked well for my friends and I. I just made sure that I opened them a few times and that the retention area was clean. If you shoot them into a foam target, you MUST clean that area. The foam will build up in their and the blades won't open well

If you are worried about the retention spring, try the Scorpion XP's. Those babies are wicked. The 3 deer I shot with them only went 30 yards max! They have a cut-on-contact blade and use an O-Ring.

I amcurrently using some fixed blade heads just to try something new. I like to tinker too much!

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

I have shot 4 deer with spitfires 5yds, 17yds, 20 yds, and 30yds. All opened fine. My wife shot one last year with them and it never opened. Lost my confidence and in my opinion confidence is too important to bow hunting to lose. I will be shooting muzzy's this year.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

Any thoughts guys?

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

I don't know I use both types. A deer dies from hemorrhaging. The bigger the hole the better for me. I like to be able to see them go down, that usually means a shorter drag. I go with the 2.5in. Vortex, or the 1.75in JakHammer.

RE: Spitfire Disappointment
 

Hey Bigjohn, the last two bucks I have shot have had that neat little triangle in their heart, just like yours. I love the spitfires.