Expandable Broadheads
 

Just curious how many of you use expandables? I have been using the G5 Tekan for three years now and I am pretty sold on them. The selling point was that the blade locks open.

RE: Expandable Broadheads
 

Depends on what you set up is I guess. I would never use them. 100g Thunderheads all the way. Moving parts = failure when you can least afford it.

RE: Expandable Broadheads
 

I have been using them for 6 years now and knock on wood no problems yet.

RE: Expandable Broadheads
 

WORTHLESS in my book, I have found way too many expandables inside deer that I have shot during gun season. Scary thing is, they were all good shots and should have killed the bucks and does if the blades had opened and or didnt break off when hitting bone. Ill stick with my Muzzy 4 blade.

RE: Expandable Broadheads
 

First of all lets not get carried away with what you are saying. I know expandables have wounded some deer but there has been many a fixed head that have wounded deer also.

RE: Expandable Broadheads
 

wis_bow_huntr
"WORTHLESS in my book, I have found way too many expandables inside deer that I have shot during gun season. Scary thing is, they were all good shots and should have killed the bucks and does if the blades had opened and or didnt break off when hitting bone. Ill stick with my Muzzy 4 blade."

I strongly disagree withyour opionion. I have been shooting Rocket expandables for 6 yrs now and have killed a total of 40 deer with them and my 2 hunting buddies are close behind me on kills all using expandables. (note I hunt PA,WV,and Ohio) We have never had one not open (knock on wood) in past 6 yrs of hunting together and we have not lost a animal during archery. We have each also shot a black bear using the same expandables.

As for good shots not killing a deer thats simply not possible. If you drive a field tip into the chest cavity of a deer and hit Lungs/ heart/or liver that deer is going to die. So I have a very hard time believing that a expandable broadhead not opening is the reason that a good shot didn't kill a deer. The only broadheads I have ever found in a deer which includes both expandable and fixed blades are on poor shots that only hit meat and not in the vital area.

I am not saying the Expandables are better then fixed blades. Every hunters personal choice and his equiment must dictate what type/style or brand of broadhead a person should or should not be using.

Trytan

RE: Expandable Broadheads
 

While I tend to be more of a fixed broadhead type of guy myself I still have to be honest.

I don't want to sound like I am "blowing my own horn" but I have killed plenty of deer using somewhere around 30 different types of broadheads. Many of those were with expandables. Not once did I ever have a failure using the various types of quality expandables.

In fact evidence clearly shows my best blood trails were with the large cutting diameter expandables. Not everyone should shoot a 2 inch cut head but they do work on deer size game and work well with the right set up.

In the final analysis it doesn't matter if you are using a mechanical or a fixed head if you make a poor shot.....

RE: Expandable Broadheads
 

I have used fixed heads exclusively, but my mind is becoming more open I think.;)So many great hunters out there (and I don't just mean the famous ones) use them with great sucess.I still wouldn't use them on elk and as a matter of fact they are illegal in my home state of Idaho.

RE: Expandable Broadheads
 

I've used several broadheads over the years.

I started with Satelites and killed my first deer with them many, many years ago.

Ithen used the old Wasp Cam-Loks and got a few with them.

Moved on to Thunderhead 125's and got several deer with them.

I then started using Punchcutter 65 gr. and killed about14 with them. I never had a deer travel over 60yds when hit with those Punchcutters.

Then started with Rocket Miniblaster 3L's and got 22 with them.

Then I tried Wasp Ja-Hammer 75's and got 3 with them.

Now I use Muzzy 75's and have taken4 with that head.

To me, I think proper shot placement is what matters. I've used fixed blades and expandables and feel both work great.

I think the whole debate of expandables vs. fixed blade is overated when hunting deer.

I read alot about how expandables penetrate less than fixed blades and that is true, BUT either will penetrate through the ribcage of a whitetail deer. Does it really matter how far the arrow flies out the other side of the deer, after it is hit? Once the broadhead exits the other side, its done as much damage as it can possibly do.Whether the arrow does a complete pass through or sticks in thedeer, with the broadhead pertruding out the other side, thebroadhead did itsjob. If it flys 10 ft., 3ft., or sticks with the broadhead out the other side, it doesn't matter.

Now if you were hunting elk, moose or bear, then you need to worry about penetration.

RE: Expandable Broadheads
 

I used thunder heads for about 18 years and it is one great head, then my buddy turned me on to Wasp jackhammers andbetween me and him we have about 8 kills and none of the deer have gone over 80 yards and most dye with in sight. They leave the biggest blood trails i have ever seen. As some of the guys have stated above all of the heads will work great if you hit them where you are suppose to but its when youmake that dreaded mistake and hit them poor that i want that big cutting radias and lots of blood. Just my 2 cents Walt

RE: Expandable Broadheads
 

That's fine if you hit guts but a big expandable is a detriment if you make a bad hit in the other direction and hit heavy bone.I've killed a bunch of deer with expandables and never lost one.However,I've had enough blades sheared off that I simply see no need for them.I've killed at least a dozen deer with jackhammers and I agree,most are dead within sight.On the other hand,I've killed 11 deer with slick tricks and every one of them has died within sight.The only difference is,I never broke or damaged a blade and I always got a complete passthrough.

I'm not saying you can't use expandables with success.I just don't see one advantage thatthey have over a good fixed blade.Most people that use them,do so because they aren't shooting a properly tuned bow and they can't get fixed blades to fly good.A perfect example is Rocket steelheads.What possible reason is there for using them?They have a small cutting diameter and weak,dull blades.I used them fortwo years after seeingRocket's hyped up video.I killed three deer with them and sheared blades off on all three animals.Every deer was recovered but they were the worst tracking jobs I ever had.

A good 4 bladed fixed head like Slicktricks,Wasp Boss 4 blades or Muzzies will do just as much tissue damage as a 3 blade mechanical with a much wider cut.