SlickTrick Broadhead failure? (pics & long)
 

OK - so I think I can post a picture properly so here goes my discussion on the slicktrick broadheads...

First let me say this - these things fly AWESOME - I'm shooting 3 inch groups at 50 yards - they fly like darts - which is why I fell in love with them - they do seem noisey in flight - I can hear a 'ffffffft' while in flight which I don't hear with Muzzy's or fieldpoints.

Just to reiterate - these things fly like darts - and I'm not hear to rip on anyone but I want your opinions & to let you know of a possible problem...

Here goes - I think that the short TIP and EXTREME angles of the blades cause deflections on quartering angles that really aren't that steep.

Here's my proof - I took a doe at about 9 yards quartering away - she dropped at 40 yards & I didn't think much of it. As she was haning on the snorting pole I noticed I couldn't see the enterance hole. I started poking around & found that the broadhead cut the hide, then slid forward under the hide over the guts/ribs for about 4 inches and past 3 ribs before the tip 'caught' and the arrow went through the deer, exiting the opposite front shoulder. A clean pass-thru but I found it intersting that the arrow appeared to 'slide' up the body a ways before 'entering'. I brushed it off.

The next morning I took a shot at a quartering young buck - and about fell over when I saw the fletch hanging out of his chest when he turned broadside & I could glass him (he was some 65 yards away so I coldn't shoot again). After tracking for hours & 3/4 of a mile with real good blood we lost him - couldn't track through the alfalfa field he entered - I was not only bummed but in awe - the arrow was 'hanging out of him' right in the X - I just couldn't figure out what went wrong.

Overnight I started developing a theory - I went out & looked at that doe hide again - I theorized that the arrow glanced off the hide & penetrated the hide but not the ribs, then slid up under the front shoulder & stopped inside of him w/o getting through the vitals. The next day I heard the T'wolves (yes timberwolves) cut lose & I figured they found him. When the ravens got to the scraps I headed out & found him about 1/4 mile from where I lost him - and there was the end of my arrow & broadhead too, I inspected what was left of him & sure enough my theory was correct. I drug out the carcass & started photo'ing it.

Here's the carcass with the hide 'down' you can see the hole to the far left, then the hide shaved (moving right) then a hole in the hide where it actually penetrated, then further right where it 'stopped' and wore a hole thru above & in front of the shoulder


The first (far left) hole in the hide is where the head hit FIRST, then it shaved & slid, hit again & penetrated the hide (not ribs) then slid.. Why? The blade hit the ribs & slid down & the tip didn't penetrate.

Next - the hide was detatched from the ribs - so by lifting the hide up I could see exactly what the arrow did - and one of the blades slid down the ribs & you could see it cutting each rib & bouncing down as it did - here's where the arrow laid (hide removed)



ok - so pull the arrow away & reveal the 'line' the arrow took - look closeley & you'll see the 'line' the blade left as it slid down the ribcage



OK - so that's that for the MN buck story.. - the next day I took a small buck broadside at 43 yards with a complete passthru RIGHT THRU the heart - (as I said - they fly like darts but I think they have deflection issues)

SO - now I'm hunting SD again...

I take a buck (see my other post) at about 10 yards quartering away - when he takes off he's favoring his right leg (enterance side) and I KNOW it was an X when I shot - and again - I about fall out of the stand when the arrow doesn't 'passthru'. I pray for quite a while & this time I recover the deer - but again - the enterance hole is a big question.

Well I get the hide off it - the deer was quartering away & when I shot the arrow fletch seemed to flip UP and dangle UP and BACK when I expected a pass thru. back to the story - I get the hide off & here's what it looks like



looks good right - X ring (close to it) but what's with the blood below & behind it I'm wondering... well I take the shoulder off (next pic) and the DARN head AGAIN didn't penetrate the ribs - but slid along the ribs under the shoulder



I must have hit an artery because there was MASSIVE blood loss after about 30 yards and he only went 50 total. You can see the massive blood clotting under the shoulder - I'm just glad I recovered this one!

OK - so what's the point? I think you guys should know to beware of quartering shots with this head. I shoot a Bowtech Patriot at 70# and shoot at 444 grain arrow at about 250fps so I have good KE - and as I stated - 3 inch groups at 50 yards - they fly like darts and do great broadside - but watch the quartering shots....

I ordered innerlock 4blade 105gr's when I got the hide off this deer.

(long & full of pictures - sorry...)

be careful on quartering shots & good luck!



Aim small miss small

RE: SlickTrick Broadhead failure? (pics & long)
 

Hmmm, very interesting.

Huntmup it appears you have documented your case well. I can see by the angle of the blades on the head that there could be issues with even mild angling shots.

Thanks for the heads up!

RE: SlickTrick Broadhead failure? (pics & long)
 

Well, it would seem from your pictues( well documented I might add) that you are having some problems with the heads. I first want to thank you for taking the time to let us all know your findings, and to explain in full detail what happend. I have not taken any game with these heads, but they did pretty well in my tests. Keep in mind though I haven't done any deflection testing with fixed blade heads, but I think I will work something up with the heads I have and see what I find out. Yours is the first case I have heard of with this head and these kinds of defletions. It would be intresting to see if anyone else has has this problem. Thanks again for the information.

TAKE YOUR KIDS HUNTING AND YOU WON'T BE HUNTING FOR YOUR KIDS

RE: SlickTrick Broadhead failure? (pics & long)
 

Excellent report. Thank you for posting it.

RE: SlickTrick Broadhead failure? (pics & long)
 

another kudos on the report good job.

brian

RE: SlickTrick Broadhead failure? (pics & long)
 

thanks - and I'd like to help in some type of deflection testing but I don't know how to test for it...??? The reason I've stayed away from mech's is deflection - I was severly dissapointed with having the same issue on fixed blades.

Also - just to reiterate - these things fly like darts - I KNOW that I am as accurate with the b/h's as I am with my f/p's - I shot TONS of 3d's this year & I'm certain these things HIT where they are shot - they just don't appear to penetrate what they've shot. Of course - that being said - when comparing DIRECT BROADSIDE shots with my muzzy 3blade 100 gr's in a delta 3d deer vital - brand new side by side the slick tricks CONSISTANTLY out penetrated the muzzys - but on a 1/4ing shot I'd want the muzzy's back.

5shot - how can one safely test for these shots? I do have 1 doe tag left to fill & I was thinking after I get her down I could use the hide/ribs for testing...?? thoughts??

Thanks!



Aim small miss small

RE: SlickTrick Broadhead failure? (pics & long)
 

Thanks for the report/pics. huntmup. Like I said in your other thread, I use these heads and also love the accuracy of the flight of the things. I haven't had problems as severe as you are showing. Thay may be a factor of me beinging lucky or you being unlucky.

I have shot a total of 3 deer with these heads. 2 does and 1 buck. The first doe was a broadside shot with no problems, heart shot and watched her go down within 20 yards.

My buck was a a quartering shot. I aimed for the opposite shoulder and the arrow went in where it should have but deflected back the opposite way that you describe, hitting the liver. The deflection the opposite direction may have been caused by hitting a rib/bone and deflecting backwards. I don't recall that well cause it was last year and I was just happy to get a buck.

The doe I shot this year, I didn't hit the greatest. It was a quartering away shot and I hit her a bit farther back than I would have liked. It went throught the stomach and only 1 lung. The lung that I did hit, the head kind of went through the area betweent he 2 lobes of the lung. I initially thought I had a good hit on her and only gave her 15 minutes before tracking. Very good blood trail. Basicly 2 blood trails, 1 entry and 1 exit. When I bumped her from her bed, I couldn't believe that she was still alive. I basicly jogged after her after that, following the blood trail and jumped her from her bed several more times. The blood trail always was good. I let her bed down after deciding that she had bleed enuff and I could probably find her in the morning. I had to keep her bleeding otherwise I don't think I would have found her.

I like the heads but you've got me thinking. I think that I would like to see a point on them similar to the rocket steelhead to bust some bone and let the rest of the blades in.

RE: SlickTrick Broadhead failure? (pics & long)
 

I have only taken one deer, or shot, and it was with a slick trick. My shot was broadside and that deer didn't go more then 40-50 yards and died very quickly. I also bought slick tricks because they fly just like broadheads.

I will ask my buddy who turned me one to slick tricks. I know he has taken 3-4 deer this year using them and I'm not sure if he used them last year too. I can't say that I have heard him speak bad of the slick tricks after switching from muzzy's. He has taken 34 deer over the years so he's has a very good idea of how a broadhead usually performs in a quartering shot. I'll ask him tonight and post his thoughts.

I think one of the tough things about this observation is that the sample group is far to small to draw any real conclusions.

RE: SlickTrick Broadhead failure? (pics & long)
 

Huntmup, I think you are definatly on to something. I like the way you documented all of this and took pictures. It appears to me that your theory is right on target after looking at the pictures. It seems that someone else will probably have been having these problems too.

--------------------------------------------
Hunting the Piney Woods of Deep East Texas.

RE: SlickTrick Broadhead failure? (pics & long)
 

Nice report. You did a good job of presenting your point!

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