Mar-Den Mini-Max3 125 grain

Plywood 3 points
Steel Drum 3 points
Orange 4 points
Cutting diameter 5 points
Accuracy 5 points
Blades 3 points
Total score 23 with a blade sharpness rating of B

The Mini-Max 3,is a typical three blade, swing open style mechanical broadhead. It has a large 2” cutting diameter and uses a unique, blade retention system. The blades slide around a steel ring, then line up in the body. When I first saw this arrangement I thought, “oh boy here we go.” The only other head I saw this used on was the Satellite dead ringer, and it didn’t work to well on that head. I was wrong in this case. The system proved to be strong and reliable. As with all Mar-den heads this one use’s the exposed 7/8” cutting surface on the blades. This aids in penetration and helps to promote a good, sized entrance hole.
In the plywood test the Mini-Max, penetrated up to the back of the blades, coming very close to making it all the way through, but not quite. In the steel drum it penetrated the first side and the tip stuck in the far wall. When I pulled the arrow out, the ferule snapped off just below the blade collar. This is probably due to the extreme force the steel drum puts on the head, combined with the extra large collar that limits the amount of thread that fits inside the arrow insert. Considering how well the head stayed together and the fact that throughout the plywood and drum tests the blades stayed intact, I consider the performance excellent for such a large head. Much better than other 3 blade heads I have tested with cutting diameters of 1 ¾” to 2 inches. In the Orange the head showed the 7/8” cut of the exposed blade and fully opened by the time it exited.
I consider the Mini-Max3, to be the very best 2” wide, three blade mechanical broadhead I have tested. The blades are strong, and shaving sharp. Accuracy is excellent and the head opens fast and reliably. This is not a broadhead for those with limited Kinetic energy. On the other hand if you have plenty to spare and want a really large wound channel with good penetration I don’t think you will find a better choice.

Sounds great to me. Do you think 68-69 ft-lbs KE is good enough? or should I stick with 1.5-1.75" cut heads.
I have also decided to only use such a head when hunting lower than my normal height of 23' up the tree. For those occasions I will be slinging the slick tricks.

DaveC,
I' ve been shooting the 80 and 100 grain MM' s since they hit the market out of a ten year old PSE 2050Z (Maxis Cams) set to 61 lbs and 29 inch draw length. I don' t know the KE, but I' m guessing in the low 60' s. I' ve gotten passthroughs on every shot where I didn' t hit spine or shoulder. Quite often the arrow has been stuck firmly in the ground after passing through.

There is no doubt in my mind that you would have plenty of KE to use these heads. It is very important to have a very well tuned setup and it is paramount that the blades be shaving sharp. Follow these two directives and you will get two huge holes and ridiculous blood trails. Most of my 17 or so deer with these heads have gone down in sight of my stand.

Stickemup, are you refering to the two blade or 3 blade model mini-max' s?
5 shots last test was of the 2 blade mini-max pro' s, but I' m pretty sure they don' t come in an 80 grain model. So you are most likely refering to the three blade models. If so- sounds even better.

Did the non pass through shoulder shots still down the deer?

DaveC,
I' m sorry. Yes, I' m referring to the three blade 2 inch cut model.

I' ve hit several in the offside shoulder and only one was not found. Not sure what happened on him. It was a fairly nice eight point and the shot looked good. He went into a huge cutover that was six foot high in every weed imaginable. The blood trail was good for about 100 yards and then petered out. The hit couldn' t have been as good as it looked from the stand or I would have found him. Only thing I can think is I hit too low and only got one lung. When the deer spun to take off, I could see the broadhead sticking out just below the offside shoulder, so I think it hit the leg bone. There was blood on both sides of the trail as well.

All the others went the standard 50 or 60 yards and dropped.

I had one other nice buck get away on a really steep shot angle. He was almost directly under me. I know from the angle, I only got one lung. That deer poured blood in places for over half a mile and still kept going. It was a perfect passthrough and stuck in the ground, but I learned on that deer that a one lung shot is definitely a no no. I punched a two inch hole through him and he kept right on trucking. I spotted buzzards coming out of the large tract that I lost the trail in, but never found the deer. I figure if a two inch, 3 blade cut won' t bring one down, no broadhead will. That' s the main reason I like to stay around 15 feet now. Hunting higher is OK if you can be reasonably sure the deer won' t come too close to the tree.

That' s great advice. I need to position my stand a little further off the trails on the hot hunting days. I get winded when sweating if I try to hunt low.

But on a cool November morning with low hunidity, I' ve had multiple deer at the base of my 9 foot tripod I pig hunt out of.
Too bad those cool days don' t come around in 95% of my bow season or I' d be lower.

Dave, I think with that KE number you will be fine. I am pushing70 ft/lbs and I will probably give them a try this year. I like to use at least one new head every season, and I want to see what these big cut heads can do.