I have always used Magnus Snuffers 125's for hogs, I am wondering if anyone has used mechanicals for any game, and how they operate for XBow usage vs. a compound. I was considering Rage 3 Blade. Someone was telling me that they might open prematurely out of the XBow...just wanted to verify if this was true or not , and if anyone has had any experience with mechanicals.
I am using Excal ExoMax.
Thanks

If in doubt as to the ability to keep closed put a sheet of paper in front of the target by a few inches and shoot through it.

It seems like mechs seem to be the standard with most of the xbow crowd ive been around. I personally use spitfire 100gr and rage 2blade and dont have a complaint about either one. I dont see them opening prematurely out of a xbow as long as u have them locked shut like you are supposed to. I shoot a horton legend xt175 and have no trouble.

If I remember right there problem was not opening up early but not opening up correctly. Something like the blades have to open up just right or they can get hung up on each other or something like that. I have no experience with them, just what I have heard on the forums. I took two deer with the Tekan II's this year and they worked great for me.

Don is correct in using a sheet of paper in front of the target to determine if the head opens early or not. Now if your head also exits the back of the target, then a sheet of paper there will also determine if the head actually does open. You see, as the arrow stops or slows down drastically (as in the target) the blades will close on their own. The sheet of paper on the back will show you the cut as it exits, before the cirtificial force closes the blades. The sheet on the front does not have to be a few inches in front of the target as mechanicals will not have full diameter cutting on entry, but a uniform cutting hole.

Remember that mechanicals are not for everyone. There is a regular maintaince required with these heads. Rubber bands or O-rings need to be inspected and replaced when needed. Rubber will deteriorate in time when exposed to the environment, espically the sun. The heads which use clips (dimples) can only be shot a few times before the dimples will no longer have the ability to aply enough force to hold the blades closed.

Now if you get a good quality head, crossbows will not have any problem in shooting mechanicals ...... that is if you do your maintaince. I shoot the spitfires and when I checked them out, the manufacture told me (actually sent me their test results) that their heads are tested to 450 FPS and had no openings in flight, only on contact. But they also cautioned me about shooting the heads more then 5 times (that is their reqomended max amount) before replacing the clips.

Good luck.

I went ahead and purchased the NAP Spitfire 125's, I will let you know how they did after the weekend, going to go and find a hog.

Used Wasp JakHammers for several years and have tried several other brands with different blade retention systems. I've never found one that 100% failure proof. Some open prematurely (paper test) and onmy last deer the double banded JakHammer (the only way to gurantee against premature opening I found) failed to open at all!
Luckily it was a heart shot, and I tagged the deer, but I'm back to fixed blades for now.
Not wanting to stir up an argument, but I've had a newmechanical headwith the clip/dimple system have one blade open when it went through the paper (from a 175# Exocet). New clip installed - same results. It may have been a one time occurance to get a bad one, but I'm not taking chances when I hunt, so that was the end of my testing with that brand. I have atwo strikes - you're out policywhen testinghunting heads.

I have been using the Magnus Snuffers with great results and I will continue to use them they have never failed me on hogs or bear...but I just wanted to try mechanicals, if I get bad results then I will certainly stay with fixed, if I have good results then I will add them to my gear. Going out with them this weekend, so we will see what happens.

Best of luck on your hunt!
Chances are good if you use a highly recommended mechanical (for crossbows) the % of failure will be low. You may use them for years with no failures, and I hope you do!
I may just be too picky, but I like to feel 100% certain I can depend on the broadhead to do it's job, and I've just never found a mechanical I have that confidence in. I have a couple brands offixed blade heads that give me honest field point accuracy, so as long as they continue to work I'll stick with them.
The mechanicals do give a better cut diameter, and that can make a differance on a marginal shot. To be fair, I did recover one buck I shot with a JakHammer that could have easily been lost with a fixed blade. I hit too far back, and the JakHammer cut the liver in half! That buck only went 60 yards. With a smaller fixed blade I'm sure it would have been a tracking job! [:@]

Targethogs, you will not get the performance out of a mechanical that you get from a SS Snuffer. That broadhead, the Montec and others like them are solid choices.