Broadhead reviews

[Gator]

I've switched blades a bunch of times looking for the "best", but I think that it's just confidence and, as everybody says, placement. After using them in previous years and looking for something else, I've come back to the Slick Tricks and thus far couldn't be happier. Not sure why I ever left them.

 

I agree with Vince that it's the exit hole that matters...if you can't track your deer, it doesn't matter if it's dead somewhere...and in that regard, Slick takes the cake. I've had a couple of times where expandables didn't pass through and I was lucky to stumble on the deer. Or not, and it sucked.

 

Stick with what you're using, punch one through the heart and watch it drop. Game on! 

[Hookedup]

I was a die hard expendable guy for years. Two years ago my brother in law and I each purchased around 400 dollars worth of heads and shot the crap out of them for a week. The slick tricks flew like a dart and never came apart. The G5's flew good also but it seemed like out of every pack one would be off even after changing shafts. So if you're using fixed blades make sure you shoot them first which most guys do. I have blown threw both shoulders on some 3.5 to 4.5 year old bucks with the slick tricks or other fixed blades and had the arrow in the dirt on the opposite side. I also hit a 4.5 year old 12 on the back side of the shoulder with a rage and knocked I'm on his side. He got up and walked off. Three months latter I had trail cam pics of him with an absesed shoulder running a doe. He would have been dead with the slick trick. The size off the bone mass and front end on a 3.5 year old or older buck versus a 1.5 year old is a huge difference. I loved the expendables for perfect rib cage shot would look like a cannon ball hit them. But aftet being in on some hunts and a couple of my own that should have been on the wall if using fixed blades I won't go back. It is more time consuming and more money getting the right head tuned and ready for your bow but its worth it if you catch 4 inches of shoulder over the kill zone on the buck you only get to see once in a lifetime.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Hookedup

[Nautitroller]

Well said hookedup, exactly the situation that happened on many of the tracks that we have been on, great blood trail for up to a half mile but the deer is typically not dead. Why someone would give up penetration for a bigger hole is beyond me.

The hype these companies are selling on hunting shows is just that hype!

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Edited October 14, 2014 by Nautitroller

[Great Lakes Lure Maker]

Fixed blades always. I prefer muzzy myself. Iv'e seen too many expandable's  fail and as Sean said, it always seems to be on a mature deer that should have wound up on the wall. My sister shot them for a while, but after several failures, switched to Muzzy's. 

 

John, good to know you track deer. I had 2 guys track my 12 pt in Chemung. They came all the way from New Rochell, NY to track it. They were very organized. Contacted the DEC and the State Police, who secured permission for us to track on property I didn't have permission to hunt. I found them by Google searching the words Deer Search. If it happens again, I will call you. 

[Tank]

G5 Striker 100 grain here as well. I have shot 10 deer with them since trying them in 2010 and not one hasn't passed thru and flew true! Awesome blood trails as well.  Tank

[Chas0218]

Nothing greener! Stick with the best there is and they are cheap

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If I had to choose a new BH then it would be either the SlickTricks or QAD Exodus. In my case it would probably be the Exodus because they make it in a 85 gr.

 

I currently have about 2 dozen heads left of my ultimate steel 75gr. guys so I won't need to switch anytime soon.

[flyak]

2 Words: shot placement.

[Sea-IV]

OK I have read this whole thread and I switched over to expandables, Rage Chisel tip 2 blades the day they came out from which I was shooting a 4 blade 100 grain Muzzy before that.

How many guys that shoot fixed blades have the fletching set to match the blades on their broad heads? I was always told that shooting fixed blades I had to have my arrows refletched and I personally spend enough money on hunting equipment and just said I will switch to expandables to save another expense. I haven't lost a deer yet with the Rage (knock on wood) but I hunt Elk and moose also and would only shoot a fixed blade due to the bone structure being much heavier. I believe its all preference and placement.

[Nautitroller]

Not necessary if your bow is tuned correctly and you are shooting the correctly spined arrows. Also spinning your arrows making sure there is no wobble is key

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[camomanbg]

Not necessary if your bow is tuned correctly and you are shooting the correctly spined arrows. Also spinning your arrows making sure there is no wobble is key

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Nauti said it!  If you are tuned properly, you should have no problem shooting a fixed blade.  It's also mainly about shot placement....remember that.  

 

Some fixed are better than others (they fly more consistently), and I say that from experience. I've done my homework and testing with my setup and I've had great luck with G5 Montecs flying just like my field points.  The QAD Exodus fly just as good too.  I switched last year from the Montec to the Exodus only because they have a slightly bigger cutting diameter.  I liked that I could put my G5's on a whetstone to resharpen, but its just as easy to replace the blades of an Exodus.  

[camomanbg]

OK I have read this whole thread and I switched over to expandables, Rage Chisel tip 2 blades the day they came out from which I was shooting a 4 blade 100 grain Muzzy before that.

How many guys that shoot fixed blades have the fletching set to match the blades on their broad heads? I was always told that shooting fixed blades I had to have my arrows refletched and I personally spend enough money on hunting equipment and just said I will switch to expandables to save another expense. I haven't lost a deer yet with the Rage (knock on wood) but I hunt Elk and moose also and would only shoot a fixed blade due to the bone structure being much heavier. I believe its all preference and placement.

 

As mentioned above, if you are setup properly you do not need to have your fletchings or vanes aligned with your blades.  

[dvdegeorge]

Drop away rest helical twist fletching and a properly tuned bow and broad heads will fly like field points

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Edited October 15, 2014 by dvdegeorge

[Chas0218]

Nauti said it!  If you are tuned properly, you should have no problem shooting a fixed blade.  It's also mainly about shot placement....remember that.

 

Some fixed are better than others (they fly more consistently), and I say that from experience. I've done my homework and testing with my setup and I've had great luck with G5 Montecs flying just like my field points.  The QAD Exodus fly just as good too.  I switched last year from the Montec to the Exodus only because they have a slightly bigger cutting diameter.  I liked that I could put my G5's on a whetstone to resharpen, but its just as easy to replace the blades of an Exodus.  

That was going to be my question is if the blades on the exodus were replaceable.  Thanks for the insight!

[Sea-IV]

I don't disagree with what anyone is stating. I shoot 2 bows that are set up for each, identical bows but one set up for fixed and other setup for expendables. I group both bows in a 3" group at 50 yards and if closer they get even tighter to the point I am taking nocks off arrows. I have my own press and fletching equipment and I set up my own equipment. Been bow hunting for a long time and even on occasion I will break out the Bear long bow. To me its also about practice, practice and more practice from different angles terrain and winds. A person can never do it enough. My yard looks like a 3D target range with stands in trees blinds set up and the whole 9 yards.

[Silver Fox]

Stingers. Their fixed. Fly like target tips and are open every time. I think shooting a broadhead that you hope opens up is a risk I don't take.

[justtracytrolling]

I have been a licensed tracker for deer for 7 years now. My dog and I average about 20-30 tracks a year. My opinion of expandables is: throw them out! They fail in flight, they fail in regards to penetration when they hit any part of the front shoulder. If you want to shoot em with an expandable through the guts wait twelve hours and call me we will find em. Lol! Go with fixed blades and make sure they are super super sharp! Check em for sharpness especially going in and out of your quiver. Good luck guys hope no one has to use us but we track day or night. Pm me if you need my number.

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Its all shot placement and taking the right shots....ALL broadheads will kill....If you STAY in the cage you will never lose a deer with a rage in the cage with a fast bow.  I have a friend that lost numerous deer with expandables because he takes bad shots...if you want to take bad shots cant beat a muzzy.  In the cage though a rage is FAR better over a conventional.  Ive killed between 25 -30 with no losses and ive watched every deer go down except 2 which I heard fall just over a knoll.  I never used to hunt in the rain because I had 2 deer I couldnt track and by the time I found them they werent any good.  Now I dont care how hard it rains I know Ill find my deer because the rage kills them so fast you dont have to track em.   

[Sea-IV]

I also converted a buddy who was a G5 shooter. He switched to the Rage 2.3 and opening day took the first doe of the season quartering to and tore both lungs in half. The entry hole was at least 3" and forget about the exit hole cause I put my fist through it. They are nasty but I also learned to use the shock collars instead of the bands so they don't open premature either.

[Legacy]

Love all the info guys!

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[justtracytrolling]

I definitely like hearing pros and cons from real hunters as opposed to biased, paid for opinions that you get everywhere!  

[Chas0218]

I'm not here to bash rage but I have shot 2 to 1 deer than my buddy and have recovered more deer than he has. My shots are generally not taken by most people.  I see opportunities I don't pass them if I know I can make the shot. This was a 3 blade chisel tip 1" cutting diameter went 30 yards and piled. Went in just in front of the left rear hip and poked out under the skin opposite right front shoulder.  Stuck him like a shish kabob. I have never seen a rage penetrate this far.  O yeah this was a 170lbs. dressed 9 point.  

 

If it meant passing on these bucks because of the broad head I selected I would be junking them ASAP.

 

 

This was a neck shot straight quartering towards hit carotid and spined him.

[justtracytrolling]

Chas its the hunter not the broadhead, but I definitely agree there are shots that arent ideal for rage broadheads. I love them, but use what works and dont mess with your gear if you are happy. The buck in my avatar, not a 170 pounder, was shot pass thru diagonally thru the opposite shoulder at 52 yards with rage extremes...but the avg guy cant even draw my dream season...you cant draw comparisons between you n your buddy and think its the broadhead....its all you and all him....you could swap equip and still do better im guessing. Give Stan Potts, or any pro ANY broadhead and Ill bet you he still kills the same deer.

[Sea-IV]

The other thing to remember is penetration. My bow hits harder the further the distance shooting. I hit a doe last year less than 10 yards and the penetration was maybe 10" but the following week I took my buck at 36 yards and passed through and piled him up withing 20 yards of shot. So the bow, the draw weight and arrow spine all play an equal role.

[Chas0218]

Chas its the hunter not the broadhead, but I definitely agree there are shots that arent ideal for rage broadheads. I love them, but use what works and dont mess with your gear if you are happy. The buck in my avatar, not a 170 pounder, was shot pass thru diagonally thru the opposite shoulder at 52 yards with rage extremes...but the avg guy cant even draw my dream season...you cant draw comparisons between you n your buddy and think its the broadhead....its all you and all him....you could swap equip and still do better im guessing. Give Stan Potts, or any pro ANY broadhead and Ill bet you he still kills the same deer.

 

Yeah but when he is shooting heavier arrows, higher poundage, making more kinetic energy and his broadheads (rage hypodermic) are only penetrating into the side of the animal and not passing thru, tells me a lot of kinetic energy is lost using that head.  I have only shot 1 mechanical it did its intended job but the whole penetration thing is huge. I want my BH to do as much damage as possible by penetrating as far and as much vitals as possible.

 

The other thing to remember is penetration. My bow hits harder the further the distance shooting. I hit a doe last year less than 10 yards and the penetration was maybe 10" but the following week I took my buck at 36 yards and passed through and piled him up withing 20 yards of shot. So the bow, the draw weight and arrow spine all play an equal role.

 

I too found that my arrow has more of a punch at 20 yards than closer but after 20 it starts to drop.  I shot a deer at 50 yards 2 years ago and only penetrated 18" into the chest cavity. After examining the deer closer I hit 2 ribs and cut the top of the heart off but I would have expected more penetration. 

[dvdegeorge]

All have been Slick tricked, they don't ever not work

I can keep going if you like

[iceman05]

Dvdegeorge ......if I throw away my rage's and switch to slick tricks can I come hunt with you ....those are some nice bucks for sure

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