MECHANICAL BROADHEAD QUESTIONS

[wayne]

After many years of vertical bow hunting, this will our 1st with crossbows.
I've never used mechanical broadheads before, & I've thinking of using them this year, if I get them to fly right, mainly because of the cutting size. For the ones who have or do.
* Have they always opened in a deer?
* How's the blood trail?
* Has anyone used the excal X-ACT & how did they work for you?

THANK YOU

[Normous]

I have taken about 8 deer using the Rage 3 blade. All dropped dead between 10 and 60 yards because the hit was good. Blood trails were very good. The Rage did its job flawlessly.
In your consideration I suggest looking at the 2011 Rage Crossbow 2 blade in 100 and 125 grain, both with 1.75" cut.

[Pydpiper]

I don't use mechanicals, but if I did they would be the ones enormous mentioned, Rage 3.

[georgiaboy]

I have used spitfire broadheads for the last eight years...they have performed flawlessly. Good blood trails and they have opened every time.

[roly]

There are a lot of good mechanicals out there
They have improved them from the ones that got bad raps in the
start. I find they fly well open on contact and give large cutting holes

To me and it's JMO I feel they are close to prefect, field point flite
with large cutting blades

I like the rage 3's

[M.J.M.]

I'm trying fixed blades this year, but have used spitfire 100gr. for the last 3 yrs without any problems at all.

[gendoc]

I have used spitfire broadheads for the last eight years...they have performed flawlessly. Good blood trails and they have opened every time.

and thatsa fact !!! i too been using the spitfire 125gr for several years
on whitetail and hawgs... always have opened up and blood trails are
easy to follow, usually you don't havta go far

[DuckHunt]

I've been using mechanicals in my Exomax from the start. I've shot spitfires, scorpions, rage 3-blade, hammerheads and sidewinders out of mine. All of them flew like field points. All of them were very deadly if you do your part and put them in the kill zone. The larger cut ones (hammerhead) were scary deadly. They are not as durable as some fixed heads, but that is only a consideration if you plan on killing more than one deer with the same broadhead. By durable I'm not talking about hitting bone but rocky soil after a pass through. The rocks in the soil here in the mountains can really chew up a broadhead.

I've only had one open prematurely and that was a spitfire. I don't fault the head as I've killed at least a half dozen deer with them. I likely didn't have the blade firmly closed. I no longer shoot the Rage 3-blade for the same reason. A slight bump against a limb while you are in your stand can unlock a blade. I've went back to the banded type heads for reliability.

Good Luck,

DuckHunt

[Raymond]

Hello Wayne,
I have used the Excalibur X-Act Mechanical Broad Heads and they worked perfect for me. I will be using them again this season.
Raymond

[Horizontal Hunter]

The NAP Spitfire is my "go to" broadhead for deer. I included a link to some pictures of the blood trail from a doe I shot awhile back. I keep a mix of NAP Spitfires and Slick Trick broadheads in my quiver. I am pretty much of the opinion that just about any modern broadhead will do the job if you put it in the right place.

The only drawback to the Spitfire is the price but NAP is running a $10.00 rebate on a three pack thru October IIRC. This rebate is a pretty regular summer offering and it brings the price down to about $10.00 per new head. The rebate form is on the NAP home page. Get some rebuilt kits has the broadhead can be rebuilt indefinately just check to make sure that it spins true first. I have some that have been thru 4 or 5 deer.

Here is the link: http://btreviews.proboards.com/index.cg ... hread=5102

Bob

[j.krug]

I use the Rage 2's and like them very much...accurate and deadly!
I'll be trying the 2 blade rage for crossbows (125 gr) this fall.

[Riflemanz]

I like the spitfire 100gr 3 blade head.Watch this test on heads.
http://www.hankparker.com/

[sumner4991]

I would suggest the Stricknine, the Vortex, or the Grim Reaper in a 2" cut or larger. I like the three blades.

I've used Stricknines, Hammerheads, and Spitfires on deer. All have worked perfectly.

You will see a big difference in your tracking efforts if you use the largest possible amount of cutting surface for the animal you are hunting and the bow you are using.

[rt2bowhunter]

I have taken deer and turkeys with Hammerheads (turkey) Spitfire (turkey&deer) Grimm Reapers 2"(deer). I have not had to look for a blood trail. They fell in sight.

[wayne]

THANK YOU everyone, I now feel much better about mechanical broadheads now, right or wrong, I heard bad reports on them years ago when they 1st came out. Now I feel safe in using them, and it seems the blood trails are very good, & that's what I'll be trying this year.The problem I've been having is, in the 70's I used a 54# bear recurve w/ hand sharpened bear broadheads & bleeder incerts & hunted in swamps, 20 yard shot at most, blood trails anyone could follow, tip of that bow got closed in the trunk of car & broke the tip Then went to 80# darton compound & 4 blade rocky mtn, still 20 yards or less in the swamp, same blood trails anyone could follow. Then age/pain moved me out of the swamps and into a somewhat more open areas, went to a 60# martin compound with 125g thunderheads, the set-up would drive nails out to just over 40 yards, deer usually found within 70 yards, but the blood trails were much less then the other set-ups I used - What I'am looking for out of the excal is nail driver out to 40 yards (and it seems to be EZ work for the excaliber) but the blood trail of the bear & rocky broadheads, for my older eyes.
Thank you all again for your help, in me feeling better about the mechanical's, this is one great forum.