Swhacker broadheads... the new Sonoran best I can tell. ???

[Panhandler80]

Guys and gals,

Best I can tell (on this forum and others) is that folks are pretty happy with the "new" Swhacker by the Hank Parker boys.

It appears to be the exact same head that used to be marketed as the Sonoran.

I have tried to find some Sonoran reviews online, but have not found much.

Did any of yall shoot this head under the Sonoran name? Has it always been good, or is just media hype now that it has Hank Parker / C'Mere Deer behind it?

I think it looks like the real dea. Just want to see if any of yall shot the old version and if you did... did you like it then? OR... if there is a difference between the two now, then what is it?

Thanks,

PH80

[Boo]

Guys and gals,

Best I can tell (on this forum and others) is that folks are pretty happy with the "new" Swhacker by the Hank Parker boys.

It appears to be the exact same head that used to be marketed as the Sonoran.

I have tried to find some Sonoran reviews online, but have not found much.

Did any of yall shoot this head under the Sonoran name? Has it always been good, or is just media hype now that it has Hank Parker / C'Mere Deer behind it?

I think it looks like the real dea. Just want to see if any of yall shot the old version and if you did... did you like it then? OR... if there is a difference between the two now, then what is it?

Thanks,

PH80

It appears that the two names are synonymous.

http://www.sonoranbowhunting.com/

[Dash]

I got a few set of swhackers a while ago when the good deals from schwacker were still on. I really like them.
As far as design goes they are the best mechanical I've seen. Unlike a few of the other mechanicals I've used, very little energy is wasted on initial penetration as the main blades are not open until after about 1.5" of penetration. You can see this even when pushing them into something by hand. Perfect for angled shots. Overall they fly better than all the other broadheads I've tried. Only small thing I don't like is how the blades fold back and dent the arrow insert. The blades slots should be 1-2mm shorter to stop this happening, but I am being very picky really.

[Panhandler80]

My thinking was that it will loose less engery pushing an "axe through an animal" and therefore I have a greater liklihood of two things. 1. A pass through. 2. A more sturdy punch through a shoulder blade should I mess up. I'm usually pretty high up in a tree and keep my shots close, so I'm not all that concerned with the size of the entry hole anyway. If I can get a pass through, he's gonna dump blood out the other side.

I got a bit anxious on the best deer I've ever seen (from a stand) in Florida and took a crack at him while he was coming to me a little bit. Got him a bit forward and hig in the shoulder with a rage 2 blade. It knocked him down (though I had spined him). 5 or 6 seconds later he hopped up, took off, and hit the deck again. Heard him get up and run again. I checked the arrow and thenb backed out with plans to come back the next day. Arrow got about 3" of penetration. Camer back on Saturday and had good blood for about 100 yards. Then it got to pencil lead sized drops everty 4 or 5 paces while we followed the leaves he'd kicked up. Last drop of blood was 800 yards as the crow flies according to the GPS. I"m convinced that head blew up on the bone and poked one lung kind of high and that was it. I'm sure he died but not before he clotted up and quit bleeding. No teling how far he made it.

Anyway, I feel like the Swhacker might have punched on through and opened up AFTER the tip and the little cutter blades made their way through that shoulder blade.

Here's what I don't get. Swhacker says you can put some electrical tape around the head to keep the blades from deploying and shoot them on target. Kind of hard to believe that tape is going to keep them down from deploying, but flesh, bone, ligaments of a deer won't, but that's what they say.

[Big58cal]

Here's what I don't get. Swhacker says you can put some electrical tape around the head to keep the blades from deploying and shoot them on target. Kind of hard to believe that tape is going to keep them down from deploying, but flesh, bone, ligaments of a deer won't, but that's what they say.

It's true. The electrical tape is only good for about 1 shot, but it works. You've got to consider, the foam inside a practice target is a heck of a lot denser than the inside of a critter. Combine that with the electrical tape and they won't open, but they try their damndest to. That's why the tape is only good for 1 shot.

[Panhandler80]

10-4

I wonder what would happen if you shot one with tape at a beat up bag target. I'm guessing they'd bust on through that tape then, huh?

I really need to man up and get a real target. I've been going through $50 bag targets every couple of years. Could have bought multiple Blobs at this point.

What happens is that I buy an el-cheapo and i SWEAR that it will be field points only and that I will trust that my mechanicals will fly true (which they always do) and that I'll keep the bag out of the rain. Then opening day roles around and I just HAVE to fire my hunting head at a target. RIP... goes the hole in the bag target, and there it sits in the rain getting heavier and sorrier and sorrier, and then I shoot it some more with the broad heads etc. So after two years I'm usually left with a pile of wet plastic and fiber in the back yard.

[Big58cal]

I've got a Morell bag target for field tips and a Rienhart 18-1 block for the broadheads. Once you get them, if you take care of them, they'll last you a bunch of years.

[awshucks]

X2.......

[UPSMAN]

If you wrap the tape around the ferrule a couple of times, you can get 4 or 5 shots before you need to wrap again. Have not killed an animal with one yet but based on pics and testimonials on this site, I have complete confidence that they work. They shoot the same POI as my field tips.

[Panhandler80]

Well, I'm going to give them a shot.

I wish broadhead manufacturers stamped the weight on them somewhere. I can tell a 100 vs a 125 if they're the same head, but across different brands I can't tell. RIght now I have rage 2 blades on my arrows, but i have no idea what weight they are. I think they're 100s, but i"m not sure. I'd like to order whatever I have now in order to prevent any major scope adjustments.

[Boo]

Well, I'm going to give them a shot.

I wish broadhead manufacturers stamped the weight on them somewhere. I can tell a 100 vs a 125 if they're the same head, but across different brands I can't tell. RIght now I have rage 2 blades on my arrows, but i have no idea what weight they are. I think they're 100s, but i"m not sure. I'd like to order whatever I have now in order to prevent any major scope adjustments.

As a bow hunter there is no reason why you should not own a scale. They are very inexpensive.
http://www.canadianweigh.com/scales/list/grain-scales

[Riflemanz]

I also re-sharpen the blades after a shot with my hand held sharpener.It beats replacing the blades.

[JohnnyDollar]

I ordered me a set of 125gr Swhackers off of ebay for $25.00 and received them today I had a chance to shoot them 2 times before dark and all I can say is that they fly GREAT! I'm glad I made the choice to get them. Now I just have to test them out on a deer. I put electrical tape on them and it held them closed.

[Big58cal]

I only put 1 wrap of electrical tape on the head because I didn't want to mess with the weight. It's important though that if you do use the electrical tape, make sure that you check it after every shot! After the first shot, the little blade retaining shrink band is gone so the only thing holding the blades in is the tape. If the tape is cut and you've got a blade loose, it may hit your bow when you shoot.

Just as Boo said, the little grain scales are pretty cheap. I picked one up off Ebay for less than $20 that came with a couple of weights to check it periodically.

[nchunterkw]

I also re-sharpen the blades after a shot with my hand held sharpener.It beats replacing the blades.

If you have a Lansky sharpener (or similar) you can actually clamp the small blade in the holder and sharpen the long blade without removing them from the head.