Mechanical Heads

[Tom]

Mechanical heads are not for everyone. They do require maintance. You must keep an eye on the system used to keep the head closed in flight. The heads which use dimples can only be used a few times (spitfire recommends 5 times max) then they need to be replaced. Rubber bands or O-rings are RUBBER & will deteriate in time, over time they will actually break on their own.

I can understand why some think a head has failed to open, when it actually worked as it was susposed to. When I first tested my spitfires, I was sure they were not opening as the entrance hole was the size of the head and the head which I could see out the back of the target was closed tightly just as it was before it was shot. I put a sheet of paper on the back of the target for the next shot. I had the same results except the sheet of paper had a full cut the size of an fully open head. This proved to me it worked correctly even if the head was fully closed sticking out the back of the target.

It is easy to always blame the tools involved. Sometimes, situations come out a very different way then we expect, mostly because of Mr Murphy and his laws. I had one deer, shot with a muzzleloader, large exit wound, I tracked it (started after 1 hour wait) for over 3 hours and only stopped as the third set of flashlights expired. I got the deer the next morning, still alive but could not go any further. The shot, was right next to the heart, the heart actually was brused from the bullet passing so close.

Was this long tracking the fault of the bullet, the shooter or Mr Murphy & his laws. It just is that sometimes things happen, not the way we want and it is not the fault of equipment or user.

I have always said a shooter needs to use equipment they are confident with as I feel confidence is very important for sucess. If you do not have confidence in one style of head, then do not use it, choose another. There are many different styles out there to choose from.

Tom

[retrieverman]

I've used Bolt Cutters since I first started crossbow hunting several years ago, and though I've killed and recovered over 30 animals shot with them, I'm considering making a change before next year. I have friends who use mechanicals and swear by them, but I'm of the mind that the fewer moving parts the better. Kind of like why I shoot a recurve crossbow versus a compound.

I'm not sure what I will end up hunting with next year, but broad head opinions expressed on this board will certainly be seriously considered in my decision.

[Riflemanz]

I shoot Rocket Hammerheads with great success! I do use two bands on them out of my 355 to keep them closed.

[nchunterkw]

[quote="retrieverman"] I have friends who use mechanicals and swear by them, but I'm of the mind that the fewer moving parts the better. Kind of like why I shoot a recurve crossbow versus a compound.
[quote]

Good judgment comes from experience.......of course most of that comes from bad judgment.

I like fixed heads that are tough enough to be used over and over. Slick Tricks are probably my favorite but I also like Montec CS and Magnus 2 blade. And in TX if you are going for hogs, I'd definitely use the 2 blade to get through a hog shield.

[nyexhunter]

Tom - excellent post -

No matter what is used; even after what is thought to be a perfect hit there is always the chance, albeit an extremely small one, that the deer will not be recovered, That goes for rifle, shotgun, muzzle loader, compound bows, crossbows, everything. In the bow hunting realm it also goes for fixed heads as well as mechanical heads.

We can only try our best to get good shot placement. But we're human which puts an element of imperfection into the equation and the deer does not always stay still for the shot, which may also hit some twigs or brush on the way to the deer.

If you have never had a deer that ran a long way after putting what you thought was a perfect shot on it, you have either been extremely fortunate or you have not shot many deer. If you or your friends shoot enough deer this will eventually happen.

Best of luck to everyone.

[Talltines]

Great post Tom!

I have used both fixed and mechanical. I love my mechanicals. Fixed are fine but I love the large cut mechanicals.

Brian

[Cossack]

Been using both Slick Tricks and Spitfires and have bows zerod for each. But I hunted a bow that was zerod for Grim Reaper Whitetail Specials when I shot this yrs buck. AWESOME. the 2" cut left a blood trail a blind man coulda followed...didn't have to tho, he fell within 40 yards.

[MADMAX2]

Well said Tom I like simple things (less moving parts) that is why I own Excal and shoot fixed blades.

[Cossack]

Well said Tom I like simple things (less moving parts) that is why I own Excal and shoot fixed blades.

And presumably drive a Model T? Just sayin. I prefer to keep an open mind and am receptive to new ideas. Given the pace of archery development seems a better mousetrap seems to be around EVERY corner. (e.g. Excal alone had 3 major model changes in just the past 2 yrs)

[Onetimeonly x-->]

A friend of mine had a conversation with Danny Miller about the lack of blood trail with Boltcutters. I'm getting this second hand...Danny stated imagine if the deer is stretched out in some form when the broadhead hits. The hole at that point lines up skin and let's say rib cage as one? Once the deer is relaxed the skin will no longer line up as one hole skin/rib cage. The skin now covers the rib cage hole causing less blood to escape the deer cavity. Something to think about??

[Kegbelly]

Makes some sense but I'd risk a guess that it's not just the bolt cutters. I've shot deer (and hogs) that didn't leave much of a blood trail, even with well placed double-lung shots that were complete pass throughs... for whatever the reason they bled out inside. Strange things can happen.

[Onetimeonly x-->]

Makes some sense but I'd risk a guess that it's not just the bolt cutters. I've shot deer (and hogs) that didn't leave much of a blood trail, even with well placed double-lung shots that were complete pass throughs... for whatever the reason they bled out inside. Strange things can happen.

Same here, it is one of those things. Hopefully all game is recovered!!

[nchunterkw]

Here is a link to a previous thread discussing how far deer travel after they are hit with a BH. Over 500 data points covering many different types of broadheads.

Link to the thread (copy and paste into your browser address bar)
http://www.excaliburcrossbow.com/phpBB2 ... el#p512966


Direct link to the document (copy and paste into your browser address bar)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzVJR9 ... sp=sharing

The bottom line in this data is that , regardless of broad head used, 90% of the time a deer travels less than 100yds , and 75% of the time that distance is less than 75 yds.

So shoot what you like and can shoot accurately.