Expandable Broadheads & the Vixen II

[Chris Dillard]

How many Vixen users are shooting expandables and what has been your experiences with the (Front Deploying Type) as far as penetration, deflections, pre-mature blade deployment if any, that sort of thing. I will be launching Firebolts at around 280 FPS. I had previously used a Exomax with double banded Expandables with no issues at all. Thanks

[georgiaboy]

I shoot 125gr spifires out of my vixen with the firebolts...281fps and no complaints.

[galamb]

I shoot my Vixen II in the 270's (at the muzzle) and I never got acceptable (to me) deployment - target testing - with front deploying expandables.

I tested for penetration into various media, through varying "toughness" of coverings over them. Durability (signs of damage) after impact and also for how much (power) it takes to get them to expand to full deployment (done on a set-up with my drill press (holding a piece of bolt with the broadhead mounted) a can covered with a piece of thin leather (to form a mini-drum) and a scale to measure how much force (in pounds) before they penetrate/deploy.

None of the forward deploying broadheads, and a few of the rear deploying, didn't meet what I was looking for.

Because of that I wouldn't use them for hunting.

**Warning - anecdotal accounts from guys shooting Exomax's, Matrix's etc is of very little value to Vix shooters. Just about anything will expand, penetrate and pass through if you impact at 90+ pounds of KE, your Vix hits with about half that power.

Some just deploy with a whole lot less force than others - again, if you have "extra power" you can afford to lose 15 lbs getting it to expand, but with a Vix if you take a longer shot (35 yards) and you are impacting with say 50 lbs of KE, then after deployment you may only have 35 lbs left for penetration.

Probably enough if you made the perfect shot on a broadside target, but if you didn't the odds of simply "wounding" go way up.

For that reason, if I don't count broadheads I "tossed in the box" because of durability issues (as in were often too damaged to use a second time, but performed fine the first time = so would have resulted in a humane kill) my list of what I have found to be well suited to the Vix II are:

G5 - Havoc and T3's
Trophy Ridge - Meat Seekers
Rage - 40KE's (and no other model due to lack of penetration)
NAP - BloodRunner II's and III's (but must be oriented to miss the stirrup)
Axe Archery - Battle Axe and Bone Crusher

Others have their favourites and there are many that I have never tried, but the above are the "deployables" that I am confident would work, not only on perfect shots, but the shots that turn into "iffy" ones after you have pulled the trigger.

[longbow joe]

You wouldnt hesitate using an expandable out of a verticle bow at that speed . Just use something like a spirfire n youl be fine keep a40 yard limit.

[otisbrazwell]

lost a nice whitetail last season with a spitfire and a vixen first and last time for that..

[paulaboutform]

I wouldn't recommend any mechanical out of a low poundage bow. Look at something like a qad exodus or magnus buzzcut.

[nchunterkw]

I wouldn't recommend any mechanical out of a low poundage bow. Look at something like a qud exodus or magnus buzzcut.

X2 on what he said......also look at Slick Trick Magnum or Xbow trick, Ramcat, or Magnus 2 blade.

[galamb]

I wouldn't recommend any mechanical out of a low poundage bow. Look at something like a qud exodus or magnus buzzcut.

That's pretty much why I have gone to "hybrids" with my Vix II - you get the benefit of fixed blades (albeit smaller) plus the flight and wide cut of a mechanical (if all goes well).

If it "doesn't go well" at least the fixed part should still do it's job.

Regardless of what you shoot there will be positives/negatives - you just have to try and find something with more positive than negative aspects.

[Chris Dillard]

Thanks for the input fellas. I have a lot of time behind traditional recurves, vertical compounds, and crossbows but getting opinions from your peers seems to help with the tough choices. I have decided to not go with expandables with my Vixen. I have chosen to give the cut on contact Magnus Snuffer SS a chance to fill my quiver. I have read great reviews on these heads and I do find the lifetime warranty Magnus offers attractive. I purchased a 3 pack yesterday of the 100 grain heads, hopefully the will fly true out of the Vix

[wabi]

When I started hunting with a crossbow I used a Vixen (the old model black Vixen with mag-tipped limbs and the old style riser) and selected Wasp Jak-Hammers as my broadhead. Killed several deer with that old Vixen and had no problems at all with the broadheads. All complete pass-throughs, and all performed as advertised! But I was always careful to make good hits on the deer I shot, they aren't going to pass through if you hit a big bone! Ribs - no problem, Shoulder blades - no penetration!

When the problems with the mechanicals appeared was when I "upgraded" to an Exocet (the old 175# version). Opening in flight happened sometimes, and double banding solved that problem, but finally resulted in a failure to deploy the blades (on a broadside heart shot - luckily the buck did not go far).
I would say mechanicals are MORE dependable from the lower poundage bows from MY experience!

That failure got me to switch to fixed blades, and with a lot of testing I found a few different brands that shoot great and perform well. Still not the impressive cut you can get from a mechanical, but a deer with a 1" hole through both lungs doesn't go much farther than a deer with a 2" hole through both lungs.

I can say that the Wasp Jak-Hammer probably was the only reason I tagged a buck that moved as I pulled the trigger. A liver hit, and the buck went down within sight (about a 50 to 60 yard run). His liver was cut almost completely in two pieces!

[paulaboutform]

Thanks for the input fellas. I have a lot of time behind traditional recurves, vertical compounds, and crossbows but getting opinions from your peers seems to help with the tough choices. I have decided to not go with expandables with my Vixen. I have chosen to give the cut on contact Magnus Snuffer SS a chance to fill my quiver. I have read great reviews on these heads and I do find the lifetime warranty Magnus offers attractive. I purchased a 3 pack yesterday of the 100 grain heads, hopefully the will fly true out of the Vix

Great choice Chris. I haven't shot them myself but I know a couple of very respected members of this forum that swear by them. Crazy accuracy and unbelievable penetration. Apparently there are many accounts of dear being shot with these and returning to feeding before falling over.

Paul

[JUSTANUFF]

Let us know how they fly