NAP Spitfire out of a crossbow

[vpsaline]

Do you expect problems when shooting the non-crossbow specific Spitfire MAXX heads out of a crossbow up to 345fps?

[longbow joe]

I shot the nons out of a 330 no issues. If it was me, over a 330 i think i would puy a band on em ....cant hurt.

[Booge]

I don't see any problems. I have shot regular spitfires since 05 in an exomax at 332 fps..Back then I used a band off of rocket broadheads and never had any open up. I use 3/16th med bands now from ebay on the 380 and 405. Spitfires have been accurate and very dependable

[chilly_willy]

Shot regular spitfires out of my 330 and 355. No problems.

[Normous]

You can easily wear out the blade retention clips if you frequently open and close the blades look at them, don't, once is OK.
Also, a single dental band won't hurt either

[IronNoggin]

Standard 125 grain Spitfires are ALL I run up front of Big John's Custom Zombie Slayers out of my Matrix 380.
Always been the case because they fly damn near exactly like my field points of the same weight, and of course the devastating results they have on game. I am not looking to replace them anytime soon.

And up until a couple years back, I never worried about a blade opening before it was supposed to.
Then, one evening I had a good whitetail buck at about 40 yards, unaware.
Took my time, aimed properly, and let fly.
The arrow went straight up for 30 yards or so, then settled downwards in a spiral landing about halfway to the now rapidly fleeing buck.
Recognized that a single blade had prematurely opened...

Since then I double wrap band every single one of them.
Perhaps unnecessary, but it is one less thing I have to worry about.



And they have never failed me on game since...

Cheers,
Nog

[tomcat]

Here are my experiences with these on Excal's.
In a nutshell, re-dimple the retention springs each and every time you open them OR remove them altogether and use dental rubber bands.
The ferrules bend easily (as long aluminum ferrules do) when shot into hard targets or deer/bone so make sure you spin them to ensure they stay true.
When true they fly just like a FP and kill deer quickly. IMHO they are best for impact speeds of 300fps or better and give huge "splash" wounds reaching 2+" out of bows in the 325-350fps range.. 375-400 fps would probably be a 3" entry..
Most pass thru, or fall out as soon as deer runs on the few non-pass through shots I've had in all cases except where it lodged into the shoulder. FWIW, the blades are silly sharp like no other brand I've owned.

http://www.excaliburcrossbow.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=63349&p=621826#p621826
http://www.excaliburcrossbow.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=39775&p=373304#p373304

[hunter with MS]

I don't bother to band them because I am using the Excalibur Xact which are made for the Excal crossbows and don't need to be banded . One less thing I have to worry about .

[Phillyarcher]

I have been using NAP Spitfire Max and regular Spitfire's for a long time and never had one open up. I use the 125 grain and have great success. My xcals are Vortex and I switched from that to the Micro 335. They do make good entrance and big exits. Really good blood trails if they go that far.

[tomcat]

I've shot them through paper and duplicated the issue out of Vortex, Exomax, and Phoenix models. With new or uncrushed retention springs or ones that have been "redimpled" with a small punch on a block of wood they stay closed up to 350Fps. The fast loading nature of recurves(especially higher poundage ones like matrix/micros will make it more likely.
IF you are one who likes to open/close your blades, then this is an issue. If you've done it once or twice, well they most likely will stay closed.
The simple fact is the retention spring(shim) is just a dimpled piece of tin, when you open the blade it crushed the dimple. Each time it gets easier and easier . It's a marginal design that works when new with almost everything out there. Obviously Excals are at the edge of where this issue rears its ugly face when the dimples are smashed.
FWIW - actually discovered this when I shot buck at 10ft away in the neck while aiming at the shoulder with a Hoyt speed bow shooting 65# back around 2005(The following year I paralyzed my right arm and became an Excal guy on here). Something seemed wrong with the arrow and it seemed to steer towards his neck in flight. I questioned the possibility of a single blade opening and throwing it off balance. So I went home and shot it through a paper tuning rack. Sure enough 1 blade was open as it passed through paper.

The testing I did was to shoot a new head through unprinted news paper at 10ft into a target. By the third shot of new a head(sometimes on the second)one or more blades would show evidence of being deployed as it passed through the paper. I removed blades and replaced the "retention shims" on all 3 sides and they lasted 2 or 3 shots.
I ran out of new retention springs so I got a small punch out that matched the size of the dimple in the "retention shim" and rounded the edge of punch to duplicate original countour. I then gave a small light tap with a little brass hammer against a block of wood to restore to original shape.
Re-installed and tested..Again they would last a handful of shots before seeing evidence of deployed blades.

..So loving the accuracy of these and the lethality, I chose the absolute path. I removed the shims altogether and used a single dental rubber band. Tested them thouroughly. 1 band is more than adequate, but you must change them each year, because they do decompose and stretch/rot.
2 bands are overkill. Heat shrink tubing slivers, like used on swhackers etc. use more energy to break, but they don't rot season to season. Pro's and cons to both..
I personally liked and stuck with the single rubber band...

I played with Spitfires and Swhackers and they are accurate, work as described and have Pro's and Cons, but in the end I went back to Rocket Steelhead 100's which my friend Bob Fromme from (Performance Archery back in Miramar, Ca) turned me onto.They use a rubber band and I change them right before the season every year.
I still have 11 of the 12 original Steelheads I bought from him when he was Pro-shooter for them(around 2000-2002).
Changed the blades numerous times and 1 of those heads has gone through over 10 deer and a couple turkeys. The other's all have at least 2-3 head themselves.
Spitfires kill faster no doubt about it. But having aluminum ferrule, they are good for 1 bone hit and they bend out of true. For those that shoot a deer a year..no bid deal..for those that shoot 5-6 each year, well the Steelheads are my cup of tea.They fly as well as the spitfires/swhackers but save me money and time.

[Phillyarcher]

Like I said I never had a problem. I have shot many deer with the same heads, but I do change the blades and the retention clips after each deer I shoot. The way I look at it is one it does cost about 20 bucks foe a three pack of replacement blades but it is well worth it knowing that I know that I'm not going to wounding a deer worrying about a blade opening up.Also you can get the NAP at Dicks for $39 bucks for a 4 pack.

[tomcat]

New clips/blades, is the way to go...and just don't open/close them for fun while sitting on stand or showing buddies:)
It's really only a small inconvenience considering the BH's other major strengths. Just something to be aware of, and it explains why so many who don't change out blades/retention shims or spin heads after shooting deer/targets etc see erratic flight and scratch their heads.

IF one does as you(like you're supposed to and as product was designed to) then this condition will always be avoided.
Great BH's though IMHO. Maybe not as flashy marketing wise, but quality standards are exceptional. I've never found a new head out of the pack which didnt spin perfectly true, and as said the blades are simply amazing sharp like no others...I cant even hone/strop blades myself in the same realm as they get theirs..and I have some specialized stropping/honing tools made for this. In fact ALL of their blades are crazy sharp. Used to shoot Thunderheads and they too are like this with same quality. I switched to Spitfires after seeing amazing consistency with FP's and not having to destroy a broadhead target in one session. Also got tired of searching for lost blades in deer..Thunderhead's have a crappy blade retention system.

[DuckHunt]

I've shot the Maxx and XXX out of my ExoMax and Micro 335 with great results. I do put a single dental band on them just for my piece of mind. They do leave a excellent blood trail.

DuckHunt

[sproulman]

I would use dental band as some suggested on non crossbow points!