Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Crossbow Hunting

Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude

Chris Dillard
Posts: 252
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:50 am
Location: Northern Alabama

Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by Chris Dillard »

The last 2 years have been absolutely terrible!! Let me explain, I have stuck and lost 4 Trophy Whitetails on the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alabama. This refuge has a lot of WATER everywhere for the migratory waterfowl that visit the area. I believe the contributing factors to my problems are climbing to high, normally around 22 feet and only catching partial hits on the vitals and then the blasted swamp water which is a real booger to track in. I have been using 100 grain Thunderheads out of a Exomax. Looking back at these hunts I believe if I limit my Tree Stand height to 15 to 16 feet and switch to a larger cutting surface broadhead maybe I will have success. Any recommendations would be appreciated!! Thanks in advance.
Last edited by Chris Dillard on Sun Jul 21, 2013 9:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
2014 Vixen II
2006 Exomax
georgiaboy
Posts: 2856
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:02 pm
Location: S.E. Georgia
Contact:

Re: Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by georgiaboy »

Spitfire's...spitfire's & uh, spitfire's. :D :mrgreen:
Bulldog m380 blackout
Micro 355
Matrix 350LE
Vixen II
Proud member of the Georgia Meat Hunter's Association
"Shooting tomorrow's trophy's...today"
vixenmaster
Posts: 13618
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2005 3:51 pm
Location: Western Ky

Re: Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by vixenmaster »

Spitfire's are very good so are the swhackers, i will use the 2" this yr
Half Bubble Off BD360

[email protected] 417-505-9315
User avatar
robertyb
Posts: 2845
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:35 pm
Location: Georgia

Re: Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by robertyb »

I hunt about 30' usually and shoot 100 grain Swackers. Fastest deer kills with archery gear I have ever seen. I could track a deer across a river with the blood trails they make. :lol:
Wildlife Population Control Specialist
RIhunter
Posts: 39
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2013 5:33 pm

Re: Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by RIhunter »

How do you practice with the shwackers without ruining them I was thinking about trying them
LongCarbine
Posts: 772
Joined: Sun May 15, 2011 7:29 pm
Location: N.E. Wisconsin

Re: Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by LongCarbine »

RIhunter wrote:How do you practice with the shwackers without ruining them I was thinking about trying them
See post on CRAP! thread.
Matrix 355
Axiom (Alum.Rail)
Matrix B.D 330
Riflemanz
Posts: 2759
Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2010 8:12 am
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by Riflemanz »

I hunt from 18' ladder stands with a rifle rest on them,i use burlap around the box i'm sitting in.This gives me a rock solid rest to shoot from.Limit your shots to 30yds and under if your having problems.The spitfire head is great,3 blades are better than two in my book!The spitfires shoot like a field point and you can site in with a real head and then replace the blades.The spitfire maxx is a 1 3/4 head.Don't rush your shot!
Team Matrix 355
Matrix 355 The Crusher
TT 2 stage trigger
Executioner arrows
Easton XX75 magnums 2219
Xcaliber custom string
Boo Custom String
Vixenmaster Custom string
8ptbuk string
Rocket 3 blade 2" cut
Slick tricks
HSS Vest 30' lifeline
roly
Posts: 1660
Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:54 pm

Re: Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by roly »

When I first started in archery I used Thunderheads
and found them to be bad back then

There are a ton of great BH's out there and some to stay away from.
spitfires, swhackers, rage(love them or hate them), Jak-Hammers are some I like.
The Ulmer BH's look good also

Check out this link, it's a bit long but shows some good testing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msHgr7jH0jg
User avatar
Limbs and Sticks
Posts: 3206
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:13 pm
Location: Colonial Beach, Virginia, US

Re: Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by Limbs and Sticks »

I hunt 12' to 15' ft up, any higher and you can't see thru the foliage, i do the same hunting fields also, any thing running the edge I will see To me any higher and the shot angle's get crazy with a bow. maybe you might try a fixed blade? there's a few good ones out there. this all works for me.

Wes
"Maxine"
1.75x5 Burris scope
Boo string
STS
Feathered easton 2020's
Magnus stingers
Chris Dillard
Posts: 252
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:50 am
Location: Northern Alabama

Re: Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by Chris Dillard »

Thanks guys, alot of great tips. The areas I'm hunting are vast expanses of hardwood bottoms with anywhere from 2 inches to 2 feet of standing water everywhere. There are small islands from 1/4 of an acre to 40 acres in size. These high spots are serious deer magnets. I normally wear my hip boots or chest waders to access and hunt these areas, several trophy class bucks running around these spots that would score in the 150's. When I stick one seems like I get good hits and very good blood trails out to about 100 to 200 yards then I end up loosing them in the water. I think going with a quality mechanical and doing some serious practice from an elevated stand is going to be the ticket to get back to harvesting deer. Leaning towards the Shwackers or Wasp Jackhammers. Please feel free to continue to make suggestions on Mechanicals. Thanks again.
2014 Vixen II
2006 Exomax
jody5252
Posts: 584
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 7:30 pm
Location: chambersburg, pennsylvania

Re: Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by jody5252 »

do not use them. use a good quality fixed blade... j m o
Exocet 200 & Micro 315 2219 Magnums-Flex Fletch SK200/300 Vanes-10 Point and Sightmark Scope-Single post quiver mts.-Vixenmaster/Trinity/8 pt.Flemish Strings-Dirt-Nap100/125 gr.-Lumenoks
Chris Dillard
Posts: 252
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:50 am
Location: Northern Alabama

Re: Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by Chris Dillard »

I have decided that I'm going to do some serious testing and evaluating of various heads, I will post what I end up going with. Thanks guys. :D
2014 Vixen II
2006 Exomax
Dave Campbell
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2013 1:57 am

Re: Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by Dave Campbell »

Last season was my first ever to hunt with a crossbow. I used the NAP FOC broad head, I shot a big doe opening weekend, horrific hole and short, very short tracking. Like 30 yards. I know we lose a lot on velocity by going with that 170gr head but good gosh what a hole it made.

I have bow hunted for over 35 years and shot a lot of different broad heads. The wasp expandable from the 100gr and up will bend if you hit bone, when they bend that is the end of penetration, 75 grain Wasp Expandable never bent on either deer or large hogs.

On fixed blade heads, Wensell Woodsman is tough to beat. My best friend shoots those out of his Exocet with incredible results.
Dave1
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:14 am
Location: Central Florida

Re: Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by Dave1 »

With increased height your shot angle becomes somewhat problematic as the target heart/lung area becomes smaller. When shooting at sharp downward angles, it is possible to hit only one lung which means the deer can go a long way after the shot. Trailing deer thru deep water is frequently a futile event.

Attempting sharp downward angle shots at a small target area is very risky because the least little movement by the shooter or deer or a less than perfect trigger pull by the shooter can result in bad hit and lost deer.

The heart/lung target area is at its largest and easiest to hit at a calm broadside deer with shooter at ground level. As your stand height increases, the target area becomes smaller and smaller. Remember that shooting a bow is not like shooting a rifle. My suggestion is that if a good shot doesn't present itself, don't shoot. Be patient and wait for a perfect shot. Keep shot distances at conservative distances. Rushed shots at poor angles usually have poor results.

In your hunting conditions, a trail dog would help. Try to find someone that has a good slow trail dog you can call in case you need one. It is sickening event to wound and lose a deer. Do all you can now to prevent that from ever happening again.

Good luck.

Dave
vixenmaster
Posts: 13618
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2005 3:51 pm
Location: Western Ky

Re: Help Recommendations needed for a Mechanical Broadhead

Post by vixenmaster »

Chris i read one of yer posts of blood trail 100-200 yds on them. Take my comment & mull it over some! I hunted half my live in big oak bottoms over on the Mississippi River, went 20-30" high. I kept all of my shots 30 yds or less because of bein so high usin my Bow. You can catch one lung & not kill yer deer but gives a good blood trail that just quits! I had several friends that did that a few times.
Half Bubble Off BD360

[email protected] 417-505-9315
Post Reply