What do you like? Mechanical broadheads or cut on contact? Explain your choice.

Used to use Mechanical, switched to fixed after I had some blades break off the "unbreakable" mechanical when I hit my elk. The elk did die but I felt there is less to go wrong with the fixed. Also fixed worked great shooting through a "shoot through" blind window mesh, something the mechanical wouldnt without premature deploying.

-DallanC

I use fixed blades on my crossbow.

125gr Thunder Heads for "bigger" stuff:
www.cabelas.com/cabela...hasJS=true

125gr G5 small game heads for the smaller stuff:
www.cabelas.com/cabela...00306&rid=

My crossbow with the Thunder Heads shooting at the "special" cross bow target block my dad bought, taught me one thing, I thank the Lord for having a good back stop. Cause at 20 yards (zeroing the scope on it) and having more then half of the bolt stick out the back of the target, it well simply makes you thank God it stopped it eventually.

I do not recommend AT ALL shooting at the normal bow targets with any "higher powdered" crossbow, when I first bought my cross bow at the 20 yard "sight in" range Bass Pro has, with field points, it was going all the way through making it difficult to sight it in, and burying itself in the back stop of more target blocks.

The Mechanical ones look too "problematic", remember Murphy's Law. And as you know anything that can fail will. So a spring opening blade can fail at the spring/opening time so although "neat" I didn't go with them.

Dimitri

I have used both with success . I always shot mech with the cross bow they seemed to fly better. I have used both in the compound as well (imo) mech heads are easier to "tune" fixed heads can be a little harder to "tune". I have in my quiver now Mech heads- Crimson Cudas I haven't shot at a deer with them yet but they shoot EXACTLY like my field points witch is nice .
Joe

How do you tune a head ??

Dimitri

Howdy D. I use rubber washers on the arrow so I can turn the broadhead. some times the arrow will plane with a fixed broadhead if this happens I will turn the broadhead and shoot it again and and continue this until I get it to shoot straight I also number my arrows some times a slightly off centered insert can cause problems but what I call" tuning " is just adjusting the broadhead in this manner for better flight. Mech heads are such a small diameter when shot that there is most of the time no planing at all.
Joe

Ah neat.

Dimitri

I use fixed blade exclusively, 125 grain Muzzy Phantoms to be exact. I used to have flight problems with fixed blades but then switched from vanes to feathers, the difference has been AMAZING. With my vanes I found broadhead flight to be problematic past 40 yards. I switched to using feathers with a helical twist (fletched using AZ EZ fletch) and the big 4 blade Phantoms group well out to the limits I will shoot a bow. Last night I was shooting at 90 yards with broadheads in preparation for a caribou hunt. As a side note, Alaska requires fixed blade broadheads for moose, grizzly, and mountain goat.

I'll pass on the grizzly hunting with a bow.......unless therre happens to be a gentleman with a LARGE rifle he knows how to use beside me.
I have been useing Magnus Stinger 2 blade and was thinking of switching to a Mechanical because of planeing as Joe said. I may get ahold of a Bow guy at the local shop and get some advise about the planeing problem. I heated the shafts and turned the blades parallel with the limbs of bow, That helped alittle bit.

Dimitri, your Thunderheads should come with o-rings for tuning.

Yes they do come with rings but I must admit I've just cranked the broad head down tightly without "tuning" it.

My crossbow on a bad day will put all the bolts in a 4" group at 40 yards (sitting sling supported position the same position I still hunt with the cross bow) so never though to increase its accuracy.

Dimitri

Muzzy 4 blade 100gr.
I used to use 125gr Muzzy 4 blades, but went to 100gr when I changed to using one pin. With the 100gr, the one pin works great to 35yds, which is as long of a shot that I will take in the heavy woods around here.

Eric

I guess I never learned to trust mechanical type broadheads. I know that many like them and have heard a lot of praise, but I just can't shake the idea that anything mechanical can and will break at exactly the wrong time. Just a personal glitch on my part I guess.

shrpshtrjoe wrote:

some times the arrow will plane with a fixed broadhead Joe

Gidday Joe...what do you mean when you say "the arrow will plane" ?

I must admit, I know next to nothing about archery, so this is all a great learning experience for me.

Cheers, Vince

Vince, In a nut shell, "planeing" refers to the blade on a arrow acting as an airplane wing would, forceing the arrow off target. Depending on how large the blade is, the planeing can be quit bad.