I've been tinkering with broadheads a lot the past few years, and I thought I'd share my notes. There are other resources out there for testing results etc, but one thing I've been fortunate enough to do is compare them on pigs to each other. 2 or 3 with this head, 2 with this other head, similar shots how did they stack up. Its been a lot of fun, and I've definitely learned a few things.
The old montecs didn't have a great reputation for getting sharp or staying that way. G5 uses MIM (Metal Injection Moulding) to make all their heads, and that process is IMO grossly misunderstood. The Montecs edge related issues were more to do with the metal that was used in MIM than MIM itself. The ability to get a steel hard (50+) without it being super brittle is the hallmark and over simplification of something needed to get sharp and stay that way. I'm self-diagnosed obsessed with sharp. The new M3 is still MIM but it is now made of 420 stainless. 420 is what I would say the majority of replaceable blade broad head's use for blade steel. Its fairly affordable, gets sharp, and has some edge retention.
The M3s flew fine for me. My baseline head is an Iron Will V100. The M3 matched it out to the 30 yards. They are very quiet as they have no vents, and practice with them indicated they were decently tough also. They all spun perfectly.
Now for the real challenge how sharp could I get them. I actually evaluated this two ways. One was using the bevel of 30 degrees, the other was using a jig to change the factory bevel to 22 degrees. I started with 30 degrees and quickly was surprised. After a little work on sandpaper (1000->3000 grit) and a few pass stropping... they felt nice and sharp. I tested them using my Bess sharpness tester and they came in at 275. Next I changed the bevel to 22 degrees and re-tested. The head then tested at 175... that's getting pretty scary sharp.
A week later I was able to send the 22 degree beveled M3 through a 150# boar. It was a well placed shot low through the shoulder. The pig ran about 15 yards leaving a wonderful blood trail before tipping over. Since that pig I've killed two more with M3s with similar results with both the factory and refined bevels. One of them was a pretty solid shoulder shot and the head survived.
Overall I'd have no hesitation shooting a hand-sharpened M3 at almost anything. The only real improvement that could be made is edge retention using different steel, but their price would probably increase.
The old montecs didn't have a great reputation for getting sharp or staying that way. G5 uses MIM (Metal Injection Moulding) to make all their heads, and that process is IMO grossly misunderstood. The Montecs edge related issues were more to do with the metal that was used in MIM than MIM itself. The ability to get a steel hard (50+) without it being super brittle is the hallmark and over simplification of something needed to get sharp and stay that way. I'm self-diagnosed obsessed with sharp. The new M3 is still MIM but it is now made of 420 stainless. 420 is what I would say the majority of replaceable blade broad head's use for blade steel. Its fairly affordable, gets sharp, and has some edge retention.
The M3s flew fine for me. My baseline head is an Iron Will V100. The M3 matched it out to the 30 yards. They are very quiet as they have no vents, and practice with them indicated they were decently tough also. They all spun perfectly.
Now for the real challenge how sharp could I get them. I actually evaluated this two ways. One was using the bevel of 30 degrees, the other was using a jig to change the factory bevel to 22 degrees. I started with 30 degrees and quickly was surprised. After a little work on sandpaper (1000->3000 grit) and a few pass stropping... they felt nice and sharp. I tested them using my Bess sharpness tester and they came in at 275. Next I changed the bevel to 22 degrees and re-tested. The head then tested at 175... that's getting pretty scary sharp.
A week later I was able to send the 22 degree beveled M3 through a 150# boar. It was a well placed shot low through the shoulder. The pig ran about 15 yards leaving a wonderful blood trail before tipping over. Since that pig I've killed two more with M3s with similar results with both the factory and refined bevels. One of them was a pretty solid shoulder shot and the head survived.
Overall I'd have no hesitation shooting a hand-sharpened M3 at almost anything. The only real improvement that could be made is edge retention using different steel, but their price would probably increase.
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