Favorite Broadhead

[CRM_95]

I haven't seen the negative yet.
If one is going off of just what they're told by another and never takes the opportunity to try it themselves then they don't know.
I have seen no science produced by anyone here that shows they don't work. Rage says they need 40lbs of kinetic energy to work.
Charts show my set up produces more than that.
That is enough real information to make me give it a real effort.

Gary

Are you shooting the 40KE's? The 1.5'' cut? I used to shoot Rages in my compound days and I was thinking the originals needed a bit more than that to reliably work. Either way, please be careful using them Gary. I don't have first hand experience using them in a trad bow but I'd hate for you to lose a deer because of them. In a compound I loved them but no way I'd try it with my trad bows.

[Tom]

I have tried all these this year. They all shot great. The Bone broadheads (red ones) fly the best out to 65 yards. For the record I use these on a 700gr arrow through my compound. I have bare shaft tuned, walked back, etc and the broadheads hit with the FP without issue.

Bone, Aboyer, Cutthroat, Monarch (no longer made) all at 200gr

[Randy Madden]

Gary, I personally have never shot them. I am basing my assessment of them based on my brother in laws use of them. I have seen then give amazing gaping holes with awesome blood trails but I have also seen them fail due to whatever reason. The failures have exceeded the successes especially in Trad equipment from what I’ve seen. That’s why I choose not to even try them.
I have never had a good sharp 2 or 3 blade fail me yet! Unless I make a bad shot. which I’ll admit inevitably happens from time to time

[Strummer]

4 blade 115g muzzys . Can’t find them anymore.


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[Featherflinger]

I have tried lots of different broadheads over the years and concluded that I like the Simmons Sharks the best. I use the 175 gr Tigersharks and 205 gr Safaris. Although I would definitely recommend the VPA 3 blade heads.
With that being said there’s no way I’d try or recommend a Rage with traditional gear. They do make big holes but even out of a fast compound they just don’t penetrate as well as I would like. I’ve seen (I’ve killed a few animals with them as well) quite a few animals killed with them but rarely did they pass throughs.

[hogmess]

Magnus. I just sent 5 back that had all killed several animals each. Hard to beat when they just send you new ones. Really good warranty.

[CRM_95]

Magnus. I just sent 5 back that had all killed several animals each. Hard to beat when they just send you new ones. Really good warranty.

I don't want to change anything this close to season, but I may very well switch to 150 grain stingers with 50 grain weights in my GT's for next year. Hear lots of good things.

[spidermonkey]

MIHunter, lots of good tips to get ya pointed in the right direction! Obviously a lot of “extras” to go along with it that you prob weren’t counting on! Take from it what you deem as helpful, and write off what you find won’t benefit you in your journey. I guess I will put in my .01 on the “Great Rage Debate”... Gary, I’ve never met you, and for sure have no axe to grind with you. But, as for ME, there is no way I would shoot an expandable broadhead out of a Trad bow. Kind of like Randy said, the negatives waaaaaayyy outweigh the positives, from what I can tell. The bottom line is, IT DOES take additional energy to penetrate with an expandable to the SAME depth a COC broadhead would in a living critter. There is no debate about that. There is energy used up/expended deploying the blades and pushing through a wider set of blades. A long time ago I did a test on some 1/4” leather that I had soaked for awhile in water. I stretched it moderately tight between a board frame, and nailed it down. Now, I didn’t use a scale so you’ll just have to trust me, but, the difference in force it took to push an arrow with a SHARP expandable through till the broad head cleared the leather vs. pushing an arrow through with a SHARP 2-blade, was amazing to say the least! It almost felt like the arrow would break on the expandable, whereas the 2-blade I felt like I could have gripped the arrow with two fingers covered in Vaseline and still pushed it through EASY! I realize this is not very scientific, but at the same time, amount of force exerted on an arrow to push said broadhead through the same substance is still force. Yeah, I know it “ain’t the same as shooting it out of a bow”, but I can guarantee you, shoot the exact same arrows out of a bow (any bow) and the COC will out-penetrate the expandable every time. Cuz ideally WE ALL WANT an entrance AND an exit, if for no other reason than a better blood trail. Now before words get shoved in my mouth, will a COC always have a pass-through? Heck no! But ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, it will pass through an animal with WAAAYY more frequency than expandable. This is the good ol USA Gary, so shoot what you want, but also understand that a lot of us may not be “on your team” so to speak. Not that you were asking us to be, I know! It’s not a question so much “will it kill?” Heck yeah Rages will! But, I’ve also killed a pig (wouldn’t do it on a deer, so y’all calm down!) with a field point when I was stumpin one time, and that’s all I had! Two holes in the lungs=dead critter! I work on stuff, mechanic, fabricate, and general jack of all trades, master of none... And the thing I will ALWAYS try my dead level best to do is use the best tool for the job at hand. Yeah, you can use a crescent, but a 3/4” is what actually fits. I have a lot more pros/cons, but have already blabbed on enough! Wish you all the luck, and hope you kill a truckload of critters with the Rages this fall Gary! But, until a better tool comes along, I’ll just stick with my “3/4” wrench”. Good Huntin, and God Bless, Rusty

[Featherflinger]

I don't want to change anything this close to season, but I may very well switch to 150 grain stingers with 50 grain weights in my GT's for next year. Hear lots of good things.

Make sure you use the 4 blades. I never got very good blood trails with the 2 blades but had a lot better result with the 4 blade ones.

[MIHunter]

Ok I can’t leave it there..
MIHunter, to better answer your question we will need a few more details. What poundage are you shooting and at what draw length? Are you shooting woods or carbon ect....

On the “rage” issue.. by definition an eletist is someone that is considered superior by others or themselves as in intellect, talent, power, wealth, or position in society.
In that respect I know Scott doesn’t consider hisself an eletist but by definition I do. He is my superior in MANY ways by the definition alone!!
I would also venture to say without hesitation that he is many others superior in the Trad community. in his short time in his journey he has already successfully reached a level that some will never achieve in accuracy, kills, ethics , ect,ect, blah blah blah.......

And I’ll never agree that shooting a rage out of Trad equipment is a good idea. The negatives simply out weighs the positives.

Already answered in post 21. Didn't mean to start anything, just asking what broad heads you all like to shoot traditional style (since this is a trad category).

I just picked up a Sarrels Yukon longbow, 50#, and I'll be shooting carbons to start. I've shot a longbow before, I just upgraded (Thanks Bob!).

[Bisch]

Favorite Broadhead

Make sure you use the 4 blades. I never got very good blood trails with the 2 blades but had a lot better result with the 4 blade ones.

I have both 2 and 4 blade Stingers, and can tell no discernible difference in the blood trails they leave. I do agree that the 4 blade “should” leave better blood trails, but I have not seen it.

And I am another one who would never recommend an expandable broadhead from a trad bow! But I also won’t try to tell other what they can use!!!!!

Bisch


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[tradtiger]

Nice little can of worms, huh, Jerry?

I would only shoot fixed-blade broadheads from my set-up -- which is pretty dang fast, actually, at 70-lbs, but I have personally seen my friend Gary do very well with those Rages. He's not saying someone else should shoot them; I believe he's just saying he's had some success and others might consider using them.

Although I have personally seen massive blood loss and immediate kill from a Rage shot with a trad bow, I can see many pitfalls -- hit shoulder going in (might stop right there); less chance of two-holes for pass-through, therefore, less blood to trail ... POSSIBLY. Could be that with adequate penetration upon entry that a bucket of blood will show the trail from that first hole. Gary says his set-up delivers proper energy to make the head work; I believe that he can read a chart, and I know that he can deliver the arrow!

I'm glad to see a cordial discussion of the possible broadheads that might be used to kill critters in the most efficient manner. Good luck this season everyone!

[Randy Madden]

Already answered in post 21. Didn't mean to start anything, just asking what broad heads you all like to shoot traditional style (since this is a trad category).

I just picked up a Sarrels Yukon longbow, 50#, and I'll be shooting carbons to start. I've shot a longbow before, I just upgraded (Thanks Bob!).

Sorry bud, didn’t see that.
175 grain is plenty of head. Whichever ever you choose just make sure they are well tuned and sharp as you well know I’m sure. I also like to keep my hunting arrows above 10 gpp. I don’t worry about foc. As long as they are reasonably heavy, sharp and well tuned you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

I (like Bisch) like my GK’s. 150 grain with 75 grain inserts. Total arrow weight of 540 grains out of my 50# at my DL bow. But I don’t think I’d ever pay full price for them. I got a really good deal on them several years ago. I think Bisch is still upset I beat him to those! Lol

[ballgame]

This will be a trial by error quest until you find out what works best for you.

I personally use the Palmer Extreme cut 162 gr 4 blade broadhead with a 1.5" cut.

I have found great success with these heads and have no reason to try anything else.

That said, I know of one person on here who did not have the same luck so ..... who knows.

One tip that has worked very well for me..... I set/run my main blade flat. This seems to help flight with all broadheads I have ever used.

It also helps visually.

And no I would not recommend using a Rage. Not that they dont work... but because they add an extra variable that is uncontrollable.

[SwampRabbit]

This will be a trial by error quest until you find out what works best for you.

I personally use the Palmer Extreme cut 162 gr 4 blade broadhead with a 1.5" cut.

I have found great success with these heads and have no reason to try anything else.

That said, I know of one person on here who did not have the same luck so ..... who knows.

One tip that has worked very well for me..... I set/run my main blade flat. This seems to help flight with all broadheads I have ever used.

It also helps visually.

And no I would not recommend using a Rage. Not that they dont work... but because they add an extra variable that is uncontrollable.

I'm guessing by flat, you mean that you orient your main blade horizontally rather than vertically.

I also do the same and mainly for flight reasons as well. I'm pretty sure the reason behind that is a concept called "tillering." If you have ever sailed a boat and used to tiller to move your transom to the left or right, you can see the effect that I'm referring to. When you finger release an arrow, that arrow is going to bend back and forth horizontally. It dampens down over time and eventually gets out of "whack" as the arrow starts to rotate... but the biggest forces come when you first release. Well if your blade is set vertically, that blade acts just like a tiller in water (but in air) and steers a lot more. If you orient your blade horizontally, you don't get that effect as the blade "cuts" through the air.

Back when I shot a compound, I had some tuning issues (essentially weak spine) that my broadheads would hit higher if I had them laying horizontally (on a compound/center shot with mechanical release, the arrow deflects up/down vs left/right on a finger release.) So I would orient my broadheads vertically to avoid the "tillering" effect.