Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

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What do you prefer, fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Fixed
30
77%
Mechanical
9
23%
 
Total votes: 39
dreaming bucks
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Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby dreaming bucks » Thu Mar 24, 2011 8:56 am

What do you guys use ? I have been using the fixed striker G-5's.... I'm just a little nervous using something mechanical. What do you prefer ?


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Hodag Hunter
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Re: Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Thu Mar 24, 2011 8:59 am

Fixed Muzzy 4 blade. Have a few Muzzy 3 blades too.

Before the Muzzy's it was Savora.......for those that remember that head. That's how long I've been shooting Muzzy's.
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Re: Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby cornfedkiller » Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:12 am

Fixed blade..Slick Trick Mags for me..

I am gonna try out some big expandables for turkeys this year, but I get nervous about using a mechanical for deer..
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Re: Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:39 am

Fixed for me too, for deer anyway. I USED to be a big fan of mechanical, but after hearing about a few bad stories and one bad experience myself, I switched to fixed. I like the Slick Tricks as well. I've only shot 4 deer with them, but all have been quick easy recoveries. It all comes down to do you have enough time and knowledge to tune your broadheads to fly like field points. If you do then fixed are the answer in my opinion. Mechanicals can hit where your aiming, and are definaltely more forgiving. But the down side is they cover up poor arrow flight, and poor arrow flight is what causes the disasters with them. If you have your arrows tuned with them, I think they can be fine, but like I said if they are covering up bad arrow flight, it's only a matter of time before you have a bad experince. A buddy of mine lost a 160" buck this past year, shooting Rage broadhead. Started with lots of blood, but dried up to nothing within 100 yards. He thinks he hit it a little forward of where he was aiming.
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Re: Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:51 am

I'll shoot muzzys forever. Got a buddy who shoots thunderheads, watched him slice his finger wide open with one so I know they are sharp, but I doubt they are as durable as muzzys. Grandpa was shooting some sort of mechanicals this year, i wanna say spitfires but don't qoute me, and it never opened up and we never found that deer.
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Re: Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby dan » Thu Mar 24, 2011 10:35 am

This topic comes up a lot... I use Muzzys. Fixed 100 grain 3 blades. They work and perform great, and I don't mess with things that ain't broke.
I hear one horror story after another with mech's... The issue is that people have the false sense of security that there arrow will fly true ( like a target head) if they use expandables. Truth is, if you can't get a fixed hed to fly straight you likely have an out of tune set up. Even though your arrow appears to fly straight with the expandable, it won't have the energy needed because of the arrow flying crooked or burning energy while straightening its path...
Also, the advertisments always talk about short track jobs and huge blood trails. But really, what does that matter? Hit the buck where you are supposed to and it dies no matter what broadhead... If I hit a little bit forward and get shoulder, I just might get a muzzy though, but I aint getting not 2 inch expandable thru... If you hit guts or liver, its a dead deer regardless and its a matter of waiting the correct amount of time and tracking properly.
It may be better to hit them back a little with an expandable, but the deer will die either way.
I have heard of some people purposfully aiming back for the liver with large expandables figuring if they hit forward rthey have lungs and back they got guts and just wait till the next morning to track. But to me thats not ethical and causes unneccassary suffering.
Expandables are also well known for not getting pass thrus, and kicking off on angled shots.
Just imagine a 2 inch expandable opening on a quartering away shot and if the blades are angled right having to cut thru 7 ribs.;..
A lot of outfitters will not even allow you to hunt there property with expandables because of the number of losses they get from hunters useing them. Just had that conversation with Jeff from Superior game rance. He said he is thinking of bannoing them at his place. One wounded animal after another.
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Re: Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby lungbuster » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:16 am

I've shot fixed for a number of years, matter of fact there was only 1 season I used mechanicals and they were NAP spitfires. Never had a problem with them, but I prefer a cut on contact fixed. I am currently shooting Tru-fire T1 100grain, they are a replaceable blade type like the muzzys but feature a spring retention system that makes changing out blades a cinch.
Image

Tru Fire also has a new plunger style mechanical, and if I ever decided to go back to a mech. i would definately try out. They really can't pass through anything without opening because of the design, they are called the Switchblade.

Image
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Re: Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby Schultzy » Thu Mar 24, 2011 12:50 pm

I picked fixed but I shouldn't of. The broadheads I shoot are solid cut on contact broadheads. Dan and Black Squirrel had great post's explaining why people have penetration problems (out of tune set ups). Good stuff guys, your right on.
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Re: Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby matt1336 » Thu Mar 24, 2011 12:52 pm

Slick Tricks here. I'll spare everyone the promo add that I normally type. But they make slug holes in deer and hold up to a lot of punishment.
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Re: Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby UPbowhunter » Thu Mar 24, 2011 1:00 pm

I picked mechanicals I have been using spitfires for 10 years. I can honestly say I havent lost a deer since switching. I would go back to my thunder heads in a heart beat though. Both have allways flown right with my feild points. I get an extra 1/4" out of the spitfires, and have blown thru some bone when shots werent perfectly executed. Both broadheads stick 10" into the ground after blowning thru, a ribcage. Almost every deer Ive shot with them was a pass thru. I shoot about 4 deer a year. I know most guys on here are fixed blade guys, but I cant complain about their performance.
Last edited by UPbowhunter on Thu Mar 24, 2011 1:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby PLB » Thu Mar 24, 2011 1:01 pm

Rage 2 blade mechanicals since 2007 for me! Have never lost an animal or had an issue with them. Smoked a 401 pound Slob of a bear with them in Sept! :D
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Re: Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby Casper » Thu Mar 24, 2011 1:35 pm

Slick trick mags
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Re: Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby U.P. MAN » Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:09 pm

Rage 2 blades for quite awhile now. Never had a issue. I have only shot one truelly "mature" buck with them,but have shot double digit does and other bucks with them. One thing we do though is to tune our setups to the max. I could shot fixed also with no accuracy issues after fine tuned. I think alot of people would agree that muzzy is one of the best fixed blades made,and i am in no way ripping on muzzies,but look at the huge buck "moses" pat reeve shot a few years ago. He appeared to have absolutely smoked it right behind the shoulder and it deflected off a rib and he never got it. even the best,non deflecting head did have a issue. Great agruments on all accounts and it boils down to what you can shoot accurately and most importantly have the most confidence with. If i had to go back to a fixed i think it would be muzzy or g5.
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Re: Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby muddy » Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:12 pm

Rocket Hammerheads and Grim Reapers, I've had tremendous success with them, even on quartering away shots.
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Re: Fixed or mechanical broadheads ?

Unread postby adrenalin » Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:14 pm

lungbuster wrote:I've shot fixed for a number of years, matter of fact there was only 1 season I used mechanicals and they were NAP spitfires. Never had a problem with them, but I prefer a cut on contact fixed. I am currently shooting Tru-fire T1 100grain, they are a replaceable blade type like the muzzys but feature a spring retention system that makes changing out blades a cinch.
Image

Tru Fire also has a new plunger style mechanical, and if I ever decided to go back to a mech. i would definately try out. They really can't pass through anything without opening because of the design, they are called the Switchblade.

Image

That top broadhead looks just like the wacems I used to shoot.


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