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prefered mechanical

moosehunter

moosehunter

PMA Member
OK. I know this has been brought up before so I appoligize in advance.

I'm thinking I want to go with a mechanical but need some advice on which one a favorite of people here, and why. I'm hoping to find one that has good impact and cut, plus flies like a field point.

The shot I made last year on a buck should have sailed right through the deer. Even though it was at a steep angle, it was only 4 yards from the tree. I think it should have at least made an exit wound. So that's why I think I may be happier with something else.

Just for reference, I'm using 100 gn Thunderheads right now.
 
I used to hunt with the thunderheads 100grn. I think the lethal damage they do is great and they dont break in direct heavy contact with bone. The thing I do not like about them is the planeing in flight I was getting. I tried everything everyone told me on tuneing arrows and bow, just to still spend hours on end trying to get good broadhead flight.

I was bullheaded and would not switch to mechanicals, finally I decided to try them last year out of frustration. I have only shot the Shockwaves but have had very good sucess with them.
I see more and more guys going to the mechanicals every year due to the same problems I was having.

Shockwaves are tough heads, I wish MUZZY would come out with a mechanical.
 
i tried a 75 grain Rocket Miniblaster and it at least made an exit hole. i was VERY happy with the success of that head. personally, i think, that if you want to consistantly have pass throughs with mechanicals you should bump to 125 grain head. even on a normal rib shot you loose so much kinetic energy with having to get those mechanicals to open up. of course, i'm not taking my own advice and will be trying 100 grain 4 bladed Rocket Hammerheads on a deer this fall but will always have my stand by 115 grain muzzy's in my quiver as well.

as far as other mechanicals i know that the spitfires are supposed to have the sharpest blades out there and i believe i read a review saying that they are will open up when shot through an orange...meaning they're very sensitive and dependable.

rocket and spitfires are the only two expandables i've ever shot. sorry , ican't offer more.
 
I'm personally not a big mechanical fan,even though most will probably get the job done with enough K.E.I just wanted to make a suggestion to those who are having broadhead troubles and really don't want to go to mechanicals.Try the new Wasp Boss Bullet series,75gr. and 100gr.you maybe surprised,these heads shoot like darts.Always been a Muzzy fan with no regrets,but in my opinion,these are more accurate.
 
100 grain Jackhammer 1 3/4" cutting diameter. Simply awesome!
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I shot mechanical's a few years ago when they were first becoming popular. I used the rocket steelhead 100 grainers. They did indeed shoot just like field points, but I thought the penetration was less than acceptable. One thing you should also remember is the fact that quartering to, or away shots on animals is less recommended with a mechanical than it is with a fixed blade head. I'm not sure what kind of problems you've had in the past with fixed blade heads, but last year I switched to the 100 grain Montec's from G-5 Outdoors, and they shoot almost exactly the same as my field points do without anything more than basic bow and arrow tuneing.
Not trying to tell you mechanical's are terrible heads or anything, I'm just saying don't throw away your fixed blade heads for a year or two.
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CRITR
 
Personally, I've tried a bunch of mechanicals ranging from Rockets to Jackhammers to Spitfires, etc. After results ranging from an easy pass through on a 250 lb. bear to lousy penetration on a quartering away doe, I'm now back with the 100 grain Muzzy's for good. They fly as well as any mechanical I've shot (out of my setup) and definetely deliver the penetration and bone crushing power I'm looking for. Good luck!

NWBuck
 
Now here's a first - someone wanting to switch to mechanical's because of poor penetration with their fixed heads.
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This may be a good illustration of why not to judge a broadhead based on a possibly poor experience. There are just to many variables.

I've been experimenting with expandables for 7+ years. I've used 10+ different expandables in this time - actually used 4 different mechanical heads last year to harvest deer. I've personally never had a mechanical fail - I've failed in shot placement though (some turned out 'ok' other not so good).

I would argue not so with the "quartering theory" for mechanicals - from my experience shots using mechanicals can be taken at the same angles as shots with fixed heads.

If you looking for unparrelled accuracy with penetration as good as a fixed shoot a rocket stealhead.

If you want to really take advantage of a mechanical's full potential try a Rocket Sidewinder (1 1/2" cut), Rocket Hammer head (2" cut), Jackhammer (1 1/2 or 1 3/4") or others. These heads give around 75% more cutting surface area which translates into quick kills. True you may not always get a passthrough but I would opt for more internal hemorrhaging any day. These are really my perferred heads for that reason and if you have enough kinetic energy - feel confident in using them. I will say I get passthrough's on 70% of the animals I shoot with these heads.

Two years ago I shot a doe at 30 yards with a Rocket Buckblaster, which is a 2 3/4" mechanical head. The hit was nearly perfect and the arrow zipped through her and stuck in 3" into the dirt behind her. You can probably imagine it was the best blood trail I've ever seen but it really wasn't necessary as she went down within sight in less than 30 yards
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I have also tested just about every mechanical on the market. I shoot speed and love the way they fly. However, the mechanical have shown strange results on quartering shots!!!! Best penetration, flight, and blood trail for penetration goes to the Rocket wolverine. However, the Rockets (wolverine, steelhead) dont seem to be real sharp and break easy but the penetration is equal to fixed blades. Best cut but not best penetration goes to the spitfire. If you shoot major speed/power, its a great choice. I still would rather shoot a fixed blade and really like the "Slick Trick" and will soon be shooting many of the new ones for 04. I shoot 308 F.P.S. with my hunting set up and its a lot of work to tune the fixed blades, exspecially in the wind. If you can get a fixed blade to fly good, you cant beat it... I also love the two blades but they dont leave good blood trails. Bottom line is always do your best to make a good shot, then it does not matter......
 
I've shot Spitfires since they came out. Don't know how long it's been, maybe 6-8 years. They require alot of attention to detail.
Having taken a bear and some lg bucks and the length of time I've shot them. I would say you should consider them.
Pass throughs? Well I was shooting 250fps/500gr now I shoot faster but lighter arrows. (not good for penetration) Last season was the first time with this set up. I thought I should have passed through on a big bodied buck hit double lung at 10 yards. Nope! But like Spitfires do... He died less then 50 yards away at the end of a great blood trail.
With this new setup I'm looking very hard at the trend toward very short ferrule, steep blade, fixed heads.

I like the looks of the new Sonic Heads.
www.americanbroadhead.com
They look like they would work very well and fly very well also.
I'd like to see a Sonic and a Slick Trick side by side. The Sonic seems to have captured the design theory in a better form than the Slick Trick. I never liked a head held together by screwing it against the arrow.
 
I have shot fixed blade broadheads for many years now. However, they just don't shoot well out of the bow that I am using now.

I am going to switch this season to a mechanical broadhead.

Like Teeroy said, I have been taking a hard look at the Grim Reaper mechanical.

Does anyone have any experience with them that they would share with me?
 
I'm with DOR, I got some Jackhammers last spring and haven't used em on deer yet but the hole they left in my birds was grizzly
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I have always shot muzzys and I'm still trying to get them to shoot good out of my bow but the mechanicals or at least the 100 grain Jackhammers flew perfect.
 
Not sure what model the Shockwaves are I shoot, they are 100 grn I bought at WalMart. Honstly I may have to do just a minute bit of fine tuning to get the point of impact perfect, but they do NOT plane or corkscrew like all the other fixed blade heads did out of my bow. The 4 blade MUZZY heads I was pretty happy with after some serious tuning, but its a no brainer in my book now. Mechanicals simply because I am not throwing hand grenades, you can not just be close, you have to hit them perfect the first time. I dont like to leave any margines for error when it come to this sport.

JMOA
 
I think that lack of penetration can be avoided by upping your kinetic energy. Last year I shot a set up that shot around 64lbs of kinetic energy. I shot through every deer that I shot with my bow and buried the arrow in the ground behind them. I shot the rocket steelhead 100 grain broadheads. They are excellent broadheads in my opinion. I have shot spitfires in the past, but had problems with blades breaking and ferrules bending when shooting deer. They are an aluminum ferrule, where the rockets are steel, and I believe they should be stronger. I think that alot of people are getting caught up on the arrow speed wagon, which means lighter arrows and most likely less penetration. I want penetration, when I shoot a deer, and the best chance for that is higher kinetic energy. So up KE and penetration should be less of a problem.
 
100grn Jak-hammers. I guess the reason I switched from replaceable blade heads (thunderhead) is because I helped track a deer that a guy had shot square in the paunch with a jak hammer...he backed out and of course thought he was in for a long tracking job... the deer died with in 100 yards of where it was shot. I am not saying a thunderhead wouldn't have killed the deer just as dead but with the increased cutting surface and diameter they just plain cut more tissue and that is why I switched... I can honestly tell you I have not trailed a deer over 60 yards and as short as 40...As far as lack of penetration is concerned...yes there is less penetration with the big heads but the damage they do on the way in has left exceptional trails for me...I am going to try hammer heads this year on some does but the jak hammers will be on the end of my stick during the rut...

I also want to try the tekan...completely against the reason I use mech. heads but man the look cool...
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The reviews on them say they open quicker than the snyper.

To be quite honest if #1 was penetration and #2 was cutting surface my choice would be 4 blade magnus stinger and the second would be a snuffer.

But if you got enough KE mechanical heads are a good as any...but it is personal choice and personal experience that makes this sport so great so go with your gut feeling then try em and see what you think...
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I like the 75 grain wolverine 3 blade(rocket aerohead) and have had no problems out of them what so ever. Have got pass through several times and recovered a buck that I shot right smack dab in the shoulder. I have had some that did not go all the way through but they were not far from it.
The fletching might be the only thing still in the deer on the exit side of the deer. I been looking at either the Rocket Ultimate Steel fixed blade or the Rocket Steelhead XP. Has anyone used either one of these heads and does the fixed steelhead fly just like a field point?
 
I'll vote for the Shockwave's as well. I took a real stupid shot last fall (my first deer encounter with a bow) that I wish I could have back. Head-on shot, the buck jumped when I released and turned just enough to take my 100 gr. Shockwave square on the thickest part of his shoulder blade. I never recovered the deer, I'm sorry to say. But, I did find what was left of my arrow. That mechanical head went through the shoulder a full 10".
The Shockwave's fly real well and that heavy point will go through bone.
 
AFTER MUCH INTERNAL DEBATE I DECIDED TO GIVE THE SIDEWINDER A TRY. IT WAS KIND OF A TOSS UP BETWEEN THAT AND THE SHOCKWAVE. THANKS TO ALL.
 
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