Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

Spitfires

NWBuck

NWBuck

PMA Member
Hate to make anyone paranoid, but wanted to share an experience I've had testing some broadheads in the back yard. Shooting a 100 grain spitfire out of 68 lbs. with a 31" XX78 2317 I have had several occasions when one or more of the blades did not open. At first I thought it only happened after I'd shot one several times and it was a bit out of shape, but the last time it was a brand new head and 2 of the 3 blades were locked in on the back side. I was shooting a 2" dense foam target, so there should have been plenty of resistance to make them open. Certainly more than the body of an animal. I've had similar experiences with a jackhammer. I've been shooting mechanicals for several years now, but all of this has me questioning them all over again. Thoughts or ideas??

NWBuck
 
NWBuck,
My guess is that after that broadhead passed through the foam it slammed shut from the arrow stopping, I have had this happen on deer before and when I examined the hole. The blades did in fact open but closed after the arrow backed out. That has been my experience... Don't know if that is what happend in your case or not.
shrug[1].gif
 
Last year I did lots of testing with many mechanical broadheads. The Spitfire's were not consistently accurate. I then noticed the paper in front of the target had a star cut on some shots. It was opening up periodically in flight. I would be careful with high energy bows.
 
I've notice the spitfires close after going through a foam target but like Limb said "after examining the hole it was clear the broadhead had opened". Also with my setup 28.5 draw, 64lbs they are shooting exactly like field tips.
 
I don't know...I looked at my target and can't tell for sure if it opened or not. Sure seemed locked in on the back side. I'd also agree with Arrowsmith that they were not consistently accurate...especially when I shot them with a little bit of a crosswind. I can get fixed blade heads to fly as well. I bought two 3-packs and used one for testing but the other is going back.
 
i'm notta big believer in the mechanicals anymore. having blades close as arrows backed out on all my turkeys this spring didn't make me happy and i'm sticking with my muzzy's once and for all. spitfires are supposed to be very "sensitive" meaning that they open with the least amount of resistance. a broadhead test i once read aid that they used an orange as the test subject. spitfires opened completely up practically instantly, even on an orange. that's great but it also means they close just as easily. i dunno, in this boys opinion you just can't beat a good fixed head...especially if you shoot something and the arrow stays in the animal. if the blades close back down you're not doing anymore damage as the arrow moves inside the animal. oh well, just my 2 cents worth.
 
Just a thought,
I shoot a havoctec 72#, 31 drawlength and beman carbons. Last year I shot my best buck at 25 yds with a well placed shot. The problem was, my arrow had 3" of penetration. The blood trail was a little faint, and soon vanished. I found my arrow, broken with only 3" removed. A week later, my neighbor claimed the deer, on his land.

That was the first time I've ever shot mech's and that was the last time as well.

I know guys kill deer all the time with mech's but I think of it like this.

When you shoot a deer with a fixed blade, that blade continues to cut until the animal expires. With a mech, the blades flop around inside the animal, opening upon impact but also closing once inside.

It's hard to say how good they really work. Besides, when my is tuned, I can shoot fixed blades just as accurate.

BT
 
Big Timber...not passing any judgement here or anything. And before I comment, I will let you know that I have never ever shot a mechanical head.

The 3 inches and broken off arrow sounds very familar to me and sounds like a shoulder bone shot. Not the thin shoulder blade but the real thick shoulder bone where it connects the the upper leg bone. I got 6 inches and a broken off arrow on a shot like this and was lucky enough to have my neighbor tell me he had found the deer. I put the word out in the neighborhood and he knew it was mine. It is now on the wall of the great room.

Do you think you were also a bit far forward with your shot?
confused.gif
 
We always go back and forth on mechanicals or fixed blades. There are good and bad stories from both, but it all comes down to a few things. You must have a well tuned bow, a good shot oppurtunity and most importantly a well placed shot. If any one of these is lacking it does not matter what broadhead you are shooting chances of it failing go up drastically.
 
I used spitfire 100 with my mathews sq2. 2 yrs age I spined a deer. One of the blades broke but the spine looked like it was hit with a slug. Makes a big hole. This year I'm going back to the good old fashion 3 blade muzzy because I dont think mechanicals are as accurate. Ones probably as good as the other.
 
I won't get in on the Mechanical vs. fixed heads because I love the mechanicals and have killed many deer and other animals with them. If you want to know if the head is opening tape a 8.5 x 11 piece of paper on the back side of the target. I'll guarantee they are opening and this will ease your mind as you'll be able to see the cuts. As far as penetration goes, a "little" less maybe but I've yet to have one live after being hit by one! I think that there are better impact tips out there than what Spitfire offers but they still work well.
grin.gif


Bowman
 
Just took my first animal with a mechanical. Labor day produced a nice MN Bear, shot it at 20 yards with a 1 3/4 " jak-hammer expandable. The bear went twenty yards and piled....very impressive.
rockband.gif
rockband.gif
A complete passthru!!
 
Congrats DOR! Just got home from my 3rd MN bear hunt and we had very tough hunting. The first two trips we were 100% each time, but this time just 1 of 4. Probably good to make a guy realize it isn't always so easy. Very hot conditions made for very slow action at the bait during daylight hours. Still had a great time, but the most I saw was a timber wolf that came in to the bait one evening. Congrats again!

NWBuck
 
That is funny NW, this was my 1st bear and was my 3rd try. I must be in the bazarro world. We shot three bears on day 1 and it got very windy for the next two days and no additional bears were seen. I will try to get some pictures up soon. chris
yay.gif
laugh.gif
 
7 deer, 2 bear, 0 unrecovered,
Shot through 2 shoulders and spined one all three died in sight.
I just like being able to shoot a field point, a Spitfire with practice blades and one with sharp blades into a small group @ 30 yards. No fiddle faddle.
waytogo.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom