Broadheads

[cuttem]

I wanted to take a poll on what broadheads you guys use for elk. I have used G5 Montecs in the past but I am thinking about switching over to Rage. I am a little worried about using a mechanical broadhead because I have heard horror stories about them not opening, but I have seen video and pictures of how devastating they can be. I have also heard how well they fly compared to a field tip.

 

For those who use Rage, how satisfied are you with them? Pros and cons?

 

For those who don't use them, what do you use and what are some of the pros and cons?

 

Thanks in advance!

[creed]

125 grain Slick Trick! As good as they come. If I could post pics from my stone age cell phone to a computer I could show you some 60yd 5 arrow groups that measure 3 1/2". Using either Victory V1 or Maxima Red arrows fletched with AAE Max Hunters with a radical helical. Deer and pig get a 100 ST with the same arrows and vanes. They are as accurate as any broadhead I have shot and that includes several different mechanicals.

[120carp]

I dont like 2 blade broadheads no matter the size cut. So I shoot G5 T3 Broadheads and Wac'ems for fixed. Once you figure out the spider clip there so much better than rage and you get 1 more blade for cutting. Most will work just get one you like and start shooting.

[mpriest]

125 grain Slick Trick! As good as they come. If I could post pics from my stone age cell phone to a computer I could show you some 60yd 5 arrow groups that measure 3 1/2". Using either Victory V1 or Maxima Red arrows fletched with AAE Max Hunters with a radical helical. Deer and pig get a 100 ST with the same arrows and vanes. They are as accurate as any broadhead I have shot and that includes several different mechanicals.

+1 on slick tricks. I use 100 grain but either way they are bomb proof. I would be hesitant to use big expandable broad heads on elk. I feel with that large cutting diameter and the thickness of elk bones it is a disaster waiting to happen

[hunter72]

I use slick trick heads they work great.i would never shoot a rage at elk just to much big bone and tuff hide.

[madx250]

No rage. Go fixed blade. Shuttle t, wackwm, slick trick, montec....

[GreyGhost85]

I wish AZGFD would make expandable broadheads illegal for elk. stick with a standard, tough broadhead design. slick tricks are great. why shoot something that you cannot be 100% sure will do it's job on a tag that only comes around a few times in your lifetime? you have enough things working against you in the elk woods. you need to eliminate every potential problem that you CAN control. there are a million things that can go wrong that you do not have control over.

[AZHUNTER05]

You just opened up a can of worms! That being said, I have killed two bulls with rages at 34 and 51 yards. Both shots were pass throughs and died within eye sight. People that are anti mechanicals have either never used one, or blame a bad shot on a mechanical not deploying! I have never seen or had a mechanical broad head not deploy.

[creed]

You just opened up a can of worms! That being said, I have killed two bulls with rages at 34 and 51 yards. Both shots were pass throughs and died within eye sight. People that are anti mechanicals have either never used one, or blame a bad shot on a mechanical not deploying! I have never seen or had a mechanical broad head not deploy.

I am not anti-mechanical in the least. The deer in my avatar was killed with a mechanical. If I have a fixed blade broadhead that will shoot as accurately as any mech and take out the possibility of mechanical failure than that is what I am going to shoot. If mechs work for you then shoot them.

[JakeL]

I don't think mechanicals should be illegal, but I don't think they are a good choice for elk. Somewhere on youtube there is a video compilation of rage heads hitting animals, it's at least 3-4 minutes long and shows literally hundreds of animals being shot with rage heads. Rage posted it themselves, but after seeing it I would never use one on elk. So many of these shots are only penetrating around 6" on the deer they hit. Sure the deer are usually falling over dead within a short distance because of a huge 6" deep gash, but that isn't a very reliable way to kill elk since they are literally 5x the size of a deer.

 

So I'm not just ragging on rages, let me say that their new rage ss (40ke replacement) looks like a decent choice for elk, if you must shoot a mechanical due to tuning issues. and I'm seriously considering using the ulmer edge on my elk hunt this year... But probably I won't have trouble tuning either shuttle ts or viper tricks so i won't be forced to resort to a mechanical head.

 

If I can find the link to that video I'll post it up.

[JakeL]

 

13 minutes of kill shots, so yes obviously they work for deer most of the time. But look at few pass throughs there are.

[madx250]

Any broad head will work if you make a good shot . Unfortunately if you bow hunt long enough, the chances are you will eventually make a shot that isnt exactly in the 12 ring. That is when a good cut on contact fixed blade will out Penatrate and generally out perform a mechanical . Mechanicals are just 1 more variable to worry about ( did a blade deploy when you put it back in your quiver after that blown stalk?, what about when you accidentally bumped that branch when that big bull was running in? ) I just don't see any advantages to a mechanical . especially with today's fixed blade that fly so well.

[azelkhunter69]

I have used Rages in the past and didn't care for them because of the blade containment system. The blades kept popping out so I was constantly putting them back into the o-ring. They do shoot just like my field tips though. Last year I shot a massive bodied bull with the Ulmer Edge. He died within 60-70 yards. Far superior to the Rage in my opinion. Their blade containment system works perfectly and they also shoot just like my field tips. I also like how the blades swivel around bone.

[creed_az_88]

I agree that fixed heads outpenetrate mechanicals but bad hits also benefit from using mechanicals. A gut shot/liver shot elk is almost guaranteed to travel further and bleed less with a shot from a fixed head compared to a big hole from a rage or other similar head. A mechanical may not penetrate a shoulder, although some may be surprised by their capabilities, but at least if the mechanical fails to penetrate on a hit too far forward , the elk isn't going to die. A shot too far forward on an elk with a fixed head may actually be a bad thing considering that the bull may eventually die and not be recovered where a mechanical may not penetrate at all. Tracking a not so well hit bull sucks and I know from experience that it sucks even more when the small 1 1/4 inch hole plugs up with coagulated blood. Elk are big and tough animals but their ribs are not made from steel. They're shoulders are tough for a mechanical to penetrate but a well constructed mechanical shot from the proper set up will never have a problem penetrating an elk's ribcage. There are a ton of bulls lost each year from fixed heads yet nobody bashes fixed heads. Too many lost elk are blamed on the broad head when in reality the fault lies on the shooter and his set up or shot placement. And for those that think that mechanicals should be banned in az, then they should consider leaving they're compound bows and fall away rests at Home on their next elk hunt. Can't have moving parts on their once in a lifetime hunt. Too much risk. An arrow weight minimum would be a better idea than banning mechanicals. Mechanicals have their place in the elk hunting world. They just need to be used properly. By the way I shot my bull with a 100 grain slick trick magnum so I am not one of the can't tune my bow guys that are arguing with no real experience.

[bonecollector]

I wish AZGFD would make expandable broadheads illegal for elk. stick with a standard, tough broadhead design. slick tricks are great. why shoot something that you cannot be 100% sure will do it's job on a tag that only comes around a few times in your lifetime? you have enough things working against you in the elk woods. you need to eliminate every potential problem that you CAN control. there are a million things that can go wrong that you do not have control over.

How do you know 100% that your fixed blade is going to do the job?