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expandable broadhead question....

3K views 20 replies 12 participants last post by  timster 
#1 ·
I recently bought my first crossbow. I picked up a used Tenpoint Titan which appears to be in excellent condition for $250. I've also decided to use expandable broadheads for the first time ever. I know they are SUPPOSED to fly like field points, but do they? Not looking for a debate on brands; I decided to buy some Rage 100grn crossbow heads which come with a practice tip. Will I need to shoot the broadheads too, and should I use a field point target or a broadhead target?
 
#2 ·
I would sight in with the practice head but before you hunt with them I'd shoot the actual broad heads. I'd use a broad head target but I believe you'll probably ruin the blades on the broad head since most are fairly thin. Mechanical heads look good but I had trouble with them opening up en route to the target so I went back to fixed heads. Good luck and keep your fingers below the string.
 
#4 ·
Some will fly like field points and some will not. I great flying head out of one bow may not fly so well out of another. I have found that the practice heads are usually pretty close to the hunting heads but I always take a few shots with the hunting heads to be sure.
 
#5 ·
My dad uses the Rage 2 blades out of his Parker Tornado and the practice tip flies just like a field point. He has not shot the broadhead into a target since I sheared a blade off of 1 of mine shooting into a Block with my Mathews. I think you will be fine using the practice tips.
 
#6 ·
i use the NAP spitfire 3 blade out of my parker crossbow.

they fly like field points, have always opened with out fail and are accurate.

just my opinion. i also shoot the practice head exclusively for practice. i found out in the beginning that the broadhead will fly the same.
 
#7 ·
First and foremost a little bit about my equipment. I am using an Excalibur Matrix 380. I use both Slick Trick Magnum 125's and mainly Rage Extreme 125 crossbow heads with the shock collars.
Here is my thoughts on things with your crossbow:
#1-Make sure everything is tuned to manufacturer specs. prior to beginning your shooting.
#2-I always figure that since I do not hunt with target tips I do not practice with them.
#3-I make sure my arrows are in great shape and screw a Rage practice head on and shoot and have adjusted my scope accordingly to get things drilling the bulls eye at 20-50 yards bench shooting.
#4-I have purchased multiple packs of heads to have plenty since I love these. Plus you get a practice head in each pack.
#5-Once I am satisfied with flight and accuracy I sacrifice two broad heads. I shoot these into a broad head target to make VERY sure they are flying and hitting exactly where and how I want them to.
I also WILL NOT debate broad head choices. What I can and will do is to share with you what I use and my results.
Since Rage has went to the shock collars and as long as the user correctly uses them aligning the shock collars I have had absolutely great results using them. I have taken several deer using them and none make it far. Blood trails that a man that is darn near legally blind could follow. Absolutely huge entry and exit wounds. I can say without ANY bull crap that while using these heads I have literally dropped at least two different deer in their tracks using them. For me I plan on continuing to use these heads as I have had NO failures such as opening in flight, No failures such as not opening. I have had nothing but great luck with them and highly recommend them to others seeking a mechanical head. I love my Slick Tricks but I also love the Rage Extreme 125 crossbow with shock collar heads for deer. Absolutely devastating head on whitetails.
 
#8 ·
I can't say how a rage practice blade flies but I can attest that a muzzy with practice blades can certainly fly differently than one with regular blades when shot from an untuned compound.I'm not a crossbow expert but I did buy one for my son and his slicktricks shot exactly the same as his field points.I make him take a shot or two with his broadheads every time he practices just like I do with my compound.I definitely wouldn't assume any BH will fly the same as a field point so you should always regularly shoot one.All it takes is a little bit of string stretch to through the tuning off and I assume that's the same with a crossbow.
 
#9 ·
OK--just to satisfy things--last night I put a new string on my Matrix and wanted to play so I screwed two Rage practice heads on and two real Rage crossbow 125 extremes on--shot at 20, 30 and 40 yards. They are impacting pretty much exactly the same. Hope this helps. Man--they will wreck a decent broadhead target pretty quick--Ha Ha. I've been using a Rinehart made for this but--I did a good bit of shooting already into it. Broadheads will eat up a target at a fast pace.
 
#11 ·
TDD:
I agree with you. In looking at the newer Rage heads I have I noticed that the little groove or area that is made into the blade to retain it is slightly deeper and the introduction of their shock collars in my mind was and is a really great improvement to their broadheads. I can honestly say that at least the 125gn Extreme crossbow heads have really done well for me. As long as the user has a bow with plenty of KE and installs and aligns the shock collars properly and gets the arrow to the intended vital area on game--you will have a VERY short tracking job. For years I stayed far-far away from mechanical heads. When Rage made the improvements to them with the shock collars I said--ok now I will try them. I have ALWAYS been a Slick Trick guy but have to say that these newer Rage heads impress me allot with flight and performance on game. Not one of the deer I have taken made it over 20 yards from where they where hit. I am VERY VERY picky about my shots and angles and plan on using these heads for the foreseeable future. I have nothing but great results all the way around with them.
 
#12 ·
I haven't taken one yet with the Hypodermic, but I love that head.

I hit a doe a couple years ago that I lost. Was NOT the head's fault, I made a completely horrible hit...total collapse of form on my shot, and that's the first one I lost in a long time.

To the Rage's credit, a flank hit left 100 yards of pretty good blood trail. The doe was quartering away, I shanked the shot hard to the back of the deer on release, and it hit the front of the hindquarter. It went in probably 16-17", and likely hit the femur. She ran ok, though.

Regardless, there was serious blood for close to 100 yards and then it stopped. The blades reversed as designed and the arrow was out within 20 yards of the hit.

Again, totally my fault for a poor shot, and not a pleasant memory, but for all the crappiness of the situation, the head seemed to perform extremely well.

I was a dedicated Muzzy 3-blade 100gr head user till I went to the Hypodermic. I will stand by my belief that the Muzzy head will go through darn near anything and come out the other side, but I was not thrilled with the blood trails. I killed a lot of deer with them, but the last two bucks I killed were really good, solid double-lung hits and had really sparse blood trails. I saw both fall, so no issues finding them, but still....

I briefly used the Rage 3 blade, but I HATE that blade tip. I can't get myself over that.

When they came out with the Hypodermic with that machined ferrule, I was on board.
 
#13 ·
Any sharp BH that stays together and penetrates will kill deer with boring consistency and they will die within seconds if you hit the vitals.No BH will make up for poor shot placement.I've been on well over 300 blood trails and I've seen deer hit with every type of BH pout there.I've never seen a more easily recovered because of a wider cut.I used to help recover dozens every year on a controlled hunt and had the opportunity to see loads of gut shot and shoulder shot deer.We recovered 100% of the gut shot deer if the hunter backed out immediately.The vast majority were found within 50-60 yards of where the hunter last saw the deer and 50% were still alive to some degree and yes,many of them were hit with rage heads.The ones where hunters pushed them too soon were never found in usable condition.Looking back at all the shoulder hit,not a single one was ever recovered and the vast majority of them were still seen weeks later limping around.The bottom line is,a Bh has to be razor sharp,penetrate and stay together.Anything less than that is a gimmick and I've tried many of the gimmicks.Yes you can kill deer with them but they offer no advanatge and several disadvantages.Why anyone would use a BH that falls apart in a foam target defies all logic in my opinion.I've used a small slick trick to kill the last 60+ deer and have killed another half dozen with a huge grizztrick.The results are always the same with a double lung,they run 30-60 yards,stop,wobble and fall over.I've made a few poor shots during that time and hit the hindquarters on quartering away shots.Those deer all laid down and died within sight.To date the only deer that's made it out of sight after being hit with a small fixed head was a gut shot 9 point about 7 years ago.I let him go until morning and found him stiff as a board.

Use what you want but all you get out of a big mechanical is a big price tag that's used to pay for all their irresponsible marketing.
 
#15 ·
So true
I hate the $40 price tag for 3 of most mechs. Tricks jumped big time when nap took them over. Still have 6 of them. Been testing some ramcats a coworker gave me and just bought 6 for $13 a 3 pack on clearance at cabelas

dce said:
Use what you want but all you get out of a big mechanical is a big price tag that's used to pay for all their irresponsible marketing.
 
#16 ·
I started using ST's in 2003 when you had to buy them off the guy who made them.They were $21/3 and that included shipping.I bought 12 in case they ever stopped making them and have been using the same heads since then.I think I'm down to 9 after having a few passthrough and not being able to find them.I'm not stuck on them and could pick any one of several other brands that I'd have complete confidence in.I'm not saying ST's are the best either.I've never had an issue with them and they do everything I want so I just see no need to switch.I did just buy some 85gr steelforce heads for my 11 year old to use and I suspect if he hits a deer where he supposed to,he'll see it drop as well.
 
#17 ·
I'm no expert, but IMO you can't do much to tune a crossbow to your broadheads. If your broadheads don't fly like your practice heads you either find one that does or practice with broadheads. I haven't experimented with too many broadheads but I can say that rage crossbow 125gr heads hit where my practice points hit. That is IMO the advantage of using mechanicals in crossbows.
 
#18 ·
See,that's not an advantage.If the BH isn't flying strait,you compound those problems when you use a mechanical.Penetration and deflection are increased if the arrow is wobbling and that's especially true with a mechanical head.I'm not an expert on crossbows either.I screwed one BH on my son's crossbow and it shot exactly where the fp's hit.Everytime he shoots it,I make him take a couple shots with a bh to ensure that nothing has changed.
 
#19 ·
Prior to switching to a crossbow I shot 4 blade 100gr muzzy broadheads with my compound without issues, I couldn't get them to fly like the practice points with my crossbow, but my old mag 100s shot just fine. So long story short l switched to Rage.
As I said IMO it's a advantage...because they fly like my practice points.

BTW there is no porpusing or fishtailing when the bolt is in flight just a different impact point. I know how to tune a compound, (at least enough that I didnt have to run to the bow shop for help) but there isn't much to adjust with a crossbow.
 
#20 ·
I fully understand DCE's statements.
I also have been around the block--40 years worth of bowhunting.
I honestly believe broadheads along with any other equipment are a very personal choice.
The biggest thing is that with todays top end crossbows the energy is there for using expandables where as I have found MANY who unwisely are using very light arrows and expandables without the KE to really get the job done. He is ABSOLUTELY 100% correct--ANY--I reeat ANY well made broadhead that is shot accurately reaching the correct vital area-stays together and passes through will get the job done. The shooter has to do their job--use equipment that is properly tuned--be able to accurately shoot that equipment and be responsible enough to know when and when not to take the shot.
I absolutely 100% believe that wwaayy too much emphasis is placed on hype when it comes to marketing some of the equipment in the hunting industry. I have taken piles of deer using literally all kinds of broadheads--guess what--ANY of them being double lunged fell within sight. More than ANY broadhead or other piece of gear--the shooter MUST be able to do the job by getting the arrow assembly to and through the vitals. If and when that is done--you have a dead game animal.
Although I have been using the Rage heads as the flight characteristics are great out of my Matrix--I CANNOT and WILL not claim that the Rage head kills deer any quicker than my Slick Trick Magnum 125 grain heads. I am impressed with the huge cutting path and holes clear through but--in the end--dead is dead. With all of the crazy claims and marketing hype around broadheads---well folks you simply cannot re-invent dead. Choose a broadhead of your liking and go with it.
 
#21 ·
Any body have any experience with the NAP slingblade, it's supposed to be a copy of the RM Gator, but I haven't shot either one , I am a little leery about the blades not locking open, can anybody explain how the blades stay open while passing through a deer?, and any personal experiences and or opinions?
 
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