Arrow Penetration....

[roosiebull]

Mechanicals hit behind the pin more often than fixed heads. Not hitting behind the pin is the fastest way to lose critters. If you’ve got the energy, and you can tune your bow, I just fail to see the upsides to a fixed blade.


Edit: most people, even professionals, can’t perfectly hold it together in hunting situations. That translates to fixed heads not hitting behind the pin where a mechanical would have.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There is certainly truth to that

Both have their place, and certain setups or scenarios call for one over the other

This whole topic reminds me a lot of hunting with match bullets vs “hunting” bullets, or maybe that topic has changed my perspective a little on broadhead choices, and how many misconceptions are attached to each

I have become a little mechanicalcurious #allbroadheadsmatter

 

[kcm2]

For all we know, the broadhead in the original picture may have come from an arrow that deflected after hitting a branch, and entered off-kilter. I don't place much stock in something like this.

 

[Bump79]

My fixed heads and mechanical heads fly the same. If people are choosing a head based off how it flies they are missing alot of details.

Yes and no. I do pick a head based on how they fly - they aren't all created equal that's for sure. I don't get a lot of shots on game but I love to test out different broadheads. Probably 50+ at this point with a lot of shots each. I buy and sell them just for giggles.

What I've learned is that if you're tuned and they spin well pretty much anything will group fine at 40. Step out past that and things start getting weird with some heads. It's extremely predictable though.

• More surface area = worse flight on average
• Larger blade size & more blades = worse flight on average.

​

My mechanicals and solid fixed group together most of the time BUT the when I don't do my job perfectly the mechanical is significantly more forgiving. In the tune of inches at 50.

I'm pretty much saying what you're saying. Just that some heads seem to hit behind the pin much more on average. The heads that make it into my quiver are the ones where they seem to go where I want even when my form fell apart or I pulled it, etc. The reality is that my worst shot in the yard would likely be my best shot in the field and I treat it as such.

 

[fatlander]

Yes and no. I do pick a head based on how they fly - they aren't all created equal that's for sure. I don't get a lot of shots on game but I love to test out different broadheads. Probably 50+ at this point with a lot of shots each. I buy and sell them just for giggles.

What I've learned is that if you're tuned and they spin well pretty much anything will group fine at 40. Step out past that and things start getting weird with some heads. It's extremely predictable though.

• More surface area = worse flight on average
• Larger blade size & more blades = worse flight on average.

​

My mechanicals and solid fixed group together most of the time BUT the when I don't do my job perfectly the mechanical is significantly more forgiving. In the tune of inches at 50.

I'm pretty much saying what you're saying. Just that some heads seem to hit behind the pin much more on average. The heads that make it into my quiver are the ones where they seem to go where I want even when my form fell apart or I pulled it, etc. The reality is that my worst shot in the yard would likely be my best shot in the field and I treat it as such.

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. This is the right answer, and it’s the answer that most people would come to if they were honest with themselves. Stacking broadheads in shorts and a t shirt on flat ground with a heart rate below 80 isn’t how you’re going to perform in the field.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bump79]

What you're describing is just poor form. Yes, it's hard to replicate perfect form in the field, and yes, a fixed head will be less forgiving, but I don't see the point in choosing a broadhead based on inevitable form breakdown. Again, my fixed heads hit just fine out to the distances I hunt.

I respect your opinion but I completely disagree with this. It really depends on your hunting conditions. I hunt elk, mule deer or antelope annually but anymore I'm mostly limited to whitetail out of a tree.

In nearly any of my hunting conditions it's almost guaranteed my form will be vastly different that standing in my yard tuning. Especially in steep country or out of a tree. A weak side out out of a tree is a mother trucker and after practicing extensively I'm at least 1" more accurate at 30 yards with a compact or vented fixed or a mechanical.

If I've got say an 8" vitals on a whitetail = 1/8 = 12.5% more likely to hit what I intended. I'll take that increased odds all day every day.

Or even just try drawing your bow and holding it for as long as possible then seeing which broadhead groups the best. These increasingly more common solid designs with a lot of surface area just don't group as well in actual conditions. Do they group well enough at short ranges? Absolutely. Get to 30 yd plus and things get more interesting.

 

[5MilesBack]

It's a beautiful thing when a critter just stands after being hit....looking around like, "What just happened"...then they fall over

No mech head guy can tell you what that feeling is like because they run like their tail is on fire.....

I've never shot an animal with a BH with a tiny cutting diameter (1" or less) so have no experience with that. But every animal I've shot with a fixed head has run immediately. However, I've had three animals just stand there after getting shot with a 3-blade over the top mechanical 1.5" cut, and two others that ran (one 80 yards and the other 37 yards) and piled up.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Likewise, the only animal that didn't run after I shot it with a fixed head was the buck I spined.

 

[fatlander]

Lord willing, I’ll likely shoot about a dozen whitetails over the next couple months with big mechs. I’ll report back to this thread on penetration, blood trailing, distance from shot to death.

Based off past experiences I’m going to say average recovery distance will be 60 yards, red carpet blood trails, and pass throughs, with arrows buried in the dirt, on everything except quartered away shots that bury in the offside shoulder knuckle.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[S.Clancy]

I have both fixed and mechanical heads in my quiver. The only time I am pulling a fixed head is if I am in close, brush, and the high likelihood of a quartering to or frontal shot. Everything else I am pulling out the SEVR.

 

[Wilderlife]

I respect your opinion but I completely disagree with this. It really depends on your hunting conditions. I hunt elk, mule deer or antelope annually but anymore I'm mostly limited to whitetail out of a tree.

In nearly any of my hunting conditions it's almost guaranteed my form will be vastly different that standing in my yard tuning. Especially in steep country or out of a tree. A weak side out out of a tree is a mother trucker and after practicing extensively I'm at least 1" more accurate at 30 yards with a compact or vented fixed or a mechanical.

If I've got say an 8" vitals on a whitetail = 1/8 = 12.5% more likely to hit what I intended. I'll take that increased odds all day every day.

Or even just try drawing your bow and holding it for as long as possible then seeing which broadhead groups the best. These increasingly more common solid designs with a lot of surface area just don't group as well in actual conditions. Do they group well enough at short ranges? Absolutely. Get to 30 yd plus and things get more interesting.

Absolutely, mate. I agree with what you're describing. the mech heads are more accurate because it's easier for you to shoot consistently and accurately given the conditions you're in. It still comes down to form but if you know form is going to change based on the situations, make the best decisions you can for your own situation.

I hunt as much as I want/can as we have unlimited seasons and bag limits, so we are out and about mucking around with gear all the time. We choose our gear based on a few different factors.

I'm in the process of putting together a video about the broadheads we use so I'll post it in a few places. The emphasis isn't necessarily on them being the best broadheads ever, because they have some drawbacks, but for what we do and the critters we chase they are very hard to beat.

Getting good mech heads in Australia is only a new thing. I had some Sevrs that I bought through a bloke who got some in the USA. Before that it was mostly Rage and other cheaper stuff available here. Now some shops are stocking Sevrs and that's pretty cool. When I build a new arrow setup I'll likely go back to 125gn broadheads so I can have more options as right now I'm using 150gn and none of the Sevrs available here are 150gn.

But that's all just me wanting to muck around and possibly have one or two in the quiver for some longer follow up shots if necessary.

 

[Bump79]

Absolutely, mate. I agree with what you're describing. the mech heads are more accurate because it's easier for you to shoot consistently and accurately given the conditions you're in. It still comes down to form but if you know form is going to change based on the situations, make the best decisions you can for your own situation.

I hunt as much as I want/can as we have unlimited seasons and bag limits, so we are out and about mucking around with gear all the time. We choose our gear based on a few different factors.

I'm in the process of putting together a video about the broadheads we use so I'll post it in a few places. The emphasis isn't necessarily on them being the best broadheads ever, because they have some drawbacks, but for what we do and the critters we chase they are very hard to beat.

Getting good mech heads in Australia is only a new thing. I had some Sevrs that I bought through a bloke who got some in the USA. Before that it was mostly Rage and other cheaper stuff available here. Now some shops are stocking Sevrs and that's pretty cool. When I build a new arrow setup I'll likely go back to 125gn broadheads so I can have more options as right now I'm using 150gn and none of the Sevrs available here are 150gn.

But that's all just me wanting to muck around and possibly have one or two in the quiver for some longer follow up shots if necessary.

You guys have got some great fixed heads down there. I deal Terra Firma here in the states. Kayuga is great too. OzCut started out alright, great designs meh quality.

Don't get me wrong, I like fixed heads. I just like fixed heads that fly extremely well. The trend of shooting really long unvented heads out of compounds is what concerns me.