Drew a OIL moose tag….arrow advice!

[golfbum]

Drew my OIL Utah shiras moose tag.

Shooting a 438 grain Easton arrow out of my rx7 at 285-288fps.

After a decent amount of testing, I’m finding the grim reaper mechanical heads to be much more forgiving then a my normal fixed head (Magnus snuffer ss)

Bow is bareshaft tuned and broadheads are flying perfect but I notice with wind and longer distances my groups open up significantly with the fixed heads. I’m going to try adding more fletching and trying the fixed again, but would I be crazy to shoot a moose with the grim reaper and an arrow weighting 440 grains? Anyone have experience with moose and mechanical heads?

I don’t want this thread to be a bashing thread on mechanical heads. I know for certain they are way more forgiving!!!

 

[Deleted member 8-15-23]

Imo, arrow weight is fine. I would shoot fb g5 montecs. You hit a rib, and mechanicals will turn 90 degrees. Happen 4x for me on whitetail with g5 deadmeats.

 

[Zac]

Only mech I would use if I absolutely had to go that route would be Evolution Outdoors. Although I would just use a very small COC fixed blade if you are worried about forgiveness and wind.

 

[EMAZ]

I’ve watched two elk drop with Rage Hypodermic 100gr broadheads…mine at 72 yards out of my RX4 shooting Goldtip Pierce Platinums~440gr; my Brother-in-laws that I called in to 34yds with Carbon Maxima Reds (somewhere in same arrow weight class). Not moose, but still effective on big elk. I might go up to 125gr on a moose. Ordered but haven’t yet tested Day 6 Evos for a hunt in Idaho in 125gr—supposed to be really accurate for a fixed blade.

 

[Wilderlife]

Just make sure you post pictures as this bloke on the other side of the world would love to see.

How far are we talking for the shots? Not that I'd have the slightest idea about shooting a moose, but 440gn seems fairly light? I shoot 490gns and still get 275fps and have been shooting out to 93-94 yards OK.

Not that it can be based on much besides a lot of reading and podcasts but if I were to head to North America to hunt a moose I'd be fairly happy with my current setup, or potentially go to a heavier broadhead to get my arrow in the 515-530gn range.

Also, when you say 'forgiving' for mechanicals, what are we talking here? Forgiving on meat or forgiving in flight?

 

[golfbum]

Just make sure you post pictures as this bloke on the other side of the world would love to see.

How far are we talking for the shots? Not that I'd have the slightest idea about shooting a moose, but 440gn seems fairly light? I shoot 490gns and still get 275fps and have been shooting out to 93-94 yards OK.

Not that it can be based on much besides a lot of reading and podcasts but if I were to head to North America to hunt a moose I'd be fairly happy with my current setup, or potentially go to a heavier broadhead to get my arrow in the 515-530gn range.

Also, when you say 'forgiving' for mechanicals, what are we talking here? Forgiving on meat or forgiving in flight?

Forgiving in flight.

I have shot a fixed head for many years, but after testing I now realize the benefits of a forgiving broadhead. I have a bareshaft hitting with fletched field tips out to 50 yards and have a hard time keeping fixed heads in a 12-15” target at 100yds. Fieldtips and grim reapers are in the yellow on my good groups.

From inside 50 yards the Magnus heads fly great, but I wouldn’t mind the most forgiving setup I can find

 

[Marbles]

I don’t want this thread to be a bashing thread on mechanical heads. I know for certain they are way more forgiving!!!

I read this as "tell me what I want to hear." Feel free not to read the rest of this if that is the case.



If the arrow does not get to vitals with a hit, it does not matter how perfect placement is. A moose has a large vitals area. A 100 yard shot is questionable while hunting, and you would still be punching the vitals with a 15 inch circle on a moose. Worrying about forgiving flight is the wrong thing to worry about.

You don't have to have shot a moose to know mechanicals can suffer from under penetration. A friend had only 7 inches of penetration on a perfect broadside shot on a small bear with a mechanical head. If the arrow had gone through and through it would have taken the heart and both lungs, as it was, it was just a single lung shot that lucky cut a pulmonary artery. Luck is a poor thing to count on hunting anything, even more so on a OIL hunt.

The his broadhead was still in usable condition after cutting 2 ribs. So, it did not fail. He was using 100 gr Swhakers for about a 400 gr total arrow. Not sure of his velocity, but bow is 70 pound draw weight and range was 38 yards. Ribs were smaller than my pinky finger.

 

[Trial153]

I been lucky enough to kill a few moose. Personally, If I was using that arrow set up I would use a COC fixed blade head.

If I absolutely had to use a mechanical it would be 1.5 SevR with about 500 plus grains behind it

 

[EMAZ]

Just make sure you post pictures as this bloke on the other side of the world would love to see.

How far are we talking for the shots? Not that I'd have the slightest idea about shooting a moose, but 440gn seems fairly light? I shoot 490gns and still get 275fps and have been shooting out to 93-94 yards OK.

Not that it can be based on much besides a lot of reading and podcasts but if I were to head to North America to hunt a moose I'd be fairly happy with my current setup, or potentially go to a heavier broadhead to get my arrow in the 515-530gn range.

Also, when you say 'forgiving' for mechanicals, what are we talking here? Forgiving on meat or forgiving in flight?

This was mine…I came up on him bedded on a hilltop with several cows. I ranged him at 78, and was trying to close distance, but wind shifted to my backside and was going to be pushing my scent to him after a few steps…ranged again at 72; dialed my sight and sent it. I regularly practice out to 100, and had been consistently stacking out at 75yds in camp that week (furthest lane I had). I was drawing 29” at 65lbs as my setup for that hunt. Would’ve much preferred the 34yd shot my brother-in-law had, or the 20yd opportunity I almost had a few days prior before getting busted by a cow while drawing back waiting on the bull to clear a pine thicket. I use a pretty stiff spine 300, micro diameter, 4 vane setup and I get solid penetration.

No need to go lighter/heavier on your setup if it’s shooting well, I might see how 125gr perform if I was going on a moose hunt with your arrow setup (definitely might have some pin adjustment at longer distances). Normally on big game, I’d prefer to be inside 60. In my scenario with him bedded broadside, wind shifting, I was confident I could place the shot. Knowing my bow/performance (I’ve killed several pigs in TX), and having distance practice helped in the moment.

 

[LongWayAround]

I shot a bull elk broadside at 35 yards several years ago. I was shooting a a rage broadhead 65lb draw 28", I don't remember the arrow weight. Two others with me agreed the shot placement was very good. That arrow penetrated about 5 inches and we did not recover the elk. No more expandables for me and large animals.

Prior to that I had shot one other raghorn with a rage and thought it worked well.

 

[EMAZ]

I still would prefer test/try out a nice fixed blade like a Day 6 Evo or an Iron Will for a OIL moose hunt for added confidence and would use those over a mechanical assuming I could tune them to fly well in advance of the hunt.

Here are some additional photos of what I still consider devastating performance with the Rage Hypodermic 100gr…

1 on a pig in TX through the neck at 33yds; the other on an antelope (much thinner bones than a moose though) at 78yds that jumped my arrow…ended up with a TX heart shot that blew through the femur and into the chest cavity slicing/breaking ribs all the way up to the neck. Same bow/arrow setup as my elk hunt.

 

[LuvsFixedBlades]

Drew my OIL Utah shiras moose tag.

Shooting a 438 grain Easton arrow out of my rx7 at 285-288fps.

After a decent amount of testing, I’m finding the grim reaper mechanical heads to be much more forgiving then a my normal fixed head (Magnus snuffer ss)

Bow is bareshaft tuned and broadheads are flying perfect but I notice with wind and longer distances my groups open up significantly with the fixed heads. I’m going to try adding more fletching and trying the fixed again, but would I be crazy to shoot a moose with the grim reaper and an arrow weighting 440 grains? Anyone have experience with moose and mechanical heads?

I don’t want this thread to be a bashing thread on mechanical heads. I know for certain they are way more forgiving!!!

You certainly have the speed to go to a heavier arrow, if you want to.

As a generalization, in my personal testing out of a hooter shooter, most fixed blade heads start to plane a bit past the 280fps mark. It doesn't matter if they spin test perfectly or not. You could add a fletch if you wanted to for more drag to stabilize it, but I'd just go to a heavier arrow, personally.

I built a moose rig (bow +arrows) for my buddy who drew a tag in Colorado last year and he put a 515gr, 4mm FMJ, tipped with a vented Iron Will clean through both scapulas of his bull. The shot was pretty close at 32yds.

If it was me, I'd bump up the weight and get your speed down to 270fps or so, and you will see a big improvement in the compliance of premium class fixed blades at distances up to 60-70yds. Your trajectories/pin gaps wont suffer much.

IF you want to stick with a mech, I would suggest a SEVR 1.5" Titanium head. Their blade angles are steeper than most mechs and the length of the blades more modest. I prefer two holes and a smaller cutting diameter vs. big hole and less penetration. Especially on big critters. If you can get a premium COC fixed blade to fly well, which isn't that hard to do, it will provide you with more forgiveness over a mech if you hit bone, no question. Mechs are only more forgiving if you land in the soft stuff.

IF you don't have experience with spec'ing out arrow builds and you would like some help, let me know. I'd be happy to put together a couple of options for an optimal spined moose build for your setup and send you a printout. Those tags are hard to come by.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I’ve killed a few moose with bows. I think you are asking for trouble. Might be fine but why add an unnecessary potential failure point to a OIL tag?

Moose aren’t that hard to get close to, I’d stick with the fixed and plan on getting closer vs worried about long distant shots.

 

[golfbum]

thanks everyone for the advice and thoughts.

Just to be clear, I would never shoot at a live animal (that is not hit) past 60 or so yards. I was just stating my findings on heads at 100 yards.

I know i am a little light on arrow weight but don’t really want to switch as I just sold all my heavier arrows (before I knew I had a moose tag). Plus both of my bows are shooting these really well.

I will try refletching a couple to a bigger vane and see what the difference is and go from there.

As for sevr mechanicals im not a huge fan for several reasons. The blade angle of a grim reaper 1 3/8” head is much more shallow than that of the sevr.

I have always used fixed blade heads (snuffers) as know the merit of a coc head.

Thanks again! Really appreciate the responses!!!

 

[LuvsFixedBlades]

thanks everyone for the advice and thoughts.

Just to be clear, I would never shoot at a live animal (that is not hit) past 60 or so yards. I was just stating my findings on heads at 100 yards.

I know i am a little light on arrow weight but don’t really want to switch as I just sold all my heavier arrows (before I knew I had a moose tag). Plus both of my bows are shooting these really well.

I will try refletching a couple to a bigger vane and see what the difference is and go from there.

As for sevr mechanicals im not a huge fan for several reasons. The blade angle of a grim reaper 1 3/8” head is much more shallow than that of the sevr.

I have always used fixed blade heads (snuffers) as know the merit of a coc head.

Thanks again! Really appreciate the responses!!!

Good luck!!

 

[DiabeticKripple]

Lots of guys kill moose here. They are OTC for archery in many units.

Your current setup is fine, but I’d run a fixed head.

It’s pretty easy to get close to moose, they don’t spook like elk and deer do. Especiallly during the rut, you can pretty much walk up to them with your bow above your head.

 

[Eastonsgrandpa]

I’m currently testing GR heads. I have several of them and every single one flies perfectly. I would recommend the hybrid. Flies right with the FS, Carnifour, and 1 3/8. This would give you best of both worlds. Big mechanical cut and a two blade fixed.

 

[summs]

I have zero experience with larger game that white tails, but I think 440g is a little light. I would shoot 125 grain heads and that bumps you to 460, and then a 50g insert puts you at 500g. No ranch fairy, 900g parabolic shot. But a good heavy arrow with a COC fixed head has served me very well. I have never had an arrow stick out of a deer yet.

I used singer buzzcuts last year, will probably use again, or bite the bullet and hop on the iron will bandwagon to see what it's about. The buzzcuts did have the tips fold over on a pass through into the dirt. I shoot 4 blade helical, thinking of going to 3 blade helical, or just angled 4 blade. It's ok, but I think Im the error in shooting and not the bow.

 

[5MilesBack]

Three years ago I drew my CO moose tag. I was shooting a 520gr arrow at 285fps and everyone said to not use my mechanical heads. So when I worked my way in on my bull I pulled an arrow tipped with a 125gr Exodus head. 53 yards slight quartering away and released. Good hit and the bull ran and then dropped down in the buck brush but was still moving.

Two buddies came running in and while we were high-fiving the bull stood back up and I grabbed an arrow with my 125gr GR Fatal Steel because I REALLY wanted to see what it would do. 38 yards and the arrow buried up to the fletching on my 30" arrows through the ribs. The bull didn't take a step, he just fell over. The GR busted a rib going in and buried into a rib on the offside and stopped. The Exodus broke a rib going in and coming out but didn't fully exit until he fell. I found the arrow underneath him when we flipped him over to break down the second side.

At my specs I'd probably still use the GR if I had another tag, but for yours......I don't know.

 

[Beendare]

I’ve shot bull moose and drew a cow tag in CO a couple years ago.

Its worth noting, Moose are not armor plated but they have a heavy hide with wirey hair about 8” long.

You will see a HUGE difference in penetration between a head that has to chop through that hair and hide….vs one that slips in with little pressure on the blade bevel.

The over the top mech heads ….and the short/wide chisel point heads chop their way in With Less penetration, more blade dulling.

After seeing hundreds of critters die to an arrow, I’m sold on tuning for perfect BH flight and using efficient coc heads.

A tapered design 2 or 3 blade COC head slips in with almost no effort…AND none of that dulling.

The short chisel head in an 80# compound I used on a bull in BC got poor penetration…enough to kill him but poor.

The 2 blade I shot the cow with blew through her like nothing at 30y. Actually, she just stood there after the shot so I put another one through her. She twirled around looking, then took about 8 steps and rolled into a creek.
46# recurve, 553g arrow, tuned to perfection for perfect arrow flight.