Everyone's 2024 Broadhead Results?

[Dylan Sluis]

One of the things I really like to hear about every year is everybody's experience with broadheads they used this hunting season. I think it's great to hear about good/bad experiences with different heads so we can all gain information if people are looking for different broadheads for 2025. Let us know what heads you used, what animals you shot with them, and how you liked them or didn't. The more information the better.

I would so love to get us started off here but unfortunately my target buck evaded me for around 40-45 sits this year, so somebody else is gonna have to get this thing started

 

[BChunt]

I used a G5 deadmeat on a big bodied whitetail buck. I hit high lungs and the buck died quickly (within 70 yards). I surprisingly did not get a passthrough though. I shoot 75 lbs and a 460 grain arrow at 295 fps.

 

[Jotis]

Have shot several deer the last few years with grim reaper whitetail specials 2” cut. 28.5 “ draw 70# 426 grain arrow. All complete pass throughs. Longest tracking job was75 yards. Good blood trail on all.

 

[deadend88]

Grim Reaper Pro 125 full pass thru on my bull. 445 grain arrow axis long range 300 shooting 281.

Love seeing what was successful for others.

 

[Taudisio]

QAD exodus full, 100gr. 1st shot was too far back. Took up the trail immediately following blood. Liver/diaphragm shot. Found her bedded 150 yards away. Shot two behind the shoulder, she laid there and let me nock another and I sent the last through the shoulder. All passed completely through and the arrows were in the dirt. 10/10 performance for my shot placements. Had 10/10 performance in 23 with one arrow on a muley. Pass through on a quartering shot. Only the second fixed blade I have tried, and I have 0 reasons or plans to switch again or go back to mechanicals. Two smaller holes beats 1 larger hole for blood trails IME, and I haven’t found an animal to stop the exodus with my DL/DW.

The exodus’s also did far better on turkeys than I expected, but I still like expandables more for the extra wiggle room on the little kill zone.

 

[Jaden Bales]

I only have a whitetail doe to show for my archery efforts this year with a Grim Reaper. Heart shot her at 46, which is great - she died in sight. But! And maybe this is picking fly crap out of chili, but one of the blades never opened and that was kind of concerning thinking about shooting an elk or bear with it. I stick to DaySix broadheads for those bigger animals.

I shoot a slow bow (258 fps) thanks to my mother's short draw genes with a 466 grain Easton axis arrow, 75 gr hiit insert, and 125 broadheads.

My two cents. Always looking for fellow 26" or less draw length folks to compare notes to.

 

[Dylan Sluis]

I used a G5 deadmeat on a big bodied whitetail buck. I hit high lungs and the buck died quickly (within 70 yards). I surprisingly did not get a passthrough though. I shoot 75 lbs and a 460 grain arrow at 295 fps.

That’s what I had on the end of my arrow for deer this year. Never got to shoot anything obviously. That’s weird no pass through. Did you look to see what you hit, ribs?

 

[Dylan Sluis]

View attachment 837450QAD exodus full, 100gr. 1st shot was too far back. Took up the trail immediately following blood. Liver/diaphragm shot. Found her bedded 150 yards away. Shot two behind the shoulder, she laid there and let me nock another and I sent the last through the shoulder. All passed completely through and the arrows were in the dirt. 10/10 performance for my shot placements. Had 10/10 performance in 23 with one arrow on a muley. Pass through on a quartering shot. Only the second fixed blade I have tried, and I have 0 reasons or plans to switch again or go back to mechanicals. Two smaller holes beats 1 larger hole for blood trails IME, and I haven’t found an animal to stop the exodus with my DL/DW.

The exodus’s also did far better on turkeys than I expected, but I still like expandables more for the extra wiggle room on the little kill zone. View attachment 837470

I shot a buck with the exodus a few years back. Worked great. IMO the best 3 blade fixed head for just about anything.

 

[BChunt]

View attachment 837450QAD exodus full, 100gr. 1st shot was too far back. Took up the trail immediately following blood. Liver/diaphragm shot. Found her bedded 150 yards away. Shot two behind the shoulder, she laid there and let me nock another and I sent the last through the shoulder. All passed completely through and the arrows were in the dirt. 10/10 performance for my shot placements. Had 10/10 performance in 23 with one arrow on a muley. Pass through on a quartering shot. Only the second fixed blade I have tried, and I have 0 reasons or plans to switch again or go back to mechanicals. Two smaller holes beats 1 larger hole for blood trails IME, and I haven’t found an animal to stop the exodus with my DL/DW.

The exodus’s also did far better on turkeys than I expected, but I still like expandables more for the extra wiggle room on the little kill zone. View attachment 837470

Exodus is my go to. I tried the g5 Dead Meat for the first time this year and I am not super happy with results. Thinking of switching back to qad.

 

[BChunt]

That’s what I had on the end of my arrow for deer this year. Never got to shoot anything obviously. That’s weird no pass through. Did you look to see what you hit, ribs?

Yes, it broke through rib on entrance and lodged into the offside rib. It was only a 12 yard shot out of the tree stand. I hit upper lungs and it was a steep shot angle. I'm not happy about not getting a pass through but I can't complain too much because the blood trail was very good. Another thing I didn't like about the deadmeat was they seemed to be considerably noisier in flight compared to other broad heads (sevr, beast, and exodus).

 

[PredatoronthePrairie]

I only have a whitetail doe to show for my archery efforts this year with a Grim Reaper. Heart shot her at 46, which is great - she died in sight. But! And maybe this is picking fly crap out of chili, but one of the blades never opened and that was kind of concerning thinking about shooting an elk or bear with it. I stick to DaySix broadheads for those bigger animals.

I shoot a slow bow (258 fps) thanks to my mother's short draw genes with a 466 grain Easton axis arrow, 75 gr hiit insert, and 125 broadheads.

My two cents. Always looking for fellow 26" or less draw length folks to compare notes to.

I'm sure the blade opened. Did you examine the wound channel? On pass throughs, when the head grabs grass and stuff upon hitting the ground the blades can snap back closed.

 

[butcherboy]

100 grain exodus swept. Blew through a cow elk like it was nothing. Even hit the scapula shooting down from a tree stand. She went maybe 25-30 yds and fell over.

1st pic - entrance
2nd - exit
3rd - looking at her back laying there where she died.

 

[Smoke_Rutz]

I ran Iron Will SB125’s for the first time this season. I flung two arrows both tipped with the exact same head. Killed a bull elk and a buck deer.

In both cases my arrow was sticking out of the ground behind the critter after full pass throughs. I will say there wasn’t terribly impressive blood in either case - but some blood to see. This however was unimportant because both animals died promptly within eyesight.

In pretty pumped with the results on this head. Whether they produced “bad” blood trails or the critters died too fast to really bleed is up for debate. Body cavities were very full of blood. I’ll attach some images of shot placement.

I Look forward to reading y’all’s results!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dylan Sluis]

Yes, it broke through rib on entrance and lodged into the offside rib. It was only a 12 yard shot out of the tree stand. I hit upper lungs and it was a steep shot angle. I'm not happy about not getting a pass through but I can't complain too much because the blood trail was very good. Another thing I didn't like about the deadmeat was they seemed to be considerably noisier in flight compared to other broad heads (sevr, beast, and exodus).

Ya so it makes sense it didn’t pass through. But I do agree I basically always want a pass through. And that’s weird they were loud. Never experienced that with mine

 

[mikeafeagin22]

I shot my aoudad with a grim reaper carnifour 125 grain head. She died within 50-60 yards. Definitely got the job done. Same broadhead for my velvet whitetail. Went about the same distance as the aoudad.

For my pronghorn and elk, both shot with an evolution outdoors Hyde 125. The exit wound on the pronghorn from that Hyde was giant. I heart shot the elk and double lunged the pronghorn so both died within sight as well. I did not get a picture of the entrance or exit from my elk.

Shot a mule deer with an ironwill single bevel that zipped right through the deer and buried 6” inches into the dirt. That deer was a short track job as well. I shot another mule deer with a QAD exodus but forgot to take a picture of the wound channel. That broadhead has always gotten the job done quick for me too. I think the QAD is the best bang for your buck fixed head you can buy.

All shots were with the same bow setup. Mathews phase 4, 75lb mods, 31” draw, Victory rip tko arrows w/ 50 grain insert, 125 grain heads. Right at 475 grain total arrow weight, 296fps

The carnifours do some serious damage but I just don’t trust them on bigger game for whatever reason. Those smaller blades feel flimsy to me. The evolution outdoors feels great. I am really sold on the hybrid broadhead performance. And obviously the ironwills do what they are supposed. But hell if you hit where you are aiming then they all do pretty good

Pic 1 and 2 are grim reaper
3 is evolution outdoors
4 is ironwill

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Killed a bull with a rage trypan, full pass through, never found the arrow.

Used my last 100 gr deadmeat v2 on my buck. Ribs in and out, got a pass through but not a convincing one, he carried the arrow about 5 yards. The aluminum post had substantial damage from the impact, I'm surprised the blades stayed in. Won't be using those heads anymore.

 

[guylaga]

Tried some new expendables this year after exclusively shooting fixed blade heads the last few years.

125gr T2, Buck WT, 30yard shot, quartering away, did not pass through, got about 12" of penetration. Entrance was far enough back so the wound back filled with guts so blood trail was lacking but recovered about 120 yards away.

125gr Sevr 1.5 Hybrid, Mule Deer Buck 35yd shot broadside. Passed through, decent blood trail and died about 150 yards away.

Overall not sure if results where good enough to change broad heads.

 

[HbDane]

Shot a buck at 17 yards with a IW single bevel 125gn. Buck dropped and rolled to within 3 yards of me, where we were basically staring into each other’s souls for a few seconds until he took his last breath. I’ve killed many deer but this will be a memory that I will cherish forever. It was so personal, spiritual, and yes, emotional. By far my favorite hunt.

The head did great though, won’t be changing anytime soon

 

[LFC911]

I was thinking of putting a google sheet together for everyone to input their info into for 2025 and tabulate this data to see if we can glean anything from it. Would anyone else find value in this? This is a work in progress but I was thinking we should have the following fields:

• Draw weight
• Draw length
• % Let off
• Arrow Length
• Total Arrow weight
• Broadhead
• Broadhead weight
• Animal shot/quarry
• Shot Distance
• Shot Angle (level, above/downhill, below/uphill)
• Animal position (broadside, quartering to/away, frontal, TX heart shot)
• Passthrough (Y/N)
• Distance Traveled
• Recovered (Y/N)

What other data points to add?

 

[Taudisio]

I was thinking of putting a google sheet together for everyone to input their info into for 2025 and tabulate this data to see if we can glean anything from it. Would anyone else find value in this? This is a work in progress but I was thinking we should have the following fields:

• Draw weight
• Draw length
• % Let off
• Arrow Length
• Total Arrow weight
• Broadhead
• Broadhead weight
• Animal shot/quarry
• Shot Distance
• Shot Angle (level, above/downhill, below/uphill)
• Animal position (broadside, quartering to/away, frontal, TX heart shot)
• Passthrough (Y/N)
• Distance Traveled
• Recovered (Y/N)

What other data points to add?

This is great!

Pass through as in the fletching exited, vs the broadhead poking through the other side?

Organs damaged?