Grave Diggers or VAP?

[DEHusker]

Anyone using Grave Diggers? What is your experience with elk? Specifically, do you use the "Cut on Contact" or "trochar tips?" I am interested in them for elk but want some real world experience.

Same thing for VAP, solid or vented 100gr. Anyone use these for elk? I really like the idea of using the same head I've practiced with so VAP's appeal to me. How is flight and penetration for the solid blade?

Thanks, DEH

 

[S&S Archery (Rob)]

Hey DEH,

I can only speak from my experience, but the last 2 years i have not had to do any tuning to get my Solid 125's 1/2 bleeder close to my field tips at 40 yards. Last year i was low and to the right about 2" (close enough for me). but this year with a heavier arrow, i was dead on at 50 yards. Again, no tuning needed.

As far as penatration, my shot last year was quartering to at 30 yards. Arrow went entirely through the whole elk. from front shoulder all the way out the rear quarter. The arrow fell out as he whirled and went about 40 yards and crashed.

I know the solids are a little spendy, but honestly with penetration and accuracy like that, i dont care.

You can always use your rokslide discount to help out with the costs. Just PM me if you need the code.

rob

Solid Broadhead Company Store | S&S Archery

 

[coop2424]

I run the VPA solid and vented but switching to solid due to being quieter and stronger... I love the ability to practice all year with them and then just sharpen them up and good to go.. Have taken two elk and two deer with them in the last 2 years with no issues.. Both elk were pass through and couldn't find my arrows... This years went less than 30 yards and last around 100.. Couldn't be happier with performance.. My buck last year was a sharp angle from treestand and a not so good shot from me that spined him but almost got pass through. I hit the broadhead with stone and couldn't even tell it had been used and was ready to be used again..

 

[MThuntr]

I'm trying out Grave Digger Cut-on-contact. They flew better than the Muzzy 3 blade that I had been using and so far I haven't gotten them to open up in a standard Block target (may be too soft of material or adjustment screw too tight?). No animal experience with them yet but I still don't fully trust them for elk (fear of failure to open or pentrate on an important hunt)

 

[SDHNTR]

VPA's are tough as it gets. I like the practice ability of them too! I've killed at least 60+ animals with them and not a single complaint.

 

[Mmcan]

Hey DEH,

I can only speak from my experience, but the last 2 years i have not had to do any tuning to get my Solid 125's 1/2 bleeder close to my field tips at 40 yards. Last year i was low and to the right about 2" (close enough for me). but this year with a heavier arrow, i was dead on at 50 yards. Again, no tuning needed.

As far as penatration, my shot last year was quartering to at 30 yards. Arrow went entirely through the whole elk. from front shoulder all the way out the rear quarter. The arrow fell out as he whirled and went about 40 yards and crashed.

I know the solids are a little spendy, but honestly with penetration and accuracy like that, i dont care.

You can always use your rokslide discount to help out with the costs. Just PM me if you need the code.

rob

Solid Broadhead Company Store | S&S Archery

125 w bleeders are GREAT broad heads. But they're getting to be too damn expensive even w the discount
I also like the Strickland Helix a lot
Both fly exceedingly well and kill like they should.

No history with the VPA, but have shot hogs w GD's. Very nice broadhead as well, and they definitely cut a wide path. But I am a fixed blade fan for elk.
I would think you'd have fans of both the VAP and the GD, and you probably can't go wrong w either. Invest in a pack of each?
See what flies best for you?

 

[Backpack Hunter]

VPA's both solid and vented have worked well for me. Good penetration, good durability, good edge retention, just an overall solid broadhead.

 

[DEHusker]

I've looked at Solids before and they definitely intrigue me. However, I like the idea of VPA's being able to be sharpened on a regular old flat stone. It makes it a little more idiot proof in my opinion. Price for the Solids is a bit high but not a deal breaker...

Hey DEH,

I can only speak from my experience, but the last 2 years i have not had to do any tuning to get my Solid 125's 1/2 bleeder close to my field tips at 40 yards. Last year i was low and to the right about 2" (close enough for me). but this year with a heavier arrow, i was dead on at 50 yards. Again, no tuning needed.

As far as penatration, my shot last year was quartering to at 30 yards. Arrow went entirely through the whole elk. from front shoulder all the way out the rear quarter. The arrow fell out as he whirled and went about 40 yards and crashed.

I know the solids are a little spendy, but honestly with penetration and accuracy like that, i dont care.

You can always use your rokslide discount to help out with the costs. Just PM me if you need the code.

rob

Solid Broadhead Company Store | S&S Archery

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

Had a hunter come in with the grave diggers this year, I am not a mechanical guy at all. But the hybrid design intrigued me. He showed me about the adjustment screw to tighten and loosen the blades and how versatile you can make this head. I was still worried about a shot and how these would work as it was his first elk hunt. He told me how he had practiced out to 100 yards with this head and how close they were to his field points. I did like that regardless of mechanical failure you were still getting decent cut on contact head. He ended up taking a shot at a bull fully broadside at 90+ yards. I watched the whole thing unfold and even watched replays on the camera. I was skeptical of the penetration even though i knew it was a 10 ring shot. So we have the bull a little extra time although I was 99% sure I heard him crash. We ended up getting full penetration with a great blood trail. The broadhead had broken through the shot side rib full penetration and completely broke and lodged into the off side rib. Even with only one side of a blood trail we had a great blood trail and the bull only went around 70 yards before crashing dead. I like the grave diggers and have gained trust in them after that shot and seeing the inside of the elk.


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[PathFinder]

These two heads really are very different. The VPA is going to be a more durable head, simply by virtue of its design. The reason I shoot Grave Diggers, and the other large mech heads, is for terminal performance on marginal shots. Big heads vastly outperform small fixed blade heads on less than perfect shots.

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[eagle#eyes]

I killed my elk this year with a grave digger trochar 100 grain. Not a clean pass through and 1 head broke in half and the other was mangled beyond another use. I don't feel like i have to worry about them opening early though because you can dictate how tight/easy to open the head actually is and if something were to not work correctly you still have a decent head on there, plus, they fly great. I hit my elk a little high so there wasn't a lot of blood but he also didn't go far enough to need to be tracked. I would use them again in a heart beat. Sorry, no experience with the other head though. Hope that helps a little.