Lets talk elk and broadheads.

[WVELK]

I don’t claim to be anyone other than someone who loves to hunt, has been very fortunate bowhunting for elk and has shot a lot of elk with a compound bow. Each has come through hard work and luck, and each has taught me something about broadheads. I write this for the younger folks who are just getting started. You hear and read about cutting diameter, penetration tests, stainless blades, three blade versus four blade, chisel tip versus other tips - you name it and it is out there to debate. Here is where I come down on the issue and what is often over looked. Nothing is more important than shot placement, and by that I mean the ability to place the arrow and head where you aim and where it needs to hit. That doesn‘t mean I aimed at his ass. It glanced off a tree and hit him dead center in the lungs. It means I have the maximum confidence with by bow and this head, and can feel certain that I can hold my sight center of the lungs at 40 yards and hit the center of the lungs.

I am old enough to have hunted with the green two bladed bear broadheads and young enough to enjoy experimenting with new equipment each year. I don’t know of a single head on the market I have not shot. I am an accuracy junky who was on one of the original “manufactures teams” when 3-D targets first came out. What does that mean? Not much other than I am a respectable shot and been doing this a while.

My two most important factors when choosing a broadhead (my only two factors to be honest) are accuracy of the head and structural integrity of the head. If you put a sharp head through both lungs, an elk is not going far. End of story. It does not matter whether the head has a 1 inch diameter or a 12 inch diameter, but what does matter is that 1 inch head is aerodynamically superior to the 12 inch head.

So the best advise I can give a newbie is to buy a few packs of heads and see which shoots best for you. It will be an invaluable training experience. You get stronger. You gain confidence. You know what works best for you. For me, I prefer fixed blade heads with replaceable blades. Shoot the arrow and the head to see if it is accurate - replace blades before you hunt. Save old blades for practice in other heads, because you should have shot every arrow in you quiver before season and make sure it hits where it should hit. Although a lot of elk are taken each year with mechanical heads, they are best left for smaller game in my opinion.

For me this fall it will be a standard slick trick head riding enough kinetic energy to pass through an elk. Kinetic energy is for another day, but don‘t forget that 340 feet per second will not push a feather through a Gnat’s ass. There are a lot - and I mean a lot - of really good broadheads out there. So get outside during COVID-19 and shoot some!

 

[cstab]

Great post! I agree wholly. I pondered and compared all spring, and finally decided on shooting QAD Exodus 125s.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[Wapiti1]

If one does a few searches, it's easy to see that there are a few choices that everyone is pretty confident in. Slick Trick, Exodus, VPA, Montec, and the more premium Iron Will come to mind right now. And you will also notice not every one works for every setup. Some are more forgiving than others, but the wrong combination happens.

As the OP correctly stated, accuracy trumps most everything else. Learn what it takes to be accurate with a broadhead. Tuned bow, correct spine choice, square inserts, and broadheads that spin true on those arrows.

And shoot ALL your broadheads prior to the season so you know each is good to go. Even the most perfectly tuned bow with carefully crafted arrows will throw a flyer on occasion. Cull out those flyers so you know each arrow will hit the mark. The OP mentioned this, but it is worth repeating.

Then practice 10 yards farther than what you consider your max distance to shoot an animal. If that is 40 yards, shoot out to 50. Not to stretch your max distance, but to help find flaws you can remedy and gain confidence. To me, confidence in my shot ability tames a lot of the jitters when a bull is coming in. It's one less thing to worry about and I can focus on letting the shot happen.

I will depart a little on mechanicals. I would rather see folks shoot a mechanical that they are accurate with than a fixed that isn't. There are mechanicals that are tough enough to do the job, but none are as tough as a fixed blade. A well placed mechanical will do the job better than a poorly placed anything else.

Jeremy

 

[Wrench]

there's more quality broadheads than confident broadhead shooters. Buy enough that you can sacrifice a couple to become truly confident in them.....then go pick up your big dead critter.

 

[mtjimbo]

Great post! I personally differ on broadheads choice. Having killed elk with fixed and mechanical I personally find myself leaning towards mechanicals. Grim reapers or sevr to be specific. Every broadheads I've shot have killed elk just as dead. I just hunt extremely windy country and find myself with more confidence in the flight of a mechanical compared to even my compact fixed blades out of a well tuned bow. All elk I've shot with either head have been pass throughs all have killed quickly I've been lucky for sure. Pick something and if you shoot it well don't ever second guess your choice unless you find good reason. I used to find myself second guessing and changing heads constantly (not just for fun) but because I convinced myself it wouldn't work. Like the OP said be accurate no matter what even if that makes your max shooting range 20 yards. BE ACCURATE

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[Gerbdog]

I carry both fixed and mechanical in my quiver, the reason for this is actually based on distances/confidence. I feel confident with the fixed out to about 50, after 50 I know that mechanical is gonna find the target out to 80 where I practice. Will I have a shot at an elk at 80 yards in the thick crap ill be hunting? Probably not, but there are some cliffs that look down onto deadfall areas, etc. in there where a hundred+ yards of visibility is possible.

 

[Dennis]

Great advise and insight. It is a great example of the lessons learned in the Cold Bow Challenge. If the broadhead is sharp, well designed, flies well and we do our part success comes to the skilled hunter.
For me this year it will again be Slick Trick Standard 100.

 

[PowellSixO]

Great points. One thing I feel is sometimes skipped over, is knowing when to take the shot. Knowing the anatomy of elk is very important, when making your decision to release an arrow. Is his shoulder back or forward? Can I get both lungs from this angle? There's obviously a ton of scenarios, but knowing the anatomy of elk will really help you. I feel like most people aim for the middle of the elk, when really you should aim lower. There is no void that people talk about, but there is a point where you can hit an elk too high, and not hit anything vital. I know this from personal experience. I personally keep half mechanical broadheads in my quiver, and half fixed blades. If I'm hunting more open spaces, where my shot might be longer, I'll pick the mechanical. If I'm hunting tight thick stuff, I like to have a good fixed blade.

 

[5MilesBack]

A lot of heads will "kill" elk, but elk can cover a fair distance in a very short amount of time. In thick timber country, that means they can be out of sight immediately and running for 10+ seconds. Even if that's only 100 yards, if there's not a lot of blood on the ground that can be a horrible tracking job. I've been there and done that a few times. But I've never had to do that with a large cut mechanical.

Everyone has a different perspective and different experiences. Use what you're confident in.

 

[Fisherhahn]

All great points, but also for the new hunter, take your bow to a shop or an experienced archer and make sure it is tuned properly!!! Most archers can take a poorly tuned bow and in a few minutes move some pins around and consistently hit where your aiming. BUT that arrow could have so little energy left in it that you won’t get a pass through on a cotton tail, let alone an elk or deer. If your broadheads are way off from your field points, don’t just switch to mechanicals and think you’re good. You’re not! My feeling is that a large number of animals are lost due to poor penetration from untuned bows even with great shot placement. That is when the “broadhead didn’t open” and “xyz broadhead sucks” threads start.

 

[twdjr]

 

[aachey]

Never messed with the tuning of my bow once leaving the bow shop, so maybe i've been lucky. Last year i had QAD Exodus and G5 Montecs shooting where my field points hit out to 60(as far as i went). This year, I have Magnus Stinger shooting where field points hit out to 50(havent gone further but will be going to 80). Normally a mechanical guy but prefer the idea of fixed head for elk. Biggest thing i noticed is at distance the fixed heads tell you how well(or not well) your form is lol. But practicing with what you plan to hunt with is the biggest key to it all. I have been drinking the Ranch Fairy koolaid lately so I do see the value in proper tuning and arrows setups.

 

[nphunter]

I carry both fixed and mechanical in my quiver, the reason for this is actually based on distances/confidence. I feel confident with the fixed out to about 50, after 50 I know that mechanical is gonna find the target out to 80 where I practice. Will I have a shot at an elk at 80 yards in the thick crap ill be hunting? Probably not, but there are some cliffs that look down onto deadfall areas, etc. in there where a hundred+ yards of visibility is possible.

Great points. One thing I feel is sometimes skipped over, is knowing when to take the shot. Knowing the anatomy of elk is very important, when making your decision to release an arrow. Is his shoulder back or forward? Can I get both lungs from this angle? There's obviously a ton of scenarios, but knowing the anatomy of elk will really help you. I feel like most people aim for the middle of the elk, when really you should aim lower. There is no void that people talk about, but there is a point where you can hit an elk too high, and not hit anything vital. I know this from personal experience. I personally keep half mechanical broadheads in my quiver, and half fixed blades. If I'm hunting more open spaces, where my shot might be longer, I'll pick the mechanical. If I'm hunting tight thick stuff, I like to have a good fixed blade.

Really curious of why you two would shoot a fixed head at closer distances and mechanicals further. I realize mechanicals fly better but you're also going to want a better penetrating head at further distances? Seems very backward to me but would love to hear the reasoning, I've heard this a lot over the years and never have understood the logic.

A lot of heads will "kill" elk, but elk can cover a fair distance in a very short amount of time. In thick timber country, that means they can be out of sight immediately and running for 10+ seconds. Even if that's only 100 yards, if there's not a lot of blood on the ground that can be a horrible tracking job. I've been there and done that a few times. But I've never had to do that with a large cut mechanical.

Everyone has a different perspective and different experiences. Use what you're confident in.

I totally agree, if it were legal everywhere I would never shoot a fixed head again. There is nothing more stressful than the time from when you start following a poor blood trail to when you find your elk. I'm color blind as well so it's very difficult to see blood in the first place.

 

[Gerbdog]

Really curious of why you two would shoot a fixed head at closer distances and mechanicals further. I realize mechanicals fly better but you're also going to want a better penetrating head at further distances? Seems very backward to me but would love to hear the reasoning, I've heard this a lot over the years and never have understood the logic.

Purely for the better flight at longer distances, I trust the penetration on my mechanical as much as my fixed. Could also just be a mental thing

 

[nphunter]

Purely for the better flight at longer distances, I trust the penetration on my mechanical as much as my fixed. Could also just be a mental thing

I trust them as well and am confident with them at all distances, just curious what the advantage of a fixed would be at close range. I only carry expandables in my quiver where I can, I do tune my fixed heads out to 80 yards just because I think it really helps fine-tune my bow and also I go hunt periodically where expandables are not legal.

The mental thing is huge, I am still stressed out every time I let a fixed head loose, even if I have them flying great at long ranges if I make a poor shot they still miss by a large margin, not paying attention to my bubble, too much face pressure, etc. I can feel my heart rate rise every time I drawback an Iron Will head at 80 yards. When shooting my mechanicals I am just as comfortable and confident as shooting my field tips which I really think is a benefit for shot placement in the field, it is easier to make a good shot when your comfortable and they are so forgiving that even if you have a form breakdown your arrow still almost hits the mark.

 

[wind gypsy]

I've found that swinging through walmart on my way west for a quiver of gold tips and rage extreme 2.3s is a pretty deadly path.

 

[Gerbdog]

I trust them as well and am confident with them at all distances, just curious what the advantage of a fixed would be at close range. I only carry expandables in my quiver where I can, I do tune my fixed heads out to 80 yards just because I think it really helps fine-tune my bow and also I go hunt periodically where expandables are not legal.

The mental thing is huge, I am still stressed out every time I let a fixed head loose, even if I have them flying great at long ranges if I make a poor shot they still miss by a large margin, not paying attention to my bubble, too much face pressure, etc. I can feel my heart rate rise every time I drawback an Iron Will head at 80 yards. When shooting my mechanicals I am just as comfortable and confident as shooting my field tips which I really think is a benefit for shot placement in the field, it is easier to make a good shot when your comfortable and they are so forgiving that even if you have a form breakdown your arrow still almost hits the mark.

Haha, yea I know that increased heart rate feeling, like you said, its probably purely mental, on both ends, even using the fixed at close range. I bet it all comes back to my mentor of elk hunting swearing by fixed blades for elk... at the end of the day... mechanical works just as well. To add to this ... i also only run a 1.5" cutting on my mechanicals for more penetration over the wider cutting diameter

 

[Finch]

Good post. Every arrow/broadhead earns its spot in my quiver. I actually shoot each arrow from 10-60 yards with a BH attached. If it shoots well at each yardage, I put on a new BH, spin test, and in the quiver it goes. I found two arrows last year that didn't make the cut once I shot them at 50 or so. It could be considered being OCD but I have complete faith in every arrow in my quiver.

 

[Roughwater]

Being older at 70, I've got a little shaky. So my very max range is 50 yrds but I'd like to keep it 40 and under if possible at game. Being retired, I practice nearly every day. I don't shoot a lot of times a day. Lately only about 20 shots. I started out early in the year only able to pull 50 lbs but I'm up to 63 lbs. My bow is rated at a max of 65 # but I think it will go a bit higher in reality. I may bump it up one more turn by the end of this month which should give me about 65 Lbs but I'll probably drop back a couple turns at the end of the month so to be able to comfortably shoot from any position even if tired. At which time I'll tune the bow and arrows. I'll definitely use a cut on contact fixed blade broadhead. I have some Quad Exodus, some Buzz cuts, some Alien Broadheads and a couple others which are all 125 gn but the Alien's are my top choice right now but I'm not dead set on using them yet. I'm playing with 3 different arrow weights right now all of which go from moderately heavy (527 gn) up to 662 gn with a 125 tip. But I'm thinking to most likely use mid range weight arrows at 575 gn which gives me 231 fPS at 63#. My 664 gn armor piercing arrows fly at 215 FPS at 63#. I'm using the Ethics archery weighted steel inserts and steel sleeves on a already heavy Victory Xtorsion SS shaft with aluminum nocks which is why my heaviest arrows are so heavy.
I own a LabRadar Chrony and I'm interested to see the velocity and velocity loss between different weight arrows at 50 yards. I'm also using the Xtorsion SS arrows with my middle weight set up but I'm just using victory 60 gn Steel inserts with a 125 gn point to get me to 575 gn. I know some can't stand his style but I'm another ranch ferry fan as what he says makes sense to me. I've been following Baxter Bowman for a lot of Elk hunt advice and the Elk Nut for my elk calling advice. There are a lot of great broadheads out there and though accuracy is the thing we most strive for I do want a blade that will perform even when the shot is not perfect as I am definitely not a perfect shot though I will continue to keep attempting to improve.

 

[ncavi8tor]

Good post. Every arrow/broadhead earns its spot in my quiver. I actually shoot each arrow from 10-60 yards with a BH attached. If it shoots well at each yardage, I put on a new BH, spin test, and in the quiver it goes. I found two arrows last year that didn't make the cut once I shot them at 50 or so. It could be considered being OCD but I have complete faith in every arrow in my quiver.

This is exactly the same thing I do. Every arrow out to at least 60 and sometimes 80 yards before they earn a spot in my quiver.

NC

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk