New VPA

[Shawn Hultquist]

I think this will be a lot easier to sharpen. 200 grains is only offered now but other weights will be available soon. I’m digging these.

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[ole17]

These look awesome. Hope they come out with a 150 gr

 

[Sapcut]

After Tuffhead 300s started all the stainless single bevel market years ago, now all the one piece stainless SBs look alike….TuffHead, VPA, Cutthroat, Cutting Edge, Sirius, Bishop, Abowyer, etc., etc. And even little ol Bear Archery is trying.

Most are too short, stubby and light, imo, but they sure are much better options to blow thru any part of animals compared to just a few years ago, assuming there is adequate arrow weight behind it.

 

[Shawn Hultquist]

When the new style comes out in a 150 then I’ll get some and retire all my other singles bevels that I’ve used for the past 25 years.


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[Undomesticated]

After Tuffhead 300s started all the stainless single bevel market years ago, now all the one piece stainless SBs look alike….TuffHead, VPA, Cutthroat, Cutting Edge, Sirius, Bishop, Abowyer, etc., etc. And even little ol Bear Archery is trying.

Most are too short, stubby and light, imo, but they sure are much better options to blow thru any part of animals compared to just a few years ago, assuming there is adequate arrow weight behind it.

I believe those are all tool steel heads. Which raises a point, no one is currently making a great stainless steel head for traditional archers from AEB-L or Nitro-V steel, which would be absolutely perfect for broadhead use. Tough, stainless, not expensive, and takes a heck of an edge, like a carbon steel. How come no one is using it?

I agree with the latter half of your statement. Almost everyone has adopted tanto points (Iron Will being an exception, good for him) which in my experience sacrifice penetration and ease of sharpening for durability. I do not think they are ideal for us trad guys. I shot my last bull with a 200-grain cutthroat; it was a fast kill but left me a bit disappointed as it didn't achieve a pass-through (although it was very, very close). In my opinion, if you are shooting a 2-blade, if you aren't getting pass throughs you might as well shoot a 3-blade. If you do use a tanto-tip, I believe it should be as small as possible like the tuffhead traditionals.

The more I shoot, the more I think the "old school" broadheads like the Eclipse or even Zwickeys are in many ways superior for trad folks. The problem is quality control and the materials used. Braised heads aren't necessarily sub-par, it is just that they aren't being made with good steel and heat treated hard enough.

 

[TxxAgg]

Looks sharp!

 

[Sapcut]

I believe those are all tool steel heads. Which raises a point, no one is currently making a great stainless steel head for traditional archers from AEB-L or Nitro-V steel, which would be absolutely perfect for broadhead use. Tough, stainless, not expensive, and takes a heck of an edge, like a carbon steel. How come no one is using it?

I agree with the latter half of your statement. Almost everyone has adopted tanto points (Iron Will being an exception, good for him) which in my experience sacrifice penetration and ease of sharpening for durability. I do not think they are ideal for us trad guys. I shot my last bull with a 200-grain cutthroat; it was a fast kill but left me a bit disappointed as it didn't achieve a pass-through (although it was very, very close). In my opinion, if you are shooting a 2-blade, if you aren't getting pass throughs you might as well shoot a 3-blade. If you do use a tanto-tip, I believe it should be as small as possible like the tuffhead traditionals.

The more I shoot, the more I think the "old school" broadheads like the Eclipse or even Zwickeys are in many ways superior for trad folks. The problem is quality control and the materials used. Braised heads aren't necessarily sub-par, it is just that they aren't being made with good steel and heat treated hard enough.

I have liked the tanto tip and was initially surprised at penetration and not surprised at durability. I will never forget my first and very impressionable experience with the single bevel and tanto tip issue. Steve McCoy with McCoys outdoors in Mobile has been a long time and very experienced longbow shooter/bowhunter racking up many many African big game animals over the years. They are mounted all over his store today. In the early 90's, I went into his shop knowing very little about trad equipment compared to today. He had several different brands of broadheads hanging on the rack for sale. I asked him about his thoughts on what was the best. He said, without hesistation or bias, the Grizzzly was the best penetrating broadhead he had ever used. I had never even seen them before and was surprised those blunt looking blocks of steel in that cheap package would kill anything. But if anyone knew what they were talking about, without a doubt, Steve McCoy should be that person.

Then of course, Ashby compiled piles of data supporting that opinion. Then years later even better broadheads, original Tuffheads were created based on those 25 years of research and that is what I still continue to use. There may be others as good but I don't think there is anything better at penetration and durability.

 

[Shawn Hultquist]

I believe those are all tool steel heads. Which raises a point, no one is currently making a great stainless steel head for traditional archers from AEB-L or Nitro-V steel, which would be absolutely perfect for broadhead use. Tough, stainless, not expensive, and takes a heck of an edge, like a carbon steel. How come no one is using it.

VPA offers a three blade in stainless.


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[doc holiday13]

................... now all the one piece stainless SBs look alike….TuffHead, VPA, Cutthroat, Cutting Edge, Sirius, Bishop, Abowyer, etc., etc. And even little ol Bear Archery is trying.

Its because they're all shooting for "the magic 3:1 geometry" which is not needed because they're all using very hard tool steels. If they were using a mild steel, there would be a benefit to 3:1. But tool steel and even the high carbon steel retain the edge sharpness so there is no reason to have a long broadhead.

 

[nnmarcher]

Its because they're all shooting for "the magic 3:1 geometry" which is not needed because they're all using very hard tool steels. If they were using a mild steel, there would be a benefit to 3:1. But tool steel and even the high carbon steel retain the edge sharpness so there is no reason to have a long broadhead.

I thought the 3:1 geometry was to provide a mechanical advantage. I can see how a longer head would increase penetration, especially for a trad shooter, but maybe it's less important with compounds?

 

[doc holiday13]

I thought the 3:1 geometry was to provide a mechanical advantage. I can see how a longer head would increase penetration, especially for a trad shooter, but maybe it's less important with compounds?

Ashby was/is an eye Dr..... not an engineer or mathmetician..

The only way the cutting edge is "doing work" for MA is if its not cutting. The cutting edge is splitting material being penetrated and the "mechanical advantage" is mostly in the thickness of the blade because the thickness of the blade is doing the displacement.

If you had a "chisel tip"/non cut on contact broadhead, then you'd have mechanical advantage at play

 

[nnmarcher]

Ashby was/is an eye Dr..... not an engineer or mathmetician..

The only way the cutting edge is "doing work" for MA is if its not cutting. The cutting edge is splitting material being penetrated and the "mechanical advantage" is mostly in the thickness of the blade because the thickness of the blade is doing the displacement.

If you had a "chisel tip"/non cut on contact broadhead, then you'd have mechanical advantage at play

I found a good video on AT/Youtube that helped me understand the concept.

Thanks for clarifying, I did not understand the concept well.

 

[Arcus Venator]

I like it, looks like a solid, indestructible BH. Does not matter one bit to me if they are single, double bevel, or three blade. As long as they are sharp.

I have not been able to tell the difference. Still getting pass throughs.

I am a huge believer in the CNC production process BH's, like the VPA's, Cutthroats etc. They are heck for stout and have yet to wreck one. Have lost a couple though.

I do like the solid blades, not vented. The vented blades make more noise.

 

[Squints08]

Anybody here have any knowledge on Simmons shark broadheads? I’m looking at the 125 grain land shark or 190 grain timber shark. Thanks.

 

[Arcus Venator]

I have always steered away from them for simple fact that they look like a nightmare to sharpen.

 

[Shawn Hultquist]

I have always steered away from them for simple fact that they look like a nightmare to sharpen.

This is the newer and improved version so that it’s easier to keep the same angle instead of the tip of the ferrule portion getting in the way. The ones now are not that hard to sharpen.


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[Arcus Venator]

Good to know.

A friend is using them this fall. He said it was a learning curve, to sharpen. He got them sharp and killed one doe so far.

Magic November is coming, so I am sure he will put them to work.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Anybody here have any knowledge on Simmons shark broadheads? I’m looking at the 125 grain land shark or 190 grain timber shark. Thanks.

They do a number on critters. I went away from them because the temper is too soft for my liking... they dull just sitting in the quiver foam, and I got tired of touching them up every third hunt day.

 

[Undomesticated]

VPA offers a three blade in stainless.


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Yes, I am speaking specifically of higher-quality (or, at least for broadheads) SS. AEB-L or Nitro-V in particular. I am aware there are many 3-blade stainless options.

 

[Btaylor]

Anybody here have any knowledge on Simmons shark broadheads? I’m looking at the 125 grain land shark or 190 grain timber shark. Thanks.

Easy to sharpen on a rada. 3 sided jewel stik works well too. That make honkin big holes in critters.