Why use an expandable?

[Coyote Commander]

With the great selection of fixed blade heads on the market, I cant think of one good reason to shoot an expandable.

 

[MuleyFever]

When Spitfires first came out I started using them. I had a pass through on every animal I hit in the right spot from antelope to bear. The issue I have with them is when you don't make the best shot. I had 2 animals that I did not hit where I was aiming and I got really bad penetration on both. I feel that if I had been using a FB head I would have gotten different results. I took the time to tune my bow and switched to a fixed head. However, I have been thinking of trying a mechanical again since I moved to S Utah because the wind here is always blowing.

 

[wapitibob]

Better blood trails and faster kills are two reasons I'll grab a spitfire every chance I get.

 

[shaun]

I am going opposite this year. Ulmers to Slick Tricks

 

[_Nick_]

I am going opposite this year. Ulmers to Slick Tricks

Any particular reason?

 

[Outwest]

My first expandable I ever used was an ulmer edge. I shot them last year and they fly like bullets, never had an issue tuning them and I never had reasonable suspicion to think they would fail. I loved that I could lock them into practice mode and shoot them into my target without completely destroying it. I really liked them and still think they are a super solid head. Before this I shot NAP Hellrazors.
Then I switched to Slick Trick Magnums and haven't looked back. Why did I switch? Call me old school but because I know moving parts are more susceptible to failure. I have yet to read a bad review on the UE and they might have preformed flawlessly for every guy that has ever used them, but I don't want to be the first to break that trend. I would rather have something that I know will cut no matter what, than to have a BH with even a small fraction of a chance for error. JMO...

With that being said, I think almost all of us can admit that we have replaced something on our setups that didn't neccessarily need to be replaced but because we wanted to try something new. I know I do all the time. Which is what I think Justin is talking about with his first post.

If I ever got the itch to try mechanicals again, I would no doubt go with the Ulmer Edges.

 

[wapitibob]

Confidence in your equipment is most important.

 

[Coyote Commander]

With that being said, I think almost all of us can admit that we have replaced something on our setups that didn't neccessarily need to be replaced but because we wanted to try something new.

Ive got a box of crap with this written all over it.

Most of it is back in that box for a reason though. Either I didnt like it, or didnt trust it.

 

[PA 5-0]

Reasons to use them: HUGE HOLES, better flight, HUGE HOLES, zero tuning, HUGE HOLES!!!!!!!!!! I have been shooting Rages for a handful of years now and Rockets years before that. Killed at least 40 deer with them. Zero issues. Did I say HUGE HOLES???? I have literally stuffed a tennis ball in an exit wound and followed short blood trails that looked like someone was holding a two liter bottle upside down. I have watched bucks literally die on their feet from massive blood loss. This aspect of shooting certain expandables cannot be understated: incredible blood loss. The wide cuts absolutely can be the difference between a recovery and a sob story. With that said, marginal shots are where the wide mechanicals really shine. I have been on many a recovery that no doubt would have been a lost animal if not for the huge cutting ability of the expandable.

Don't really know why, but I still use Muzzy fixed blades for elk. But I have watched my hunting partner pass a Rage right thru two bulls at 40yds. Both died on their feet within 100yds.

So my question would be: why would you not use and expandable??

 

[MattB]

Confidence in your equipment is most important.

This. If a bowhunter cannot get comfortable with the concept of using a MBH, there is no reason to try. But I will also say that with well designed MBH's the mechanical failure aspect is pretty overblown. As odd as this may sound, I started with my bowhunting career with MBH's and I have killed a lot of animals with them, and based on my experience I second guess myself every time I screw on a fixed blade.

 

[Yeti]

I am going opposite this year. Ulmers to Slick Tricks

Same here going to the viper tricks

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

I am going opposite this year. Ulmers to Slick Tricks

Same here. I made the switch last season. Killed two bears and a bull with 125gr Slick Trick Mags last year. I'll admit the reason I started shooting mechanicals was because I was not worth a $h!t at tuning and had BH flight issues. Now that im better with tuning and can get a good FB to fly great out to 80+yds id rather have the added simplicity and durability that a FB offers.

As said I think confidence is huge. If your confident in them shoot them. A lot of people including myself had had success with them I just feel more confident with a fixed head.

 

[bz_711]

I have shot both, have no problem shooting either, and have had great luck with both. The last few seasons is first time I've been strictly mechanical...for me it was because of newer bow speed, longer range shots...but most importantly CONFIDENCE!

So far so good with them as in the last 3 seasons I've shot multiple deer, 2 turkeys, and an Elk...and I saw or heard all the deer and elk go down...no tracking required on any of them.

One other small benefit that I never hear anyone mention is a little additional safety with closed mechanicals like I shoot. When stalking in rough terrain, pretty easy to fall on fixed blade, or possibly have fixed blade slice your string when whipping arrow from quiver in the heat of the moment...only a small benefit, but one I like (and no blades on arrows if they get loose in bow case).

Bottom line - shoot what makes you confident - they all work.

 

[Eagle]

I am not sure... but it seems to me that "murphy's law" is much more likely with an expandable head vs a fixed. How many "BH didn't open," "MBH deflected," "rage was open at full draw," etc conversations have you heard? If you bump your rest enough that it effects your tune, it is going to effect your POI, either way.... its a miss or a bad shot. In my opinion, a MBH does nothing on this front.

IMHO: Only advantage besides huge holes in turkeys would be possibly less wind error... but it mostly just allows for lazy/not tuning of a bow.

joe

I never said that you wouldn't need to shoot to resight in the case of bumping your rest, just stated that a mechanical head would fly more accuratly than a fixed would in that type of scenario, and rather than having to attempt to re-tune in the field, you would just have to resight and go.

Even with that said, I still tune my bows using a magnus stinger, and once I have great flight with it and know that my bow is tuned, then I move over to whatever head I choose. There have been stories out there of mechanicals having issues as you stated, but I haven't experienced those issues myself with Tekans, which are the only mech I've ever shot.

 

[squeekieslayer]

I've never thought about it.... may try throwing one in for really windy days. I guess it's not impossible to like both.

Joe

 

[fulldraw1972]

Reasons to use them: HUGE HOLES, better flight, HUGE HOLES, zero tuning, HUGE HOLES!!!!!!!!!! I have been shooting Rages for a handful of years now and Rockets years before that. Killed at least 40 deer with them. Zero issues. Did I say HUGE HOLES???? I have literally stuffed a tennis ball in an exit wound and followed short blood trails that looked like someone was holding a two liter bottle upside down. I have watched bucks literally die on their feet from massive blood loss. This aspect of shooting certain expandables cannot be understated: incredible blood loss. The wide cuts absolutely can be the difference between a recovery and a sob story. With that said, marginal shots are where the wide mechanicals really shine. I have been on many a recovery that no doubt would have been a lost animal if not for the huge cutting ability of the expandable.

Don't really know why, but I still use Muzzy fixed blades for elk. But I have watched my hunting partner pass a Rage right thru two bulls at 40yds. Both died on their feet within 100yds.

So my question would be: why would you not use and expandable??

Just an FYI you will get alot better penetration out of a well tuned bow. A broadhead tuned bow is pretty close to perfect IMHO.

I wont shoot expandables for any animal other then turkeys. However that is just my preference. I wont knock any expandable either. I do think they have limitations. Low poundage and short draw lengths on an elk is not a good place for an expandable. Throw in a untuned bow your asking for trouble. You hear about to many people saying they cant get there bow to broadhead tune so I will through on an expandable. All that did was creat more problems.

It is also my belief the amount of blood on the ground needs an exit hole, an a hit in the right spot. On a quartering away hit with the arrow lodged in the off shoulder there is not going to be much blood on the ground. Just like a high lung hit will not put as much blood on the ground.

I have shot deer with Rage and the deer only went 30 yards but the only blood I found was at impact.

I also agree shoot what your confident in. Why fix something if its not broke.

A few years ago I switched to VPA nonvented. Sure I have to compensate for some wind some days but they are a very tuff head. Plus no more buying replacement blades. A few strokes on a single cut file, then a stone and finally a leather strop and they are scalpel sharp. They hold there edge very well as well. A quiver is brutal on dulling blades.

 

[MTbowhunter36]

Was never interested in switching as I also hunt in OR and ID and they aren't legal in those two states. They're legal in MT, but I haven't had a reason to try anything other than my Muzzys.

 

[ChadS]

If you gut shoot a deer with a 2" two bade rage, it will feel so sick it will lay down and die in its bed if not bumped. The recovery rate on less than ideal hits on deer with bigger mechanicals weny way up in my group of buddies over the years. As far as elk. Ive killed 4 elk (3 of the 4 passed through) with mechanicals and all had huge blood trails and died close. Another thing track jobs got way way shorter you put a 2" hole through something it is devastating and often deer die in sight. And the bigger the better for turkeys!

Im not against either but most reasons why guys say they wont use them, I find to be non issues.

 

[MattB]

If you gut shoot a deer with a 2" two bade rage, it will feel so sick it will lay down and die in its bed if not bumped. The recovery rate on less than ideal hits on deer with bigger mechanicals weny way up in my group of buddies over the years. As far as elk. Ive killed 4 elk (3 of the 4 passed through) with mechanicals and all had huge blood trails and died close. Another thing track jobs got way way shorter you put a 2" hole through something it is devastating and often deer die in sight. And the bigger the better for turkeys!

Ditto on larger MBH's improving recovery on marginal shots. High, low, or back, they can help recover marginally hit animals.

Im not against either but most reasons why guys say they wont use them, I find to be non issues.

I used to get wound up about the theoretical negatives expressed about MBH's that didn't line up with my actual experience, but at the end of the day it is a waste of energy. Folk should just shoot what they have confidence with.

 

[Coyote Commander]

I can see the advantage of a large diameter expandable on areas of soft tissue like the guts/liver.

But on the flip side, theres the disadvantage of them in areas of heavy bone like the shoulder.

You have equal chance of shanking a shot into either region.