It’s hard to believe it’s been almost two years to the date, since I reviewed the Iron Will v100. You can read that review here. Iron Will was new to the scene then, but they’ve been making a name for themselves ever since! This year they introduced the s100 broadhead (solid) to compliment their vented line.
Iron Will s100
This design offers quieter flight than the vented options. I spun the heads out of the box, like the vented, they were perfect. Next up was the scale. The 100’s weighed in at 105.4-106.2 grains. A little heavier than I thought they would be. The s125 came in right at 126. In comparison, the v100’s weigh-in extremely consistent at about 102.4 grains.
I was more curious than concerned, so I reached out to Bill to find out why the difference. Come to find out I was among the very first to get some of the prototypes. Bill also noticed on that first run that they were a little heavy, and made some manufacturing changes to bring them down to the same weight as the v100.
What Changed
To make the solid head, there would obviously have to be some modifications made. If the length and width were to remain the same, then the body itself would have to be thinned down to achieve the weight loss. Aside from the sharpness, two of the things the Iron Will name has been built around are strength and durability. Bill was not willing to compromise the integrity of the head by sacrificing either of those.
In the picture above, you’ll see the new s100 on the left, and one of my practice v100’s on the right. Cutting width on both is 1.062”. Overall length on the s100 is 1.7” long whereas the v100 is 1.875”. With the ferrule length on both being .635”, the s100 has to be slightly shorter in the main body, about .175”, or roughly 3/16”. If you take a close look at the s100 you will see the ferrule is a little different design, but it’s still that same dependable Grade 5 titanium that’s in the V-series.
What Didn’t Change
There have been no changes to the Tanto tip or the bleeder blades. These low-profile solid blades are made of the same hardened A2 steel as the V-series and come with the same back edge blades. Those blades help deliver the maximum amount of hemorrhaging possible and make it easier to pull out of the target while practicing.
The s100 is Quiet!
In that earlier review, the biggest “negative” I had, was some blade hiss during flight. This was caused by the air sliding through the vents. In my case it wasn’t enough to make me switch to a different head. If I were chasing one of the really skittish African creatures, Axis deer, or something of the sort, I might have tried something else. The Iron Will S-series solves that problem! This head is quiet!!
Iron Will Maintenance Kit
Getting back to the pictured above practice v100. Why did I include a picture of one that is dirty or marred up? Well that’s really the only other downside, if you will, to the head. Eventually they will get exposed to rain or snow while hunting. They will oxidize a little. This isn’t a big deal, it won’t hurt the head or it’s performance. It is a little more prevalent on the Iron Will heads than other heads I have shot.
One of the things I appreciate about the way Bill runs his company, is listening to feedback. As the heads reached the hands of more shooters, there came more feedback. The Solid was introduced in part because of the noise-in-flight feedback. As time went on and people noticed the blade oxidation, they gave feedback. So, to fix it, Bill came out with the Blade Maintenance kit. Found here.
The maintenance kit includes a microfiber cleaning cloth, polishing stone, and blade oil pen. Using the Iron Will Blade Care Kit will ensure your broadheads and knives remain as reliable as possible.
I’ve covered most of the bases above, but here’s a few bullet points on the S Series.
- A2 tool steel blades are made for impact toughness while retaining sharp edges.
- Grade 5 titanium ferrule keeps your arrow’s momentum driving through impact.
- Back edge blades ensure maximum internal hemorrhaging.
- Cut on contact Tanto tip for added piercing strength.
- Low profile blades for optimal accuracy and penetration.
- 100 or 125 Grains
- Lifetime Warranty
The Fun Stuff
Shooting. I tested the s100 against the v100. I shot them out of three of my bows. All 28.5” draw length. All 67#, with FMJ 340’s, cut to 27.5” with total arrow weight of 420 grains.
The three bows were the Mathews Vertix, (read my review on that bow here) Hoyt RX-3, and Prime CT-3. All three bows shot that setup deadly. I couldn’t shoot at any of the 1” dots on my target with consecutive arrows, inside of 40 yards–that gets too expensive! At 70 yards, I was shooting six-arrow 6”-7” groups. With three each of S and V series, all intermixed. I was not good enough to see any advantage. All were flying great.
Will I Switch From v100’s to s100’s?
The s100 is a quieter head, and in theory should be stronger with the solid blade. Would I go sell all of my v100’s to replace with s100’s? Absolutely not. But If I needed new heads I might lean towards the S series.
If the review two years ago–and the comments and harvest pics since–hasn’t been enough to sway you, hopefully this review of the new S series will. You definitely won’t be disappointed.
You can comment or ask Les questions here.
Follow along in my The Season 2019 thread to see the Wyoming elk and Kansas deer that I will hopefully send the same s100 through!
Click here to see the Iron Will possibilities.
