Mechanical Broadhead issue
#11
RE: Mechanical Broadhead issue
Tony, I took my first 27 deer with mechs... Though mine were by Rockets, I think the Wasp is a great head, too. The guys up above are right (especially Kodiak) about shooting the same head which may have meat matter or dried blood inside it making the blades harder to open.
All my shots with mechs just rolled the band up the shaft like you mentioned, and pulling an arrow out its entry hole will oftentimes close the blades back.
All my shots with mechs just rolled the band up the shaft like you mentioned, and pulling an arrow out its entry hole will oftentimes close the blades back.
#12
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blossvale, New York
Posts: 21,199
RE: Mechanical Broadhead issue
I'm a fixed head fan and don't like mechanicals myself. BUT.... through testing some mechanicals and after discussing the same thing with Len a couple times, I found that foam and mechanicals don't react well together. If you place a piece of cardboard on the target they will open. The cardboard is more like the hide of an animal, foam isn't. Chances are they open just fine on an animal. It doesn't have to be heavy cardboard either. Just a thin box opened up and placed on the face of the target will allow them to open.
#13
RE: Mechanical Broadhead issue
I have shot a lot of animals with mechanicals (30+) but I really don't see the advantage to using them with the quality of fixed blade heads available, such as Slick Tricks, G5 Strikers, etc.
One failure of a mechanical head in a hunting situation is too many. Shoot them long enough, and kill enough animals and it will happen. I will just not take the risk anymore, not the way my Slick Tricks perform, flight, holes, toughness, etc.
Dan
One failure of a mechanical head in a hunting situation is too many. Shoot them long enough, and kill enough animals and it will happen. I will just not take the risk anymore, not the way my Slick Tricks perform, flight, holes, toughness, etc.
Dan
#14
RE: Mechanical Broadhead issue
I know this is my first post, but I feel that I need to answer such a post.
Mechanicals, are indeed a performing broadhead, many of them have the capability of out performing some of the well like fixed blade heads. Don't chalk up the use of the mechanicals to the fact that many of their users don't tune or shoot beforehand with them. I spend countless hours and days out of my pre season, shooting broadheads, and adjusting if necessary. A mechanical in many instances only works as well as the shooter; meaning shot placement is the greatest key. Don't be worried with Jackknife Style blades, one of the best: Rocket Steelheads uses such design. Don't be afraid of rubber bands either, more than 90% of the mechanicals still use them. If you test a mechanical, a soft spot on a target is not good IMO. A target like a Rhinehart 18-1 would work well. Or if you want to go more in depth, try using a leather glove in front of the target, or perhaps a piece of meat if you have one (a ham works well). I did a simple test with Rage, Rocket Steelheads, and NAP Spitfires, I shot through a 2" box, and recorded my results like the following: if the blades were deployed by the time the broadhead exited into my target. The NAP Spitfires, and Rocket Steelheads worked to perfection, while the Rage did not. Although I did the test, I took it with a grain of salt, since some of my closest friends have used the Rage 3-Blade without problems.
The point I am trying to get at is; you can do all the testing you want, but until you "test" in real life, all else is perhpas just suspected, or probable. Keep in mind a bad shot, is not a reason to blame the mechanical if performance was poor!
Mechanicals, are indeed a performing broadhead, many of them have the capability of out performing some of the well like fixed blade heads. Don't chalk up the use of the mechanicals to the fact that many of their users don't tune or shoot beforehand with them. I spend countless hours and days out of my pre season, shooting broadheads, and adjusting if necessary. A mechanical in many instances only works as well as the shooter; meaning shot placement is the greatest key. Don't be worried with Jackknife Style blades, one of the best: Rocket Steelheads uses such design. Don't be afraid of rubber bands either, more than 90% of the mechanicals still use them. If you test a mechanical, a soft spot on a target is not good IMO. A target like a Rhinehart 18-1 would work well. Or if you want to go more in depth, try using a leather glove in front of the target, or perhaps a piece of meat if you have one (a ham works well). I did a simple test with Rage, Rocket Steelheads, and NAP Spitfires, I shot through a 2" box, and recorded my results like the following: if the blades were deployed by the time the broadhead exited into my target. The NAP Spitfires, and Rocket Steelheads worked to perfection, while the Rage did not. Although I did the test, I took it with a grain of salt, since some of my closest friends have used the Rage 3-Blade without problems.
The point I am trying to get at is; you can do all the testing you want, but until you "test" in real life, all else is perhpas just suspected, or probable. Keep in mind a bad shot, is not a reason to blame the mechanical if performance was poor!
#15
RE: Mechanical Broadhead issue
The one advantage is cutting width. Though I'm shooting fixed-blade heads currently, I enjoyed some extremely devastating wound channels with large-diameter cutting widths that produced blood trails that looked like they were poured out of a bucket. Of the 27 deer I shot with mechs before switching last year to Slick Tricks and this year to MX-3s, none of them travelled over 65 yards.
#16
RE: Mechanical Broadhead issue
ORIGINAL: Greg / MO
The one advantage is cutting width. Though I'm shooting fixed-blade heads currently, I enjoyed some extremely devastating wound channels with large-diameter cutting widths that produced blood trails that looked like they were poured out of a bucket. Of the 27 deer I shot with mechs before switching last year to Slick Tricks and this year to MX-3s, none of them travelled over 65 yards.
The one advantage is cutting width. Though I'm shooting fixed-blade heads currently, I enjoyed some extremely devastating wound channels with large-diameter cutting widths that produced blood trails that looked like they were poured out of a bucket. Of the 27 deer I shot with mechs before switching last year to Slick Tricks and this year to MX-3s, none of them travelled over 65 yards.
#17
RE: Mechanical Broadhead issue
ORIGINAL: TFOX
I have found that I get SHORT track jobs,if at all when using even small diameter cut mechanicals.Is it double lung causing the 30 yard track jobs or the mechanicals?[8D]
ORIGINAL: Greg / MO
The one advantage is cutting width. Though I'm shooting fixed-blade heads currently, I enjoyed some extremely devastating wound channels with large-diameter cutting widths that produced blood trails that looked like they were poured out of a bucket. Of the 27 deer I shot with mechs before switching last year to Slick Tricks and this year to MX-3s, none of them travelled over 65 yards.
The one advantage is cutting width. Though I'm shooting fixed-blade heads currently, I enjoyed some extremely devastating wound channels with large-diameter cutting widths that produced blood trails that looked like they were poured out of a bucket. Of the 27 deer I shot with mechs before switching last year to Slick Tricks and this year to MX-3s, none of them travelled over 65 yards.
#18
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,413
RE: Mechanical Broadhead issue
A mechanical in many instances only works as well as the shooter; meaning shot placement is the greatest key.
I agree with TFOX. It's the double lung shot that results in a short tracking job. Whether they fall within sight, has more to do with your hunting terrain than what broadhead you used on that double lunger.
#19
RE: Mechanical Broadhead issue
I haven't shot as many deer as many of you(by choice) but I have had as many fixed head failures as I have mechanicals.
I found the mechanical failure deer and lost the fixed head deer.
I found the mechanical failure deer and lost the fixed head deer.
#20
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location:
Posts: 447
RE: Mechanical Broadhead issue
ORIGINAL: Jeff K in IL
I know this is my first post, but I feel that I need to answer such a post.
Mechanicals, are indeed a performing broadhead, many of them have the capability of out performing some of the well like fixed blade heads. Don't chalk up the use of the mechanicals to the fact that many of their users don't tune or shoot beforehand with them. I spend countless hours and days out of my pre season, shooting broadheads, and adjusting if necessary. A mechanical in many instances only works as well as the shooter; meaning shot placement is the greatest key. Don't be worried with Jackknife Style blades, one of the best: Rocket Steelheads uses such design. Don't be afraid of rubber bands either, more than 90% of the mechanicals still use them. If you test a mechanical, a soft spot on a target is not good IMO. A target like a Rhinehart 18-1 would work well. Or if you want to go more in depth, try using a leather glove in front of the target, or perhaps a piece of meat if you have one (a ham works well). I did a simple test with Rage, Rocket Steelheads, and NAP Spitfires, I shot through a 2" box, and recorded my results like the following: if the blades were deployed by the time the broadhead exited into my target. The NAP Spitfires, and Rocket Steelheads worked to perfection, while the Rage did not. Although I did the test, I took it with a grain of salt, since some of my closest friends have used the Rage 3-Blade without problems.
The point I am trying to get at is; you can do all the testing you want, but until you "test" in real life, all else is perhpas just suspected, or probable. Keep in mind a bad shot, is not a reason to blame the mechanical if performance was poor!
I know this is my first post, but I feel that I need to answer such a post.
Mechanicals, are indeed a performing broadhead, many of them have the capability of out performing some of the well like fixed blade heads. Don't chalk up the use of the mechanicals to the fact that many of their users don't tune or shoot beforehand with them. I spend countless hours and days out of my pre season, shooting broadheads, and adjusting if necessary. A mechanical in many instances only works as well as the shooter; meaning shot placement is the greatest key. Don't be worried with Jackknife Style blades, one of the best: Rocket Steelheads uses such design. Don't be afraid of rubber bands either, more than 90% of the mechanicals still use them. If you test a mechanical, a soft spot on a target is not good IMO. A target like a Rhinehart 18-1 would work well. Or if you want to go more in depth, try using a leather glove in front of the target, or perhaps a piece of meat if you have one (a ham works well). I did a simple test with Rage, Rocket Steelheads, and NAP Spitfires, I shot through a 2" box, and recorded my results like the following: if the blades were deployed by the time the broadhead exited into my target. The NAP Spitfires, and Rocket Steelheads worked to perfection, while the Rage did not. Although I did the test, I took it with a grain of salt, since some of my closest friends have used the Rage 3-Blade without problems.
The point I am trying to get at is; you can do all the testing you want, but until you "test" in real life, all else is perhpas just suspected, or probable. Keep in mind a bad shot, is not a reason to blame the mechanical if performance was poor!