Recently purchased a pack of Slick Tricks to see how they would fly for me and I loved them - they seem to fly better out of my rig than what I had been shooting... Only concern with my setup for elk this year, is that extra blade (4 blade vs. 3 blade) and the fact that my setup is shooting around 240fps - don't want a penetration problem. So I guess a couple of questions. What BH's have you had good luck on elk with and do you have any experience using a 4 blade BH on any bigger boned animals such as an elk?
I killed my elk in 07 with an ST magnum 100 grain, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot any animal in North America with a Slick Trick. You should be just find IMO. Are you hunting in the Black Hills?
I've never been lucky enough to arrow an elk yet but I've been along on a few hunts that elk were taken. The few elk that were shot while I was hunting with these guys were shot using cut on contact BH's. 2 of the three kills were done by 125 grain 3 blade Screw In Snuffers (1 4/16 cutting diameter). One was a complete pass through and the other produced 2 holes. Snuffers are a bigger head so I see no reason why a 4 blade slick trick wouldn't work. My only concern with them heads Is that there not 100% cut on contact BH's but at least the tip of the Slick Trick Is a sharpened chisel point. Shouldn't be a problem In the least like Dubbya said.
I agree about the Slick Tricks. I took my bull with a 100 gr Muzzy. There is not a ton of difference in many of the top fixed blade heads which is what I would recommend. Yes I'm sure many bull elk have been taken with mechanicals but none will ever be out of my bow. Though I choose and love Snypers for whitetail and whitetail sized game, I'll never shoot one at an Elk sized animal. That's just me. Not pointing fingers at anyone would opt differently. (Internet shame I have to type that.)
I certainly agree staying with a fixed blade BH for larger animals... I know in my home state for example, mechanical BH's aren't even legal on elk....
You mention that you are "shooting around 240fps" but what is your arrow weight??? If it's a 300gr arrow, then I think Magnus Stingers or some other small cut-on-contact is the only way to go, if above 400gr, then I think there are many good BH's that you could use, including those ST's you just picked up. I'll hopefully be lobbing ST's at elk come September, but I'm shooting a 445 gr. arrow around 280-282fps.
I would say that the broadhead you have choosen will be fine. The important thing is the kinetic energy which is what will help with getting a complete pass thru on a well placed shot. At 240 feet, you will need an arrow weight of 400 grains to produce approx 51 ft lbs...for elk Easton recommends between 42-65...so with that weight you would be in the middle scale. Personally I prefer to have no less than 60 ft lbs. I hear many bowhunters think it depends on the draw weight of the bow, but there is a little more to it than that.
That is about what my recurve set up is right now and I wouldn't be afraid to hunt with it either. The Easton guide is just that, a guide or a recommendation. I know that when I return back to Colorado I will be packing my recurve. Keep in mind that as the arrow travels down range it losses KE. Where we may not shoot 40 yards at an elk, with a compound and a good shooter, that is still within the effective range.
I had the pleasure of sharing camp with a guy last year who took his first Elk with a Slick Trick broadhead , that Elk did not go far at all . If i use my Compound next year to hunt Elk , my arrows will be equipped with Slick Trick 100grn Broadheads for sure . If i go with my Longbow , I'll use either 125grn Outback supreme single bevel broadheads or maybe Snuffer 125grn .
Then I think you want either a heavy 150gr BH or a 2 blade COC type BH based on that KE. Based on that 240fps, and the KE, you must be shooting around 350-360gr arrows, and they're not gonna carry momentum very well, 2 blade COC is the only way I'd even consider it.
