.... Fixed-Blade Broadheads Are Better than Mechanicals. And Here’s the Proof It's an old debate: fixed-blade vs. mechanical broadheads. After extensive testing and years of bowhunting, the author is ready to put the question to rest. Fixed-blades are better. https://www.fieldandstream.com/hunt...p_AKEQ_UuF0QNLihqKjNba_imH_xEed8tKtPiwBZF2ZAc while I have shot both Mechs and fixed, I have settled into using Fixed as my primary heads ....one, is the strength, there isnt a mech that is as strong as a well made fixed head .. Two, no moving parts, less chance of blades breaking, ferrules bending ... 3, Better chances of full pass thru's, or at least two holes ... I still use mechs from time to time, but they are usually all steel, and no more than a 1.5" cut to help in penetration (Steelhead XL's and reg. Steelheads, and an occasional Sidewinder), but when it comes down to it, Fixed will always be my first choice out of my primary bow ... ok, let the game begin .......
why not, we're in between seasons in most places ........ show me a mech that is as strong or stronger than a good fixed head ..... I dont think there is one ....
I'll take the bait... sorta.. lol. Both work very well out of a well tuned bow and good shot placement. I've killed with both and lost deer with both. Im currently shooting a mechanical and have had zero issues. I chose to switch to them simply because I wasn't happy with the poor blood trails I was getting out of fixed heads. Slick Tricks and Muzzys. Maybe a single bevel head would yeild better blood trails, I don't know. But, going back to my first statements. I can almost guarentee that the reason for my shot to kill ratio being so good is that I've matured as a hunter over the last 20 years and don't take stupid shots. If the situation doesn't feel right... I lay off.
From the article... These are the types of arguments that make me roll my eyes. For a variety of reasons. Mechanicals outsell fixed blades by a large margin. The fact that there are more of them being used lends itself to more game being lost when shot with one. Without knowing the recovery % of animals shot with one versus the other, this is not a figure that should be used to calculate effectiveness. (later in the article he mentions a study showing mechanicals have a higher recovery % than fixed blades, thus contradicting his own point). Speaking in gross generalities - the "weekend warrior" types are more inclined to shoot mechanicals than fixed blades. These types tend to be less concerned about arrow weight and bow tuning than fixed-blade shooters. In a lot of cases they're shooting mechanicals to get around having to tune their bow and shoot a proper setup. Which, in itself, skews toward a poor outcome. Garbage in, garbage out. We interviewed Tracker John last year who has arguably been on more blood trails than any other tracker in the country. He's seen it all, and said he has not seen a difference in fixed versus mechanical in recovery rates. We also talked to Scott & Angie Denny at Table Mountain Outfitters, who guide hundreds of bowhunters each fall and have seen it all and then some. They prefer their hunters shoot mechanicals as most of their errant shots are far back, not far forward. So for every person who anecdotally has seem more of one result, there are just as many who have seen the opposite. This one made me laugh a little. Last I checked, shooting one smack in the shoulder could certainly be considered a "terrible shot". I also love the "cattle rib test". Never mind the fact that we're not hunting or shooting cattle. We're shooting whitetails. Therefore, my flimsy mechanical doesn't need to hold up to a cattle rib. BECAUSE I'M NEVER GOING TO SHOOT A COW WITH A DEER HUNTING SETUP. I did appreciate that he brought up arrow flight because that's a major role in the effectiveness of any broadhead. Poor arrow flight will equal poor penetration - every time. And yes, mechanicals can be expensive. Most of them are "throwaway" broadheads these days. One and done. I'll give him that.
You're missing out, bruh. With heavy setups and single bevels there's no longer such thing as a stupid shot. "High FOC: Any Angle, Any Distance"
well, DUH .. either will work IF you hit 'em in the right place, BUT, what if you dont ... even if I should hit back, instead of forward, a 1 1/4" fixed will allow recovery same as a large mech will, hell, even a small cut fixed will, just give it time to expire and dont push it, but for forward shots, fixed wins hands down ... yea, I know mechs have been used on large game in NA, even over on large African plains game, but there are reasons they arnt allowed for most dangerous game ... Ive killed some big bucks with mechs, but the older I get, the wiser I get and prefer a good stout 1 1/4" fixed head .... Wicked Trick or Exodus ...
Not necessarily. With a 2" cut 3-blade mechanical you're doing a lot more damage and exponentially increasing chances of an easier recovery. Killing them is one thing. Finding them is another. It's impossible to quantify how much better one is than the other whether it's a forward/bone shot, or a back/gut shot. But if we're going to argue the pros and cons of each, we have to be honest with ourselves. A bigger wound channel has a larger chance of cutting something important and creating better blood trails. Nobody is going to argue this. But most people aren't bowhunting dangerous game. We're hunting whitetails.
or elk, or moose, or BIG bear or Bison .... I know some would/have use(d) a mech. on those, I sure as hell wouldnt ...
Please think about the environment. The only BH any of us should use is https://www.knifecountryusa.com/sto...WGd2y-bZKiT8mqx7I8Vw4dM_su4wWNTkaAidJEALw_wcB They can be recycled and since it's not likely the animal will die quick it will help sustain the coyotes. Circle of life boys Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
New Years Resolution was to refrain from posting (not reading) on all the forums I visit daily. But I have a STRONG opinion on this topic. Ahh ****, shoot what you want. Hell, it's just an animal right?
Just because I was woken by the worst case of the -itis I've had in a long time and I've got nothing better to do than post crap in the middle of the night.. I'll make the point that SevR 1.5" are tougher than most fixed heads on the market. Especially anything with an aluminum ferrule. That and I would absolutely shoot a cow with my deer set up. No visor needed.
I will sum it up. I don't give a crap what another man or woman puts on the end of their hunting arrow and I sure as hell do not give a crap what a person thinks of what broad head I use.
