# Mechanical VS Fixed Blade Broadheads for crossbows



## iceman71

I am looking to replace my old broadheads and have been looking at mechanical's. However it makes me nervous about where or not they will open before they reach their target. Any one use them currently? Right now I am using Thunderhead 100's...


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## crappiedude

I've used both and have killed deer with both. I've never had a problem with a mechanicals but I have to admit I still prefer my fixed blade Wasp. I just have such good luck with the Wasp I can't see an advantage to changing. 
It seems to me my fixed blade heads will have a tendancy to hit about 2" higher than my field tips. I guess it's because of the plaining effect of the broadhead. So a few years ago I switched to 75 grain field points and 100 grain broad heads. This set up holds good out to 50 yards.
I know lots of guys who shoot mechanicals with no problems.
I say shoot the set up that gives you the best performance, who cares what kind of head it is.


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## DrZ

I love mechanicals for hunting deer with my compound, but I don't see much advantage over fixed if you are using a crossbow. If they shoot good, stick with Thunderheads; they are an awesome head. There are not many heads that have a better track record.


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## T-180

I've used the NAP spitfire mechanicals for 3 years & have taken 3 nice bucks without any problem whatsoever. The furthest any deer ran was about 75 yards. I just purchased replacement blades & will use them again this year. They shoot like my field tips so I know where it will hit while I was having some consistency problems with fixed blade 100's. However, I've used fixed blade heads on my compound & recurve & love those, too. If the head you're using now is accurate and trouble free, I think I'd stay with them.


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## BOO

Rage broadheads!!! Ive never had a problem with them opening and they leave one hell of a blood trail.


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## Ted Dressel

I use the NAP SPITFIRES myself love'm.As always shoot what you are comfortable with.


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## ufaquaoiler

ive never had problems with fixed blades once you find what works well, but i watched my friend lose a deer because of a mechanical that didnt open. he said he saw his arrow sticking out almost perfect as the deer ran off and it went through a corn field chock full of weeds. i recovered my deer and got it loaded then went to help him. we found a little trickle of blood in well over 3 hours and that was it. months later i was rabbit hunting that area and found a doe skeleton with his unopened arrowhead inside the rib cage about 100 yards from his stand. garunteed to get cutting surface with fixed blades though!


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## bkr43050

Personally I have never felt the need to try any mechanicals myself. I have always subscribed to the theory that the need for a mechanical broadhead is due to an improperly tuned bow or arrow & broadhead or a combination of both. I am not saying mechanicals will not work well but if I am able to put a fixed blade where I want it I see no need to put my trust on whether a set of blades is going to deploy properly.

Use the search feature here on the site and you will be able to find PLENTY of discussions in the past about the topic.


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## Fish-N-Fool

Mechanicals leave some nasty blood trails when they work properly. However, there are way too many stories out ther about all (including RAGE) the mechanicals.

I've never even shot a mechanical in full disclosure. But, I have freinds that made the "media switch" to mechanicals and have seen firsthand bad results (compound bows, but what's the difference?). I don't know anybody that shoots mechanicals currently.

I've been a Muzzy guy for many years and killed a slew of deer with them. I see mechanical supporters talking about easy tracking jobs and short distances.....darn near every deer I've bow shot in the last 10 years has fallen in my sight. I know for certain the last 10 deer I've bow killed - not one made it more than 65 yards and I watched every single deer fall over dead. 

Bottom line.....there isn't technology to compensate for poor shots. I'm not an eltist...I have too made a poor shot; I have unfortunately shot a couple deer over the years and never recovered them. The fixed blade Muzzy has also saved my butt a couple times crushing right through the shoulder blade and killing the deer very quickly on a shot too far forward.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!


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## ufaquaoiler

im giving the 100 grain muzzy 4 blade broadheads a try this year and so far i am very pleased with the results. at 20 yards from my crossbow (320 fps) they were right on with my field points. my arrows for my compound bow are being fletched so ill have to wait a while before trying them on that, but id have to imagine them being very similar to field points. i had eastman 3 blades with a 1" diameter last year and liked them due to their great flight and the smaller diameter slipped between ribs no problem leaving my arrow stuck in the ground about 4", but im giving the muzzys a try to see if 4 blades leave a better blood trail. out of the 2 deer i got with those heads, both went down within 100 yards, but niether left a very good trail.


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## ezbite

ive always shot thunderhead 125's but i never shot at anything over 25/30 yards. a friend gave me some rage 100's at christmas and ive been shooting them around alot this year. im going use them this comming season. my reason, i shoot tighter groups at farther distances. 30-45 yards the thunderhead group tends open up and i do get an occasional flyer, but the rage group stays the same. not that i plan on shooting 45 yards, but i want the confidence to do so if a shot does present itself. besides that, i dont need to keep adjusting my sight like i do everytime i switch from thunderheads to field points. with the rage the sight stays the same, rage or field points. ive watched a lot of hunting shows where the kills were made by rage and man, talk about blood bath. of course, these shows are put out there by people who are sponsered by rage.lol.


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## bigbassturd

Fish-N-Fool you said it best. All my deer have gone down with 100grain Muzzys. I am yet to track a deer. I work with a guy who told me Rage was the best, he has never shot a deer. Fixed all the way.


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## BassSlayerChris

I see about all of the comments here are kinda long so im not reading them sorry if this is already posted but... 

GO RAGE!!!!!!!!! 
A rage makes a hole bigger than a slug from a 12 gauge. Both deer takin in the past year (when i started using them) droped instantly not one step after the impact.


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## Cool Hunter

I've tried rage, muzzy, thunderhead, and Montec G5s. I've seen Rage broadheads open up in mid flight on several occasions due to old rubber o-rings. I've also bought replacement blades at $20 a pop. I've had good luck with muzzy and thunderheads but you still have to buy replacement blades. 

As for penetration, fixed blades are the best. I would much rather have a fixed blade with a misplaced shot in the shoulder. I had a buddy go out west for an Elk hunt. They wouldn't let the guys use mechanical, they were only allowed to use fixed blade. That should tell you something.

I'm now using G5s. One piece, no replacement blades. You can resharpen the blades after they are used as long as you don't really tear them up. The design makes them easy to sharpen also. They are tough and I think they fly great. Killed a buck last year with them, he went 40 yards and fell over. No blood trail needed. 

A well placed shot is the key. Even well placed shots don't always produce good blood trails no matter what you use. Just watch the animals direction and where you last saw it after the shot. Thats the most important thing most of the time.


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