what blades do you use

[kd8jgu]

Sitting here today sharpening some broad heads
Got to wondering what others use
I hunt with my Exomax and also long bow (well starting again)

for crossbow I use
deer: Bolt cutters 150gn
hog and larger: Magnus Stinger Buzzcut 150gn 4 blade

Long bow
all: Magnus "Classic" 2bld 125gn
small game: Ace hex blunts 125gn

So what do others use and do you use different depending on game?

[Deerstalker]

CB only & I use Boltcutters, 150gr and Slick Trick Mags 150 or 125gr.

[maine hunter]

I like the rage 125 for deer and 125 g5 montecs for bear.

[mr meat]

x-bow only wasp hamer sst 125gr and 125gr swhackers shoot same as field points,the wasps didn,t shoot the same in the Matrix-355 so will be looking for something else and will go with the 100gr head

[Hunt it]

I shoot Longbow as well most of the time. I use my Xbow - Matrix, Exo Mag prior, wolverine and exocet prior. I use the Xbow for nightime hog hunting in Texas. Going to try out some Slick Trix and some G5 xbow Strikers to see how they perform out of Matrix.

As for longbow the 160gr STOS with 125gr insert is my go to broadhead. I use Silver Flames (180gr for ligyht critters) and the 300Xtreme and 300gr Tuff heads for the big stuff.

[Bugflipper]

I use swhacker 125s. I had a jackhammer sst not stick a few years ago and put a slice on the hide but not really get into meat. I'd used sst for 15 years or so prior without one problem. I guess the angle was just right. I wanted to go with a 3 blade but the quartering deal had me worried and swhackers are supposed to be good at that. The blood trails are unbelievable with the new head. Liking them so far.

[vixenmaster]

Now i only shoot crossbows & all i own are Excals. I use n have used Montec G5 & Striker mag. Snuffer 125, Slicktrick mag. & RazorTricks. Spitfire, Steelhead, Boltcutters. I picked up half dz swhacker 2" to try out this season. Seems like i have had over 6 requests fer deer meat help from needy ppl this yr already. I usually use 3-4 myself, so it looks like i had better kill about 10 of them or so. Reminds of when i was livin down home in Ms. Killin 10 20 sometimes 85 or 90 deer durin the season. I knowed what yer thinkin! Back them Ms. had a deer a day limit & 120 day season. Some clubs i were on had crop permits in which we had to kill serveral thousand deer that Fall

[xbowrook]

i hunt with my excal pheonix.. love it, was considering up grading to a matrix, but if it's not broke, don't fix it.. lol.. i started with the boltcutters, had little luck with them.. they flew great, but i shot 2 deer right in the vitals and didn't find them.. .so i switched back to the wasp jackhammer sst fixed blade 125 grain, killed 3 deer last year... considering going to the 125 grain schwackers, but can't find them here ( ontario, canada) so i may consider ordering online.. we will see.. love the large cutting diameter..

[Hunt it]

Rook,

For what you are shooting those boltcutters are hard to beat. Yes small cutting diameter but lethal and deadly. We've dropped five moose in the last two years all guys using boltcutters. You gotta hit them right.

If you want big hole and are shooting whitetail and smaller at 40yrds and under then I'd consider the NAP Spitfire they are solid accurate and leave a BIG hole. I would not use them on moose however.

[mr meat]

xbowrook you can get the swhackers at BassPro and Erie Trackers Outfitters in Port Colborne

[frisky]

I deer hunt only. I use the MEATSEEKER expandable in 3 blade, 100 grain, love em.

[xbowrook]

Rook,

For what you are shooting those boltcutters are hard to beat. Yes small cutting diameter but lethal and deadly. We've dropped five moose in the last two years all guys using boltcutters. You gotta hit them right.

If you want big hole and are shooting whitetail and smaller at 40yrds and under then I'd consider the NAP Spitfire they are solid accurate and leave a BIG hole. I would not use them on moose however.

oh i agree.. i dropped 2 deer with them the first year, but last year, don't know what happened.. i watched my bolts both go right behind the front leg, looked like a perfect shot.. don't know, just must have missed the vitals by a small margin.. thus the reason i want a bigger cutting diameter.. never hunted moose with a bow, would love to try, just live too far away from moose country..

[IronNoggin]

Had sort of the same issues with the Boltcutters...

First button buck I took with the Ibex literally dropped in his tracks with the Boltcutters, and I thought These are The Way to Go!

The very next day I stalked to within 20 yards of a young doe, made a good shot, and away she went. Thank The Goddess for snow! Some blood (NOT lots) and recovered her over 100 yards away. Surprised at the distance given the shot:



Last year was a similar story. Figured the long run was perhaps a one-off, so stuck with the Boltcutters when I graduated to the Exomax. Saw the arrow zip right through the "Sweet Spot" behind the shoulder on a whitetail doe at 25 yards. Sausage Running was my thought...

No snow on the ground. Nothing in terms of a blood trail...
Been trackin' critters (and people - NASAR Tech) since I could crawl, and even with that background it took well over an hour to recover that deer. Only blood on the ground was about 25-30 yards from where she lay - 140 yards away from point of impact.

NOT what I'd expect from a shot like this:



And although the Bolcutters did drop the mainland Mulie and Island Blacktail basically in their tracks, those were not "lung shots". The blacktail had his spine severed just under the chin, and the Muley had both carotid arteries, windpipe and shoulder taken out. They weren't going far regardless of the head employed.

My Partner was using 4-blade Slick Tricks. The blood trails they left were amazing in comparison, with pretty much the exact same shot placement. And none of his three made it more than 30 yards. Hmmm...

Pondered this heavily while waiting the Matrix to roll in, and soon traded off all my Boltcutters to a member here - gave them a good deal as I wanted shed of them.

I've since decided to go with the 125 grain Spitfires. Good reviews, and a PH Hunting Buddy in South Africa who offers hunts for plains game completely endorsed them - noting they have never failed to recover an animal shot with that broadhead. Good Enough! I will also be packing a few of those Slick Tricks for "back-up", but fully expect the Spitfires to do the vast majority of this year's work.

The Spitfires fly damn true with the factory Diablos. Can't wait to see their performance with the Black Eagle Executioners!

Cheers,
Nog

[DuckHunt]

The Rage 3-blade head is very effective, but a bit pricey and not as durable as I need. Unlike many, I get the option to fling a half dozen arrows a year at least. The rocky soil around here is hell on heads and not easy on shafts. Because bang for the buck factors in my equation, I'm partial to the Trophy Ridge/Rocket Sidewinder 100gr head for my ExoMax and my vertical bow. It flies true and will do its part if I do mine. I get most packs for around $23 US.

If I know steep angles won't be in the mix (like when ground hunting), then I like the Trophy Ridge/Rocket Hammerhead 3-blade 100gr. The 2" cut is devastating.

I shoot the same heads in my vertical bows as I do in my ExoMax.

DuckHunt

[rej]

I hunt with xbow only now (Vortex). I have shortened firebolts tipped with the 175 gr. SlickTrick mag. Penetration and accuracy are excellent. They are fletched with 2" blazers using the "Bolt" fletching tool. They pass through large animals easily. I also have a few shortened firebolts tipped with the 125 gr. NAP Hellrazor. I like this fixed BH as it can be field sharpened easily and penetrates very well. The down side to them is the points can be damaged much more easily if they hit something very hard on pass through. They hit 2" lower than the SlickTrick 175 gr. without changing sighting. For small game I use blunts so I do not have to waste time looking for arrows.