Mechanical broadheads at 245 fps?

ninepointer · Post by **ninepointer** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:49 am

I shoot an Exocet 165 which gets around 240-250 fps depending on the arrow. Being a relatively slow bow, does this speed matter when it comes to mechanicals, in terms of reliability of deployment and penetration? I'm thinking of the Rage 2-blade or the Excalibur X-Act. I'd prefer a head without elastic bands or o-rings. Any thoughts/suggestions for my rig? Thanks

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:52 am

rage makes a new head designed for low speed bows.. I cant recall the name

but you will have no issues with the rage heads shooting 250fps.. my brother n law uses them on his bow and it was shooting 250-260(compound bow)

bait pile willie · Post by **bait pile willie** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 10:09 am

interesting read in latest trad.bowhunter on mechanical broadheads on penetration.

sumner4991 · Post by **sumner4991** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 10:26 am

The things I look at in a mechanical . . .simple design and big cuts. The broadheads with the spring retainers and the slip loc . . .they are probably fine. However, when I asked the manufacturers how long they would last . . .they didn't have an answer. They weren't willing to say 10 shots or two shots. I guess it just depends on too many factors. I know for a fact, they will eventually wear out. Maybe there is a way to check and maintaince them?? Not sure. That's why I throw an elastic band on my Spitfires. It doesn't effect the flight and I'm a little more confident in the broadhead.

Sounds silly in today's world of broadheads . . .but, I like the simpler designs. I also like the over the top blade deployment for the same reason. It's simple and it works. I am shooting with enough power to waste that little bit of energy opening the blades. No big deal, the broadhead still makes it all the way through the deer.

I don't like the O-rings because I think they are over kill. wabi keeps complaining about the broadhead that didn't open. It still got the job done and I'd keep shooting it because he was like 9 for 9 with that broadhead. Anyway, he had two O-rings on it. Over kill, and in certain conditions, those little O-rings get hard. I like the elastics much better because they are easy to check to make sure they are still good. Just give them a little pull. If they stretch out and snap back, then they are good to go.

A lot of people talk about using fixed blades because there are no moving parts to break. Well, I'm the same way in respect to the moving parts and mechanicals. Therefore, I look for the simple designs and I believe the elastic bands are hard to beat.

Big cuts . . .pretty self explainatory, eh? Use the largest possible cut that your bow can get all the way through a deer. Nothing less than 1.5". Well, unless you just like keeping your tracking skills in good form. The larger cut will down a deer faster, all else remaining the same. Same shot, same POI, same size deer . . .it's dropping faster with the larger cut . . .spine shots excluded.

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 5:20 pm

sumner4991 wrote: wabi keeps complaining about the broadhead that didn't open. It still got the job done and I'd keep shooting it because he was like 9 for 9 with that broadhead. Anyway, he had two O-rings on it. Over kill, and in certain conditions, those little O-rings get hard.

Let me add a little more detail to the comments.
I was double banding because I had a broadhead open in flight when I was testing them. One O-ring would not always keep the blades closed!
The deer the broadhead didn't open on was a perfect heart shot. It had about a 3/4" hole through it's heart is the reason I was able to recover it. Had it been a double lung it may have died, but I doubt if it would have gone down quickly.

I am trying some new mechanicals this year. I haven't even shot one at a target yet, but I do plan to use the elastic dental bands on them. I am guessing, but I think the O-rings may have rolled back off the blades on launch on the ones that opened in flight. The blades snapped out a bit from the inertia, and the round O-ring would just roll back. I'm (again - just guessing) of the opinion the rubber bands may stay in place and just snap the blades closed again if the spring out slightly when launched.

As for the blades that didn't open - it was a young button buck, and the skin may have just been too thin (tender) to open the blades with 2 O-rings in place. Never had any problem before, but most of the deer I had shot were older.

B-Logger · Post by **B-Logger** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 6:08 pm

I've shot Spitfires from a bow shooting 204 fps as well as the Exomag and have encountered no problems. I do not rubber band them either.

michiganman · Post by **michiganman** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 10:09 pm

you will have no problems with the 1.5" rocket sidewinder.i have shot many deer at 240fps.blows open on contact,also .036 blades.

sumner4991 · Post by **sumner4991** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 10:23 pm

wabi . . .thanks for the additional information. I would have never guessed that one O-ring would not keep the blades shut. I agree with your accessment, they must have rolled. Seems like the logical choice. However, I would also think the skin or the meat would be tough enough to break open those blades. The whole thing was a fluke . . .except for the shot placement.

I place the elastics close to the tip . . .not sure where they are suppose to be placed. Never had a problem. They also are pushed back upon impact and usually are still on the shaft when I recover the arrow. I have reused the elastics, if they still look OK.

Rich · Post by **Rich** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:01 pm

The RAGE 40KE was designed specifically for those with short draw lengths and/or light draw weights who generate less than 40 foot pounds of kinetic energy. http://www.ragebroadheads.com/Products40KE.aspx

Rich