Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude
Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
Hi gang, for those that can understand french, there is a great article in Aventure Chasse & Pêche (french magazine) about mecanical boltheads.
They tested several (I believe they had 15 different heads) with 3 crossbows of different strength (fps). With the most powerful crossbow, all heads opened up upon firing (or right after leaving the crossbow). Same results with the mid-speed crossbow. Even with the slowest of the crossbow, a lot of them opened up.
They calculated the group size and when the heads opened up, the group size with certain heads was huge. They gave a couple of pointers on how to test for these and listed a couple of solutions.
It was an interesting read!
Anyone else catch a glimpse of the article?
David
They tested several (I believe they had 15 different heads) with 3 crossbows of different strength (fps). With the most powerful crossbow, all heads opened up upon firing (or right after leaving the crossbow). Same results with the mid-speed crossbow. Even with the slowest of the crossbow, a lot of them opened up.
They calculated the group size and when the heads opened up, the group size with certain heads was huge. They gave a couple of pointers on how to test for these and listed a couple of solutions.
It was an interesting read!
Anyone else catch a glimpse of the article?
David
Re: Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
High poundage recurves are a particular problem. Some good ones I have found even for the matrix mega 405 ate excalibur x act, g5 t3 crossbow version, nap killzone crossbow head and the grave diggers
Excalibur Revx
Hawke Xb 30 pro
16.5 inch wyverncreations.com zombie slayers
SWAT juggernaut broadhead
Hawke Xb 30 pro
16.5 inch wyverncreations.com zombie slayers
SWAT juggernaut broadhead
- StormDragon
- Posts: 526
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- Location: South Jersey
Re: Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
I plan on dental banding my Grim Reaper X-bow Razortips for my Micro just in case.
I havent tried it yet but i think I have the banding procedure concept after reading about it so I will try it out on a live broadhead and see how things go.
I havent tried it yet but i think I have the banding procedure concept after reading about it so I will try it out on a live broadhead and see how things go.
Micro 335 Nightmare: Morning Star
Elite Synergy; Krampus
Elite Synergy; Krampus
Re: Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
I missed a nice buck with a mechanical opening up in flight. Never again. Fixed for me.
Re: Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
why i only use fixed head slick tricks, nothing to go wrong ....
exocet 200. STS dampers.
boo string and trigger work.
munch mount quiver mount.
125 gr slick trick magums.
2" blazers on 2117 XX75 w/ brass inserts.
boo string and trigger work.
munch mount quiver mount.
125 gr slick trick magums.
2" blazers on 2117 XX75 w/ brass inserts.
Re: Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
yup... it's hard to beat the 150 grain Slick Tricks or Boltcutters.
Vixen II
Ibex
Vortex
Swhacker Broadheads
Ibex
Vortex
Swhacker Broadheads
Re: Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
Do the boltcutters have a good reputation?
I hate when things can go wrong, since they always seem to go wrong at the worst possible time (damn you Murphy!). This is why I was eyeing fixed blades as well, long before I read that review.
The fix is usually simple though, simply adding an extra o-ring will usually do the trick for most mecanical heads.
David
I hate when things can go wrong, since they always seem to go wrong at the worst possible time (damn you Murphy!). This is why I was eyeing fixed blades as well, long before I read that review.
The fix is usually simple though, simply adding an extra o-ring will usually do the trick for most mecanical heads.
David
Re: Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
I went to tricks after I could not get my bolt cutters to fly anyway good ....
exocet 200. STS dampers.
boo string and trigger work.
munch mount quiver mount.
125 gr slick trick magums.
2" blazers on 2117 XX75 w/ brass inserts.
boo string and trigger work.
munch mount quiver mount.
125 gr slick trick magums.
2" blazers on 2117 XX75 w/ brass inserts.
-
- Posts: 2978
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 10:21 pm
- Location: Thompson/Nicola, British Colombia
Re: Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
I've been using the boltcutters since I bought my bow in 2010. Have never missed a
shot on big game. It is a very robust broadhead. In fact, I still have two of the original boltcutters that I bought with the bow. One went into a tree after a passthrough and I couldn't dig it out. You don't get field point accuracy target practicing with a boltcutter, but will still hit a two inch circle at 50 yards. For me, the top selling point of the boltcutter is the ease of blade changing. No teeny tiny screws to fart around with. The tip unscrews, slide new blades in, screw tip back in and your done. I once shot a boltcutter through the doors of an old import beater car and only had to replace the blades.
Hank
shot on big game. It is a very robust broadhead. In fact, I still have two of the original boltcutters that I bought with the bow. One went into a tree after a passthrough and I couldn't dig it out. You don't get field point accuracy target practicing with a boltcutter, but will still hit a two inch circle at 50 yards. For me, the top selling point of the boltcutter is the ease of blade changing. No teeny tiny screws to fart around with. The tip unscrews, slide new blades in, screw tip back in and your done. I once shot a boltcutter through the doors of an old import beater car and only had to replace the blades.
Hank
Re: Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
I use two bands on my rocket hammerheads! They open when they impact the deer! Very easy fix! My 355 shoots pretty fast too.
Team Matrix 355
Matrix 355 The Crusher
TT 2 stage trigger
Executioner arrows
Easton XX75 magnums 2219
Xcaliber custom string
Boo Custom String
Vixenmaster Custom string
8ptbuk string
Rocket 3 blade 2" cut
Slick tricks
HSS Vest 30' lifeline
Matrix 355 The Crusher
TT 2 stage trigger
Executioner arrows
Easton XX75 magnums 2219
Xcaliber custom string
Boo Custom String
Vixenmaster Custom string
8ptbuk string
Rocket 3 blade 2" cut
Slick tricks
HSS Vest 30' lifeline
Re: Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
I'm going to try this dead ringer trauma 3 1/8" cut 125 gr head this year, notice the thick band on it. I tested it a 30yds and it flies dead nuts!
Team Matrix 355
Matrix 355 The Crusher
TT 2 stage trigger
Executioner arrows
Easton XX75 magnums 2219
Xcaliber custom string
Boo Custom String
Vixenmaster Custom string
8ptbuk string
Rocket 3 blade 2" cut
Slick tricks
HSS Vest 30' lifeline
Matrix 355 The Crusher
TT 2 stage trigger
Executioner arrows
Easton XX75 magnums 2219
Xcaliber custom string
Boo Custom String
Vixenmaster Custom string
8ptbuk string
Rocket 3 blade 2" cut
Slick tricks
HSS Vest 30' lifeline
-
- Posts: 13618
- Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2005 3:51 pm
- Location: Western Ky
Re: Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
This topic can go on n on. Best is to use what you feel most comfortable usin. The only Mech. i have ever open on me in flight was a rage! Cost me a nice 8 pt. I don't feel bad about Mech. BH's i jus don't use Rage BH's anymore. I have killed a dump truck load of tick toters usin the Mech. BH's n will continue to use them. Jus need to put yer bands or o rings on them fer the speed yer shootin. Or in case of the Spitfires don't use past a certain speed
- racking up points
- Posts: 1608
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- Location: Windsor, ON
Re: Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
Good advice there^^^^vixenmaster wrote:This topic can go on n on. Best is to use what you feel most comfortable usin. The only Mech. i have ever open on me in flight was a rage! Cost me a nice 8 pt. I don't feel bad about Mech. BH's i jus don't use Rage BH's anymore. I have killed a dump truck load of tick toters usin the Mech. BH's n will continue to use them. Jus need to put yer bands or o rings on them fer the speed yer shootin. Or in case of the Spitfires don't use past a certain speed
Leupold Optics
Boo Custom Strings
Black Eagle Arrows
Ti64.com Fastener Kits
Boo Custom Strings
Black Eagle Arrows
Ti64.com Fastener Kits
Re: Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
Tried the Rage and won't never use mechanicals again, nope not none of them. Montec G5 is all I use now and will continue to use.
outback
outback
Re: Mecanical heads opening up upon firing
Had this problem with NAP Spitfires when shot out of Excal and Speed Vertical bows. Spitfires used a dimpled friction shim to keep blades closed instead of rubber band. The friction was pretty good on brand new blades and shims, but the problem was that once it was opened/closed a couple times the force to do so diminished slightly. The fast loading of the Recurve and high poundage speed vertical bows simply overcame that friction upon firing.
I discovered this during paper tuning them with a Hoyt Supertec one year. I noticed one or 2 blades were open as it passed through the paper. I also confirmed this with my Excals. There were 3 solutions:
1. Put blades on and never open them...(somewhat impossible given storage in quiver and a million other reasons why they might accidentally be opened.)
2. Take shims out and dimple them even further with a matching small cylinder shaped punch. This definitely worked perfectly and allowed you to reuse the shims indefinitely simply by performing this when changing out blades or resharpening them.
3. Remove the shims altogether and simply use the rubber bands that other expandables used(aka dental brace bands). This was absolute, and the route I chose simply because...it was simple and I believe it requires the least amount of force to open the blades.
The way to find out if this is an issue for your setup is to simply shoot through paper. It's easy to tell the difference between a fletching tear and an opened blade, but if that's confusing, shoot an un-fletched arrow..
If you discover it's happening, there are all kinds of ways to remedy this with each type of mech, or you can just give up and switch back to fixed blades and accommodate the slight variance they might have in flight vs field points.
I discovered this during paper tuning them with a Hoyt Supertec one year. I noticed one or 2 blades were open as it passed through the paper. I also confirmed this with my Excals. There were 3 solutions:
1. Put blades on and never open them...(somewhat impossible given storage in quiver and a million other reasons why they might accidentally be opened.)
2. Take shims out and dimple them even further with a matching small cylinder shaped punch. This definitely worked perfectly and allowed you to reuse the shims indefinitely simply by performing this when changing out blades or resharpening them.
3. Remove the shims altogether and simply use the rubber bands that other expandables used(aka dental brace bands). This was absolute, and the route I chose simply because...it was simple and I believe it requires the least amount of force to open the blades.
The way to find out if this is an issue for your setup is to simply shoot through paper. It's easy to tell the difference between a fletching tear and an opened blade, but if that's confusing, shoot an un-fletched arrow..
If you discover it's happening, there are all kinds of ways to remedy this with each type of mech, or you can just give up and switch back to fixed blades and accommodate the slight variance they might have in flight vs field points.
Matrix 405/Vixen stock -XB 30
Matrix 380/Vixen stock - XB 30
Offspring-XB1
Maxpoint- XB1
Matrix 380/Vixen stock - XB 30
Offspring-XB1
Maxpoint- XB1