Mechanicals??

[brayhaven]

A guy shot a deer this weekend with a crossbow, using mechanicals, and the performance was impressive enough for me to consider trying them. He was using Spitfires (125 gr) (in a horton). Anyone else using these (what wt?) and what's your experience with them? Any other mechs that you've had good luck (or bad) with? Sorry if this has already been covered.
Thanks,
Greg

[Boltejector]

Greg, I have not used mechanicals. I see no need since I have always used Muzzy, and they do nothing less than create a very big gaping entry and exit wound/hole.

100 grain Muzzy all the way.

[Tom]

Spitfires are a good head. They are accurate, strong and with their practice blade setup, they hit exactly the same as the hunting heads. My dad had a head strike the backbone, fully penertrating with no broken blades (they did get bent, but did not break).

There downfall to me is their price, but I think that they are worth it, Exelent accuracy with the larger cutting sufface.

[Adrian J Hare]

I agree with Tom as I used to shoot Spits myself, I since changed to Grim Reaper , as I like the design of them a little better and how they work over all. I won't change back , They work way too good for me ...BT

[Hoss]

Tom I havent used spits myself but I have used buckblasters . They are a mean and nasty mech if and I say if you get a good clean shot and this may appliy to all mechs heck i dont know....But I have had a few instances where I thought if I had been shooting a fixed blade I would have not had premature or les than perfect opening or penetration.So I went back to fixed havent had those kinda probs since .just my pennies here.

good luck

Hoss

[wabi]

I used Wasp JakHammers out of my Vixen and got great accuracy & results. All deer hit died quickly, and I thought I'd found the perfect broadhead..... then I bought an Exocet
The very first one I tried opened in flight and hit way off target (on a foam target). I went to fixed blades and found a good setup, so I forgot about mechanicals for a while. Then I had the bright idea to use a heavier band, and it worked fine until I went to carbons for more speed... the JakHammers that did OK at 294 fps opened in flight at 310 fps! Back to fixed blades!
And I tried Grim Reapers, too. I wasn't impressed with their performance, so I never even attempted hunting with them.
So..... back to fixed blades! As long a SlickTricks and Montecs fly great and kill deer that are well hit, why fix what isn't broken?

[Guest]

Hi Brayhaven,

Your question was about who is using Spitfire mechanicals, correct?

I've been using the NAP Spitfire 100gr mechanicals for about 4 years with my Exocet.

Short of the long, i can't remember how many deer i've shot with them but i do remember, i've never lost a deer.

Lots of hair at the shot sight, great blood trails, solidly constructed ferrel, durable blades, somewhat adjustable, no elastics to deal with, i've never had one open in flight and have never had one NOT open on impact with deer.

As far as blade sharpness, i've actually used the same blades for the 2nd and 3rd kill.

On one occasion, a pass-thru shot ended up hitting the off hind leg and lodging into the thigh bone.....lost the Sirloin Tip BUT not the deer.
Matter of fact, it broke and shattered the thigh bone.
As far as the Spitfire mechanical, i'm still using it.

Hope that anwsers your question.

[Golden Eagle]

I used the Vortex mini-max pro extreme on my buck this year. Cut his heart almost in half like a butterfly porkchop. But I am still using a Vertical bow. I hope to get a exocet and might go back to fixed blades then.

[Moreland]

I'm using the NAP Shockwave 100s outta my compound bow setup. They told me at the proshop that mechanicals are better for beginners because they are easier to tune. I am seriously considering using the new NAP Crossfire heads but if I buy a new crossbow I guess i'll be using the WASP heads for the first season anyhow.

[kev]

I use NAP Shockwave 100's. I've been pleased with their results and blood trails.

[brayhaven]

Thanks for the input folks. Always some good comments from this crew. I was wondering if there was any real advantage and what the drawbacks of mechanicals are (if any). I can see there are devotees & critics of their use. I've been using muzzy 100 gr heads and they do fine. I was a little concerned about penetration in tough animals of the mechanicals. I hunt hogs along with deer and they can be tough. The bigger ones have a plate of "armor" over the vitals (outside the rib cage) that seems like cartilege. I've seen it stop a load of 00 buckshot & 2 22lr bullets in one hog I shot (someone else had shot him first). The 44 mag between the eyes wasn't stopped ). If a mechanical hits a heavy bone, is it stopped or are blades sheared off lessening it's effectiveness? How far into the animal does it usually open up? I'm just wondering if simpler might not be better. The muzzies shoot very well in my XB, so accuracy isn't a factor. Thanks again for your opinions.
Greg

[Tom]

.... I was wondering if there was any real advantage and what the drawbacks of mechanicals are (if any). ........ If a mechanical hits a heavy bone, is it stopped or are blades sheared off lessening it's effectiveness? How far into the animal does it usually open up? I'm just wondering if simpler might not be better. ....Greg

I find that the addvantages are that you can use a larger cutting dia wihtout the effects of wind on the head like you have with the larger fixed heads. In windy conditions I found that your groupings widened with large fixed Dia heads. the draw backs are that you need to make sure your maintenance is up to date, that is inspect your repaining clips or rubber bands to insure proper strength in holding closed in-flight.

As I said above, My dad sunk a Spitfire dirrectly into the center of the spine (from up in a tree stand). The tip of the head came out the bottom, but the head stopped in the spine. They needed a puller attached to the head (sliding weight on a rod, slid to the stopper on the end of rod) to pull it out of the spine. Not one blade was broke, nor was the tip of the head. Now every blade had a spiral twist to them, but they all stood up.

Now with the spitfire's, they open up on contact, fully open within 1/4 inch. I know this from tests I did with paper and cardbord. For your comment of is simpler better, it always is, but you need to weigh all the pro's and cons. I find the spitfire's to be very simple.

[Guest]

Having gone the whole gambit of broadhead formats (from 160 gr. cut-on-contact Deltas through to and including mechanicals) you will find PRO's/CON's regardless of what you choose.

From my experience, the biggest drawback to Fixed Blade and COC is trying to keep them sharp. The simple removal/inserting back/forth between quiver and string does cause the fixed blade and COC broadhead to loose some of it's surgical sharpness. Not so with mechanicals.
The other disadvantage i've found with replaceable fixed blade is blade thickness. The thickest blade i've found is a .027" in a 125gr. configuration.
Some of these blades are so thin, you can actually bend them by applying pressure on them.
Of course, this is not the case with the heavy COC broadheads and you can easily touch up a COC. Not easily done with fixed blades.

Hitting bone is taboo with any broadhead including many rifle cartidges.
If it's penetratrion one seeks (Hog, Moose, Elk) go with heavy weighted
shafts/bolts.

I believe using these sub-400 gr. shafts/bolts on the game above is asking for trouble.
You'll usually always get a pass-thru on a perfectly broadside animal but 'perfectly' is the operative and not always the case.

My recommendation:

Recurve/Longbow: Heavy COC broadheads, min. 5" spiral feathers, 600 gr. arrows.
Compounds under 65lbs: fixed blade, min. 500 gr. arrow
Compounds over 65lbs: fixed or mechanicals
Xbow: fixed or mechanicals

[brayhaven]

Hitting bone is taboo with any broadhead including many rifle cartidges.

Er-uh, Thanks "anony-moose". I'll keep that in mind. Now if we can just raise specialized deer with skeletal patterns on their hides showing were all the bones are, ribs etc. included, we can do better.
Greg

[Guest]

Hey Brayhaven,

My taboo comment was in direct response to your question:

"If a mechanical hits a heavy bone, is it stopped or are blades sheared off lessening it's effectiveness?"

Your subsequent comment:

"Now if we can just raise specialized deer with skeletal patterns on their hides showing were all the bones are, ribs etc. included, we can do better"

Smile ICON or not, some members certainly know how to close doors
on GUEST's who are entertaining the thought of joining this forum.
Keep one thing in mind, not all GUEST's trolls and from some of the post's i've been reading, no wonder some members have left or are leaving this forum!!!!

Good day to you Sir and good luck with your Muzzy's n Mag's.