Mechanical broadheads for elk.

[Chadd314]

So I have really been interested in trying mechanical broadheads for elk since washington is legal now but just wanna hear some others opinions and if anyone currently uses them for elk. I have been told the swackers by a couple people since they enter a little further before opening. Open for any advice though. Thanks!

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[5MilesBack]

I've used the 125gr NAP Spitfires and GR Fatal Steels with outstanding results, but I also have a 32 1/2" draw shooting a 500+ grain arrow.

 

[Chadd314]

Damn! Yeah I'm a 28 inch draw

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[BigAntlerGetter]

I'm an outfitter and am really skeptical about mechanicals, I try to discourage them just in case of failure. But some clients love them and I don't say absolutely not.
This past season I had a client from Wildgame innovations come out on an archery elk hunt. He is sponsored by Bloodsport and had the new hybrid mechanical. They are a very cool looking broadhead and can be used as a hybrid or a non mechanical. You can adjust the tension on the blades to open how you like or lock them down to be used as 1/4" bleeder blades. They also have a cut on contact head which I really liked. Anyways the client ended up taking a 97 yard shot on a bull, yes long ways but I was to far away to stop him from shooting. He ended up punching through the rib on his side and it passed all the way and lodged into the far side rib. The blood trail was pretty good for only having one hole and the arrow broke off 15 yards after the shot. The bull piles up wishing 30 seconds and 65 yards.
The thing for me after cleaning the bull was the penetration at that distance and the blood trail we had to follow. It made it really easy for me to find in the dark. IMO the cut on contact head would be a selling point as you are still getting 1 1/4" of cut if the mechanical blades fail.
My brother shoots the shwackers hasn't got an elk with them yet but did harvest a deer a few years ago off an unlucky shot that ended up hitting the buck in the spine, the blades deployed and one blade went between the vertebrae to severe the spinal cord. That is pretty awesome that they still deployed with that kind of shot.
Yes I will say even fixed blade broadheads may have lost animals, every broadhead will fail at some point. But if something goes wrong I prefer fixed blade or a hybrid now.

 

[Northernpiker]

I have nothing against mechanical broadheads (maybe a tiny bit) but as long as I can get my fixed to fly good I'll use them. I used some about 15 years ago and didn't like the penetration I had on a whitetail. I'm sure they've come along way since then. Might as well start an argument .

 

[Backpack Hunter]

1-3/8" cut Grim Reaper Razortips have always worked well for me.

 

[ckleeves]

A good heavy arrow out of a well tuned bow and mechanicals are flat out deadly on elk. I like the Rage SS personally. I think between myself and my close hunting buddies we are at well over a dozen Bulls with the SS.

 

[NMbackcountry]

I started last season shooting the g5 T3 mechanicals. I had previously harvested a deer and an elk with them so I felt fairly confident in them. September strolled around and I loosed an arrow on a bull. It felt like a good shot but after trailing him I found my arrow but never found the bull. The blades failed to deploy so the entry/exit hole was slightly bigger than a field point. I switched to slick tricks for my next two hunts and got clean pass throughs everytime. I'll be avoiding mechanicals from now on.

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[elkguide]

A fixed blade head never fails to open.

 

[gabenzeke]

I lost two whitetails due to g5 T3s failing to open. I've had better experiences with Rage heads, but still not sure about them on an elk.

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[wapitibob]

I use an 1 1/2" dia, 3 blade Spitfire 125 in any state I hunt that allows them. 60# 420 gr arrow with noticeably better results than a fixed head. Spend time on shot selection and learn to call them in close and about any broadhead will do the job.

 

[Chadd314]

I'm an outfitter and am really skeptical about mechanicals, I try to discourage them just in case of failure. But some clients love them and I don't say absolutely not.
This past season I had a client from Wildgame innovations come out on an archery elk hunt. He is sponsored by Bloodsport and had the new hybrid mechanical. They are a very cool looking broadhead and can be used as a hybrid or a non mechanical. You can adjust the tension on the blades to open how you like or lock them down to be used as 1/4" bleeder blades. They also have a cut on contact head which I really liked. Anyways the client ended up taking a 97 yard shot on a bull, yes long ways but I was to far away to stop him from shooting. He ended up punching through the rib on his side and it passed all the way and lodged into the far side rib. The blood trail was pretty good for only having one hole and the arrow broke off 15 yards after the shot. The bull piles up wishing 30 seconds and 65 yards.
The thing for me after cleaning the bull was the penetration at that distance and the blood trail we had to follow. It made it really easy for me to find in the dark. IMO the cut on contact head would be a selling point as you are still getting 1 1/4" of cut if the mechanical blades fail.
My brother shoots the shwackers hasn't got an elk with them yet but did harvest a deer a few years ago off an unlucky shot that ended up hitting the buck in the spine, the blades deployed and one blade went between the vertebrae to severe the spinal cord. That is pretty awesome that they still deployed with that kind of shot.
Yes I will say even fixed blade broadheads may have lost animals, every broadhead will fail at some point. But if something goes wrong I prefer fixed blade or a hybrid now.

I have seen those and they look sweet! My question would be on flight. Is it similar to a field point or does it need more tuning like a fixed blade?

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[BigAntlerGetter]

I asked my hunter about the flight, he said the only adjustment he had to do was on his sight due to the elevation change from sea level to 9000'. One thing he said was really nice is during practice he tightened down the screw and made it so the mechanical didn't open and didn't destroy his target.
For being a somewhat fixed blade that doesn't need any tuning to field points is pretty good in my book. We talked for about 30 minutes on them during the mid day hunt, and I really looked them over. He paired them with the bloodsport arrows can't remember which ones but they were the really skinny ones.
Like I said a 97 yard shot with them is amazing, he kind of regrets the shot a little now saying he wouldn't do it again but heat of the moment took over. After this bull wallowed for. 25 minutes on camera we were both super amped. We finally got busted and he threw out a mew with his mouth as I did right after trying to get the bull to stop. From my vantage it was about 60 yards, which is my max comfort zone, and he let the arrow fly. I had no idea how far it was until after the shot and he was yelling 90 yards I about shit. They flew very good, and if it wouldn't have flown true we would have had a miss or wounded bull. They have my faith but I'll stick to my dirt nap broadheads

 

[Chadd314]

Yeah they are like a two blade fixed blade right? The grave diggers I think

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[BigAntlerGetter]

Yes they are

 

[Chadd314]

Do you rwmwber if they were the chisel tip or not?

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[BigAntlerGetter]

They were not the chisel tips, they were the cut on contact heads. I like the look of the cut on contact better, but he will be bringing the chisel tips this year. This is how it came out of the off side ribs no damage to the tip at all or blades, be bending or tip damage.

 

[Blackcow]

I've had a few clients use them on elk the last few years with great results, both the chisel tip and coc. I used the 125 gr on elk and coues last year. Didn't get a pass through on the elk bit it didn't make it far. I hit my coues on the tip of the front right shoulder, and it came out just in front of the rear left leg. Completely shattered the front shoulder. This year they're coming out with a rear deploy chisel tip. If they make it in a 125gr. Stainless steel rear deploy, I'll probably buy all I can get my hands on.

 

[Rambo]

I have shot nearly 100 animals with Wasp Jakhammer 100 grain head with a 28.5" draw at 65lbs. The bulk of them were Iowa whitetails but I have also shot several wild hogs, a big muley, and a bull elk. Never a failure or issue. I won't shoot anything else.

 

[MuleyFever]

I shot Spitfires for a long time, killed a lot of animals with them. Then on back to back mule deer hunts I got really bad penetration and lost 2 deer. I switched to Slick Tricks after that. People say its all about shot placement. Hunting is unpredictable and where you hit an animal is not always where you want to. Those instances is where fixed blade heads outshine mechanicals IMO.