Fixed Blade vs Mechanical

Bushape

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Jan 9, 2019
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296
I would always wonder why the arrows on the hunting shows stuck a foot out of the deer as it ran off. The culprit was revealed when they recovered the deer- Mechanical heads. Im now a magnus 2 blade guy . Cut on contact, have to put it out of the ground on the other side of the deer
Even though I killed the last two bucks I shot with my mechanicals, and neither ran over 100 yards, I was not happy with the penetration I was getting as I could see a good deal of the arrow still sticking out. Went with a heavier arrow this season and a fixed blade. Hoping to see a big improvement with penetration.
 

JN

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Jan 5, 2001
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Northeast TN
My dad started me out on thunderheads then I switched to slick trick and now I shoot swhacker mechanicals. I haven't had any issues with tuning or with the blades not working. The only two deer I have lost have been with fixed blades.
 

Ski

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I'm sure I'll get blasted for saying this but the only reasons for someone to shoot mechanical heads is if they don't have the knowledge, skill or time to tune their bow to shoot fixed heads. And it's really pretty simple to do.

I shoot 3 blade VPA broad-heads...they are very easy to keep razor sharp with nothing more than a flat file or even a piece of sandpaper...and so durable that I'll be able to leave them to my grand-kids when I die.

I won't blast you, but I do disagree. I tune my bow to shoot fixed blades with field tips at any distance, yet I hunt with a huge cut 3 blade mechanical. And I use a head once then throw it away. I don't care if it gets damaged or how durable it is. I only care that the animal is dead, and to that they are quite effective. For me bow season is rack hunting. At most I kill three to five bucks in a given year, usually only one or two.
 

Ski

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My dad started me out on thunderheads then I switched to slick trick and now I shoot swhacker mechanicals. I haven't had any issues with tuning or with the blades not working. The only two deer I have lost have been with fixed blades.

First deer I ever "lost" was with a Thunderhead 125 screwed onto a 2419 aluminum arrow. I shot the buck broadside from inside 15yds, on the ground. I literally watch the arrow bounce off his shoulder. It was the first time my arrow didn't blow straight through the animal I was shooting at.

That was in the early 90s when bows were under 200fps. Now my bow shoots 300fps. I hear all the arguments about fixed vs mechanical, and all I can think of is that buck my fixed head bounced off of. Everybody wants durable fixed heads on heavy arrows so they can blow through the deer. For me the only important thing is getting a broadhead inside the chest cavity. I could care less if it comes out the other side. I've been killing deer with a bow for a long time. On a chest cavity hit, anything more than 6" penetration is just more penetration, not a deader deer.
 

JN

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Jan 5, 2001
Messages
699
Location
Northeast TN
First deer I ever "lost" was with a Thunderhead 125 screwed onto a 2419 aluminum arrow. I shot the buck broadside from inside 15yds, on the ground. I literally watch the arrow bounce off his shoulder. It was the first time my arrow didn't blow straight through the animal I was shooting at.

That was in the early 90s when bows were under 200fps. Now my bow shoots 300fps. I hear all the arguments about fixed vs mechanical, and all I can think of is that buck my fixed head bounced off of. Everybody wants durable fixed heads on heavy arrows so they can blow through the deer. For me the only important thing is getting a broadhead inside the chest cavity. I could care less if it comes out the other side. I've been killing deer with a bow for a long time. On a chest cavity hit, anything more than 6" penetration is just more penetration, not a deader deer.
Same here one was with a thunderhead. It was right at dark and I think I hit shoulder. I don't think it was necessarily the broadhead just a bad shot with like you said bow not shooting quick enough to push through. Other one was with a slick trick and was a good shot and felt like I doubled lunged her. I had lots of bright red/pink blood and I was like this is a dead deer. So I put my stuff up and went back to track her and I found where she had bedded and that was it no more blood. The swhacker haven't ever failed me and shoot well but I wouldn't have a problem going back to a slick trick but I don't see a need to right now.
 

Ski

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Same here one was with a thunderhead. It was right at dark and I think I hit shoulder. I don't think it was necessarily the broadhead just a bad shot with like you said bow not shooting quick enough to push through. Other one was with a slick trick and was a good shot and felt like I doubled lunged her. I had lots of bright red/pink blood and I was like this is a dead deer. So I put my stuff up and went back to track her and I found where she had bedded and that was it no more blood. The swhacker haven't ever failed me and shoot well but I wouldn't have a problem going back to a slick trick but I don't see a need to right now.

Yeah mine was a shoulder hit. Likely high where the scapula is solid. In the moment it was as if the buck was wearing armor.

This buck below had been shot twice by other hunters before me. He had a relatively recent hole in his shoulder with an exit would behind his opposite leg. It was an arrow that passed through. The entry was nearly healed and the exit was on its way to closing up. Then as I was butchering I found an arrow with mechanical head embedded in his other shoulder, healed completely over. He even had another buck's antler tip stuck in his skull. You can see the previous wound and the old broadhead where he'd been shot twice, plus the antler I pull out of his skull.

He was acting normal, no limp, and was making lots of scrapes. His lungs were both damaged from the recent arrow shot, but heart wasn't touched. Somebody double lung hit this deer, got complete pass through, and he didn't die. Somebody before that left an arrow lodged in his shoulder, and he didn't die. Our rules and opinions sometimes just don't mean anything to the deer.
 

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CrossVolle

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Dec 30, 2017
Messages
475
I actually just ordered a Sevr 100g 2.0. I like that it has the ability to be out in "practice mode." If it shoots well at my target I'll try to let it fly at a doe if I get the chance before season end. Also it's cool that you can order them individually.
Make sure you replace the blades, or hand sharpen them back up after you use them in practice mode. They make contact with the target even with the screw applied.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2022
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Chattanooga, TN
Yeah mine was a shoulder hit. Likely high where the scapula is solid. In the moment it was as if the buck was wearing armor.

This buck below had been shot twice by other hunters before me. He had a relatively recent hole in his shoulder with an exit would behind his opposite leg. It was an arrow that passed through. The entry was nearly healed and the exit was on its way to closing up. Then as I was butchering I found an arrow with mechanical head embedded in his other shoulder, healed completely over. He even had another buck's antler tip stuck in his skull. You can see the previous wound and the old broadhead where he'd been shot twice, plus the antler I pull out of his skull.

He was acting normal, no limp, and was making lots of scrapes. His lungs were both damaged from the recent arrow shot, but heart wasn't touched. Somebody double lung hit this deer, got complete pass through, and he didn't die. Somebody before that left an arrow lodged in his shoulder, and he didn't die. Our rules and opinions sometimes just don't mean anything to the deer.
That ole boy was a warrior!
 

Ski

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Nov 18, 2019
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If I like how they fly I'll probably just order a few more and leave one as a practice broadhead. That's why I currently do with my exodus heads.

Yeah I tune my bow to shoot fixed with field, but hunt with mechanical. I like the huge cuts, and my set up is plenty strong enough to push them. If you're bow will shoot a fixed straight, then mechanical won't be any problem.
 

redblood

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Jan 22, 2006
Messages
26,264
Location
Lewisburg
Yeah mine was a shoulder hit. Likely high where the scapula is solid. In the moment it was as if the buck was wearing armor.

This buck below had been shot twice by other hunters before me. He had a relatively recent hole in his shoulder with an exit would behind his opposite leg. It was an arrow that passed through. The entry was nearly healed and the exit was on its way to closing up. Then as I was butchering I found an arrow with mechanical head embedded in his other shoulder, healed completely over. He even had another buck's antler tip stuck in his skull. You can see the previous wound and the old broadhead where he'd been shot twice, plus the antler I pull out of his skull.

He was acting normal, no limp, and was making lots of scrapes. His lungs were both damaged from the recent arrow shot, but heart wasn't touched. Somebody double lung hit this deer, got complete pass through, and he didn't die. Somebody before that left an arrow lodged in his shoulder, and he didn't die. Our rules and opinions sometimes just don't mean anything to the deer.
What a buck!!! Congrats
 

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