Mechanical or Fixed Broadhead

[Snapshot]

Everyone has their favorites. I have always loved the mechanical for turkeys and the fixed for bigger game. With that said I tried the swacker last year on elk and told myself I would only take a broadside shot. I couldn't believe how fast the cow died and the amount of blood poured out of her. I then took my javelina with the swacker and had it die within minutes.

I'm likeing the looks of the grave digger and might try it this year.

I've killed my share of animals over the years with just about every broadhead out there. Place shotment is the key. I've always said, give me any broadhead and arrow and I can kill. It's all up to what you feel comfortable with and how it shoots from the bow. Most are all good.

 

TJ

 

"Place shotment" ? Did you have a long day at work.? Just kiddin with ya!

[ready2hunt]

Everyone has their favorites. I have always loved the mechanical for turkeys and the fixed for bigger game. With that said I tried the swacker last year on elk and told myself I would only take a broadside shot. I couldn't believe how fast the cow died and the amount of blood poured out of her. I then took my javelina with the swacker and had it die within minutes.

I'm likeing the looks of the grave digger and might try it this year.

I've killed my share of animals over the years with just about every broadhead out there. Place shotment is the key. I've always said, give me any broadhead and arrow and I can kill. It's all up to what you feel comfortable with and how it shoots from the bow. Most are all good.

 

TJ

 

"Place shotment" ? Did you have a long day at work.? Just kiddin with ya!

 

 

That is hilarious. I would have never noticed that if you had not pointed it out. I read it and it make perfect sense the first time.

 

Thanks for all the posts. I am really looking at these shwackers now. They look pretty good. Any suggestions on where to buy them at the best price? I never buy things online personally....I like buying in person.

[tjhunt2]

Everyone has their favorites. I have always loved the mechanical for turkeys and the fixed for bigger game. With that said I tried the swacker last year on elk and told myself I would only take a broadside shot. I couldn't believe how fast the cow died and the amount of blood poured out of her. I then took my javelina with the swacker and had it die within minutes.

I'm likeing the looks of the grave digger and might try it this year.

I've killed my share of animals over the years with just about every broadhead out there. Place shotment is the key. I've always said, give me any broadhead and arrow and I can kill. It's all up to what you feel comfortable with and how it shoots from the bow. Most are all good.

 

TJ

 

"Place shotment" ? Did you have a long day at work.? Just kiddin with ya!

 

It was a 12hr day but I kind of like the way it sounds. :lol:

[Elkhunter1]

Everyone has their favorites. I have always loved the mechanical for turkeys and the fixed for bigger game. With that said I tried the swacker last year on elk and told myself I would only take a broadside shot. I couldn't believe how fast the cow died and the amount of blood poured out of her. I then took my javelina with the swacker and had it die within minutes.

I'm likeing the looks of the grave digger and might try it this year.

I've killed my share of animals over the years with just about every broadhead out there. Place shotment is the key. I've always said, give me any broadhead and arrow and I can kill. It's all up to what you feel comfortable with and how it shoots from the bow. Most are all good.

 

TJ

 

"Place shotment" ? Did you have a long day at work.? Just kiddin with ya!

 

 

That is hilarious. I would have never noticed that if you had not pointed it out. I read it and it make perfect sense the first time.

 

Thanks for all the posts. I am really looking at these shwackers now. They look pretty good. Any suggestions on where to buy them at the best price? I never buy things online personally....I like buying in person.

I have seen them at the Tucson location of Bull Basin. I have also seen them at Walmart. Cabelas carries them as well. I think Sportsman's Warehouse has them also.

[creed_az_88]

elk hunter, how are the blood trails from a schwacker that did not exit on bigger animals like elk on say quartering shots. ive seen them in action on deer and ive been pleased with the results but ive wondered about their effectiveness when there isnt an exit...especially on bigger game like elk, or that musk ox you shot. did they bleed like normal?

 

 

 

 

thanks,

creed

[Elkhunter1]

elk hunter, how are the blood trails from a schwacker that did not exit on bigger animals like elk on say quartering shots. ive seen them in action on deer and ive been pleased with the results but ive wondered about their effectiveness when there isnt an exit...especially on bigger game like elk, or that musk ox you shot. did they bleed like normal?

 

 

 

 

thanks,

creed

I wish that muskox was mine, but it isn't. The first year my brother produced the Swhacker he had 20 hunters chasing Elk. We killed 16 with only one going farther than 100yrds, all had very trackable blood trails. The one went over 360yrds and piled up. All was recovered, my brothers and mine went about 60yrds before dropping. If you put it where it is supposed to go you will recover it. My brothers hit was in the liver.

[tjhunt2]

Stephen, I wished the swacker would lock in place once it opens. After shooting my pig the arrow pulled out and I didn't care for that. It definitely did it's job but I would like to see a locking device so it stays in and continues to cut. The blades fold close as the brush pulls the arrow out. Correct me if I'm wrong. Just saying.

 

TJ

[Elkhunter1]

Stephen, I wished the swacker would lock in place once it opens. After shooting my pig the arrow pulled out and I didn't care for that. It definitely did it's job but I would like to see a locking device so it stays in and continues to cut. The blades fold close as the brush pulls the arrow out. Correct me if I'm wrong. Just saying.

 

TJ

Nope your not, the blades don't lock open, but they do move open-n-closed as the arrow moves in and out of the animal. Remember those blades didn't get dull penetrating the animal cutting all they touch. The wing blades also do some of the cutting inside. I think my brother was think if the arrow came out that the wound would be open and bleed more rather than have an arrow plugging it. I will ask him about your observation

[ready2hunt]

Stephen, I wished the swacker would lock in place once it opens. After shooting my pig the arrow pulled out and I didn't care for that. It definitely did it's job but I would like to see a locking device so it stays in and continues to cut. The blades fold close as the brush pulls the arrow out. Correct me if I'm wrong. Just saying.

 

TJ

Nope your not, the blades don't lock open, but they do move open-n-closed as the arrow moves in and out of the animal. Remember those blades didn't get dull penetrating the animal cutting all they touch. The wing blades also do some of the cutting inside. I think my brother was think if the arrow came out that the wound would be open and bleed more rather than have an arrow plugging it. I will ask him about your observation

 

I like that logic. Its clear that when an arrow is in and pushed around by the muscle that it would continue to cut. However, on the flip side I would actually prefer that if my arrow didn't go all the way through that it pull out to allow the wound to bleed....or if it was a poor shot then to pull out to allow the animal to bleed.

 

It just my opinion but with the amount of research that goes into designing a broad head it sounds like this is something they (the manufacture) did on purpose.

 

Elkhunter1- which broad head do you use specifically?

[Elkhunter1]

Stephen, I wished the swacker would lock in place once it opens. After shooting my pig the arrow pulled out and I didn't care for that. It definitely did it's job but I would like to see a locking device so it stays in and continues to cut. The blades fold close as the brush pulls the arrow out. Correct me if I'm wrong. Just saying.

 

TJ

Nope your not, the blades don't lock open, but they do move open-n-closed as the arrow moves in and out of the animal. Remember those blades didn't get dull penetrating the animal cutting all they touch. The wing blades also do some of the cutting inside. I think my brother was think if the arrow came out that the wound would be open and bleed more rather than have an arrow plugging it. I will ask him about your observation

 

I like that logic. Its clear that when an arrow is in and pushed around by the muscle that it would continue to cut. However, on the flip side I would actually prefer that if my arrow didn't go all the way through that it pull out to allow the wound to bleed....or if it was a poor shot then to pull out to allow the animal to bleed.

 

It just my opinion but with the amount of research that goes into designing a broad head it sounds like this is something they (the manufacture) did on purpose.

 

Elkhunter1- which broad head do you use specifically?

Yes there was a lot of thought that went into the design, as for what head I use, it's the 100 grain 1.75 inch cut. "Black head"

[CRAZYBUCK]

Everyone has their favorites. I have always loved the mechanical for turkeys and the fixed for bigger game. With that said I tried the swacker last year on elk and told myself I would only take a broadside shot. I couldn't believe how fast the cow died and the amount of blood poured out of her. I then took my javelina with the swacker and had it die within minutes.

I'm likeing the looks of the grave digger and might try it this year.

I've killed my share of animals over the years with just about every broadhead out there. Place shotment is the key. I've always said, give me any broadhead and arrow and I can kill. It's all up to what you feel comfortable with and how it shoots from the bow. Most are all good.

 

TJ

 

"Place shotment" ? Did you have a long day at work.? Just kiddin with ya!

 

 

That is hilarious. I would have never noticed that if you had not pointed it out. I read it and it make perfect sense the first time.

 

Thanks for all the posts. I am really looking at these shwackers now. They look pretty good. Any suggestions on where to buy them at the best price? I never buy things online personally....I like buying in person.

 

 

Check on http://www.hankparker3d.com/ they are buy 1 get 1 free cant beat that with a stick

[naturegirl]

I personally prefer fixed blades. I do not ever want to lose out on a shot from any sort of malfunction with mechanicals. just my opinion the less moving parts the better. there's so much that can go wrong when hunting and I like the stability of a fixed.

[Snapshot]

I personally prefer fixed blades. I do not ever want to lose out on a shot from any sort of malfunction with mechanicals. just my opinion the less moving parts the better. there's so much that can go wrong when hunting and I like the stability of a fixed.

 

Me too! I remember when mechanical blades first hit the market. I bought, and tried some. I didn't like the little rubber bands, and the blades, when open, had the wingspan of a B-52 bomber.I am a firm believer in Murphy's law.

[ready2hunt]

I see your point about murphy's law and do like the stability of a fixed blade. I think I will try both types and see how they stack up.

 

Anyone shot the Grim Reaper? Opinons?

[mattys281]

I've killed a half dozen large animals using NAP Nitron 100's. The thing I like about these is that they are made out of 100% steel & have a very short profile. While no fixed blade broadhead really flies like a field point, these are the ones that I've used that fly the closest, due to the short profile & relatively small surface area of the blades, yet they still have a 1 1/16" cutting diameter.

 

This year I switched to using G5 T3's (mechanicals). Again, these are all steel construction & have a very large cutting diameter, I think around 1 1/2". I made the switch after gut shooting a string-jumping coues buck last Jan that I was unable to recover after more than 4 hours of tracking. I figure that a bigger hole can only help my cause if I make another bad hit. I've yet to kill something with the T3 broadhead, but I missed a spike with one & the arrow deflected off a juniper branch & bounced off some rocks & resulted in only 1 broken blade.

 

The key for me is that I almost always hunt in rocky, nasty canyons & so I need something tough (i.e. using all steel heads). I shot Muzzy's & Thunderheads many, many years ago & didn't like them, because they were made with mushy aluminum ferrules & did not stand up well to missed shots. I'd stay away from anything that's made out of aluminum if you're hunting in the desert.

 

Matt