I'm sure this has been discussed here before but let's get some opinions. I used to only shoot muzzy then switched to rage 2 blade. I have mixed feelings about mechanical broadheads. My first year elk hunting I stuck with my muzzy fixed blade that have never failed me. I got a shot on a bull and never find him. I'm open to any discussion in the matter.
Fixed or mechanical?
- Thread starter jackdaddy
- Start date
Watch this clip at the 8 minute mark. Have you ever seen an arrow get less penetration that didn't hit the shoulder? I can't imagine shooting an elk with a head that a rib will stop like that.
https://youtu.be/i0t6HodUM8I
https://youtu.be/i0t6HodUM8I
I took 3 blade Muzzys to Africa last year and went 7 for 7. Smallest was a Impala and the largest was a kudu or my blue wildebeest. I've never been let down by a Muzzy. I'm not a fan of a mechanical broadhead. Have tried several over the years and can say I've never lost an animal because of them but havehad some long sparse blood trails because of them. Every animal but one (my fault) that I've put a Muzzy into has dropped in 70 yards or less. Too many variables in bowhunting for me to screw another one on the end of my arrow. JMO
Jeremiah Johnson
New member
- Dec 29, 2012
- 245
Stick with fixed for elk for no regrets later.
montanaelk31
Member
- Mar 18, 2014
- 307
Here's a pic that my buddy shot with a fixed blade this year. He made a perfect shot on the leg bone (center punched it lol). He shoots a 420 grain arrow at 275 fps. The head he shoots is a Striker 125. Anywho, he completely blew the shot at 30 yards and hammered the leg bone right where you don't want to. Shattered through the leg one into the heart and both lungs. Dead elk in seconds.
Personally, I shoot an ulmer edge most of the time. (Not all) If I would have made this shot with an ulmer that elk would still be walking with a limp. I know the risk. If you are ok with the rewards and risks go mechanical. If you are no nonsense guy who doesn't want to take any chances stay fixed. Truth be told, I shot my bull this year with a fixed. My buddy's leg shattering experience really opened my eyes. Never had a bad experience with an Ulmer though.
Personally, I shoot an ulmer edge most of the time. (Not all) If I would have made this shot with an ulmer that elk would still be walking with a limp. I know the risk. If you are ok with the rewards and risks go mechanical. If you are no nonsense guy who doesn't want to take any chances stay fixed. Truth be told, I shot my bull this year with a fixed. My buddy's leg shattering experience really opened my eyes. Never had a bad experience with an Ulmer though.
Wyo67
New member
- Aug 8, 2013
- 182
Codybones said:
IMO you can't go wrong with the Slick Tricks. I've recovered both bulls I shot with them in the last couple years within 50 yards. One frontal and the other broadside. As with any broadhead though, it's about placement. We did not recover the one my son shot last year with the Slick Tricks. No bloodtrail at all within the first 100 yards, suspect poor shot placement.
It's kinda like going fishing. No matter what new lure you have you seem to always end up reaching into the box and getting that old lure you have the most confidence in. For me it's just a plain ole 3 blade Muzzy! Oh I've got caught up in the advertisement and endorsement blitzes. Tried this and that but when it comes time to go I'm always back at what has never failed. Never lost an elk! If it ain't broke don't fix it! 
As long as you are making sure to tune your arrows with the broadhead attached a fixed is great. Mech's are a little easier to tune to the arrow. The biggest pro I hear about mech's is the cutting diameter equaling improved blood trail. I'm with a few others on here all about shot placement.
Bowhunt.Elk
New member
- Feb 7, 2016
- 7
I'm not an expert elk hunter but I can say this; I have shot two bulls in CO, both with the two blade Rage Hypodermic. One bull was an old 5+ year old and the other was a 2.5 year old bull. Both were solid hits and neither bull made it further than 60 yards. I love the mechanical broadheads because they fly just like a field tip and the help expand your killzone. There are two things I have a very small problem with the Rage and that is the penetration was not great but it did get to both lungs. Also, the blood trail was very minimum until my arrow fell out on my first bull and when it did it looked like someone opened a red paint can and led a trail right to the bull. I don't necessarily have a problem with fixed broadheads but I do prefer mechanical.
I have never used mechanicals in the past because I never saw a need. I started with Muzzy 3 blade and have stuck with them through the years because they have never let me down. However, over the years I have seen vast improvement in bow hunting equipment. Bows have become lighter, faster, and more compact. With that, we have also seen an improvement in sights and the ability to be accurate at longer distances. I have buddies of mine taking 100+ yard shots with deadly accuracy. At that distance there is definitely an advantage to shooting mechanicals. I have found that mechanicals are more accurate at longer distances. I have started shooting both. I keep the fixed blades for shots up to 60 yards and switch to mechanicals for everything over. Ultimately it comes down to arrow placement and if I can be more accurate with mechanicals on longer shots I will use them.
Arrows4Elk
New member
- Feb 20, 2014
- 166
Fixed heads only for me.
Lots of quality BH's out there.
My favorite for the last few years has been the Solid Legends. I've had absolutely excellent performance with them. $$$, but very well made, strong, fly great and sharp as hell. S30V steel.
Lots of quality BH's out there.
My favorite for the last few years has been the Solid Legends. I've had absolutely excellent performance with them. $$$, but very well made, strong, fly great and sharp as hell. S30V steel.
Why not wade right into the mechanical versus fixed blade topic with my very first post here? I wish I could claim this saying, but I stole it from some other forum.....
When the success of your hunt hinges on a broadhead, don't use a broadhead that hinges.
I shot my bull with Slick Tricks last year and it worked very well. No experience with mechanical on elk so take my comments with that in mind.
When the success of your hunt hinges on a broadhead, don't use a broadhead that hinges.
I shot my bull with Slick Tricks last year and it worked very well. No experience with mechanical on elk so take my comments with that in mind.
I loaded my wife up with expendables this year and loaded them in her quiver and 2-5 had deployed !! out they came and re tuned for her fixed blade . i thing they work great but the margin for failure is too high for my liking . i am not going to put my time and money into a hunt when the time comes for a shot and then i miss cause i have a floppy blade . I will stick to a fixed blade all day long , i have killed many animals with fixed . why change ? people say the expendables fly better , that may be true , but tune your bow and broad head you are shooting and you will be fine . if not or if you have issues change heads or go to a 4 fetched arrow it does wonders . tune tune tune is the game and practice shoot to your maximum yardage to be sure you do not have drift on your longer shots .
