Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer Bow Talk Mechanicals Take 2

What kind of broadhead did you lose that deer with? Mechanical or fixed blade? If is was a fixed blade, does that mean all fixed blades are bad?

Look there are good and bad broadheads out there, both fixed and mechanical. There are good and bad shots. Make a good shot with a good broadhead, and you'll probably have a short, easy tracking job. Make a good shot with a bad broadhead, and you'll probably still find the deer though you might have to work a little harder. Make a bad shot with any broadhead, good or bad, and you're in trouble.

Like I said, I don't think the Tekan is a good head. I only have shot one deer with one, but I didn't like what I found. I got a pass through, but one of the blades was broken off, the wound wasn't impressive, and I didn't have a good blood trail. It was very much like the original poster's experience. But to say all mechanicals are junk because of one head or one experience is stupid.

I haven't killed as many with my bow as a lot on here. But I've tried a lot of different broadheads, and I've settled on a rear deploying two blade broadhead. I seem to get much more gaping wounds, better bloodtrails, and shorter tracking jobs than with fixed blades. Again, it's more about shot placement than anything. This constant arguing over broadheads is stupid. Use what you like and what works for you.

But, one experience with one brand of broadhead isn't enough of a sample size to say that all mechnicals are bad. For the record, I've lost more deer with fixed blade heads (3) than with mechnical heads (2). (Of those, at least two lived until they were killed in gun season. But this has more to do with experience than it does with the broadhead.

And the argument that you don't want any moving parts isn't very consistent, considering that many people are shooting delicate multiple pin fiber optic sights, some even moving pendulum or floating pin sights, with drop away or otherwise "moving" rests, out of modern compound bows that have complex cams and "moving" parts using a mechanical release. If what you really wanted was the simplest weapon with the least moving parts to break, you'd be using a spear, or at least shooting a recurve instinctively, because it has no parts to break other than the bow and the string. But most people aren't. So, there lies the inconsistency. People are using the most modern bows, sights, and rests regardless of how complex they are or how many parts there are to break and screws there are to back out. But many of those same people will argue that shooting mechnical broadhead is bad because there is too much to break. Just doesn't make sense.

The biggest reason for the shift to mechanicals is the speeds today's bows shoot. At higher speeds, getting a fixed head to tune out can be a challenge. When it comes to a hunting bow, I don't want one that shoots over 270fps. The perfect speed for me is 260fps.

As for Widgeon, I've hunted with him numerous times and he is one of the best bowhunters and blood trailers I know. But he can be a little "touchy" on here at times.

And not a one covered 20 yards before first blood was found? You are either the luckiest SOB to ever draw a string or spraying some serious BS.

Of the two bucks I killed with a bow last year alone one left no blood for at least the first 20 to 25 yards. After that he bled quite well however. The possibility of an intially sparce blood trail is the reason you should always watch and mark well the last spot you see a deer after the shot. So if necessary you can skip to that point to start trailing them.

Fixed Blade only way to go!

Let me re-phrase my post and see if maybe we are saying the same thing.....

Hunters wanted wider and wider cutting surfaces to increase the bloodtrails and total damage the head inflicted as it passed through an animal. This created accuracy problems; which are even further enhanced as bows becaome faster and faster.

So, a switch was made to mechanicals in order to optimize accuracy while also increasing cutting diameter.

Better?

One thing you might want to think about that if there is not complete penetration and the arrow is still in the deer as it runs off the fixed blade is still slicing and dicing, when the expandable could be folded back up not doing further damage other than being pulled out.

X2

That Tekken exit hole sucks for sure. Here's what you do...Make an educated guess of what will happen next time with that head. I would trash the rest and shoot a different one. I have switched many times over the years from fixed to mechanical and back and so on...b/c for me I like to try new things. Small list of heads I've shot, muzzy 3&4 blade, thunderhead, rocky mountain expandables, wasp both fixed and expandables, rage 2 & 3 blade. Moving parts being an argument for not shooting expandables is ridiculous. drop-a-ways, fiber optics, etc are all over todays bows. I once watched a hunting show where a guy pissed on his drop away to get it freed up b/c it was so cold it froze in position and he missed a deer. I guess all drop-a-ways suck too...definitely NOT...follow up to that hunting show...he got another shot with the drop away freed up and missed another deer...same hunt...

What I've found in a nutshell:

Goodshot + ANY fixed or mechanical= 99% kill
Badshot + ANY fixed or mechanical= sucks to be me