Off to the ATA

[lokidog]

Thanks Radsav, that was clear, though I still don't think I'll be shooting any 1" or smaller diameter heads.     I shoot the Myzzy MX3 and have a bunch since my moosehunt, but I would consider trying yours some time.

The DelMastro HPV blade is 1-3/16.  So the same as the Muzzy MX just short like the MX 75 grain.  That's available in all three Super-Short ferrules (Titanium Signature, Triple Sec., and Madman)  We will have a 125 grain version next year too.  And the blades...WAY sharper than Muzzy!!! .030" thick instead of .025" too.

Two of the fastest elk kills I've ever witnessed were both taken by my hunting partner Larry Van Dyke using a 7/8" cutting diameter head back in the late eighties.  So don't let outdoor writers scare you on size!  If a 7 gauge shotgun bore is more than enough B or 4 gauge should be simple overkill (That's 100 caliber on our smallest head!!!).  Only time I worry about cutting diameter is hunting those dang stinking turkeys   And even then all five of my birds this year were taken with 1.125".  Next season I will probably be using Del's HP head for those stankers though.

I understand your visual comparison to shotgun bore sizes, however if you miss an artery by 1/8 inch with a blade, it makes a bigger difference than missing by 1/8 inch with a 20 g verses hitting with a 12 since they produce the hydrostatic shock as well as "cutting". 

[RadSav]

Then why stop at 1-1/4"? 

If someone jammed a 20 gauge barrel through my chest do you think my rate of survival would be greater than if they jammed a 10 gauge barrel through my chest?  I'm thinking I'd be screwed either way

Now that hunting videos are all over the 'net why is it we don't see quicker kills with 2" Rage broadheads?  If 2" diameter is that much better we should see all animals shot with them go down in sight of the camera, shouldn't we?  But we don't!  Why?  Guys are talking about the same length blood trails as they've always talked about.  It was that way in the early eighties when Rothaar Snuffers fueled the use of the Anderson 245 Magnum, the Rocky Mountain Supreme heads.  All 1.5" diameter.  Myself and hunting partners all took animals with each one of those big blades.  Plus a few others.  I won a national field testing competition shooting the Calmont Super-2 (1.5" cutting diameter) where I took the largest bull elk in the competition plus another 40 animals in one year with it.  Afterwards I was hired by Duke Savora and started using the 1.125" Swept-Wing and had an even bigger year '86.  Blood trails were just as big and shorter with the smaller Savora.  I just have not seen any evidence that diameter makes a difference.  Not then and not now with the wide spread use of the big Rage heads.

But!  I did not buy Savora to sell heads.  If I wanted to become rich I'd have chosen a much easier way to do it.  I bought the company so myself and my friends would always have a superior blade to shoot.  If a guy likes the Muzzy, I'm fine with that!  If you like the Rage as so many of my east coast friends do...that's fine too.  WASP makes a fine product as does Slick Trick and G5 with their Stryker.  Heck I have a dozen rifles and can never decide which one to shoot more than 15 minutes before I load up the truck to go hunting.  I don't want to grand stand and try to force guys to think there is only one way to skin a cat.  If you like what you shoot and it puts your mind at ease who am I to say otherwise.  Just please, please, please shoot them as sharp as you can get 'em.  That's where the real results come from.

If you decide to shoot a head with .125" larger width per side than our smallest head.  I say, "Great!"  There are definitely some decent ones out there.  Who knows, perhaps I'll build one of those one day.  And as long as there are not a bunch of animals running around with arrow sticking out of them I'm happy for those who find what they like and stick with it.  But I remain curious who decided and when they decided that one diameter broadhead is too small and/or too big.  That's a guy I'd like to sit down and have a coffee with.  He must be a genius

[demontang]

Radsav I need to get some heads from you. I love my muzzy but want a sharper head

[RadSav]

I should have the packaging done by April 1.  Looks like both Sportsman's and Cabela's will be carrying at least some of the heads.  And we will work with all the local shops to drop ship if need be.  I do not plan on selling retail any time soon.  But we have a good relationship with most of the local shops.  I'm sure most of them would be more than willing to work with you to get them in if they won't already have some on the shelves by then.

[demontang]

Ill have to talk with grizzly and see if he'll get some in

[RadSav]

Ill have to talk with grizzly and see if he'll get some in

He should be at the NABA show in February.  We usually have a nice talk there.  NABA show is always a good time.  More like a big family reunion than a trade show.

[lokidog]

Then why stop at 1-1/4"? 

If someone jammed a 20 gauge barrel through my chest do you think my rate of survival would be greater than if they jammed a 10 gauge barrel through my chest?  I'm thinking I'd be screwed either way

Now that hunting videos are all over the 'net why is it we don't see quicker kills with 2" Rage broadheads?  If 2" diameter is that much better we should see all animals shot with them go down in sight of the camera, shouldn't we?  But we don't!  Why?  Guys are talking about the same length blood trails as they've always talked about.  It was that way in the early eighties when Rothaar Snuffers fueled the use of the Anderson 245 Magnum, the Rocky Mountain Supreme heads.  All 1.5" diameter.  Myself and hunting partners all took animals with each one of those big blades.  Plus a few others.  I won a national field testing competition shooting the Calmont Super-2 (1.5" cutting diameter) where I took the largest bull elk in the competition plus another 40 animals in one year with it.  Afterwards I was hired by Duke Savora and started using the 1.125" Swept-Wing and had an even bigger year '86.  Blood trails were just as big and shorter with the smaller Savora.  I just have not seen any evidence that diameter makes a difference.  Not then and not now with the wide spread use of the big Rage heads.

But!  I did not buy Savora to sell heads.  If I wanted to become rich I'd have chosen a much easier way to do it.  I bought the company so myself and my friends would always have a superior blade to shoot.  If a guy likes the Muzzy, I'm fine with that!  If you like the Rage as so many of my east coast friends do...that's fine too.  WASP makes a fine product as does Slick Trick and G5 with their Stryker.  Heck I have a dozen rifles and can never decide which one to shoot more than 15 minutes before I load up the truck to go hunting.  I don't want to grand stand and try to force guys to think there is only one way to skin a cat.  If you like what you shoot and it puts your mind at ease who am I to say otherwise.  Just please, please, please shoot them as sharp as you can get 'em.  That's where the real results come from.

If you decide to shoot a head with .125" larger width per side than our smallest head.  I say, "Great!"  There are definitely some decent ones out there.  Who knows, perhaps I'll build one of those one day.  And as long as there are not a bunch of animals running around with arrow sticking out of them I'm happy for those who find what they like and stick with it.  But I remain curious who decided and when they decided that one diameter broadhead is too small and/or too big.  That's a guy I'd like to sit down and have a coffee with.  He must be a genius

Easy there, I said your BHs looked purty.     I'm not trying to say yours won't kill animals.  You are right, 1/4 of an inch won't make a difference to the one whose lungs it goes through.

Here's another serious question, how does one test sharpness?  Wouldn't it benefit any name brand company to produce the absolute sharpest blade they can afford to produce? 

If I didn't have something like three dozen still from my trip up north, I would think about getting some of those long-nosed ones.

[RadSav]

Easy there, I said your BHs looked purty.      

I have some uglier ones I'll post soon 

Here's another serious question, how does one test sharpness? 

There are three different tests we use to judge sharpness. 

First is to measure sharpness after the grinding process.  We use a Leitz metallurgical microscope that measures the depth and height of burrs down to the single micron.  The older Savora blades were sharper than we can produce now even though we use the same strip grinder.  The grinding heads we use to get are no longer available.  I've offered up a buck load of cash to have them custom made, but so far the manufacturer won't do it.  We do have a secret process of grooving our grinding wheels that produces a better end product than you will find out there.  But unfortunately we are currently stuck starting with the same wheel many others use.  It's really a dang shame because the old wheels were considerably advanced beyond what is currently available.

Second we test the rate of environmental deterioration.  This is done by submerging blades in a saline solution for different periods of time.  If the carbon and nickel of stainless are not properly blended the edge becomes very fragile very rapidly.  Again we use the Leitz micro scope to measure this.

Third is to check Rockwell hardness at regular intervals.  Carbon blades have a rather large processing window without running into much trouble in edge durability.  But, when dealing with stainless steel blades that optimal window is very narrow.  Too soft and you can not grind the edges properly and the blades will not hold their edge through contact with hair, meat and bone.  Too hard and stainless becomes very brittle leading to anything from complete blade failure to heavily chipped blades upon entrance to the tissue.  Stainless really is a crap blade material that does rust nearly as fast as high quality carbon.  It's called stainless not rustless and sales reflect that what people can't see is a major sales incentive   I almost always do a small run of carbon blades for myself.  However, sales never make it worth while to run enough for general production.  Although now that we have so many different blades I just might do a combo run and then stock them as replacement blades whether we make money or not.

Wouldn't it benefit any name brand company to produce the absolute sharpest blade they can afford to produce?

We are the only broadhead company who has their own strip grinding machine.  As a result we can set that machine up for hunting blades and never need to change much or have complete setup changes.  But I ask myself that same question a thousand times a year.  It's just not that hard a thing to ask and buy the best blades the equipment can run.  And a lot of these garbage blades are made on machines with greater control and modern features than ours.

Now with the Muzzy three blade and the InnerLoc blades this is a completely different process.  One that can never produce the level of sharpness a G5 Stryker, WASP, NAP, Slick Trick, Savora or even the four blade Muzzy can achieve.  Other non-strip blades like Shuttle-T are a complete different animal where both the material and the process fail to produce the quality sharpness of a strip blade.   I can only assume those producing garbage strip blades can only do so for two reasons; Ignorance and/or Money.  Unfortunately there are too many manufacturers that know better and just don't care to spend the extra money or demand the very best.

Modern packaging and marketing has taken it's toll on blades too.  This desire to show a broadhead completely assembled often times takes a very nice blade and gets it dull before it ever reaches the end consumer.  And then some take a perfectly good replacement blade and package it in a manner that leads to dull blades by the time it gets to the end consumer as well.  Again I can only assume ignorance and/or money is the motivating factor there as well.

But my answer is "YES"!  I do believe it would benefit every broadhead company to produce the very best blade possible.  Although a great blade is only great for hunting if the bowhunter replaces his/her blades regularly.

[lokidog]

Thanks for the info.   

[xXx Archery]

heads look really good bring some by the shop....soon...cant wait to kill my bull with it..

[Karl Blanchard]

I'm counting down the days till April 1st!

[MLBowhunting]

I love the heads.  Killed a nice buck, bull and buffalo with them    all complete pass thrus and great blood trails

[whackmaster]

I love the heads.  Killed a nice buck, bull and buffalo with them    all complete pass thrus and great blood trails

wow how did you get them i cant even get one 

[RadSav]

I love the heads.  Killed a nice buck, bull and buffalo with them    all complete pass thrus and great blood trails

wow how did you get them i cant even get one 

MLB was helping with the field testing of the Ti-Con 100.  Same as the one you have.

[Jonathan_S]

  The DelMastro will be mine!!