fixed blade or expandable

[stealheadfisher]

what would you say is a better idea for elk?

[huntnnw]

there is no question on penetration depth of a fixed head over a mechanical. Ill never shoot a mechanical for elk.  There has been many test videos shared over the years. You lose energy just getting the head to open and the benefit of mechanicals is the larger cutting diameters that also slow penetration and a lot of mechanicals dont have the blade thickness of some of the really good fixed heads out there.

[stealheadfisher]

what type of fixed blade do you think is best

[huntnnw]

there are lots of good ones out there. RAD broadheads,Kudu,muzzy, montec  and shuttle T to name a few

[Zuus]

I have recently done some of the same research. I have not used mechanicals myself.
Each bow hunting buddy I talked to though, said the same thing. They would use mechanicals for deer but not for elk.

[boneaddict]

Fixed!   

[Archry]

Hybrid.  Bloodsport gravedigger 125 grain.  I shot my bull elk this year with one. It didn't go 40 yards.  I have also shot three  mule deer and one cow elk with this setup. All have dropped under 40 yards.

[Cab]

fixed 125g Slick Trick Magnum for my compound and fixed 125g 1964 Bear Razorhead for my recurve.

Why? Because I dread the thought of shooting an animal and the blades not opening, I don't like adding any more moving parts then I need to.

[jstone]

Fixed

[Tracker0721]

I like the ashby studies personally. So fixed and heavy. Also single bevel and I’ve found nothing stronger, more accurate(groups with field tips past 70), or easier to sharpen. Though I did hit them on my worksharp and a strop- not a file. Shooting them into my 3D really shows how much more spin they put on compared to a double bevel.

But my buddy took his bull with a slick trick 125 and the other took his cow with a muzzy 3 blade 100 grain. Both absolute perfect shots at 40 yards. Both other buddies hit, one at 6 yards into the shoulder and no penetration, arrow fell out. Other one was at 20 yards and the arrow was found broken off with 4” missing. Never found anything on that one in 5 more days hunting the area.

So accuracy is key in my book but I always prepare for anything bad to happen to happen and I wanna tip the odds in my favor.

[ridgefire]

I like a one piece, three blade cut on contact broadhead myself. Magnus Snuffer SS has worked great for me on elk. I have always had great penetration with this broadhead.

[mossback91]

fixed! Flying on a heavy arrow! Big fan of heavy arrow setups!

[buckfvr]

Fixed......and Ill add the only buck I know of from this year NOT recovered, was shot with a mechanical.

[Limhangerslayer]

My buck was shot with a mechanical this year, shot back but quartered into the liver.  Went 50 yards max.  Haven't shot am elk with them yet, but have heard the same thing other people are saying. 

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Fixed all day every day! NAP Thunder Head 125. 

[lewy]

I’ve had great luck with shuttle t’s on deer and elk, I do do some additional sharpening on them.

[kisfish]

I have to say go with fixed. I've  been archery hunting for over 30 years and shot my fair share of animals. Shot allot of heads during that time and now all I shoot is Radical archery design. They fly great, killer sharp, and  tough as nails. Just my 

[bjc4200]

I've killed three elk with a Rocket Steelhead and didn't have problems.  They are small mechanicals but shoot the same as my field tips.  It's always been a hassle tuning my bow to shoot fixed blades.   I've tried many different fixed heads (muzzy, muzzy knockoffs, zwickey...) but like the accuracy confidence of the Steelheads.

[D-Rock425]

Fixed for everything.

[Sutherland]

I will say I prefer to shoot a fixed blade compared to mechanicals. But that's just my experience with both. All bows shoot different. My old bow did not like to shoot fixed blades at all. My new bow is a different story. Depends what your hunting as well.

[mburrows]

Fixed is much, much more fail safe. I've been on the wrong end of mechanical's failing, jstone got to witness that.  But I know lots of guys that only use mechanical and have great success.

Ill probably be a fixed blade guy for big game for the the rest of my archery hunting days. Learning to tune a bow really made mechanical heads obsolete for me personally.

That being said NAP kill zones are going on my arrows for turkeys because of that big cutting diameter.

[Jellymon]

I will never use an expandable head. If I did I would still tune my bow as perfectly as possible, so an expandable would have ZERO advantages for me, but plenty of negatives.

Yes, the majority of the time expandables seem to work great, and there are plenty of stories of animals falling in sight. But....

My second bear this year was taken with a 125g viper trick with a total arrow weight of 430g going 275fps. Not the strongest setup in the world with my short draw. The bear was facing me dead on, my shot entered the chest and exited out the very back of the rear ham, and it only ran 20yds before piling up. Full pass through, end to end penetration of about 3 1/2 feet ish. Good luck doing that at my specs with an expandable.

[Archry]

This is a great thread  and input. I switched from brand x because of bad results on good shots. Others still shoot the brand I switched from and are very successful. Use what works for you your personal results in the field are what matters. It's the same for bows and motor oil... good luck to everyone through the current situation and this upcoming hunting season

[Sutherland]

 .   Well said!

[notsosneaky]

I run mechanicals (kill zones) on deer and elk
Only ever lost one deer I shot in the shoulder.

[Jayfire83]

I like the ashby studies personally. So fixed and heavy. Also single bevel and I’ve found nothing stronger, more accurate(groups with field tips past 70), or easier to sharpen. Though I did hit them on my worksharp and a strop- not a file. Shooting them into my 3D really shows how much more spin they put on compared to a double bevel.

But my buddy took his bull with a slick trick 125 and the other took his cow with a muzzy 3 blade 100 grain. Both absolute perfect shots at 40 yards. Both other buddies hit, one at 6 yards into the shoulder and no penetration, arrow fell out. Other one was at 20 yards and the arrow was found broken off with 4” missing. Never found anything on that one in 5 more days hunting the area.

So accuracy is key in my book but I always prepare for anything bad to happen to happen and I wanna tip the odds in my favor.

 

[dilleytech]

Fixed blade for penetration, reliability, and strength. Mechanical for guys who can’t tune a bow and need there hunting arrows to fly as close to a field point as possible. 

[3dvapor]

Gravediggers combination fixed with mechanical bleeder vanes.  Ive had very good luck with these.

[Mfowl]

I'll be rolling with Tooth of the Arrow 1" 125gr's this season. Always been a fixed blade guy anyway. Slicktrick's in the past.

[HAGEMANIAC]

Fixed. Lots of good recommendations in here.  Muzzy Trocar, Magnus Stinger, Slicktrick, etc.  will all do the trick with a well tuned bow and good shot placement.

[Miles]

Fixed.

[Crunchy]

FIXED and be done with it.

[OutHouse]

I've only been doing archery for about six seasons but I was always told find the fixed blade that works for you and stick with it for all animals. My bow happens to shoot muzzy three blades the best (its pretty much a beginner type Bear bow) but have taken four animals with it. All the kill arrows except one could have been used to harvest another animal, one with no sharpening whatsoever. Never had anything but a pass through.