Mechanical broadheads....

[DBHAWTHORNE]

I am not an elk guy but I have heard the same thing regarding mechanicals on elk. I have also heard propenents of using them for elk say that you should have at least 65lbs of kinetic energy at a minimum. I personally have no experience with using them or any broadhead for that matter on elk.

[halflife65]

Well, I have a sample size of 1, which is, of course, statistically irrelevant.  I hunted out of state this last year, had a complete passthrough with a G5 Striker and a dead deer in less than 100 yards.  My hunting partner used something close to a Rage mechanical with a huge cutting diameter, had a complete passthrough and a dead deer in less than 30 yards.  Massive damage.

Given, these were deer and not elk and both shots were right on the money but I was impressed with the mechanical.  The hole it opened up was astounding.  I have no problem with them.

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Not many States in the west will allow them(if any), since you are possibly hunting bigger animals not just Whitetails.... I have tested several, shooting them into plywood.... the majority on an angling shot will glance off and not penetrate, where using at the same angle, same bow etc... using my snuffers I penetrated.  Now this was just my testing, but give it a try...  also must say that most mechanicals blades broke when hitting the plywood... where of course the fixed blades cut right through.... a cut on contact fixed blade will do the job without failure to open...  just my opinion. 

[Machias]

Wow this is cool a thoughtful and civilized discussion on a controversial subject! 

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Wow this is cool a thoughtful and civilized discussion on a controversial subject! 

Thats because he didn't say he wanted to use luminoks, with his laser aimed mechanical BH in a trad only GMU.... 

[1bugman]

Wow this is cool a thoughtful and civilized discussion on a controversial subject! 

Oh, give it time. some one will get home from work have a drink, read this and then it's on.    

[Button Nubbs]

Imo 2 holes are beşter than 1 I'd rather not risk it. In a perfect world we would all make perfect shots. This is not a perfect world and I would hate to put a mechanical into any animals shoulder and see most of my arrow hanging out of the animal. I hope for the best bt prepare for the worst

[turkeyfeather]

I have enough trouble hunting the last thing I want is another thing that can go wrong.

[hughjorgan]

It is unlawful to hunt big game animals with
a broadhead blade unless the broadhead
is unbarbed and completely closed at
the back end of the blade or blades by
a smooth, unbroken surface starting at
maximum blade width and forming a
smooth line toward the feather end of the
shaft and such line does not angle toward
the point.

The argument that makes most sense to me is that mechanical broadheads are barbed, so if you make a bad shot that arrow is going to remain stuck in there where a broadhead with a closed back end can be worked out.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

Imo 2 holes are beşter than 1 I'd rather not risk it. In a perfect world we would all make perfect shots. This is not a perfect world and I would hate to put a mechanical into any animals shoulder and see most of my arrow hanging out of the animal. I hope for the best bt prepare for the worst

If you hit a "shoulder" and lose the deer you most likely hit the humerus. If you hit the humerus fairly solid you are likely going to be in bad shape no matter which broadhead you have. However, if you hit the scapula(shoulder blade) broadsided you should get good penetration with mechanical or fixed. Of course the mechanical will require more kinetic energy to equal the penetration of a fixed cut on contact broadhead. I think most full penetration shoulder shots that people refer to are actually scapula shots. The scapula really isn't that thick towards the top.

[Button Nubbs]

Ok my bad, not full shoulder, more like shoulder muscle. Shoulder muscle is thicker and tougher than just the skin behind the shoulder right? My logic (remember, MY logic ) tells me that the muscle would be tougher to penetrate than just hide right? That combined with large blades deploying on contact would hinder penetration as opposed to a head that is cutting as it enters the animal. Maybe I am completely off base here but it makes sense to me. Maybe I'm just splitting hairs.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

I agree you will have more resistance and that the fixed blade (particularly cut-on-contact) will penetrate better than the mechanical in that instance. However, I have seen mechanicals and fixed blades blow through the shoulder muscles and both scapulas on broadside shots. Of course as I mentioned before there is no doubt that the fixed blade will be more efficient in this scenario and the mechanical will require more kinetic energy to get the same results.

[7mag.]

This is a great topic. I always thought that mechanicals had an advantage over fixed blade, but I have never shot mechanicals, just what I've heard. I'm glad I read this thread, I'm learning a lot. There are a lot of good points made here, in favor of fixed blade broadheads.

[Machias]

I think on arrival a sharp fixed blade does a better job.  The mechanicals are touted because of the ease from release to arrival, they fly like a field point for most folks.  Thing is, so does a properly tuned fixed blade and I believe that is one of the advantages to the mechanicals is they are easier to tune.....or so I have heard.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

I think the biggest advantage to mechanicals is the total cutting volume is generally greater than any fixed blade.