Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting X-bow broadheads

What do you all use for them?

Thinking about a x-now. Shot some for the first time today. If using a fixed blade do you tune them like a compound bow? Are the expandable decent or do you run into the same issues as using them with a compound?

Boltcutter 150s in the Excalibur Micro 340 - the 150 grain broadhead is what they recommend in the manual and they fly fine for me.

I’ve tried another brands with other x bows, but the Micro with the Boltcutters has been reliable. We’ve got multiple deer and one elk with them.

I’ve used the Rage xbow heads - they flew good, no blades popped out, but I know others have had an issue.

I’ve got some 150 grain Sevrs dialed in for this year, good flight, steady group, and no issues. Will see what my tune is post season.

Tuning a crossbow is pretty limited, as they’re pretty much limited to a cable or string twist for timing.

The newer speed xbows are somewhat limited to major dealer or factory adjustments only. I’m watching the local shop send more and more of them back to the parent companies for service.

If you’ve already got a broadhead you trust, I’d see how it flys for you, as long as the bolt weight is still in spec with that broadhead weight.

Thank you.

I use Muzzy 100gr on my compound. I guess I’d like to see if those work? Are the speeds the new crossbows are producing going to wreck the common compound broadheads?

I'm using NAP Shockwave crossbow 3 blade expandables. They fly just like my field points with exactly the same POI at 10-40 yards. Can stick them in a 1.5" diameter bullseye consistently at 40 yards. Of four deer killed so far, three went down inside 30 yards. One buck made it 75 bleeding heavily all the way. All have been pass throughs. Last years buck only took 3 bounds and down.

I have had good luck with 125 gr Slick Tricks but the ones I have were made several years ago. I have heard there are some quality issues now that they are made in China.

Have heard the same.

I’d like to avoid expandable if possible. But it’s looking like x-bows are us king them. I don’t even have one yet.
Just doing a little research to see what I can/should do.

I tried the Muzzy fixed blade crossbow heads first. The point of impact was way off from my field points, like 7-8" at 40 yards and my "grouping" was more than twice as big . I didn't care for that so tried the Shockwaves. Bingo ! Much better !

Slick Trick 150 grain crossbow broadhead here.

If you're shooting a fast one, fixed will be finicky.

QC is definitely down since the new four packs came out - I poach Ebay for the old blister packs if I can find them.

Tz- fixed heads in the xbow can be hard to get grouped tight, hence the shift to the expandable heads.

But - I'd try your Muzzy's first - you might get a break with them. Most xbows will take 100 grain heads - the Excalibur seems to be the exception at 150 grain.

Usually by this point - somebody chimes in and says shooting the lighter broadhead doesn't make any difference.

That may be true with the POI of the bolt, but it's sending extra energy that would be transmitted to the bolt - back into the crossbow somewhere, there's a cost sooner or later.

I write off a broadhead that's been fired - less so if it's a fixed blade, more so if it's an expandable - ground contact generally destroys my xbow broadhead blades at least - YMMV.

My Excalibur shoots 150 grain slick tricks to within an inch of my field points (the Excalibur 150 field points) out to 40 yards.

The 4 pack I bought all seem fine. One has been sacrificed to target duty.

What's your total bolt weight with heads and what's your velocity with that rig ?

430 grains, only going around 310-313fps

Wow, you must be using some light shafts ? My total weight is 425 gr. with the 100 gr. Shockwaves and I'm getting 338 fps. My bow is factory rated at 370 fps but that's with 370 gr. bolts.

Do you have heavy inserts in them? I don't, hence the heavier broadhead weight.

These, but with 150's

ARROWS

I use Sevrs with Dragon Claw shafts, fly POI with field points to 60 yds.....I touch up the blades brand new so they are razor sharp.

Yeah I have brass inserts.

I’ve killed 6 so far with Muzzy 125s on the regular Excalibur bolts. They just sail on through into the ozone. I think I’ve recovered 2.



Pretty nasty, maybe not Rage nasty, but plenty good enough, and pretty cheap. That’s the entrance hole btw.

My hunting partner has been using Rage expandables that are like 3" wide when open. Looks like you threw a damn hatchet right through them but they don't seem to put them down any faster than the shockwaves.

Yeah, I would think at those speeds they’d be junk if they hit the ground.

It depends - some days I get lucky and save one, other days not so much - we have a decent amount of stones in the surface soil in NORVA, they're pretty unforgiving at any speed.

I used to rebuild the Rages until the parts somewhat dried up, the Slick Tricks hold up but can roll the tip, or curl a blade edge.

I've had good luck with the Excalibur Boltcutters holding up to abuse, they're just not as common as the other brands on the store shelf.

The tip and blades are pretty easy to replace, and I haven't busted a ferrule - yet.

I have had go luck with 125gr muzzy 3 blade fixed BH with a 355fps xcal bow, in blood trails & they come with a practice BH

I've used Rage with success. I could see the bloodtrail at 45yds from the stand. They let out a lot of blood.

75gr muzzy

125 gr Rage , bleeds em out quick .
Several people I know use them and no complaints
One thing you need to be aware of is there is a grommet that keeps the blades in place till impact
You are supposed to replace these after each [bleep] as the blades slice little slits in them and if the blades are reset without turning the grommet to a solid contact position it can result in premature opening
So either replace the grommet or be certain you got the slits out of line with the blades
Kenneth

I currently use the rage with my Excalibur, my brother who had my bow before me used montec for many years and swore by them.

I also like the G5 Montec. They just don't like my current arrows.

I've been using the 125 gr Slick Trick xbow heads for several years with my Excalibur Micro Axe. They shoot to the same POI as my field points and go through every deer I've shot. What are the quality issues people are having? I just bought a new package a few weeks ago.

swhacker or wasp drone.

Big Ed

Same 100gr gr Slick Tricks I shoot from my Mathews compound...they shoot to same exact point of aim as my 100 gr field tips

125gr rage 2 blade for the horton reverse limb & 150gr rage hypodermic for the excalibur.

Could not get montec & other fixed blades to shoot anywhere near field point POA/POI.

The Rage expandibles shoot to same POA/POI, for both our crossbows.

Rebuild kits available, for used broadheads.

NAP 100 grain spitfires and Slingblades, in our Ravin R-10s. I prefer the spitfires, but both kill very quickly.

I have the 10-point archery EVO X 125gr heads. They're mechanicals that look like the older Rages, IMO.

Tom, I have killed about 60 of them with the crossbows now. I am shooting a couple of Excalibur Matrix bows.

I have tried a bunch of different head, both fixed and mechs. I like the NAP Thunderheads for penetration, and the NAP Spitfire Maxs for making decent holes. I haven't found anything yet that makes a hole that can't be plugged. I have good luck (and I think it is at least partly luck) with the Spitfire Maxs putting Bambi on the ground quickly, and it they are within 100 yards I can find them even if they plug up tight and there is zero blood on the ground. I have had a few tough blood trails with different heads incliding some 4 blade 2 inch.

Never had a mech head that did not shoot same as a field point out of the Excaliburs. 350 grain (head and arrow total weight) always shoot through unless I hit offside bone. Both Excals are superbly accurate, < 1 inch at 50 yards.

Dave,

Thanks. This thing rip...430fps. I don't have time to try any fixed heads this season. Hell....I don't even know if I'm going to use it this season. I haven't shot it much. But I guess there really isn't a lot to it. Check 0 and go if it's on I guess.

I will shoot some fixed blade this off season though. IIRC the arrows are 500 gr with a 125gr head. I don't imagine a lot of deer will keep that in them at under 40 yards. Which is where my shots will be. In MN/WI my rifle shots are mostly that far. lol

Swhacker 150 grain 3 inch

i am shooting a Excaliber x-bow it is not as fast as a compound x-bow so if i use 2219 aluminum shafts ,5 inch helical feathers i am able to shoot Zwickey eskimo 4 blade fixed blade broadheads that i sharpen myself .

Seven down now with those, all blow-throughs. Since I almost never find one after a kill, the low price is a bonus. Can’t be deader than dead….

Wife and I have shot a semi-load of deer with Rage 3 blades still have a few that use a blade for a tip....put one in the lungs and most don't go 50 yards.....have one Rage broadhead that has been used to shoot 10 bucks and is ready to shot one more for the year....

An expandable out of a crossbow will blow through a deer shoulder no problem. At least under 30 yards. Different game out of a compound. I shoot expandables out of the x-bow and fixed blades out of the compound.

I shoot an Excaliber also. They recommend 150 grain broadheads so that's what I use. 150 grain Slick Tricks and they fly like they're on a string and deadly. Personally I don't care for mechanicals.

I prefer slick tricks as well. 100 Gr for the Ravin and 150 for my Excalibur as its much slower.

I shoot a Carbon express 390 crossbow and rage 100 grain mechanicals. They really do the job. I bought a pack with no collars last year but haven tried them yet the collared ones have done great for me leave a heck of a blood rail. here is a pic of an exit wound on one of my deer.

340 Excaliber x-bow which is a recurve type , cut down old 2219 aluminum shafts , 5 inch helical feathers , Zwickey Eskimo broadhead that are hand sharpened.

Dec .14th. that evening shot a nice buck at around 20 yards with this set-up very good blood trail arrow went right tru bucks lungs and i never found arrow ,we had 5 - 6 inches of snow and i was in ground blind. have a great NEW YEARS ! Pete53

Mounted G5. Same for vertical and horizontal bows.