Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting What Broadhead do you use for Elk?

I'm going to give the G5 Strikers a shot this year. Let's hear what your using to bowhunt elk this year!

MUZZY

zwicky fixed blades are the way to go...!

I used wesell woodsmans for many years sucessfully

http://www.3riversarchery.com/ShowLargerImage.asp?i=4225-1&n=Woodsman+Broadheads+<br>150gr++Screw-In+<br>6-Pack


Ive also used these


muzzy phantoms



steel force

Much depends on the arrow weight, whether you want glue-on or screw on b-heads, and the b-head weight you want.

I have used two blade steel broadheads with about a 3:1 ratio of length to width for elk killing for 40 years with wooden arrows.Mostly 160 grain from heavy stickbows.Never lost any of the 17 bull elk I've shot.(then there's the butchering and packing which also requires skill and good edged tools)..:)


The keys are that they need to be sharp, ( not necessarily razors) cut on impact, strong, and properly weighted for the arrow to fly true ....and of course, mounted straight and plumb.I like to sharpen edged tools myself and the two blade b-heads lend themselves to that well.

You also need to practice with your broadhed equipped arrows.Just because they are similar in weight to your practice points doesn't mean they will fly to the mark the same.
A sandbank is good.
No matter how good you are in practice, IF the one arrow for the shot on game doesn't go where you think it will, you'll be unhappy..Jim

For archers over the years, there has been much discussion over many years about broadhead sharpness and what's best.

Obviously, if the broadhead enters the heart, aorta or major surrounding areas, the game will die...and fairly fast.

Lung hits similarly.Less perfect shots which require some tracking offer different challenges.

IS a razor sharp edge best or an edge which has microscopic roughness like a well sharpened steel kitchen boning knife or a well knapped obsidian head, which, BTW, downed millions of large critters over many thousands of years at the hands of 'primitive' archers and atlatl hunters ?

For your discussion, consider the knives used by surgeons over the years.
Yes they want to cut right and cleanly, BUT more importantly, they wants the cut flesh, veins and arteries to heal fast and be easily mended.

Does a razor sharp cut heal faster or clot faster than a more ragged cut?YES.

For a decently shot critter that you must track and recover, do you want the wound to close and clot fast or slow?SLOW.

Maybe a bit morbid, but if you have ever tracked or examined wounds on man or beast, the clean cut clots faster and heals faster than a more) microscopicxally speaking) ragged cut. Jim

Paul Brunner "The 8th Dwarf" did a bunch of broadhead penetration tests on elk hides and bone back in his Screaming Eagle days. IIRC, the 2-blade 3:1 heads that were sharpened by a bastard file were best on hide and splitting bones. Running the file away from the shaft towards the point leaving a rough jagged sharp edge gave better performance than razor sharp edges.

GVA

"Let's hear what your using to bowhunt elk this year!"

Muzzy 3 Blade 100's. Haven't failed us yet. BT

Used thunder head 100 for a lot of years. But for a change I used Muzzy 100 grain worked well. 52 yards behind the shoulder quartering away from me, hit the back femur and shattered a chunk about 3 inches long. I would say it worked well.

stuck a javelina with muzzy 3 blade 100 gr. at 22 yards... never found that pig. i either A. made a un-perfect shot or b. it zipped through him so fast he didnt know he was hit and ran to far. looked for him for 3.5 hours and never found him. i think this year(or next time i hunt with a bow) i will probably use some sort of expandables that open up to 1 3/4" or 2"

for me it would be the magnus stingers in the 4 blade. excellent shooting and leaves great blood trails if i was shooting a mechanical it will be a snyper or maybe a grim reaper i think or maybe go back to my rocket steelheads
rob k

personally don,t trust mechanicals, Ive seen two differant brands loose blades on impact with DEER.
the 3:1 ratio cut on contact blades, work just fine

Expandables are not legal in my state. But I now some people in Florida that use them for deer. But on pigs they still use Muzzy, they say it is because of the shield the pigs have behind there shoulders, they are afraid a mecanical will not penetrate.

125 grain Slick Trick standards. Just have to find an elk to "test" them on. Same POI as field points. Believe the hype.

Mechanicals no way. Ever on anything again.

Casey-- I've shot a ton of javelina. its shot placement on em. wanna stop em shoot the shoulders out. Vitals are a bit further forward than you think deer wise! About to go whack a bunch more hogs and couple of javelinas in a few weeks.s

Elk-- never released on one yet. Best penetrator I have is Zwickey by far. Wife used one on a 400 plus pound boar hog, shields over 2.5 inches thick, draw of 56 pounds, shot at something under 20 yards. Got through the shield, through the heart, and stopped between the ribs and shield on teh off side. I shot the same hog hanging up with 73 pounds, same distance, broadhead came out the other side..... but fletch caught.

File vs shaving. used to sharpen wiht a file. Then shot a buck that was double lunged(autopsy of course!!! as always) at 18 yards. Buck was still alive and walked off 3 hours later. A few years later similar instance with almost a book deer. Both were found. But both had run the typical short distance and bedded up and clotted. 3+ hours later when we took up the trail both got up and walked off, less than 70 yards though.. Went to shaving sharp polished and have not seen this again...

What would I use? Compound has Muzzy in it right now as the wife switched for javelinas to muzzy(I didnt' have to file, polish etc...) and they worked so good she used them on everything. I've done in hogs deer etc... and been happy when too lazy to sharpen. I'd go slick tricks since they are more heavy duty. Could care less about impact vs field points. I'm from way back, didn't happen much then, and I'm still capable of moving my sights quickly....
Hmmm but my recurve has 125 Snuffers. Work great on deer and hogs. As do the 200 Snuffers. Bone breakers and great penetrators. Would come down to tough decision, Zwickey,Snuffer or Sliks....

Again, mechanicals suck and should be banned IMHO. I've seen everything from them gettign my wifes 120 class buck even though hit a bit back. To not opening at all on a spine shot, cutting a fox almost in half, and then not opening at all on a lung shot that took me all day till dark to find!! Never again. Blades bent, popped off etc...... and taht not openeing business... ouch. They don't offer that much that i'd ever risk an animal to them again.

Jeff

PS, found a G5 in a dead bull a few years ago. I'd use them in a heartbeat too if they fly acceptable. Solid sharp looking little head!!!

I really like the Muzzy 90's. The Muzzy 4 blade design is simple and strong, a good combination.

I like the muzzy 125's...but I think you should consider the whole package. (shaft, weight and how well they fly together)

I've used the Slick Trick 100gr magnums on moose and caribou and plan on using them for Brown bear this spring. They are an excellent head IMO.

JoeK, you should be impressed with the G5 Strikers...great flight and accuracy.

I've had good luck with the 100gr magnum Slicktricks myself. If I was shooting a mechanical (I may be the only one who hasn't had trouble with them) it would be a Rocky Mtn Snyper or the Rocket Steelhead. Both are solidly constructed. Either way, if you poke a hole in his airbags and don't push him, its only a matter of time.