Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Never been a huge fan of Mechanical broadheads

Until now..

I checked out the Rage Mechanicals at there web site,
http://www.ragebroadheads.com/
and liked the concept. Then I went to Gander Mnt and picked up a pack, so I could see them for myself. I am impressed with the slip cam, rear deploying blades. It's so simple it's hard to believe that no one thought of it sooner! I bought the 2 blade model, for it's large diameter. I like to punch a big whole. I have been shooting the practice head with my TenPoint Blazer crossbow, and it is nasty accurate. I can only shoot one arrow at the same target at a time or I would just bust them up. (Not the case with my normal 100gr MX3 Muzzy's)
The clincher for me I guess was reading Chuck Adams comments on why he swiched over from fixed blades after all these years (I am sure he's had chances (read "offers") to switch in the past 15 years or so that mechanicals have been gaining popularity.
I have been reading stuff about Chuck since I was a kid, so I guess for me it was like hearing that Jack O'conner had switched to a Rem 700 in .338win mag. Blastphemy, I know! lol
There must be somthing to these things, I will let you know in October .

I like Chuck but the guy has to make a living. It is still a weak design. Slick Tricks for me. I have yet to see a broadhead of any kind perform like the Slick Tricks.

The rocky mt gator mechical had rear deploying blades, the rage is simular with some improvements. I had used the gator with good success on deer and elk but compared to todays heads penetration is lacking. I bought some rage heads last year because of the simlarity but haven't used them for hunting. Like Montana I just can't give up my slick tricks. I guess I'm allways going to be out of step with the elite bowhunters, I go from mech to fixed and they go from fixed to mech. Oh well.

Kent

In my early bowhunting days in R.I., mechanicals were illegal. I used Thunderheads, Razorbacks, Muzzy's and all of them had to be tuned, and I always had two sights: one for field tips, one for broadheads. They did not fly the same. When I started hunting in Connecticut, I started using Spitfire expandables. I've used them probably twenty years. They're legal in R.I. now too. They fly like field points, and don't use those stupid little rubber bands. There is also no fixed blade that will cut a bigger hole. A hundred twenty five grain Spitfire will cut a hole big enough to stick your hand through. I use 85's and have had no problems with them.

Rob

Slick Tricks fly same as my field points. They are 100 times stronger then any mechanical head out there. You want to see a hole look at their webpage of the skinned bear. That hole will do it everytime my friend.

I have been using muzzy 3 blade for years now but I have finally heard enough about the slick tricks and I just ordered a pack of them. I am also very Interested in looking at the wounds Inflicted by the rage Mech. If anyone has a picture of shots taken with the Slicks or The rages please post them. [img][IMG]http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/killahog/Octoberbucktagteam002-1.jpg[/img][/img] this is a picture of a buck I shot with a muzzy fixed blade The arrow hit the upper leg bone and broke the leg but could not get past the rib. It took a very well planned bump to get the deer to move under a friend who was set up in my other deer stand to finish the job with a second arrow. this is one of the reasons I am hesitant about going with a mechanical with a 2 inch cut. If a fixed broadhead cannot retain enough energy to drive through the ribs after a shot that was less than perfect would a mechanical do as well or better.

This is a picture of the same buck after it was pushed into a funnel under a buddie waiting in my other stand. He finished the job with a mechanical broadhead The arrow missed the spine but hit the spot where the lungs are connected together. My setup was a 60LB bow using muzzy 100G I was shooting the bow at 55lbs the deer was 35 yards away. The second shot was taken with a 70lb bow using a 125G spitfire the deer was 5 yards away. [img][IMG]http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/killahog/Octoberbucktagteam005.jpg[/img][/img]

A bunch of guys at my club bought slick tricks two years ago. After last season, they're back to using Spitfires. Slick tricks are a lot like Matthews bows, lots of advertising, lots of hype. I've taken / seen taken dozens and dozens of deer with Spitfires over the last twenty years. They work. A 100 grain Spitfire cuts an Inch and a Half hole.

I made the switch two years back. Blood trails that would make a crime scene tech queasy. I went with the GR.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47qLegGlYwE

Rob I have taken 3 deer with spitfires and I have only been able to track one of them with a blood trail. All 3 deer were hit in the lungs but the spitfires dident seem to make a very good entrance hole. I recovered all of the deer but Im looking for something that leaves a better blood trail. In fact the deer in my picture above was brought down with a spitfire you are rite they do work.

Slick tricks are zero hype and 100% performance. Show me a mechanical blade after hitting bone. It is useless the slick trick 7 out 10 times will be fine. They are hands down the best broadhead on the market. They make two awesome holes in deer size game. Mechanical broadheads suck.

Rob, I would like to hear what your buddies didn't like about the slick tricks. I know the spitfires can kill elk I've seen it, I've killed 4 elk and 5 deer with mechanicals myself, with my hunting partners taking as many themselves, some with spitfires. I liked mech. because they were accurate and would shoot with my field points, like you I could never get a fixed to shoot exactly with a field. I didn't feel real comfortable about the penetration and lack of blood trails at times, mostly on elk. Most animals were found close by but if they went any distance at all the blood trail was slim or none until they shucked the arrow the same way it went in. With elk one hole can get tricky.

I can understand the comment about hype for the matthews bows, ads everywhere you look and priced at the top of their industry. I know they're good bows, most my friends shoot them. I'm just stubborn enough not to. With slick tricks I guess I'm out of touch, I've never seen an ad for them. I allways figured they were a little company that made one broadhead, and at a low price compared to a spitfire or rage. $25 compared to $30 for the spitfire and $40 for the rage. The only hype I've seen are on forums like this from bowhunters that use them.

What I like about slick tricks is from the first time I put them on they hit exactly with my field tips, no adjusting. Tougher than a mechanical, more penetration, just as accurate and lower price. I shot one into a block wall on a bet that it would blow up, the head penetrated almost fully, was able to remove it and with a little sharpening it was ready to hunt. A friend over shot the target and hit a elk shed we had sitting on top of it, penetrated a 1/3 of the head, couldn't remove that one. As far as cuting surface the rage has 2 in X 2 = 4 in, the spitfire has 1 1/2 in X 3 = 4 1/2 in, the slick trick has 1 1/8 X 4 = 4 1/2 in, all fairly equal. Pick the head you like and go hunting thats what it is all about.

The only animal I've shot with one yet was a mature female lion, not much of a test with a thin skinned animal, but I shot her in the armpit and broke her off shoulder at an upward angle. The arrow traveled at least 30 yds to a brushy hillside, I never found it and it wasn't in the open before the hill. Sorry no photos of the exit wound but the taxi has some sewing to do to fix her up. This year I acually have an antelope and cow elk tag so hopefully more test results to follow.

Kent

All the broadheads out there will kill animals with the right shot placement. Some are a lot better then others at the task. Krp you got that all right.

No matter how a mechanical head opens it takes a force (energy) to get it to deploy. That is a loss of energy however minute its still a loss. Second mechanical means moving parts. This is a weak link and a place for the heads and blades to break.

Slick Tricks fly just like field points. I use the same sight without adjustments for both field points and broad heads. Slick Tricks are one of the stoutest heads made. When I release my arrow I have 100% confidence that it will do the job reguardless of if I hit bone or not. I can't say that with any mechanical head.

Which one of the Slick Tricks do you use? Are they all essentially as good as each other?

I use the magnum 100, the only difference between it and the standard is a 1 1/8 in. cut for the mag a 1 in. cut for the standard, as far as I can tell. The razor and grizz I don't believe are out yet. I will probably try the grizz when it comes out, I don't know how it can be any tougher but it has a 1 1/4 in. cut.

I can respect someone elses loyalty to a piece of equipment. The things we carry with us on some of our fondest memories deserve it. I'm always willing to listen if someone feels a piece of equipment I use is lacking, I just would like examples of why. I'm not promoting slick tricks over any other head, just saying why they work for me. Maybe there's something better out there and I haven't tried it yet.

Kent

I shoot the 125 magnum. I think the new heads will be out before the start of hunting season. I shot Muzzy for as long as I can remember. My son turned me onto slick tricks. He shoots at a pretty big indoor archery place where he lives. He talks with some big names in the business, and that is how he found out about slick tricks. When he sent me the package I was expecting some fancy packaging and a big time archer on the package. To my surprise none of that. I looked at them and said not anything out of the ordiary here what makes them so great? So I screwed them on some arrows and went in the backyard without changing anything on my bow as my son told me. First arrow I plucked the string and it was about 2" out from center at 3 o'clock. Next arrow Was center and the third arrow center. I could not believe it. I had never had a broad head fly like that with zero adjustments. I called my son and ask him why he hadn't sent me them sooner? He said dad they just came out. My first hunting season with them I had a complete pass thru on a 280lb 6 point whitetail in Maine. Another complete pass thru on a black bear that weighted 422lb in Maine. Three complete pass thru's on sitka blacktails. The following year I was elk hunting with my son in Idaho he shot his elk first. I will say it wasn't a complete pass thru but had the elk not dropped right there the arrow would have fallen out. The only part of the arrow still in the elk was from the forward edge of the fletching back so say 5 inches from a complete pass thru. On the elk I shot I hit him in the bottom of the heart up into the lung and into the shoulder blade. He took about 5 steps and dropped. I don't think he ever even knew he was hit. The slick trick was inbedded in the shoulder blade with the point about 1/8 of an inch out the backside. Since I have taken many deer, speed goats, bears, and two Moose. Never a single failure. I will try anything you can offer me that is better but those are big shoes to fill. I really don't see any hype in slick tricks. What I do see is a company that has a great product that works. Instead of them sponsoring big names they took the chance on word of mouth from the everyday hunter. This has saved them money and in return saved us money. I will say I think their gamble proved them just right.

Mathews hype? I don't shoot a Mathews. I shoot a Hoyt. I think Mathews has proven their a top of the line bow and a force to be reckoned with. I know lots of guys that shoot them and love them. There sales records speak for them. Can't hold anything against them.

I like and use Tricks myself. The only design that I've used that's as sturdy is a NAP Nitron, but changing blades on the Nitron's is a real pain.

As Mechanicals go, I like Rocket Steelheads. But I wouldn't use them for game larger than deer myself, or any other mechanical.

killahog,

I'm not sure the story you posted proves that fixed blades are superior to mechanicals...only that shot placement is critical to ethically harvesting game, no matter what's on the end of the arrow.

I don't doubt that fixed blades penetrate better. But obviously, a shoulder shot with even fixed blades isn't a guaranteed kill. Had you hit the deer behind the shoulder, he'd be dead in less than 100 yards, whether fixed blades or not.

As an aside, I've never had any penetration issues with mechanicals when the critter was hit in the appropriate place.

I remember a few years back when the Rocket Steelheads were all the rage (no pun intended). I used them for a couple years with Horrible results. I had to prove to a game warden that I had shot one buck with my bow; when I checked it in it looked like it had been shot with a rifle, becuase the entrace wound was so small. (luckly he was spined, so no tracking involved)
Another time I lost a well punched deer, that left almost no blood trail, in a grown over clearcut.
I see the Slick Tricks are the new Hot lick, I may try them some day, but right now these Rage heads really have my attention. I will report back with kill/wound info and pics here in a couple months. The rubber will meet the road, and we'll see how they do. I have no loyalty to any product so, my observations will be based in fact.
I really like the way the Muzzy mx3 head preforms, but it sucks on a 20" crossbow bolt. It changes the POI, and really falls off after 30 yards. The rage is nasty fast, and accurate in my bow well beyond 40 yards, wich is about as far as I will shoot game at.

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I remember a few years back when the Rocket Steelheads were all the rage (no pun intended). I used them for a couple years with Horrible results. [/quote]

I have used them for about 10 years to take at least 50 deer. I never had a single problem with them I could honestly attribute to the head.