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Field Report for the NAP �Killzone Deep Six� COC broadheads. One of the things I enjoy the most about the Campfire is the information exchange that takes place in the forum.

This is not intended to a �fixed vs mechanical� discussion, or �what�s the best�, just field report from one guy shooting the Killzone broadheads on the Easton Deep Six arrow shafts.

I am running these out of a Hoyt CRX 35, 29 inch draw and around 62 pounds of draw. I started shooting the NAP Big Nasty broadheads last year, but didn�t think I was getting groups less than eight-ten inches at 40 yards, so decided to look for another broadhead. The local Pro Shop suggested the Killzones, so I decided to try them. I�ve shot Rages, G-5 Montecs, and Slick Tricks with success, but the listed brands don�t make a head for the Deep Six Easton shafts, that I�m aware of.

Friday was one of �those� mornings getting to the field, nothing went badly wrong, but it seemed like everything took �extra� time to get ready, out the door, in the field, and into the stand. Had a nice buck, mature 4x4 matching one we had on camera as best I could tell, come in to 20 yards before legal light, with the daypack in my lap getting set, and the bow on the ground�we�ve all been there. He wandered off before I could the bow up and take a look at taking a shot. Kinda figured that was the last one of the day with the way the day had started. At 0900, the road construction site about 200-300 yards away started pile driving multiple 40 foot pilings for an overpass. At 0930, the wind picked up to 10-20 miles an hour. At 1000, I figured between the noise and the wind, the day was pretty much done. I was trying a new tree location, and decided to climb the stand around the tree to see if I had better cover/shooting lanes/stand set before I came down. So, I dropped the day pack and the bow to the ground and started down and around the tree. About 3 feet down, I climbed around the tree and ended up almost around, when I saw this young buck come into sight about 40 yards out. I figured he�d spook, see something, smell something and be long gone. However, he continued to work his way up and across a streambed, while I pulled the bow around the tree, back up to the seat, and nocked an arrow. I had trailed a scent wick behind me into the stand in a morning and hung it over a stump at 18 yards; the buck was keyed in on it, and completely oblivious to anything around him. He turned sideways at 15 yards and stopped, I drew and hit him in the vitals. He went about 15 yards and collapsed, and never really spooked like I would have expected a hit deer to do.



The broadhead closed:



The broadhead deployed:



Entry through the ribs, looks like a fully broken rib and at least 75% deployment of the blades.



Exit through another rib, and full blade deployment, and complete pass-thru of the arrow. The arrow/blades went through both lungs and cut the back side wall of the heart, but did not open the heart itself.



Saturday morning was better getting to the field, and a better morning in general, saw several deer passing by out of range, but at least the deer were moving. The winds were down, and the temps were good for hunting. About 0930, this doe came into the stand head �on and stopped in about the same spot as the buck, and broadside. However, she came in fully alert, continued testing the wind, and very nervous. She looked at me in the tree several times, but did not spook away. Finally, she turned her head away over her back, I was able to draw and shoot. I had the pin set behind her front leg, but the arrow actually entered just ahead of the diaphram, cut the front of the stomach, split the liver in two, and partially exited the off-side through the middle of the lung just behind the offside front leg. I may have �punched� the shot, or torqued the bow, or all of the above, but I was very surprised to see how far back I had hit her from a 15 yard shot. I didn�t see any deflections before or after the shot, but it was a bad placement by me , IMO. She ran off hard, and the arrow pulled out at about 20 yards, she dropped in 45-50 out of sight and in grass with no �crash�.

Entry hole near the diaphragm looks like a busted rib, and full deployment of the blades:



Exit hole, fully deployed blades, cut completely through a rib, and exited at severe angle through the body cavity:

[img]http://i1077.photobucket.com/albums/w480/AH64guy/Doeexit1_zps55919454.jpg[/img]

Summary: the Killzones worked as advertised, and the out-of package sharpness was acceptable for field use. Both blood trails were very visible, I don�t like over-stating the amounts, as it�s very subjective to experience and terrain dependant. What I saw may not be what you would call �a lot� or �a little�. At the end of the day, two deer are in the freezer, and I believe the Killzones are an acceptable choice for the arrows they were mounted on. I�d prefer a fixed blade, but will use these for the rest of the season.

Good review. I have been using Spitfires for years with no intent of changing, but I am tempted by these Killzones.

They kinda look like the Rage and with the rear deploying blades would certainly expect them to penetrate. Good report. Thanks and congrats on the deer

Kind of what I was thinking, similar to Rage. So no o-ring? Just wondering what keeps the blades down until needed?

Congrats on your deer btw!

Thanks guys!

Here is a Rage and a KZ with their blades deployed. The cuts are the same width, but the blade deployment is different on each.

The Rage uses a rubber "O" ring and tension against the ring to hold the blades in place at the base of the broadhead. The Rage blades can move completely independently of each other, and then slide/pivot/deploy around the fixed pin in the center of the head on contact.



The KZ blades are mechanically held closed by the "tit" in the center of the blades, and the corresponding divot on the opposite blade. The center pin and the blades move as a unit rearward on contact, the base of the head has a steep triangle ramp in the center that pushes the blades out during any rearward travel.



The blades on the Rage are independent and can move outward, and the KZ can only rearward as a single unit. Neither KZ blade can move without deploying the other blade.



The KZ blade design, as a single unit, will not allow the blades to sweep any further forward than about 90 degrees to arrow shaft, the Rage blades can swing completely around.



My biggest concern with the KZ blade deployment would be on a "soft tissue" impact, that lacked the initial restistance to "pop" the detent and the blade unit open, such as a deep rear quartering away shot.

Again, not a "better than" message, just how they work.

Let me ask this. Any issues with the deep six system? Kind of like the clear serving issue we talked about in another thread. Heard reports of the area just above the threads being a "weak spot". This is concerning the deep six system in general. Not a stab at the NAP heads.

So far...no.

I've snapped Montec heads off at the shaft, and the lighted nock on the shot on the buck was blown up when I retrieved the arrow.

I saw the arrow bounce back behind him after the shot. I did not see or find what it hit after the pass through. The CoC tip edge is intact and not rolled like it had hit a rock.

I could see the potential of an issue with the small diameter threaded shaft, but I've also beat the practice heads up pretty well on the range. We have a couple of bales with weak spots that will allow an arrow to pass through and strike the rocky hillside just behind the target butt.

So far, no breakage.

The "Big Nasty" is the NAP fixed blade model for these arrows. I've had grouping issues with them, and they require an extra inch of arrow shaft to mount. The broadhead had a short shaft screwed into the back of the broadhead tip where the blades form the point, the other end screws into the arrow shaft insert with a collar on the back end that supports the rear of the blades and encircles the outside of the arrow shaft. However, they are very temperamental about unscrewing the broadhead from the shaft at the tip. I�ve torque several down in the insert, only to find that when I needed to swap the head, the head unscrewed at the tip, and I have only a tiny threaded shaft to grab to un-screw from the insert.

From my observation of the Rage on turkeys, and the design I briefly saw called the Rage hypodermic, that system is getting close to being a mechanical worth further consideration

Turkeys, whitetailed deer and from what I have seen just watching tv, the black bear are animals I would not hesitate to use a rear deploying mechanical such as rage or the kill zone on.

The main problem with rear deploying heads is the drastic loss of KE when it opens. Getting true pass throughs is not common. I prefer and entrance and exit hole. That's why I shoot fixed heads like the Dirt Nap Gear DRT.

Cutting tips and sharp blades though the ribcage usually work.

Of the 6 deer I have shot using the 100 grain 2 blade Rage broadhead and Pile Driver arrows, only 1 didn't result in a pass-through. The reason one arrow didn't pass-through was because the broadhead directly hit and subsequently broke the opposite leg bone. I am truly puzzled why so many folks think penetration only has to do with what brand of broadhead is used and how fast the arrow is flying. Arrow weight and "what" is hit also affect penetration. If I had select which factor matters least, it would be the type of broadhead used so long as it was sharp.

Probabaly has a little something to do with the amount of video footage seen on the TV hunting shows, where we see lack of penetration, over and over again! Pretty much every time involving Rage broadheads.