The broadhead debate will never be settled, and I’m okay with that.
Many bowhunters only trust the power of a bone-shattering, solid, fixed-blade broadhead, while others trust large cutting-diameter mechanicals to get the job done.
Both sides argue their points in real life and on various hunting forums, Facebook groups, and YouTube comments. ‘Round and round we go, when we’ll stop, nobody knows!
IT'S THE PENETRATION, STUPID.
The primary point of contention from the anti-mechanical broadhead crowd is their perceived lack of penetration.
While many believe that mechanical broadheads are simply not designed to penetrate well, my personal experiences have been much different.
I shot my first whitetail with a mechanical broadhead in 2009.
That season, I wrapped my tag around three deer in my home state of Illinois, two thanks to the NAP Spitfire Maxx broadhead and it’s 1 ¾” cutting diameter.
Both shots were complete pass-throughs, and I found the arrows lying on the ground after the shot. So much for lack of penetration.
Since then, I’ve shot dozens of whitetails, mule deer, and antelope with various styles and brands of mechanical broadheads.
Of those animals, the overwhelming majority have been pass-through shots with both an entrance and exit hole.
I’ve never had a broadhead fail or deflect, and I’ve never lost an animal due to an issue with a mechanical broadhead.
So why do mechanical broadheads get such a bad rap? There are several reasons.
1. Poor Arrow Flight
Poor arrow flight is a leading culprit in a lack of penetration on game animals, regardless of broadhead choice.
Many bowhunters choose mechanical broadheads because, as advertised, they typically fly just like a field point.
After struggling to get fixed-blade broadheads to fly true, people often give up and turn to mechanical broadheads as the solution.
I understand that broadhead tuning can be frustrating, but if your arrows aren’t impacting the target at the proper angle, penetration will suffer – regardless of broadhead choice.
Too Light Of An Arrow
Pushing a large cutting diameter broadhead through an animal takes some additional force, and a lightweight arrow simply isn’t going to cut it (pun intended).
Although I’ve passed through whitetails with a 400-grain arrow and a mechanical broadhead, it’s not something I recommend.
And while I’m not shooting a Ranch Fairy-approved “adult arrow”, I do believe there is something to having a little bit of weight behind your broadhead.
Today, my ideal arrow weight for hunting whitetails is somewhere between 450 and 550 grains, regardless of broadhead selection.
That is enough weight to give me the penetration I want without being so heavy as to dramatically affect my pin gaps or the rate at which my arrow drops past 20 yards.
Like most things in life, the key with arrow weight is balance. You want an arrow that is capable of good penetration without sacrificing too much speed and trajectory.
After all, most of us are hunting 200 pound whitetails, not 2,000 pound buffalo.
My current preferred “do all” bowhunting arrow looks something like this:
3. Not Enough Kinetic Energy
Not everyone should be shooting a mechanical broadhead. There, I said it. Are you happy now?
Archers with shorter draw lengths or lower draw weights that require lighter arrows aren’t generating enough energy to shoot most mechanical broadheads.
For example, my 12-year-old son has a 26” draw length and shoots 44 pounds of draw weight. Even though he is shooting a 400-grain arrow, I don’t believe his setup generates enough power to shoot a mechanical broadhead ethically.
Opinions vary widely on this, but I believe 55-60 pounds is the minimum draw weight to shoot a large cutting-diameter mechanical broadhead at big game animals.
4. Bad Shot? Blame The Broadhead!
Bowhunters love to blame their equipment when things go wrong. After all, it’s way easier than admitting that you messed up.
I’ve found this to be especially true when it comes to animals that are not recovered after the shot.
Every time I hear someone claim they “smoked” an animal but never recovered it because the broadhead failed, I die a little bit inside.
If you shot an animal and didn’t recover it, your issue was more than likely shot placement, not your broadhead. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.
5. Dull Blades
Each year, I’m amazed to learn that people practice with the same broadheads they hunt with without resharpening the blades first.
That’s right, there are people who shoot perfectly sharp broadheads into their target, then remove them and go hunting. I couldn’t believe it either.
As a young bowhunter, I was taught the importance of sharp blades in making a quick, clean kill. The animals we shoot die from rapid blood loss caused by razor-sharp blades slicing through veins, arteries, and internal organs.
The sharper your blades, the deeper your broadhead will penetrate, the more tissue it will cut, and the quicker the animal will expire.
You should never hunt with the same blades you practice with unless you resharpen them to a razor’s edge before hitting the field.
Additionally, many mass-produced broadheads leave something to be desired when it comes to sharpness out of the package.
If you’re crazy about broadhead sharpness like me, buy a broadhead sharpener and touch up the blades on your new broadheads just to be safe.
Mechanical Broadheads Aren’t the Boogeyman
Again, the purpose of this article isn’t to convince anyone that mechanical broadheads are somehow better than fixed blades.
The truth is that each style of broadhead possesses a specific set of features and benefits that appeal to some hunters and not others.
My point here is simply that mechanical broadheads don’t deserve the majority of the hate they get.
Much of that hate comes from people who likely had a poor experience with them due to one or several of the factors I listed above.
Mechanical broadheads are an excellent choice for bowhunting whitetails and other big game, and when set up and shot correctly, they are very effective at killing critters.
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