October 30, 2018
By Tony J. Peterson
Bowhunters use to be extremely loyal to bow brands. These days, that’s not quite the case, although there are plenty of fanboys out there. Where the line-in-the-sand loyalties lie now, at least when it comes to equipment, is with broadheads. We vociferously defend our broadhead choices and most of the time, will not listen to any arguments that don’t support our biases.
For me personally, I remain somewhat agnostic on broadhead choice. For certain situations I’ll have a quiver full of wide-cutting mechanicals. For others, it’s going to be small, durable and crazy-sharp fixed-blade heads all day long. Where I won’t bend on my choices is that no matter what broadhead I choose, it has to have the potential to survive a poor hit and do the kind of damage necessary to make up for any accuracy shortfalls I may impart in the process.
If you’re at a point where you’re not so sure your broadhead choice is the right one, or maybe just want to know if there is a better option out there for your individual hunting situation, read along. In the following list you might just run across a head that causes your broadhead-belief-foundation to crumble just a bit, and maybe, just maybe, cause you to take a leap on something different.
G5 Outdoors Deadmeat The 1.5-inch Deadmeat from G5 has earned a solid following among bowhunters in the short time it has been on the market. The head is designed really well, built from high-quality materials, and features the Snaplock Blade Retention System to keep the blades right where they’re supposed to be throughout the shot cycle. While the Deadmeat is a great option, one of the coolest things about it is it comes with a BMP practice tip, which is ballistically identical to the head meaning you can practice with a field point that flies just like the Deadmeat. That’s no small thing, believe me.
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Flying Arrow Archery Orion 3 If you routinely elk hunt, or have a propensity for hugging the shoulder on mature whitetails, the Flying Arrow Archery Orion 3 is an excellent choice for you. This low-profile, 100-grain head is built on a one-piece, stainless-steel ferrule and offers interchangeable blades that are wicked sharp. To ensure killer arrow flight, the blades are offset by 1.5 degrees allow this head to work with your arrow’s rotation while in flight.
Muzzy Trocar HB-Ti Hybrids are the hottest thing going in the broadhead market, and it’s tough to beat Muzzy ’s latest - the Trocar HB-Ti. This 100-grain head sports .039-inch thick wing blades that deploy on impact, as well as .050-inch thick fixed-blades that will blow through bone with ease. The HB-Ti’s durability doesn’t stop at the blades, however, because Muzzy used titanium to construct the ferrules.
NAP Killzone SwingFire NAP ’s latest offers bowhunters a full two-inch cutting diameter. The 100-grain head also features four different and opposing cutting surfaces, which reduce friction and drag. True to its name, the SwingFire is designed with blades that not only reduce drag in flight, but also move to allow for maximum penetration no matter what they encounter during the shot.
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QAD Exodus Quite a few configurations, as well as grain weights of 85, 100, and 125, are available in QAD ’s Exodus broadheads. Whatever style or weight you happen to settle on, rest assured that each broadhead sports razor-sharp blades, is constructed to withstand serious abuse, and is built right here in the USA.
Rage X-Treme 4-Blade If you shoot anything smaller than an antelope with this head, you might cut it in half so be careful out there. Rage ’s latest is loaded with blades that offer a 2.3-inch wide cutting diameter and a serious amount of cutting surface. It’s offered in 100 grains, built upon a machined aluminum ferrule, and utilizes the SHOCK Collar blade-retention system.
Ramcat Broadheads Savage Mechanical Two aspects of the Ramcat Savage Mechanical that all bowhunters can appreciate is that it is designed specifically to foster as much penetration as possible and that its built to stay seated in your insert and not slowly work its way loose. Each 100-grain Savage boasts .032-inch-thick blades and a 1.5-inch cutting diameter.
SEVR Titanium 2.1 Broadhead The broadhead that caused the biggest waves in the bowhunting pond this year is the SEVR Titanium 2.1. This rear-deploy head offers a 2.1-inch cutting diameter and blades that are fully contained in the ferrule until impact. After that, the blades are designed to swing in order to allow for increased penetration. SEVRs also feature Practice Lock, which allows you to lock the blades in place and practice with your actual hunting heads.
Swhacker Hybrid Broadhead Swhacker greatly expanded their broadhead lineup in 2018, and the most interesting head they came out with is the Hybrid. Choose from a 100-grain option that offers a 1.75-inch cutting diameter, or a 125-grain option that offers a 2.25-inch cutting diameter. High-carbon steel and anodized aluminum are used to build both, which means they are as rugged as anything you’ll find on the market.
Wasp Dart The 100-grain Wasp Dart is a good-for-everything-that-walks broadhead. With its Stainless Smart Tip, .027-inch thick blades, and aerodynamic design, the Dart is a great choice for whitetails, mule deer, elk, hogs and a host of other critters. Total cutting surface of this four-blade head measures 2.25 inches, meaning that the wound channels it creates are horror-movie level awesome.
