Top Turkey Broadheads of 2017

I recently spent some time matching broadheads to my arrows in preparation for a rapidly approaching trip to Texas and Nebraska for spring birds. Unlike my fall big-game regimen, this turkey prep involved only mechanical heads.

I'm a body shooter when it comes to gobblers, so I opt for impressive cutting diameters and overall cutting surfaces. I like three-blade heads more than two-blade models, and I like them wicked sharp.

I've heard plenty of arguments about shooting birds with fixed heads or going for the head loppers, but after experiences with both I'm committed to mechanicals that will cut as much of a turkey as possible. I have shot birds with fixed-blade heads, and they've died quite nicely when I've hit them will. Not-so-much when I've been off a few inches in my aim, unfortunately.

I've also sat in a blind with head loppers, but that's not my style. I hunt too many pressured birds to count on a longbeard strutting into seven yards and posing perfectly for a shot where I can ethically attempt to relieve him of his dome.

If you're like me, consider the following new turkey broadheads before heading out to put in some serious blind time this April.

Rage Xtreme Turkey Broadhead

Rage Xtreme broadheads are an excellent choice for gobblers, but their new Turkey version is even better. It boasts a 2.125-inch main blade cutting diameter along with .75-inch blades that are designed to slow this head down and keep it from passing through. Unlike other broadheads that have tried to produce these results, Rage's latest has got things right. I tested this broadhead out last spring and found that it performed just like it was supposed to. They weigh 100 grains, feature .035-inch thick blades, and employ the Shock Collar to ensure that your blades stay where they should until impact.

DirtNap Gear Shred Head

I know I said it's mechanicals or nothing for this guy, but I plan to make one exception this spring now that I've got a few Shred Heads with which to mess around. DirtNap Gear's broadheads have impressed me quite a bit over the last few years, and I think their latest with its unique design will be bad medicine for spring birds. The overall cutting surface of the Shred Head measures just a shade under two inches and it features the Modular Weight System so you can shoot it as either a 100- or 125-grain option. These Teflon coated heads are built to punish with .051-inch thick blade thickness.

Wac'Em Archery

I've been singing the praises of Wac'Em's fixed heads for a few years now because they are scary sharp and fly perfectly. For 2017, Wac'Em has released the 2-Blade Steel Expandable and the 3-Blade Steel Expandable. Both weigh 100 grains and feature a 1.5-inch cutting diameter. They are also designed with American-Forged stainless steel and boast true field-tip accuracy. Of the broadheads that make such a claim, I'd say about 20-percent are telling the truth. Wac'Em is one of them.

Bloodsport Archery GraveDigger Extreme Cut-On-Contact

Do you like mechanicals but worry they won't open? Fret no more, thanks to Bloodsport's newest, a hybrid head that offers 1.25-inch cutting diameter fixed blades with 2.25-inch cutting diameter mechanical blades. This cut-on-contact head is crafted from 420 stainless steel and 7075 aircraft-grade aluminum, weighs 100 grains, and doesn't rely on rubber bands or o-rings to perform.

G5 Outdoors Dead Meat Broadhead

Choose from either 100 or 125 grains in G5's newest broadhead offering. The three-blade Dead Meat features a 1.5-inch cutting diameter and 100-percent stainless-steel construction. The coolest part about these spin-tested heads is that G5 also created field points that are aerodynamically identical, meaning you'll now be able to practice with field points that actually do fly exactly like mechanicals. This may not seem like a game changer yet, but it is. Trust me.

NAP Spitfire DoubleCross

The 100-grain DoubleCross from New Archery Products boasts front-deploying main blades and rear-deploy bleeder blades for two-stage blade opening. All told, this broadhead promises three inches of overall cutting surface. It also features the bone-splitting Trophy Tip and will not open in flight despite the fact that it doesn't utilize o-rings or rubber bands. It's also laser accurate, and approved for the fastest bows on the market.

TRUGLO TITANIUM X Mechanical Broadheads

You're probably familiar with TRUGLO's extensive lineup of archery accessories, but perhaps you haven't noticed that they've now entered the broadhead category with their new TITANIUM X Mechanicals. A grade-5 CNC-machined one-piece titanium ferrule coupled with .031-inch thick stainless steel blades ensures that these 100-grain broadheads will withstand 50 times the abuse a turkey can dish out. They are also spin- and sharpness-tested.

Muzzy Trocar HBX 125

Hybrid heads are becoming more and more popular each year, a trend that is destined to accelerate with the release of Muzzy's Trocar HBX 125. This 125-grain head is designed with a chisel tip, one-inch-in-diameter fixed blades, and 1.625-inch expandable blades. Take a look at the HBX with the blades open and you'll see that they are offset, which helps produce spin and increase better arrow flight.

Swhacker Stainless Steel Broadhead

Swhacker's latest is a 100-grain, two-blade turkey nightmare that expands to a full 1.5 inches upon impact. The blades are .032 inches thick, made from stainless steel, and honed to slicing perfection. A cut-on-contact stainless steel tip ensures solid penetration, and each three-pack comes with a practice head so you don't need to sandbag a real broadhead to find out where your arrows are hitting.

MTM CASE-GARD Mechanical Broadhead Case

Finding a good way to travel with expandable heads can be tough, but it doesn't have to be thanks to MTM's newest Mechanical Broadhead Case. This made-in-the-USA offering stores six mechanicals in a silent, rattle-free case that is padded to further protect your expensive turkey heads. It's small enough to fit into a daypack or even a jacket pocket, so if you happen to have an action packed day in the blind, you won't run out of heads.

---