expandable vs fixed

I know it a little late in the year for this topic but I am getting frusterated with my go to muzzy’s

My bow is faster this year by 20fps and I think it starting to have an affect on my arrow flight path. I am getting the S curve going in, bow is tuned and I was zinging feild points right on top of each other. now I am constantly 1-2″ off my mark in any direction usually though low and left.

I was thinking of going to expandables for this reason and doing it tonight. any thoughts.

I love my muzzy’s but dang

I read somewhere that once you approch 300 you start to get that S curve you need to adjust you broadheads, I even made sure that the blades are in line with the flecthing, nothing doing

Here’s my take… Expanding broadheads are more accurate by design. They create less drag due to less surface area exposed in flight and will be more resilient to wind. They will also fly faster.

The knock on them is that they have to expand, and on rare occasion they have not expand correctly making penetration variable… which is bad.

Through a lot of trial and error, I have settled on the Rocket Steelhead 100’s. Here are the reasons:

– Nothing less than 100gr in an expandable gives you the penetration you need for large game. I have shot the wolverine 75’s at 280fps and it’s just not enough, even when you avoid bone.

-The steelhead 100 has the unique characteristic of having the head tip nearly flush with the broadheads. This is critical as the farther back the expandables are the more variability you have in the arrow entering crooked. You want the broadheads to open almost immediately upon inpact of the tip.

Check out the images below (the steelhead is on the left)

– It’s a rocket. I’ve tried all other kinds of expandables and nothing kills like a rocket. They are the best machined, lowest profiled in flight, and include the largest cutting areas. Buy the rockets.

My 2 cents,

jon

Here’s my take… Expanding broadheads are more accurate by design. They create less drag due to less surface area exposed in flight and will be more resilient to wind. They will also fly faster.

The knock on them is that they have to expand, and on rare occasion they have not expand correctly making penetration variable… which is bad.

Through a lot of trial and error, I have settled on the Rocket Steelhead 100’s. Here are the reasons:

– Nothing less than 100gr in an expandable gives you the penetration you need for large game. I have shot the wolverine 75’s at 280fps and it’s just not enough, even when you avoid bone.

-The steelhead 100 has the unique characteristic of having the head tip nearly flush with the broadheads. This is critical as the farther back the expandables are the more variability you have in the arrow entering crooked. You want the broadheads to open almost immediately upon inpact of the tip.

Check out the images below (the steelhead is on the left)

– It’s a rocket. I’ve tried all other kinds of expandables and nothing kills like a rocket. They are the best machined, lowest profiled in flight, and include the largest cutting areas. Buy the rockets.

My 2 cents,

jon

i shoot fixed but i always shoot them alot before season just to make sure they fly right! i have heard some things from my uncle that hes shot deer with a fixed blade and it didn’t open up right so then they had a hard time finding the deer i’ve personally never used them just because of that reason. just my .02

i shoot fixed but i always shoot them alot before season just to make sure they fly right! i have heard some things from my uncle that hes shot deer with a fixed blade and it didn’t open up right so then they had a hard time finding the deer i’ve personally never used them just because of that reason. just my .02

I am suprised you have not opened a can of worms with this question. I have shot expandables for years and have had good luck. Shot placement is key with all bowhunting and this is why I shoot expandables. I have found that it is true that expandables shoot almost just like field points. Shooting expandables gives me the opportunity to practice with field points and not have to dull fixed or replave blades. Plus field points are a lot cheaper than any broadheads. I have shot NAPs with good results and am currently shooting G5 Tekans. I prefer the expandables that have a solid, sharp cutting tip and no O-ring. I also shoot carbon arrows and one year took two deer with the same aarow and broakhead. All I did was clean the aarow and broadhead afterwards and replace the blades. Good luck and be safe this year. P.S. I am also very picky about the shots that I will take bowhunting. Wait for that broadside or quartering AWAY shot and put the hurts to ’em.

I am suprised you have not opened a can of worms with this question. I have shot expandables for years and have had good luck. Shot placement is key with all bowhunting and this is why I shoot expandables. I have found that it is true that expandables shoot almost just like field points. Shooting expandables gives me the opportunity to practice with field points and not have to dull fixed or replave blades. Plus field points are a lot cheaper than any broadheads. I have shot NAPs with good results and am currently shooting G5 Tekans. I prefer the expandables that have a solid, sharp cutting tip and no O-ring. I also shoot carbon arrows and one year took two deer with the same aarow and broakhead. All I did was clean the aarow and broadhead afterwards and replace the blades. Good luck and be safe this year. P.S. I am also very picky about the shots that I will take bowhunting. Wait for that broadside or quartering AWAY shot and put the hurts to ’em.

Spitfire 100’s for me. Never had a problem.

Spitfire 100’s for me. Never had a problem.

I shoot “Ultimate Steel” Fixed blade broadheads. The blades are very short. It seems the shorter blades carry less wind and fly very close to the same as my field tips. I used to shoot Thunderheads, then switched, I like the Ultimate Steel much better.

good luck

I shoot “Ultimate Steel” Fixed blade broadheads. The blades are very short. It seems the shorter blades carry less wind and fly very close to the same as my field tips. I used to shoot Thunderheads, then switched, I like the Ultimate Steel much better.

good luck

I shoot the Wasp Jac-Hammers and love them. I have also had great luck with the Spitfires. But, with my set up right now I can go from field tips to Thunderhead fixed as well as expandables without changing the sights. This is the first bow I have ever been able to do that with. Most bows will not be able to sight in with field tips and go directly to fixed without changing the sights a little bit. I keep dull blades around to use as practice for my Thunderheads. Then when it is time to hunt, I just replace the dull blades with new ones and I am off. But, for a quick fix you can go to expandables and be ready.
Now I will also say that the expandables are not for every set-up. If you do not have high kinetic energy, please do not use expandables. Also, they work excellent on close shots. Please do not try a 40 yard shot on deer with them. They do need some power to operate effectively. What is your current set-up? How many pounds, draw length, brand, and axle-to-axle length?

I shoot the Wasp Jac-Hammers and love them. I have also had great luck with the Spitfires. But, with my set up right now I can go from field tips to Thunderhead fixed as well as expandables without changing the sights. This is the first bow I have ever been able to do that with. Most bows will not be able to sight in with field tips and go directly to fixed without changing the sights a little bit. I keep dull blades around to use as practice for my Thunderheads. Then when it is time to hunt, I just replace the dull blades with new ones and I am off. But, for a quick fix you can go to expandables and be ready.
Now I will also say that the expandables are not for every set-up. If you do not have high kinetic energy, please do not use expandables. Also, they work excellent on close shots. Please do not try a 40 yard shot on deer with them. They do need some power to operate effectively. What is your current set-up? How many pounds, draw length, brand, and axle-to-axle length?

This is always an amazing debate and question. Fixed or Expandables. Really it is all in what you like. I have personally used two, three, four blade fixed and different expandables. A friend of mine works for Sheels and gets them and tries them out. We shot at a 3/4″ piece of plywood with all different types. Believe it or not the so called bone cutter Muzzy’s weren’t the best. The best seemed to be the two blade broadheads, Zewickys(sp). The expandables all did about the same as the fixed. The best one when off angle were the GrimReapers. They don’t deflect like other expandables with short tips. These also don’t use the “rubber bands” to keep them together, they are strictly mechanical. The bows we used were Parker and Mathews Q2 and Switchback.

So really I think it is all in what you like. All perform nearly the same, just depends on how picky you want to get on shot placement. I’ve shot everything I can think of and still haven’t found anything that is perfect, but in my opinion GrimReaper Expandables and Crimson Talon, with the spiral wound technology, are great fixed. Only my opinion though.

This is always an amazing debate and question. Fixed or Expandables. Really it is all in what you like. I have personally used two, three, four blade fixed and different expandables. A friend of mine works for Sheels and gets them and tries them out. We shot at a 3/4″ piece of plywood with all different types. Believe it or not the so called bone cutter Muzzy’s weren’t the best. The best seemed to be the two blade broadheads, Zewickys(sp). The expandables all did about the same as the fixed. The best one when off angle were the GrimReapers. They don’t deflect like other expandables with short tips. These also don’t use the “rubber bands” to keep them together, they are strictly mechanical. The bows we used were Parker and Mathews Q2 and Switchback.

So really I think it is all in what you like. All perform nearly the same, just depends on how picky you want to get on shot placement. I’ve shot everything I can think of and still haven’t found anything that is perfect, but in my opinion GrimReaper Expandables and Crimson Talon, with the spiral wound technology, are great fixed. Only my opinion though.

I also shoot Muzzy’s and had a heck of a time this year. I have always shot through a Whisker Biscuit arrow rest and never had a problem. After weeks of beating my head against the wall, I had a drop away rest put on a week ago and “BAM” Perfect arrow flight. I’m not gonna promote anything, and I have always loved the Whisker Biscuit, but it sure helped my arrow flight by changing. What type of rest do you use bucky?

I also shoot Muzzy’s and had a heck of a time this year. I have always shot through a Whisker Biscuit arrow rest and never had a problem. After weeks of beating my head against the wall, I had a drop away rest put on a week ago and “BAM” Perfect arrow flight. I’m not gonna promote anything, and I have always loved the Whisker Biscuit, but it sure helped my arrow flight by changing. What type of rest do you use bucky?

Many of my bow hunting buddies switched to expandable heads several years ago. I heard all kinds of great things about their expandable broadheads. I like to keep things simple… the fewer moving parts the better so I kept on shooting my fixed blade Zwicky Black Diamond broadheads. Over the past couple of years now many of these guys have switched back to fixed-blade broadheads. I practice with both field points and broadheads. The Zwicky heads I shoot fly very well with minimum difference from a field point. Zwicky guarantees their Black Diamond to be the deepest penetrating broadheads on the market. I have taken multiple deer with the same broadhead. I just received a dozen new arrows, a half-dozen new broadheads and adapters late last week. I am going crazy waiting for the season to start.

Eyehunter

Many of my bow hunting buddies switched to expandable heads several years ago. I heard all kinds of great things about their expandable broadheads. I like to keep things simple… the fewer moving parts the better so I kept on shooting my fixed blade Zwicky Black Diamond broadheads. Over the past couple of years now many of these guys have switched back to fixed-blade broadheads. I practice with both field points and broadheads. The Zwicky heads I shoot fly very well with minimum difference from a field point. Zwicky guarantees their Black Diamond to be the deepest penetrating broadheads on the market. I have taken multiple deer with the same broadhead. I just received a dozen new arrows, a half-dozen new broadheads and adapters late last week. I am going crazy waiting for the season to start.

Eyehunter

Been researching this over the last several days after seeing my fixed Thunderheads fly 3″ to the right and low. Thought I would just adjust my sights as I did last year, but enjoy shooting too much to go back and forth with the broadheads and field tips….after spending about 4 hours researching online it seems that most people that have used or are using the mechanicals believe in them; but there are testimonials (not many) about failure to open. Thus, wishing to stay with a fixed blade, I found this website: http://www.broadheadtests.com/
I have subsequently purchased the NAP Nitrons and have been shooting as accurate as any of my field tips out to forty-five yards. Testimonials describe excellent blood trails as well. Good Luck.

Been researching this over the last several days after seeing my fixed Thunderheads fly 3″ to the right and low. Thought I would just adjust my sights as I did last year, but enjoy shooting too much to go back and forth with the broadheads and field tips….after spending about 4 hours researching online it seems that most people that have used or are using the mechanicals believe in them; but there are testimonials (not many) about failure to open. Thus, wishing to stay with a fixed blade, I found this website: http://www.broadheadtests.com/
I have subsequently purchased the NAP Nitrons and have been shooting as accurate as any of my field tips out to forty-five yards. Testimonials describe excellent blood trails as well. Good Luck.

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but there are testimonials (not many) about failure to open.

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I have never once had to worry about my thunderheads opening!

Quote:

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but there are testimonials (not many) about failure to open.

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I have never once had to worry about my thunderheads opening!

Not to stir up the pot too much, but I am sure I will I have lost more deer with the Thunderheads than I care to mention. Since I switched to the mechanicals I have found every deer with a very short trailing job. I have also had good success with the old 2 blade Bear blades. Now I am not going to sit here and tell you the Thunderheads are junk because that is simply not true. The mechanicals are a very good alternative to the old standby fixed blades.

Not to stir up the pot too much, but I am sure I will I have lost more deer with the Thunderheads than I care to mention. Since I switched to the mechanicals I have found every deer with a very short trailing job. I have also had good success with the old 2 blade Bear blades. Now I am not going to sit here and tell you the Thunderheads are junk because that is simply not true. The mechanicals are a very good alternative to the old standby fixed blades.

Never lost a deer with thunderheads, therefor I have no reason to switch. In my opinion, 98% of losing a deer is placement of the shot, not the performance of the broadhead. The only reason I don’t shoot a mechanical is simply that I don’t want to be in my stand wondering whether or not it opened. You can kill a deer with a stone on a stick if you hit the vitals. Just my .02

Never lost a deer with thunderheads, therefor I have no reason to switch. In my opinion, 98% of losing a deer is placement of the shot, not the performance of the broadhead. The only reason I don’t shoot a mechanical is simply that I don’t want to be in my stand wondering whether or not it opened. You can kill a deer with a stone on a stick if you hit the vitals. Just my .02