Broadhead breakdown: The pros and cons of fixed blade and mechanical broadheads for bowhunting
Lorenzo with a fixed blade broadhead for elk hunting.
Yep, another article about mechanical and fixed blade broadheads. However, this isn’t going to be an article about which is better because there’s way too much subjectivity and bias in that realm. Instead, I want to focus on the pros and cons of each to help anyone out there who is on the fence make a decision they can be confident in. To start things off, I am a fixed-blade guy, but I have killed animals with mechanicals before and will do so again. I carry both in my quiver. It really just boils down to the type of hunting I am doing.
To get this kicked off, let's first take a dive into what I like to call ”Broadheads 101.” What is the difference between a fixed blade and a mechanical broadhead? Basically, these terms refer to how the broadhead is constructed and how it is designed to work on an animal. Fixed blade broadheads are more of a traditional design. Picture a field tip with two to four blades attached to it. Yes, that’s rudimentary, but it gives you the idea. These heads are simple, straightforward, and always ready for action.
Mechanical broadheads (also commonly referred to as expandable broadheads) are generally much lower in profile and feature blades that are tucked into or alongside the main ferrule itself. Upon hitting an animal, the blades are activated, “expanding” into their fully designed position to begin cutting flesh, organs, etc. These designs are generally more complicated than a traditional fixed blade.
Fixed blade broadheads are essentially what the name implies. The blades of these are in a fixed position at all times: before, during, and after the shot. These are very popular options as the heads are very simple and work well. Fixed blade heads will generally come in options of two, three or four blades. In general, broadheads with a lower number of blades tend to penetrate better than those with more blades while broadheads with more blades tend to produce more blood than those with fewer blades. However, that is not a hard fact, and broadhead design can play a huge role in the above.
Fixed blade broadheads tend to be more troublesome when it comes to accuracy as they are much more reactive than a fieldpoint or mechanical broadhead to form and tuning issues. Essentially, a fixed blade broadhead can highlight and exemplify any issues in your setup.
Mechanical broadheads are available in many different designs and materials. Some have blades that deploy in a rearward fashion, and some swing from a forward-facing position to a rear position. In general, this deployment action requires some of the arrow's energy to complete. This can rob from the potential of the arrow and is commonly why you will not see mechanicals recommended out of lightweight bow setup. However, many modern bows above 55 pounds of draw weight will not have too much trouble with the energy loss on most big game animals. Mechanical broadheads can commonly be found two- and three-blade options, but four-blades do exist. Mechanical broadheads are commonly referenced by the cutting diameter of their blades with a common range being from around 1.5” to 2.25”. One thing to note on cutting diameters: Pick the diameter that matches the species you are hunting. A giant 2.25” broadhead may not be the best for a heavy-boned animal like an elk; whereas, a 1.5” broadhead would be right at home.
For the most part, mechanical broadheads tend to be much more forgiving than a fixed blade broadhead and generally have field point accuracy right out of the package.
In the section above, you might’ve noticed that I mentioned that mechanical broadheads generally have field point accuracy right out of the box. This is a very common reason you will see people switch from fixed blade broadheads to a mechanical broadhead. In essence, a fixed blade broadhead has more surface area and is more susceptible to form and tune issues. Now, the huge issue with this is that accuracy problems stemming from fixed blade broadheads are merely an indication that your arrow is not flying correctly out of your bow. An arrow that is not flying correctly is also an arrow that is not delivering its full potential in terms of penetration due to loss of energy while fighting to fly straight. Now, if we take an out-of-tune bow and shoot a mechanical broadhead, we can expect a fairly high level of accuracy without having to touch anything on the bow. The problem from this will arise, though when we start evaluating the retained energy of the arrow on impact. The arrow has already lost more energy than it needed to by fighting to fly straight, and now we are robbing even more energy to open the blades. The bottom line is that you should take all of the same precautions to make a mechanical broadhead fly correctly as you would to make a fixed blade fly correctly. Don’t switch broadheads to cover up issues. A note on consistency: Because mechanicals are more forgiving in flight, it’s reasonable to expect more consistent accuracy out of these as they will be more lenient on form issues, bow issues, and environmental (wind) issues.
So, now we return to the question that I’m sure many of you are asking: What is the best option for me? The one answer I’ll live and die on is to shoot whatever you are most confident in. Confidence in your shot, in my mind, is everything when it comes to archery hunting. You have to have zero doubt in your mind that your arrow is going to kill that animal. Shooting a broadhead you are uncomfortable with — even if another hunter has had great success with it — is only creating doubt in your mind. This doubt can lead to subconscious issues at the shot, resulting in a less-than-desirable situation. As I said before, I hunt with both. Here are some considerations I like to keep in mind when choosing which type of broadhead for a hunt.
Some hunts require longer shots by comparison. For example, let's compare a whitetail treestand hunt to a spot and stalk antelope hunt. While whitetail hunting, I would expect nearly all of my shots to be within 40 yards while a spot and stalk antelope hunt could see shot potentials at longer distances. Either broadhead is suitable in this situation, but a mechanical broadhead might be a more forgiving option for longer shots and in potentially higher winds. Often, I will carry at least one mechanical broadhead in my quiver while elk hunting. That arrow is primarily there in the instance where I get a long distance follow-up shot because I have more confidence in those broadheads at longer distances.
This is another great one. As stated earlier, mechanical broadheads do use energy to open. This energy then translates into a potential loss of penetration. There aren’t any actual numbers to the potential loss, but there has to be some. If I get lucky and draw a buffalo tag, I am going to err toward a fixed blade broadhead. I am primarily concerned about penetration with that species. However, if I am hunting a thinner skinned and smaller animal like a deer, I am more confident in my bow’s performance and would be willing to give up some energy to gain the forgiveness and larger cutting diameter of a mechanical broadhead.
This is an area that should require a lot of consideration. Most modern compound bows above 55 pounds of draw weight can be effective for hunting with mechanical broadheads. As you start to dip below that threshold, the potential energy of the setup begins to dip just as quickly — if not faster. I know animals have been killed with mechanical broadheads at much lower draw weights before; however, being smart in your approach can save you some headaches.
To reiterate the first point I made in this section: shoot what you have the most confidence in! With the sheer amount of broadheads on the market, it is not hard to find one that “speaks” to you. One of my favorite examples is a popular fixed blade that I used to hunt with. I used to have customers tell me they’d used these broadheads before and didn’t like the blood trails. In my experiences, I had incredible blood trails and really never had anything get out of sight before dying after the shot. Regardless, even though I had full confidence in that broadhead, they did not. Confidence in your equipment trumps all.
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