Mechanical Broadheads: Expanding Your Opportunities

Have you seen the television commercials for Just for Men hair coloring? I've always wondered about that, wondered why women can't use it. Would it make my hair fall out or something? Why is it just for men? Would someone stop me if I tried to buy it?

And that's the way I felt about expandable broadheads, too. Years ago, I'd asked to see a pack from the selection that was hanging behind the counter at an archery shop.

You can't shoot them, the shop owner said. Only people who shoot the higher poundage bows can shoot them.

He might as well have said, those are just for men.

But, things have changed. Although the high poundage rule stays in place for expandable broadheads with large cutting diameters, people who can draw 50 pounds can shoot expandables with smaller cutting diameters.

More Expandables Have Smaller Cutting Diameters

We've seen a substantial increase in mechanical sales with the addition of models with smaller cutting diameters, said Tom Staszak, director of sales and marketing for New Archery Products. Based on our sales, we currently stand at about 58 percent fixed blade and 42 percent mechanical blade.

People with longer draw length can get away with shooting mechanicals with less poundage, because their kinetic energy level is greater than those with a shorter draw length, he added. In any case, we wouldn't recommend shooting anything less than 50 pounds.

Marvin Carlson, owner of Gold Tip, agreed that today's expandable broadheads can be shot by archers drawing lower poundage bows.

I got into expandables because a long time ago, I bought a new bow and couldn't get it tuned to get my (fixed blade) broadheads to fly right, Carlson said. That's when Gold Tip developed the Gladiator, and I found that its forward blades actually created some turbulence, which reduced the drag along the arrow shaft.

As a result, the arrows with the expandables actually shot better than my field points, he added. And when the expandables hit, they actually stretch the hide and get better penetration.

For lower poundage, I think an expandable with a cutting diameter of an inch and 3/8th is the maximum, he continued. There is a wedging effect when they go in, and they lose energy, but once they open they have low friction.

Shoots Expandables At Cardboard Box

Although the Gladiator broadhead was subjected to a number of scientific tests, one of Carlson's favorite tests is unscientific at close range, using a very low poundage bow, he shoots expandable broadheads into a fairly sturdy cardboard box. Using the same setup, he tests different expandable and fixed blade broadheads.

That's a good test to make sure you're shooting the right expandable, Carlson said. It's a good way to be able to shoot and see how it performs, and it gives you a good way to compare penetration.

Jay Leighty, Grim Reaper broadheads, pointed out that mechanical engineers have worked to develop the design of modern expandables. Also, many of today's expandables also have a cutting edge at the tip, which leads to better penetration.

Leighty worked on the Grim Reaper design for five years. Once he was confident with the design, he started his own company. This past fall, he got letters from two women, one shooting 41 pounds and one shooting 44 pounds, who had taken whitetail deer with their bows.

For a whitetail, using a modern bow set at 40 pounds and up, you should be able to shoot expandables, Leighty said. It will go where you are aiming that's most important and it will cut a big hole.

The Grim Reaper blades only need one pound of pressure to open. When open, the blades are at a 40-degree angle, allowing the blade to continue freely through the game animal.

Accuracy Is The Real Key

All three company leaders agreed that accuracy was the most important part of the equipment choice. Even a field-point will kill a big game animal if the shot is good.

There is a slight chance that an expandable broadhead will not deploy, Carlson said. But if it doesn't deploy, at least you can be sure that it will hit where you're aiming, and with a good shot you'll still get the animal.

That's the reason I think accuracy is more important than shooting a big, fixed-blade broadhead, he added. You should be able to take any bow that's legal for hunting and find the right mechanical broadhead to shoot with it.