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It’s tough leaving money in the woods - IronWill

Jagger0502

Jagger0502

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2020
Messages
504
Short version - I had 3 IronWill broadheads and their performance, flight and penetration was something above any broadhead I have used in the past…. However, I recover about half the arrows I shoot in the woods and swamps I hunt in. Is it worth it to spend the money and get more IronWill? Or stick with cheaper ones that also perform well? I mean… what’s $20 extra bucks when I spend $xxxx on fuel, travel, gear…..

you can skip the rest, just giving the details and backstory on the situation.

So I found 3 used iron will broadheads that needed sharpened and thought I would give them a try because the price wasn’t too bad vs new, but still high enough to put them in the price range of my other broadheads. Out of the three, one was bad enough I used it as a practice head and got the other two back to a razor edge. I can say, I liked them a lot. They flew perfect, sunk into my target a good bit better than my normal broadheads and I had a lot of confidence in their performance and they were on my #1 and #2 arrows. Arrow #1 was shot and lost, I spent a lot of time looking for it… and #2 I sunk into a deer with amazing performance, I couldn’t have asked for anything better from a broadhead, however it lodged in the spine and I couldn’t get it out and didn’t have a saw to remove it at the time and had to leave it behind when I packed it out. It made me think of how many arrows I actually recover when shooting it at game. Most shots pass thru or not, I figure 50% of my shots I have recovered arrows and probably due to the types of spots I pick being very thick and swampy bottoms. My last 6 deer, 3 pass thru shots and arrows not recovered (and I looked hard for most of them), one stuck in a spine. 2/6 arrows recovered.
I don’t need new broadheads, I still have a few less expensive broadheads that will work and fly great for less than half the cost of the Ironwill. But boy did they give me a confidence boost using them and knowing how they perform, but it’s so tough to throw a $40 broadhead attached to a $10-15 arrow out into the woods every once in a while and not find it.
 
Jagger0502 said:
Short version - I had 3 IronWill broadheads and their performance, flight and penetration was something above any broadhead I have used in the past…. However, I recover about half the arrows I shoot in the woods and swamps I hunt in. Is it worth it to spend the money and get more IronWill? Or stick with cheaper ones that also perform well? I mean… what’s $20 extra bucks when I spend $xxxx on fuel, travel, gear…..

you can skip the rest, just giving the details and backstory on the situation.

So I found 3 used iron will broadheads that needed sharpened and thought I would give them a try because the price wasn’t too bad vs new, but still high enough to put them in the price range of my other broadheads. Out of the three, one was bad enough I used it as a practice head and got the other two back to a razor edge. I can say, I liked them a lot. They flew perfect, sunk into my target a good bit better than my normal broadheads and I had a lot of confidence in their performance and they were on my #1 and #2 arrows. Arrow #1 was shot and lost, I spent a lot of time looking for it… and #2 I sunk into a deer with amazing performance, I couldn’t have asked for anything better from a broadhead, however it lodged in the spine and I couldn’t get it out and didn’t have a saw to remove it at the time and had to leave it behind when I packed it out. It made me think of how many arrows I actually recover when shooting it at game. Most shots pass thru or not, I figure 50% of my shots I have recovered arrows and probably due to the types of spots I pick being very thick and swampy bottoms. My last 6 deer, 3 pass thru shots and arrows not recovered (and I looked hard for most of them), one stuck in a spine. 2/6 arrows recovered.
I don’t need new broadheads, I still have a few less expensive broadheads that will work and fly great for less than half the cost of the Ironwill. But boy did they give me a confidence boost using them and knowing how they perform, but it’s so tough to throw a $40 broadhead attached to a $10-15 arrow out into the woods every once in a while and not find it.
Click to expand...

Cost and time to sharpen are the factors that removed them from my quiver. I keep a handful, and they'll be on tap for some key situations. But for shooting whitetails out of a tree, I can get 99% of the terminal performance at a much lower cost in both time and money.
 
Jagger0502 said:
Short version - I had 3 IronWill broadheads and their performance, flight and penetration was something above any broadhead I have used in the past…. However, I recover about half the arrows I shoot in the woods and swamps I hunt in. Is it worth it to spend the money and get more IronWill? Or stick with cheaper ones that also perform well? I mean… what’s $20 extra bucks when I spend $xxxx on fuel, travel, gear…..

you can skip the rest, just giving the details and backstory on the situation.

So I found 3 used iron will broadheads that needed sharpened and thought I would give them a try because the price wasn’t too bad vs new, but still high enough to put them in the price range of my other broadheads. Out of the three, one was bad enough I used it as a practice head and got the other two back to a razor edge. I can say, I liked them a lot. They flew perfect, sunk into my target a good bit better than my normal broadheads and I had a lot of confidence in their performance and they were on my #1 and #2 arrows. Arrow #1 was shot and lost, I spent a lot of time looking for it… and #2 I sunk into a deer with amazing performance, I couldn’t have asked for anything better from a broadhead, however it lodged in the spine and I couldn’t get it out and didn’t have a saw to remove it at the time and had to leave it behind when I packed it out. It made me think of how many arrows I actually recover when shooting it at game. Most shots pass thru or not, I figure 50% of my shots I have recovered arrows and probably due to the types of spots I pick being very thick and swampy bottoms. My last 6 deer, 3 pass thru shots and arrows not recovered (and I looked hard for most of them), one stuck in a spine. 2/6 arrows recovered.
I don’t need new broadheads, I still have a few less expensive broadheads that will work and fly great for less than half the cost of the Ironwill. But boy did they give me a confidence boost using them and knowing how they perform, but it’s so tough to throw a $40 broadhead attached to a $10-15 arrow out into the woods every once in a while and not find it.
Click to expand...

I suggest getting some Bishop boardheads if you are considering going budget route.

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Not sure if your shooting the single bevel iron will or not, however I went with Kudu Points for this exact reason. Don't get me wrong they are still costly, however being $60 for 3 vs $120 for 3 its a significant difference. I have yet to be disappointed in the performance of the Kudu Points.
 
kyler1945 said:
Cost and time to sharpen are the factors that removed them from my quiver. I keep a handful, and they'll be on tap for some key situations. But for shooting whitetails out of a tree, I can get 99% of the terminal performance at a much lower cost in both time and money.
Click to expand...

Which alternative do you prefer?
 
Very first hunt of this season I lost 2 arrows....even came back with the metal detector....no dice. Had to build 2 arrows when I got home and tune so I didn't have to carry just a single arrow the following day.....expensive day. 200gr cutthroat x2, lighted nock x2, and obviously shafts themselves.....was totally worth it thou....not everyday u get to shoot 3 hogs all at the same time on a spot and stalk
 
kyler1945 said:
I have had good luck with QAD Exodus 125 heads. I've yet to damage a ferrule beyond use, and have only replaced a blade or two from hitting rocks.

Very fast to sharpen, pretty much indestructible, fly great. Normal price.
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I agree. Just started using them this year. Killed three deer this year so far and they worked perfectly.
 
I
Chimney7 said:
Have to ask, are you using lighted nocks?
They’ve saved me a lost arrow or two.
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i am not, that would likely solve some of my problems and a few I might have found but I do know some of these arrows I have lost are under grasses that are over ankle deep water. I can however think of a few that I would have likely found if they were lighted. Good tip.
 
I am using mangus stingers and have had great luck with them, they fly great and I have killed stuff just as dead with these as any other broadhead I have used. When I go thru a bone or hit a rock on the other side I can see it’s a one time broadhead but to replace a blade on those vs sharpening an IronWill… if I don’t loose them, I would prefer the IronWill and feel it performs better. On the other hand, I can loose 4 mangus stingers to one IronWill or go thru 8 replacement blades on a mangus for one IronWill. But when I had those IronWills on the end of the arrow I felt a lot of confidence that it wasn’t going to cause me issues. Is that worth $40 per broadhead? Not sure. Do I waste $40 on tons of other hunting stuff that I don’t need and doesn’t end in meat in the freezer? Yup, and way to often.
 
Jagger0502 said:
Do I waste $40 on tons of other hunting stuff that I don’t need and doesn’t end in meat in the freezer? Yup, and way to often.
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Totally agree! I have purchased 4 different brands of SB’s this year ( Cutthroats, Grizzly Stick, Abowyer, VPA’s, ) I’d say that close to $400 dollars. I work and save for my hunting enjoyment and like it is said in other posts I feel more confident having these heads at the end of my arrow then I ever did shooting the others. A side note to buying these is that it has also improved my sharpening skills for my knives and such around the house.
 
Arrows, like precision ammo for competitive rifle shooting, are expendable. This is the bottom line.

In rifle shooting it is understood that a $4000 rifle gets a similar priced optic and not the $500 optic. In archery it is understood that arrows will be lost or broken or ruined. It’s just part of the sport. Buy and pay for what you can afford.

I shoot VPA and Tuffhead 200g and when I’m getting ready to draw on an animal the very very last thing on my mind is the price of anything I’ve purchased for this lifestyle.
 
I think VPA’s are excellent quality and at a much more reasonable price point. I used the 3 blade 150gr over the last three seasons they do heavy work and are easy to sharpen on a flat file and then fine Diamond stone then strip the heck out of th on an old leather belt. They are scary when fully stripped to a mirror finish edge.
 
Magnus Broadheads are excellent and lifetime warrenty if you recover it maybe even if you don’t I’m not sure. I also think the Steel Force Phat Heads are reasonably durable and cost effective as well. Both great and lower cost alternatives to consider.
Finally, and I know they are old school but they are cheap and my mentor and middle school science teacher used Bod Kin Broadheads three blade. Three rivers still sells them. You can sharpen them up the same way you do the VPA’s. An alternative sharpener is the 344 from the Stay Sharp folks for three blade fixed coc heads.
 
Another vote for magnus, shaving sharp from the package, easy to sharpen, and unmatched warranty. I lose one a year ground hunting, I'll look 20 minutes or so because I don't want a sharp pointy stick laying around.
 
woodsdog2 said:
I think VPA’s are excellent quality and at a much more reasonable price point. I used the 3 blade 150gr over the last three seasons they do heavy work and are easy to sharpen on a flat file and then fine Diamond stone then strip the heck out of th on an old leather belt. They are scary when fully stripped to a mirror finish edge.
Click to expand...

I'm shooting the three blade 175 grains and have loved them this year. Two kills, complete pass throughs with the arrow buried in the dirt with a salvageable edge.
 
kyler1945 said:
I have had good luck with QAD Exodus 125 heads. I've yet to damage a ferrule beyond use, and have only replaced a blade or two from hitting rocks.

Very fast to sharpen, pretty much indestructible, fly great. Normal price.
Click to expand...

That is a broadhead that I have only ever heard good things about.


Semper Fi,
Mike
 
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