Mechanicals

[Tim0712]

I’ve been shooting nap killzones pretty much flaw free and really like them but by nature in this sport I want to fiddle haha any one shooting broad heads from sevr? Opinions? Reviews? What model are you shooting?

 

[Exhumis]

I’m shooting the titanium 1.5 125gr out of my xbow, shot them out of my compound before that. Had zero issues with them, never had a failure to deploy. Shot a buck with one last year from my xbow, arrow went in just behind left shoulder and he ducked and then somehow physics left the chat and the arrow took an upward trajectory and traveled up his neck where it severed the artery and shattered 3 vertebrae then popped out the side of his neck and buried in a tree. He ran about 30 yards and just piled up, dead before he hit the ground spraying blood like a broken sprinkler head, think he made it that far just due to adrenaline. My processor said he’s never seen anything like it, wished I’d taken pictures. Shot an about 100ish lbs doe last year with my compound, double lunged and punched ribs going in and coming out, no issues. Their customer service is awesome, mil and Leo discount as well. They are really well made, they’re the only mechanical I’ll shoot now.

 

[Camelcluch]

The kill zone is nice but they do take a little energy to open. The Dead Meat and Mega Meats are good. The Evolution Hyde is nice. Sevr has been strong. The new G5 T2 is a step above rage in durability. I know a new head is being tested by a very knowledgeable person in the industry that should be very good. Beast is also solid. There are so many good heads now.
For the answer, I shooting the Hyde right now.

 

[woodsdog2]

I’ve heard good things about the Exo series from B3 archery. No annoying bands or collars, good durability and USA made.

When I shot mechs I always liked the tried and true NAP Spitfire series as they don’t require any bands either and I still use them for turkeys. They’ve always done a great job on gobblers.

I know you’re asking about mechs but I’m using the TOTA 3 blade this year. I’m impressed with their flight as they group with my fieldpoints and are pretty durable and are super easy to sharpen.

 

[Tim0712]

I’ve heard good things about the Exo series from B3 archery. No annoying bands or collars, good durability and USA made.

When I shot mechs I always liked the tried and true NAP Spitfire series as they don’t require any bands either and I still use them for turkeys. They’ve always done a great job on gobblers.

I know you’re asking about mechs but I’m using the TOTA 3 blade this year. I’m impressed with their flight as they group with my fieldpoints and are pretty durable and are super easy to sharpen.

That’s why I went with killzones they’re band free and like I said I’ve had really good luck with them. I don’t for see myself going back to fixed blades anytime soon. My blood trails are so much easier and the “death run” has shortened tremendously. Guess I just wanted everyone’s opinions on what to try out next lol quite frankly I’ll more than likely only carry one of whatever new broad head I choose and use it on a coyote or something first

 

[woodsdog2]

That’s why I went with killzones they’re band free and like I said I’ve had really good luck with them. I don’t for see myself going back to fixed blades anytime soon. My blood trails are so much easier and the “death run” has shortened tremendously. Guess I just wanted everyone’s opinions on what to try out next lol quite frankly I’ll more than likely only carry one of whatever new broad head I choose and use it on a coyote or something first

I hear ya. I just don’t like the one and done for most of the mechanicals especially if you hit bone. I don’t care what anybody says they usually are never the same.

 

[Tim0712]

I hear ya. I just don’t like the one and done for most of the mechanicals especially if you hit bone. I don’t care what anybody says they usually are never the same.

Even if they look fine they go in the closet with the collection. Idk I like the keepsakes to remember the hunt so even if I were shooting fixed they’d be in the pile when I was done lol

 

[DelaWhere_Arrow]

Even if they look fine they go in the closet with the collection. Idk I like the keepsakes to remember the hunt so even if I were shooting fixed they’d be in the pile when I was done lol

Yup, yup and again, yup. Plus I have a superstition that even the most durable heads or shafts could be compromised in some imperceptible way. Anything that I put through an animal gets immediately retired and put with a growing pile of blood crusted “kill arrows” or hung on the antlers of the deer it went through (my wife does not approve of this option for several reasons lol). Either way, that arrow never gets fired at an animal again. It’s a more expensive way to operate but it’s just my personal self-imposed rule.

NOW to answer OP’s question:

Killzones are great heads. I really like the cut-on-contact version. They are very sharp and cut very large slits in animals that bleed instantly. I’ve shot a deer and a hog with them and they don’t disappoint.
That said, I don’t prefer a two-blade design as much as a three-blade because I want an irreparable, triangular hole and then I want two of those holes if possible. I’ve been using Montecs with great success and two holes in every deer (even when it didn’t pass through completely) for 11ish years. I practice with broadheads all year pretty much, and I was starting to get tired of resharpening. I switched to the Grim Reaper Pro Series 3-blade this year, 4 heads for $50. Got a practice head too. I can shoot one more critter for the same price as Montecs, and they’re a slightly larger diameter than the Montecs. Plus the pro series has a wicked sharp, nasty tip that’s basically a mini Montec already. Between my crossbow and my compound, 4 deer from 150-200# each have met the reaper. And just like the package says, I have watched them all drop within 50 yds or less. The blood is insane. The holes are big. And even a questionable impact led to a dead deer with a demolished front leg (bone and all) and nothing but trauma on the way through.
If I had one complaint about the GRs (and I actually called the owner to tell him this) is that there’s almost too much trauma. There’s potential for a little extra meat loss. It’s not actually a huge problem, and the blood loss is straight out of Friday the 13th.
Here’s the latest victim, a 200# buck. He was ever so slightly quartered to me (though I didn’t realize at the time, I thought he was completely broadside) so the arrow went in further forward and higher than I intended (I was 22’ in the tree or so, 14-16 yds, and aimed for exit, which helped) but exited right over the heart and out the opposite seam. Actually it didn’t fully exit but the broadhead was poking through the opposite shoulder. He dropped 40-50 yds from my tree.
I’m only shooting 60#, 25.5” and 380gr.

 

[HuumanCreed]

I'm a fan of hybrid setup. Been using Bloodsport Gravedigger COC after watching review by Lusk on Youtube. Using 60lbs compound at 27DL and both holes are giant. Exit hole totally separated the front leg and the shoulder at the joint so I'm gonna be flying them with for a while.

 

[Tim0712]

Yup, yup and again, yup. Plus I have a superstition that even the most durable heads or shafts could be compromised in some imperceptible way. Anything that I put through an animal gets immediately retired and put with a growing pile of blood crusted “kill arrows” or hung on the antlers of the deer it went through (my wife does not approve of this option for several reasons lol). Either way, that arrow never gets fired at an animal again. It’s a more expensive way to operate but it’s just my personal self-imposed rule.

NOW to answer OP’s question:

Killzones are great heads. I really like the cut-on-contact version. They are very sharp and cut very large slits in animals that bleed instantly. I’ve shot a deer and a hog with them and they don’t disappoint.
That said, I don’t prefer a two-blade design as much as a three-blade because I want an irreparable, triangular hole and then I want two of those holes if possible. I’ve been using Montecs with great success and two holes in every deer (even when it didn’t pass through completely) for 11ish years. I practice with broadheads all year pretty much, and I was starting to get tired of resharpening. I switched to the Grim Reaper Pro Series 3-blade this year, 4 heads for $50. Got a practice head too. I can shoot one more critter for the same price as Montecs, and they’re a slightly larger diameter than the Montecs. Plus the pro series has a wicked sharp, nasty tip that’s basically a mini Montec already. Between my crossbow and my compound, 4 deer from 150-200# each have met the reaper. And just like the package says, I have watched them all drop within 50 yds or less. The blood is insane. The holes are big. And even a questionable impact led to a dead deer with a demolished front leg (bone and all) and nothing but trauma on the way through.
If I had one complaint about the GRs (and I actually called the owner to tell him this) is that there’s almost too much trauma. There’s potential for a little extra meat loss. It’s not actually a huge problem, and the blood loss is straight out of Friday the 13th.
Here’s the latest victim, a 200# buck. He was ever so slightly quartered to me (though I didn’t realize at the time, I thought he was completely broadside) so the arrow went in further forward and higher than I intended (I was 22’ in the tree or so, 14-16 yds, and aimed for exit, which helped) but exited right over the heart and out the opposite seam. Actually it didn’t fully exit but the broadhead was poking through the opposite shoulder. He dropped 40-50 yds from my tree.
View attachment 109899View attachment 109900View attachment 109901I’m only shooting 60#, 25.5” and 380gr.

I am the op lol thank you for the thorough reply though! My biggest thing is I’m color blind. I haven’t lost a deer to a kill zone yet but I’m in search of a blood trail that anyone can see regardless of their eyesight haha I generally shoot wait an hour get down and if there’s not visible blood within 50 yards of the shot I back out and call a friend for help. Even those good blood trails from a double lung pass through that aren’t puddles but they’re consistent drips or should I say more so a constant drizzle I have a Terribly hard time following. I run a go pro and check back before leaving the tree to verify my shot placement before ever even walking to the shot site. If I can see that it was an evident heart shot I’m instantly confident enough to find the deer on my own. Yet those high lung shots that get spotty trails for the first 100 or so I generally back out

 

[DelaWhere_Arrow]

I am the op lol thank you for the thorough reply though! My biggest thing is I’m color blind. I haven’t lost a deer to a kill zone yet but I’m in search of a blood trail that anyone can see regardless of their eyesight haha I generally shoot wait an hour get down and if there’s not visible blood within 50 yards of the shot I back out and call a friend for help. Even those good blood trails from a double lung pass through that aren’t puddles but they’re consistent drips or should I say more so a constant drizzle I have a Terribly hard time following. I run a go pro and check back before leaving the tree to verify my shot placement before ever even walking to the shot site. If I can see that it was an evident heart shot I’m instantly confident enough to find the deer on my own. Yet those high lung shots that get spotty trails for the first 100 or so I generally back out

lol sometimes I get posters jumbled.
I generally don’t have blood at impact but within 20-30 yds, regardless of the head I’m using. I also have terrible eyesight for blood. The GR produces so much blood that I you’d have to be Mr. Magoo to miss it. That’s the main reason I switched from Montecs.
FWIW some scientist told me that women have a much easier time seeing red shades than men, so I now bring my wife (or recently my daughter) with me for each track if I don’t find any blood within 30 yds or didn’t see the deer drop. My wife can find a pin drop of blood in a sea of honeysuckle berries and red maple leaves so she is my ace in the hole. I still wait a minimum of 1.5-2 hours to recover any deer I shoot.

 

[chanson_roland]

I've had good luck with NAP KZ as well. Especially for urban/suburban hunting, that 2" cutting diameter does well to drop them in sight; dropped my last buck about 10 yards from where he was hit.

I'm trying Tooth of the Arrow Fixed 150G this year to see if I can get similar results with a heavier broadhead that should punch through anything, but a smaller cutting diameter.

When I go west next year, I'll do a hybrid quiver of TOTA 125G and NAP KZ 100G to cover all bases.

 

[Camelcluch]

I'm a fan of hybrid setup. Been using Bloodsport Gravedigger COC after watching review by Lusk on Youtube. Using 60lbs compound at 27DL and both holes are giant. Exit hole totally separated the front leg and the shoulder at the joint so I'm gonna be flying them with for a while.

View attachment 109905
View attachment 109906

The Evolution Hyde is the same basic head with better quality control and materials.

 

[Tim0712]

Update I ordered some of the sevrd hybrids tonight gonna tune in quick and hopefully get an opportunity to harvest one before the orange army invades in a few weeks. Heart shot an 8 point this week although I hit him low (1 lung and bottom of heart) the blood trail was super super spotty until the last 50 yards or so where his heart basically gave out. A 4 blade or even a 2 blade with bleeders on it would have been an entirely different outcome her and turned 300 yards of hands and knees into a 100 yard death run

 

[Weldabeast]

Heart shot an 8 point this week although I hit him low (1 lung and bottom of heart) the blood trail was super super spotty until the last 50 yards or so where his heart basically gave out. A 4 blade or even a 2 blade with bleeders on it would have been an entirely different outcome her and turned 300 yards of hands and knees into a 100 yard death run

Not to be argumentative here but.......how do u know that a certain style broad head would have caused a different outcome?

 

[kbetts]

Not to be argumentative here but.......how do u know that a certain style broad head would have caused a different outcome?

You don't.

 

[Tim0712]

Not to be argumentative here but.......how do u know that a certain style broad head would have caused a different outcome?

You don’t know. But this particular shot a bleeder blade would have sliced the heart open just that much more where it would have helped or at least I certainly believe so. I love the penetration on the heads I shoot now every shots been a pass through for the most part but I really want to try something that gives a little more umph

 

[shmelton]

I know the fixed blade guys talk about energy dump, failure to open, and the inability to break bone witha mechanical. If you do your job by hitting the deer in the lungs like you should then you will have a much better blood trail, and a shorter tracking job with a mechanical. Due to the simple fact your cutting diameter will always be much larger with a mech then a fixed blade the same weight.


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[Weldabeast]

If both lungs are punctured the cavity has to fill with blood before u getting stuff leaking out cause they are low blood pressure.....u hit more forward and low u getting higher pressure blood stuff so in theory if u want good blood tails double lung isn't really what u want right?.....I wasnt trying bringing up the mech vs fixed debate and apologize to everybody if that is what this thread becomes...

I just thought that maybe that too blanket of a statement....to many factors involved. If u could magically shoot 2 critters standing in the exact position in the exact same entrance point I would bet u still gonna get different results... Maybe 1 arrow routes in flight a little more than another causing the broadhead to be rotated slightly differently... Maybe ur release a little more clean on 1 shot vs the other......I don't know... Just my thoughts

 

[Weldabeast]

That latest ranch fairy video interview with some guy who is in the medical field that knows about this stuff describes what a double lung does internally.....Ashby telling a story how Fred Bear would sometimes pass on a vital shot for a hip shot trying to hit the high blood pressure stuff