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Whether you’ve been bowhunting for years, if you’re a novice hunter, or just want to learn more about the topic, we teamed up with our friends from Slick Trick to create a guide on the different types of archery broadheads and their various pros and cons.
What Are the Three Basic Types of Broadheads?
Fixed Blade Broadheads
Fixed blade broadheads are used by many traditional bowhunters shooting bows with lower draw weights. Fixed blade broadheads can either be glued or have screw-in ferrules that can be used with adapters placed on the outside or inside the arrow shafts. Fixed blade broadheads have blades either built into the ferrules or utilize replaceable blades that fit into slots along with the broadhead ferrule.
Mechanical Broadheads
Expandable broadheads are designed to open on impact and stay open as the arrow penetrates through the animal. Mechanical blades are retracted close to the ferrule before the shot. Most mechanical broadheads require additional energy to open upon penetration, reducing the arrow's potential energy and subsequent penetration. Mechanical broadheads also have a large cutting diameter, resulting in a more effective wound channel and a better blood trail. Only use mechanical broadheads with bows rated 50 pounds or more since the blades of a mechanical broadhead remain closed in flight.
Replaceable Blade Broadheads
These broadheads are designed so that the user can replace the blades on the ferrule. There is no need to discard the entire broadhead if only the blades are damaged.
Single-Bevel vs. Double-Bevel Edge Broadheads
Many archers like single-bevel heads because they are designed to produce more rotation. Some archers mention that single-bevel broadheads will spin around the bone, creating devastating wound channels, provided it’s working in unison with the spiral of your fletching (and not against it).
Double-bevel broadheads have two ground angles that meet to create a sharp edge. While there is no extra rotation like the single bevel, they also won’t shed energy through that rotation while entering an animal’s body.
Chisel Tips vs. Cut-On-Contact Tips
This is an argument that comes down to personal preference. Chisel tips have bone-splitting power when inside the animal. In theory, chisel tips are more durable, and cut-on-contact tips penetrate better. Cut-on-contact tips are incredibly sharp and easily slice through hair, skin, meat, and other tissue.
What Type of Broadhead Should I Use for Hunting?
*Note: always check your local regulations before hunting with any broadhead, as most states have required specifications and dimensions for bowhunting. You can read more about that in our Broadhead Hunting Regulation Guide.
Best Broadhead for Elk Hunting
Most Western states require a fixed blade broadhead for hunting elk. Fixed blade broadheads get better penetration on larger animals like elk due to their toughness and durability. The SlickTrick ViperTrick and SlickTrick Magnum are excellent broadheads for elk hunters. Their ability to fly from afield reaches out to longer ranges, and their sharpness will help you take down your prey.
Best Broadhead for Deer Hunting
Whenever you are hunting, you want to make sure that you are making an ethical kill, no matter the animal. In bowhunting, the animal dies due to hemorrhaging blood loss. Energy loss depends on the distance you are shooting; at less than 30 yards, a mechanical broadhead will ensure a minimum energy loss to make a clean kill. The further your range, the more energy you will lose, so knowing your equipment and skills is essential before taking a shot on an animal. Generally speaking, you can use the same broadheads for deer that you would use for elk.
Best Broadhead for Turkey Hunting
Ultimately it comes down to personal preference; there are plenty of turkey shooters who prefer mechanical blades. Mechanical broadheads usually have far larger cutting diameters than different broadhead styles. The drawback is that wider cutting diameters will reduce the kinetic energy and arrow speeds. The advantage to mechanical broadheads is that they will create wide, devastating wound channels that are more to make a direct hit on a turkey's vital organs. When paired with a heavy arrow and a fast bow, expandable mechanical broadheads are ideal for adding more kills to your hunt.
If you have a bow with a low draw weight or are using lightweight arrows, leave the mechanical broadheads at home. A compact fixed-blade broadhead with a narrow cutting diameter will give you a clean kill by passing through the dense feather and hitting vital organs.
Skilled bowhunters get turkeys in closer and go for headshots. This is a lot more challenging since a turkey bobs its head around quite a bit, but it also preserves the most meat.
How Important Is Bow Tuning?
You can have the best archery gear in the treestand, but it could be for nothing if your bow is not tuned correctly. Tuning a bow involves adjustments to the arrow rest, arrows, cam position, and cam timing. If this is something you are not comfortable doing on your own most pro shops will tune bows for you, as it can be very intensive. Otherwise, OpticsPlanet sells plenty of bow tuning accessories to help you optimize your bow.
What Is the Most Popular Broadhead?
The answer to the most popular broadheads can matter vastly depending on personal preference, type of game, hunting or target shooting, and hunting location. Slick Trick Broadheads are a trusted vendor with a wealth of knowledge. They can usually be found using their broadheads on a hunting trip when they're not in the office.
Archery is a great hobby that anyone can get into and hunt practically anywhere. While it can seem daunting and an overload of information, we’ve worked hard to get you all of the information needed to make the right decision for your next hunt. Check out our other Archery Guides on other topics such as arrow releases and how to shoot a compound bow. You can also shop online at OpticsPlanet.com for all of your broadheads and archery equipment in one place!
