I like that you showed the bad shot and owned it. There are a lot of guys out there that claim to have never ever loose a deer, and those guys are full of it.
It's certainly possible that guys have never lost a deer. I didn't lose any for the first 17 years of deer hunting. But I hunted super thick woods in Indiana, on trails right next to a corn field, so my shots were very close. I moved to NC and hunting open pines, I lost my first deer. Unfortunately, it was a really nice buck. Not that losing any, even a doe, is "acceptable." Either my situation, or guys who haven't hunted much, and taken 3 or 4 deer could certainly make that claim, though they probably wouldn't admit to their actual numbers. I worked at Bass Pro in the archery depth for a number of years, and you'd be shocked at how many guys have hunted for years and never taken a single deer. There are way more of em than you'd realize. That could be how they never lost one also... they've never shot one! 😂
@@Tbowie13 Yea I have heard of guys who musky fished for 20 years and never landed one, lol. Deer hunting is a challenge, especially if all the person hunts is public, and they don't put in the work to get deep, or never get elevated.
@@BowOnlyOutdoorsyes great video! Would enjoy hearing you discuss why you rank things in the order you do: blood trail, penetration, time/distance to death.
I have been using the 150 gr. Swacker in an Excalibur crossbow, and have taken 6 deer in 7 years. I lost the 7th due to a land owner that refused to allow me to finish tracking it on his property. I used the same mechanical Swacker on 3 deer. I straightened the blades on 2 hits, with 3 point jewelers pliers. But on the 3rd deer one of the blades broke off. I just got a 3 by 4 buck 2 days ago. Have been very pleased with the Swacker. I was a great video comparing the different broadheads. I would be even better if you were to repeat which one was used at the end of each harvested deer.
This is the best broadhead test video out there. Nothing better than real testing in the field. Thank you for this. The main conclusion seems to be that shot placement is the main factor. Lots of good broadheads out there these days
Personal experience... I've been bow hunting since about 10. I'm almost 70 now. I have used these mechanical broadheads and have never liked there results. I'll stick with a fixed broached thank you. But I am impressed with your results. Keep on enjoying the outdoors sir.
@@anthonyjbargeman5280 we are in the same boat 😉 I have even tuned my arrows with magnus killer bees fixed blades for my R29x cross bow. That took a lot of work and time, but I have both target points and the broad heads hitting exactly the same spot!! Good luck 👍🏻 Season is coming up soon
@@anthonyjbargeman5280 Thank you and good luck to you! I have been slinging arrows for about 50 years now. I have only used the swhacker mechanicals out of my X-Bows. I personally don’t advocate the use of any mechanicals out of a vertical bow. Just my opinion. Nice to hear from someone else that grew up watching all the archery changes 😉Enjoy life Sir
We spent about 3 seasons doing pretty much this exact same testing. There were 6 of us in the test. We, as a group came to find that the swhacker broadhead did the best for us overall. We have all stuck with the swhacker for about 8 yrs now still have a tremendous amount of confidence in them. Even though both deer were recovered due to perfect shot placement, we had two killed by rages that we could not find any evidence of the broadhead expanding.
Great video. I appreciate the truthfulness of your shots. Showing the less than perfect shot and outcome just go to show you a true standup guy. Great Job!!!!
Same I used the dead meat last year to get my first bow deer I shot a doe and a buck on public land and I went on a elk hunt and I used the Montec but sadly didn’t get one but I’m going back this year for whitetail Im going to test the megameats and elk I’m going to stay with the montecs
Great Video. Good choice of test broadheads and I enjoyed your honest reporting. Felt like I was in the tree next to you. I've been running Slick Tricks and G5 with good results. Thanks again
I've used Schwacker for the past few seasons. Deer never go over 30 yards with great blood. Great video though. Appreciate your honest evaluation. Happy hunting!
Very good descriptive commentary. Very real world testing. I’m a rifle hunter in northern Minnesota. I harvest a renewable natural managed resource every 2-3 years. Nice job. Held my interest all the way through.
Great video! Really cool to see the different heads in action. Glad to see the G5 do well because I had bought some last year but never had the chance to try them out.
I’d love to see another one of these videos after this season with new broadheads. Try an annihilator (fixed blade that punches holes), mega meat, beast broadhead, etc.
@@rileym2678megameats are nasty I shot rages for years and switched last year after my buddy had blown through elk 2 years in a row with them. I shot one whitetail last year with one and got the same result he did with the dead meat just better. Huge entry and exit holes amazing blood trail penetration is insane for the cut size I had a hard time finding the arrow buried in the ground behind her. And she only went about 15 yards. I’ll never shoot anything else.
Finally...a PRACTICAL APPLICATION test of broadheads rather than targets and ballistic gell. Awesome video! I use crossbow, but this will apply just the same. Thank you
Great video. I wish more ppl did content like this. I appreciate you and your honesty. Real world down to earth thanks for showing us on your own money. Thanks.
Swhackers are designed to open immediately inside the cavity with the 2 long fresh blades. The 2 tiny blades equaling about 27:44 an inch are the ones that create the entry wound and force open the large blades immediately upon entry so the actual wound channel should be 2” through the entire deer. They work really well for me.
One of the coolest broadhead..... no, THE COOLEST broadhead video I've watched. Very well done and incredibly entertaining. Y'all are doing some really neat stuff. Keep it up!
I use the QAD fixed blade and it is deadly. Shot a doe and it fell 10 yards from the shot. I like fixed blades but I’m glad you used these expandable blades I’m learning about them and maybe switching up.
seems slightly unfair to say "these fixed blades" when you only tested one and its the smallest one out there, but the video is super awesome and i loved it
But pass throughs every time, some appeared to hit bone and still completely passed through, and he recovered all 3 of them. Nothing but fixed blades do we shoot.
The only broad head out of those I've used is the Swhacker. I've killed a younger doe at about 20 yards with the 3" and it hit that deer like a freight train. She jumped spun around and dropped on the spot. Arrow went clean through and was sticking in the ground about 4". Then I killed a big mature 9 point using another 3" Swhacker and and didn't need to track it either. Definitely slowed my speed down and had a little more arch in the arrow flight because of the weight but supper accurate and deadly. This year I got some of the new 1.5" Sevr hybrids and am going to give them a try. I've heard really good things about those G5 dead meats and your results speak for themselves.
The Grim Reaper I used planed off about ten yards before it reached a doe. The Rage Hypodermic failed to penetrate to my satisfaction. The Slick Trick Magnum provided the quickest kill I’ve made where the deer ran only thirty yards. Now I use 200 grain Iron Will single bevels with bleeders. I strongly recommend these. My 535 grain arrow can pass straight through the shoulder; so I aim forward where the vitals and arteries are. Your final shot on the old buck proves how effective forward hits are. Had that broadhead been a premium single bevel my experiences suggest you would have had a complete pass through. Thank you for the video and sharing your results!
@@BradThorsnburyhighly recommend the dead meats! I used the megameats 3 years ago, and it was too much carnage 😂 cost me an extra $100 to stich up for my mount.
I’ve used the G5 Deadmeat since they came out (started off life as the T3 in 2010, then became the Deadmeat in 2017) harvested many, many deer with them over the last 14 years. I have never had a deer go more than 100 yards with a double lung and no more than 45 yards with a heart shot. Stopped using Rage because my friends and I, all lost deer to Rage broadheads - didn’t appear that the rage’s opened up, but I know people like you that have great success with them and I’m happy for you and wish that I did, but can’t afford to feed the coyotes, too many of them, plus I enjoy the meat too much and need to fill my freezer.
Great video! I especially like the emphasis on making sure your bow has the energy for a mech! A perfectly tuned and balanced bow/arrow is essential for any setup.
This is a very good review. You made a great point about sample size, which does limit how much you can conclude about this. Nevertheless, seeing the broadheads in action the way you did has value to me. The most important point you made was about shot placement. The quality of all broadheads that make it to the mass market is very high, and when paired with the right set-up and good shot placement, it does not matter which one you use. The problem is when you make a bad shot, which is going to happen to all bow hunters eventually. Which broadhead can get enough penetration and do enough damage to overcome that. In your study, the G5 Deadmeat was up to the task. I appreciate that showed the bad shots and losing deer. I am a subscriber now and look forward to watching the content you put out.
Great, honest video. We've all had bad shots. Appreciate the review and links. I haven't found a broad head that I prefer over any other broad head - personally, shot placement has been the best predictor of success for me. I would be more interested in a video on how these broadhead perform on accuracy (which may be the linked video) - Complete Guide to Broadhead tuning.
Great video. Nice to see the different broadheads in action but on top of that, you proved what alot of people say that its not the broadhead, it the shot placement. Any broadhead will kill a deer if its put in the right spot. You even showed the less than perfect ones that worked and didnt work and Kudos for showing the lost ones and owning the shots.
First year using them last year. Shot an antelope at 63 yards and got a clean pass through. I could not find the arrow, and he went about 100 yards. Shot a buck with them at 32 yards and got another pass through and the arrow way laying 15 yards behind where he was standing he went roughly 70 yards. Both painted a red carpet for a blood trail.
Really liked those g5s. You should Try a fixed head with a bigger cut like the qad exodus or the magnus black hornet. Regardless great video, great deer and great shot! Love all your guys’ content
Been rifle hunting for 25 years but getting into bow hunting this year. Just bought G5 Deadmeats this week. Every review I've seen shows these kinds of results. They're absolutely razor sharp out of the package, which makes more difference than anything else. The best designs won't get penetration or blood trails if they're not sharp.
So glad to hear you say that if you shoot expandable broadheads use enough poundage / draw weight to get the job done. I have seen many expandable only penetrate a couple inches. Only wounding the animal. Personally, I am a fixed blade guy and have been shooting the 100 gr three blade Muzzy with excellent results both in by compound ( I shoot 63 lbs) and my crossbow. But I limit my shots to 35 yards anyway. I've been bow hunting for over 50 years now and used many different broadheads and have seen my hunting buddy's usage and results also. the 100 gr Muzzy seems to always work. Thank you for a great video it was very interesting and informative. And by the way, we all have made poor shots, we just do our best not to.
Incredible video and very honest showing the highs and lows of bowhunting. I hope you’ll consider the Crimson Talon Croc for your next test it’s a very affordable, tough & sharp single bevel with a low profile that flies amazing. Thank you for this, God bless
excellent video. thanks for sharing real world experiences. being a recurve shooter i use only fixed blades, would love to see someone do a vid on those. thanks again and be safe.
G5 deadmeat has always performed exceptionally well for us. I use it as I don’t feel I lose too much penetration even with it being a mechanical. They fly great and can often be reused. Great video
First things first. This was a great video Micha. Second, the grim reaper and swhacker. Since they are over the top style mechanicals the entrance will be small because the blades need a bit of time to open up in the animal. I live in Wyoming and I know several straight up killers that adore the grim reaper pro 3 blades and they're used for antelope up to bison. Lastly, shot placement shot placement shot placement! You nailed it. They all suck if the arrow isn't placed under the spine, above the brisket, behind the shoulder, and ahead of the liver.
I went from rage chisel tip to a sevr 1.75 and they basically make the same hole but the sevr gives me more confidence because it’s not gonna bend or break
@@scottpaulsen2649 I harvested 2 with the SEVR last year, nice mature doe and good buck. I had a blade bend on the buck, but not break. The tip is still tip top shape. I really like the SEVR
@@madbarr76 I shot the ulmer edge for years with great success as I said great heads but to say they won't bend or break is a stretch they are probably the most durable mechanical on the market but not indestructible
@@scottpaulsen2649 I honestly don't think there's anything inside a deer that's going to bend or break a titanium sevr. Maybe a rock after it goes through.
I have used the fixed/mechanical 2 blade 100g bloodrunners. They seem to do the trick rather well! In the fixed position, they are an 1 1/8". With the plunger style system, at full open, they are 2 1/8". Great blood trails and typically found within 30-40 yards. Try them sometime. Thanks for the video!
The only thing I took away from this that I didn’t already really think I knew is that there were a few shots here that would have been better served with a fixed blade. Not hating on expandables at all. I shoot them also. But certainly drives home the shot placement is king no matter what head you’re using.
A couple of those shots just show me why I switched to fixed blades. I discovered I was shying away from the shoulder too much for fear of not penetration. (Not to say the shots were bad, just wondering what a fixed blade would have done with them.) You appear to be a great shot though and I enjoyed your video.
My thoughts exactly. My best blood trails were with montec g5 fixed heads. I really don't understand the logic behind picking something with a coin toss rate of breaking or deflecting.
🎯Excellent data sir, back in the day with lesser speeds and fixed blades I had some penetration problems, with 400 fps range crossbows (now legal here), Swhacker (#207) 100 grain 2" cut, 390 grains total weight, works good for me, always expands & always exits, many deer down. -W. Liggett
I just bought the Rage chisel tip broad heads but think will have to get some G5 deadbeat heads as well. Thanks for this video, excellent review and love that you owned your mistakes, I have one of those with my old .243 rifle 😅
Great job with real world results. I know you were somewhat disappointed with the fixed blade head, but I've always liked Magnus Stinger Buzzcut 4-blade and Black Hornet 4-blade. You may want to give one of them a try. Thanks again for your great videos.
GR Pro Series are my favorite. Incredible. And contrary to a lot of other comments, I have seen that they leave HUGE entry AND exit holes. The blood from those things is devastating.
Nice Vid!!! More of these! I had same issues with fixed broadheads. Even with the 1.5" Swacker 252, I get no blood trails and hard to track but still find dead deer.
The killzone and shwacker 207 broadheads leave the biggest blood trails , more than any other broadhead I have ever used. Not the tuffest broadheads but straight deer and elk killers with 400 grain's plus arrow and 70 lb bows.
Great video!! We're new subscribers. My daughter(15) just shot her first deer ever, a beautiful 8 point, using the slick trick standard. Her bow is at 37lbs and got good penetration with the broadhead. Buck went about 60 yards.
Great broadhead video! I think it’s so helpful to show actual results on whitetail. Would be great to have you provide even more post shot detail on which organs/blood vessels you hit. Please do it again!!
Great video! I’ve done similar tests over the years. I shoot about 10 each year. I much prefer Swhacker #207. The straight blades are easy to sharpen. The rage have exposed sharp edges and can open in quiver. Sevr good design but very difficult to replace blades. Slick Trick easy to sharpen and sharpest out of package. Great fixed head.
Great test of mechanical heads! Personally I’m moving away from them but they have their place. Only issue I see is mechanical tends to not stand up to bone. I have the Magnus Stinger this year. Hoping it gets me shine pigs, deer and Nilgai down here in south Texas.
I use 2 different types of mechanical broadheads for my hunting. For my compound bow I use the NAP Bloodrunners and for my crossbow I use the NAP Double Crossfire. Both very good broadheads. Never been a bug fan of the rage broadheads because I just couldn't seem to get them to open up properly. They were the 3 blade Haven't tried the 2 blades rages yet. I do however like the hypodermic mechanical broadheads and am thinking about trying them soon. Great video. Very informative and educational. Keep up the good work
I'm currently hanging up the phone with my best friend so he can watch this video! We are outdoor hunting fanatics that are the "Looking for the better mouse trap" Nuts! Love this video! My broad head I am taking into the woods this fall is the SEVR hybrid 1.5 and I can't be more excited to further my experience with this latest advancement. We are all looking for that broad head that both make fantastic blood trails and has superior penetration. Great video and I appreciate your perspective.
Without ANY doubt the best video you have ever posted. The truthful journey you have put on camera took a ton of foresight. I love the slick trick and have not lost one deer in at 15 years. I average only 4 a year. Two bull elk with pass thru hits and kills. You are right about the lack of blood on trailing many times for me. Where I hunt is way more open with sage and mesquite so it's easier to find them if they die out of my sight. Which is a rare event. Also try Magnus Black Hornets w bleeders. Awesome results too. 👍👍