Arguably the biggest debate in bowhunting is broadheads and Fixed Blade VS Expandables. So many people love the thought of a gaping 2.5 inch hole leaving a blood trail like a spilled paint bucket, and really as a hunter, who doesn’t? Here’s my take on expandable and fixed blades.
Expandable broadheads are known to some for the massive holes and great blood trails, but to some others they’re known for failing to open or the blades bending or breaking on impact. I’ve heard tons of success and failure stories with expandables and the biggest problem I have with them isn’t actually the broadhead itself. It’s the guy shooting 45 lbs with a 24″ draw length with a 2″ expandable (insert brand here) who’s pissed because his broadhead didn’t expand. Well, with the shorter draws and the lower poundage bows, you just don’t have enough force to open the broadhead. Now maybe sometimes it will but from everything I’ve looked at, I wouldn’t count on it. The expandable broadheads of today are so much better than 10-20 years ago. The failure rate is significantly lower. A huge perk to them is that they generally shoot closer to field points, especially out of an untuned bow.
One thing I don’t like about the expandables though is that they’re basically one shot broadheads in my opinion. Once those small blades hit a bone, they lose their integrity and probably won’t work as well the next time, if at all. Having to replace broadheads every year, to me, is stupid. I’m not saying expandables don’t work because clearly they do, but to me, I’m not risking all my hard work on something that might not work.
My personal preference is the fixed blade. I like to take out as many variables as I can when I’m shooting at an animal. I know my bow is tuned for them and I test every single broadhead I shoot and sharpen again when I’m done. Fixed blades aren’t all created equal though. Some fly great from the manufacturer, and some are total junk. My favorite, and what I’ve been using for a couple of years now and will continue to use, is the Magnus Stinger Buzzcut. It’s a two-blade with two small bleeder blades. The primary blade is serrated are really does some damage. It doesn’t leave a gigantic hole but the serrated blades really do a number. To top it off, all Magnus products are lifetime warranty. I bent two when I shot through an old target and hit a brick, sent them in and had two new ones within two weeks. I’ve shot through ribs without an issue with them and I’ve never had a deer run more than 65 yards after the shot.
I’ve tried a couple fixed blades, some good, some bad, some I knew weren’t going to fly for crap and even some that surprised me. But no matter what I shoot, I always go back to my reliable Magnus when the pressure is on and I need to fill the freezer.
Let me know what you think in the comments or shoot me a message and we can discuss!
Smitty's Archery Blog 