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Expandable Heads

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liv4archery

PMA Member
I am interested in trying some expandables this year. I have hunted with Thunderheads for 4 years now and think they perform really well. I can get them to group reasonably well but not as tight as my field points. Since 2 inches can be the difference between a single and double lung hit, I would like to tighten up my broadhead groups. I have always been anti-expandables but in recent posts I have noticed that quite a few of the experienced and accomplished hunters on this site use and love them. I have a couple of questions for those of you who have good experience with them. 1. Are you consistently getting pass thru's with expandables? 2. Can you shoot at deer that are quartering away from you? 3. What brands do you swear by. I will appreciate any input you guys have. Thanks.
 
I have used several but keep coming back to the JakHammer by Wasp. Awesome and sharp. I can only tell you what my experience with them has been and that is short blood trails and massive wounds. I was shooting 28.5 inch, 2213 XX78 at 72 lbs and had penetration on the other side of the animal. Now that I have switched to GT ProHunter 75/95s I have blown through every doe I have shot this year. I have also never had a problem with angle deflection...That is my experience. I have also had great results with the NAP Scorpion XP. I am trying the G5 Tekan II this year as well. But I am going to have a JakHammer on the end of my arrow when the rut comes around. My feeling on expandable head is in the unfortunate circumstance that you would have a marginal hit, the more that is cut the better the chance of recovery.

I swiched to JakHammers six years ago when a friends brother hit a 150 inch 9 in the paunch and backed out because he knew he made a bad hit. We went to help him track it the next morning and it was dead on the trail 100 yards from where he shot it.
 
My experience is almost exactly the same as Limb's. I have yet to lose a deer to a gut shot (having made 3) while shooting Jak's.

I have lost deer over the years when hitting guts with zwickey's. I always back out and come back the next day, so that is not the issue.

The additive damage caused by large expandables simply can't be overlooked by the open minded hunter. Of course, any head will do the job if placed correctly, however, that is not why I have chosen to hunt with them.

The above reason, plus field point accuracy are the main reasons. I have had over 75% pass throughs and those that have not passed through were because the arrow hit the off shoulder.

I have been tinkering with Grim Reapers this year as well, but like LIMB, 1 3/4" Jak's will be on my tips very soon!

As for deflection, I have not personally had any issue with this and I usaully hunt from 25 feet or more most of the time.

I'm heading to MT for Muley's and Antelope Thursday night.
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I will post some photos when I get back. Later
 
I am shooting a 2001 Pearson Spoiler Lite at about 64 lbs with 29 inch Gold Tips 5575's on there. If I switch to mechanicals, do you think I should increase the poundage to help with the kinetic energy? I originally tuned it down to improve the flight of my Thunderheads which did seem to help.
 
You wouldn't have to, but if your able to comfortabley do so I would.

Exit holes are not everything. Would you rather have a 1 inch hole on two sides or a 2 inch hole on one? An exit hole shows blood better for the trailer but really does not impact the amount of interal damage. Shot placement is the key and with proper placement you should be blowing through with 60 Lbs.
 
I am shooting 28.5 inch GT with three 2 inch blazer vanes with pin nocks with the 100 grn JakHammers which totals out to around 420 grains and am shooting 72 lbs. Seems to be plenty. 68 ft-lbs of Energy.
 
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What diameters and grains are prefered for the Jakhammers. I have 1-3/4" 100's. What about you guys?

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Yes, this is what we are shooting!
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As for my set up. 27 inch beaman 400 hunters, Hoyt razortec 73 pounds, lumenoks.
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Around ~270 fps
 
The JakHammers are great heads, havn't had a chance to test them out though. I've used 75 grain, 3 bladed, Rocket Miniblasters with great results. I am most impressed though with the 100 grain Rocket Hammerhead 4L's. They have a 2 inch cut between 4 blades and put the HURT down on deer. I've shot 2 does with them and both went 60-80 yards. Both shot angles were pretty extreme so I didn't get a pass through but the internal damage was insane, a 2x2 inch hole works wonders. I think that the key to a good expandable is a big cut, 1 3/4 inch or bigger. I also think that if you get up over 2 inches you'd best put it on the front of an aluminum arrow and shoot some pounds. Good luck.
 
Gonna have to find those on ebay muddy, they don't make em any more... just the three blade...glad I bought a bunch for the turkeys...
 
I have had four complete pass throughs this season with spitfires. I intended to switch to a mechanical without the L shaped blade and had Rocket Steelhead 100s all eady to go and as I was putting them on my Beaman arrow I found that they have a very short thread and I was only getting about 1 to 1/2 turn of thread contact. I put the spitfires back on and will look further after the season. I did have one arrow defection with the spitfires.
 
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Gonna have to find those on ebay muddy, they don't make em any more... just the three blade...glad I bought a bunch for the turkeys...

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Yeah, had heard that. Good thing I bought Central Iowa Archery out of their last 6 packs during the deer classic!
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singlecoyote, I have shot the 1 1/4, they work fine, but why not use the 1 3/4 if you can get them. Really not any different except you get the big hole with the 1 3/4".
 
A friend of mine is shooting the jackhammers and they are certainly killing machines!!! Large entry and exit wounds. Might be making a switch.
 
Penetration & Deflection. I was hoping someone might have had experiences with both heads and could compare their performances.
 
I picked up some Jackhammer 100 grain 1 1/4 heads for turkeys and decided to try them on deer. I shot a button buck opening day at 20 yards with my Outback at 70lbs. They completely blew through the right shoulder muscle, right rib cage, both lungs, left rib cage, and left leg muscle and 4 inches into the ground. He only went 30 yards. It flew exactly to where I was aiming. I still have a few Muzzy 100's in the quiver, but honesty, they are for coyotes. I just like the expandables. I have not shot another kind, but the Jaks worked like a champ, even with the smaller diameter one. Next season I think I'll try the slightly larger diameter, but that may be why I got such good penetration.
 
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