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Fixed vs mechanical - one simple “new” question

Sligh1

Sligh1

Administrator
Staff member
I’m NOT a gear expert. Far from it!!! I do love high quality gear and always strive to have a set up I feel is lethal, top tier, high end, etc etc.
We’ve all heard the mechanical vs fixed debate FOREVER.
I want to ask one question I think is really simple though….

SCENARIO: I shoot a 1.5” cut 3 blade ramcat. It’s a fixed blade. It shoots as close to a field tip as I’ve ever seen. Flies amazing. Cuts are devasting…. Huge holes, massive blood trails and penetration is insane. Let’s use my example but we also could repeat it with a lot of wide cutting broadheads that also fly great & have big cuts- many examples. Don’t wanna get caught on just my head.

So here’s my QUESTION….. if u have a 1.5” cut 3 blade fixed that flies excellent & the same big cut area of a mechanical …. For this example, let’s compare to any mechanical that’s a 3 blade with a 1.5” cut…. Is there ANY advantage to a mechanical at all?? Or say a BH like the “wide iron will” vs the same wide cutting mechanical of equal cutting area. Basically any fixed vs any mechanical of same cut area.

We know it’s a power loss with mechanical & there’s chance of failure, deflection, etc. But- when comparing the 2: I can’t come up with any reason to use a mechanical based on that logic & question. IF THE FIXED FLIES EXCELLENT (which I know for some BH’s or guys that won’t tune, not the case).

There’s a real downside we all know exists with mechanicals - many are ok with it but trying to make this simple logic. I’m not saying i have this right or thinking of all angles here. Thoughts? Am I missing anything? This isn’t a normal debate on mech vs fixed …. Genuine ? where I feel like I came to an easy common sense conclusion BUT I still want to have an open mind. THOUGHTS?


***my side 2nd BH ?…. I’ll throw it out there…. Since you can’t kill a deer “too dead”…. Why don’t more folks shoot the exact same set ups they use on elk? Penetration, sharp cut, etc etc. I hear folks say “it’s ONLY a whitetail” & after 30 years now- they still astound me at how hard they are to kill & how many folks lose them due to penetration issues.
 
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I switched to mechanicals many years ago. If you make proper shot placement, they kill just as dead. I liked not having to make a sight adjustment for fixed blades, even if slight. But the benefits of fixed blades are nice. 1)Easy to re sharpen. 2) less likely to bend blades.
The biggest benefit of fixed blades would have to be shot placement forgiveness. You can punch thru parts of shoulder blade with fixed blades that continue to cut as animals run.
I’ve seen more deer lost with mechanical blade guys that hit shoulder.
I miss the days I would get a pass thru and bury broad head too deep in tree behind deer to remove. I’ve seen arrows on video just fall out of deer with mechanicals. Definitely loss a ton of energy.
 
Sligh1 said:
I’m NOT a gear expert. Far from it!!! I do love high quality gear and always strive to have a set up I feel is lethal, top tier, high end, etc etc.
We’ve all heard the mechanical vs fixed debate FOREVER.
I want to ask one question I think is really simple though….

SCENARIO: I shoot a 1.5” cut 3 blade ramcat. It’s a fixed blade. It shoots as close to a field tip as I’ve ever seen. Flies amazing. Cuts are devasting…. Huge holes, massive blood trails and penetration is insane. Let’s use my example but we also could repeat it with a lot of wide cutting broadheads that also fly great & have big cuts- many examples. Don’t wanna get caught on just my head.

So here’s my QUESTION….. if u have a 1.5” cut 3 blade fixed that flies excellent & the same big cut area of a mechanical …. For this example, let’s compare to any mechanical that’s a 3 blade with a 1.5” cut…. Is there ANY advantage to a mechanical at all?? Or say a BH like the “wide iron will” vs the same wide cutting mechanical of equal cutting area. Basically any fixed vs any mechanical of same cut area.

We know it’s a power loss with mechanical & there’s chance of failure, deflection, etc. But- when comparing the 2: I can’t come up with any reason to use a mechanical based on that logic & question. IF THE FIXED FLIES EXCELLENT (which I know for some BH’s or guys that won’t tune, not the case).

There’s a real downside we all know exists with mechanicals - many are ok with it but trying to make this simple logic. I’m not saying i have this right or thinking of all angles here. Thoughts? Am I missing anything? This isn’t a normal debate on mech vs fixed …. Genuine ? where I feel like I came to an easy common sense conclusion BUT I still want to have an open mind. THOUGHTS?


***my side 2nd BH ?…. I’ll throw it out there…. Since you can’t kill a deer “too dead”…. Why don’t more folks shoot the exact same set ups they use on elk? Penetration, sharp cut, etc etc. I hear folks say “it’s ONLY a whitetail” & after 30 years now- they still astound me at how hard they are to kill & how many folks lose them due to penetration issues.
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I came up with the same logic several years back too. Shot a mature buck back then at five yards from the ground and didn’t get a pass through with a mechanical with a LOT of kinetic energy (elk/moose/deer setup, all the same) and a wide open lane. I found a smaller cutting diameter than yours in a fixed blade that flies the same as my field points and now I get two holes in the deer and likely more vitals. Just don’t see the benefits with mechanicals.
 
I can't think of any. If I'd take the time to tune my bow again and get the Slick Tricks to fly well again I'd go back to them in a heart beat. Until then I shoot Schwackers.
 
I've shot rage 2 blade mechanical for years now. I got them originally because of all the hype etc and because the package comes with a practice head. I found they flew true just like my field tips. I had tried a couple different fixed heads and would have to tweak my sight and didnt like doing that and shooting a fixed head tearing up my target to get it resighted. I have not had any issues with my rage mechanical heads. Usually I have a pass through, put it behind the shoulder on a broadside shot and its devastating, great blood trail and huge cut. My buck last year though was quartering away and arrow went to offside shoulder and I did not get a pass through or a very good blood trail, but it ultimately did the trick. Downside of these mechanicals is that often times the blades get bent and you can't use them again. Even if they are not bent I usually do not use the head again.

I would like to get back to a fixed head due to the possibility of a shoulder hit and a fixed being able to handle that better along with the fact they can be sharpened and reused. I just have not made time to for experimenting with it and finding a fixed that flies like my field points and getting it all dialed in.
 
sep0667 said:
I've shot rage 2 blade mechanical for years now. I got them originally because of all the hype etc and because the package comes with a practice head. I found they flew true just like my field tips. I had tried a couple different fixed heads and would have to tweak my sight and didnt like doing that and shooting a fixed head tearing up my target to get it resighted. I have not had any issues with my rage mechanical heads. Usually I have a pass through, put it behind the shoulder on a broadside shot and its devastating, great blood trail and huge cut. My buck last year though was quartering away and arrow went to offside shoulder and I did not get a pass through or a very good blood trail, but it ultimately did the trick. Downside of these mechanicals is that often times the blades get bent and you can't use them again. Even if they are not bent I usually do not use the head again.

I would like to get back to a fixed head due to the possibility of a shoulder hit and a fixed being able to handle that better along with the fact they can be sharpened and reused. I just have not made time to for experimenting with it and finding a fixed that flies like my field points and getting it all dialed in.
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I did the same thing and used Rage 2 blade. I did this because of how they flew (just like field points). But for me, over the years of using them, I ran into issues with deflection at weird angles or a shoulder hit a few years ago that didn't kill the deer and should have.
My previous main reason was flight. But, I have since researched and learned how to properly "tune" my arrows and broadheads. Yes, it takes some work, but I found it really cool to actually know how to do it and KNOW my arrows were tuned to fly straight. I use G5 3 blade fixed. These aren't the best as they are hard to get super super sharp, but they do work. Killed my best buck 2 years ago. Blew threw him like butter. Mabey a Rage would have too, but I didn't like my odds.
So, if flight isn't an issue, then no benefits to me using a mechanical as that was the only thing they really had over fixed blade (in my opinion).
 
If your fixed broadhead flies well, (like a field point), then there is ZERO advantage of using a mechanical broadhead. From my personal experience, the disadvantages of a mechanical vastly outweigh the single possible advantage. I've miffed a few shots with fixed heads, but never due to the head malfunctioning. I've miffed shots with mechanical heads, and several / all due to mechanical failures. (Head didn't open, head opened prematurely, etc.) Fixed all the way. Mechanical never. IMO
 
For those people that used Fixed.
What do you recommend?
I have been using mechanical but some of the people I hunt with use fixed and seems like most people here like fixed as well.

Also it it really that hard to tune your sight/bow for fixed blades?
 
As an archery shop owner, you hear about any and all issues people have with their equipment in the field. Every year i have multiple people report issues with mechanical heads, granted, some of those were self-induced but they still failed to work as they are designed. Therefore i could never in good conscience shoot a mechanical myself worrying that it could happen to me. I have no problem tuning my bow to shoot fixed blades - my favorite head and thus my best seller is the Exodus from QAD - very sharp, super durable and spins and flies true. I've tried other super high end heads and always go back to the exodus.
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ColoredRed24 said:
For those people that used Fixed.
What do you recommend?
I have been using mechanical but some of the people I hunt with use fixed and seems like most people here like fixed as well.

Also it it really that hard to tune your sight/bow for fixed blades?
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As for a recommendation, not sure I can as I use G5 Montec 3 blade. They fly straight (tuned) but aren't as sharp as I would like, but you get what you pay for and there are way better ones out there.
Bow tuning: Not hard if you know what you are doing. I actually took my bow in to a shop and we paper tuned bareshaft arrows, got my rest algined, made sure the nock point and loop were were level and where they should be. They looked over my cams and cables too.
Arrows/Blades: I actually followed the Ranch Fairy's videos on this one. He was annoying at first, but what he said made sense and it worked for me. I went to a stiffer heavier spine, added brass inserts, tuned those with a spin test and glued them in. Then shot bare shaft and tuned my nocks. Then added fletchings and shot to verify everything was good.
This to me was a fun process. More time consuming than buying ready to rock arrows as I always used to do, but that really highlighted just how wonky some arrows were and why. Crazy how bad to good an arrow can fly with a 1/4 turn of a nock.
 
Switched to 125 grain Iron Will single bevel this year. I shot SEVR for a few years and NAP Killzone for 5 years before that. I hit one deer in shoulder during last 8 years. The deer died but was recovered by a neighbor in the spring.

Shot head for first time today. Dead nuts at 20 yards.... and blew completely thru my block target. Backing up to tomorrow for further testing/tuning.
 
I'm a big fan of Magnus and Slick Trick fixed blades. And agreed; fixed >>> mechanical.

Magnus- slightly more expensive (~$50/3) and sometimes hard to find, American company that stands behind their products and lifetime warranty. Send them a picture of a busted broadhead and they'll ship you a brand new one. The owner often answers customer service calls and emails.

Slick Trick- super available and less expensive. Best flying fixed heads I've tried.
 
ColoredRed24 said:
For those people that used Fixed.
What do you recommend?
I have been using mechanical but some of the people I hunt with use fixed and seems like most people here like fixed as well.

Also it it really that hard to tune your sight/bow for fixed blades?
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I tuned my bow a couple years ago at buck hollow. Took me 15 mins max.

I shoot Ramcats that shoot as close to field tips to the point I notice 0 difference. Exodus & iron will like mentioned above - I’ve heard great things from hardcore guys. The others mentioned above of course I’d look into. I think I started with 10-12 or so heads (including mechanicals) & did a bunch of tests & whittled down to 3-4 I really liked. Don’t think there’s “just one to shoot”. There’s a pile of good heads out there. There’s also a handful that u couldn’t pay me to shoot!! ;).
I’m not a GEAR GUY but I am a “deer guy” and the amount of calls & texts I get “I shot a deer here _____ with xyz broadhead…. Uggghhhh….. what u think?” Is staggering. A few broadheads seem to be about 75% of those concerned calls or texts. Especially the ones that “didn’t penetrate well”
 
I have had luck with mechanicals. I've gotten a slick trick stuck in a shoulder and an unrecovered deer so you're not home free with a fixed, even though it helps in that scenario. I make sure the mechanicals are set right when I'm in the stand, don't re-use them, and haven't had a failure in 20 years of bowhunting. My biggest argument for mechanicals is shot placement can be a game of fractions of inches. I've had more times I was thankful for a bigger cut with a shot being slightly high, back, and/or low vs penetration issues on a shoulder. If you can shoot a bigger fixed that shoots like a field point, thats great and the advantage I mentioned doesn't do as much for you. I have not had luck with them flying though and since the mechanicals haven't failed me, I don't personally see a reason for a switch to fixed. I honestly believe I would've lost more deer over the years with a smaller cut (cutting less vitals and/or smaller entry/exit holes for blood trailing). It's such a mental game and folks just have to use what they're confident in
 
To each their own for sure and Rages do make crazy holes when hit square. A couple notes. Mechanicals take more kinetic energy to open, some (Rage) less than others. Next, nothing is absolute and there will be fixed blades that get stuck in shoulders but would a mechanical in the same scenario have also gotten stuck. Poor tuning even if the mechanicals shoot like a field point will cause BIG trouble especially on quartering shots and mechanicals which CAN (not always) result in deflection as the arrow isn’t flying straight. I have saw some crazy trail cam pics of deer SLICED down the side but not mortally wounded other than infection.
 
gunrunr said:
As an archery shop owner, you hear about any and all issues people have with their equipment in the field. Every year i have multiple people report issues with mechanical heads, granted, some of those were self-induced but they still failed to work as they are designed. Therefore i could never in good conscience shoot a mechanical myself worrying that it could happen to me. I have no problem tuning my bow to shoot fixed blades - my favorite head and thus my best seller is the Exodus from QAD - very sharp, super durable and spins and flies true. I've tried other super high end heads and always go back to the exodus.
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The QAD Exodus was recommended to me by Boyd a few years ago when I purchased a new bow from him and highly agree with his statement and don't see myself changing anytime soon. I have been very happy with their performance.
 
To answer the OP I would say if the size of the cuts are the same and the bow is broadhead tuned there isn't an advantage for a mechanical. However, I think most mechanicals will have a bigger cut and the trade off will be less penetration which will only be an issue if the penetration isn't far enough. My experience has been mechanicals leave better blood trails in general. I currently have Grim Reaper and QAD exodus in my quiver so I'm not pro mechanical or fixed. I've heard/seen too many issues with Rage to make me personally want to shoot them. So far I have had no issue with GR but the QAD will definitely penetrate further and has very sharp blades. I would never expect to re-use any mechanical and never reuse a fixed without resharpening and spin testing first. With GR my blood trails have been short and deer have died in sight but admittedly my sample size is still small. With the QAD I have had pass throughs every time and have also recovered all the deer but blood trails have been mixed. I love the penetration and durability of the QAD. If I'm hunting in a thick area or on the ground I lean towards the fixed head while more open elevated areas I reach for the GR. Understand the limitations of any head you use and shoot what makes you confident. FWIW I've also seen good results with Slick Trick. I do a fair amount of hunting from the ground so I couldn't stomach shooting Iron Wills or other expensive heads and possibly losing them but I'm sure they're great too if your ok with the price.
 
Most on here know I’m a fixed broadhead guy cause I like the piece of mind that it will never fail to open.
If I was to switch to a mechanical this would be the one :cool:

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