WHATEVER IT TAKES

 

*Previously published in Bowhunters of Wyoming-Winter 2023/24

Part of what separates a successful bowhunter from an empty tag holder is a willingness to do whatever it takes. This attitude had me shivering in a sleeping bag at nine thousand feet, three miles from my truck, laying on a Tyvek mat and looking up at the stars.

I knew there were several bulls that traversed the ridge I was on, and I knew the only way to beat the wind for a morning hunt was to be there before the sun rose. My pack weighed heavy earlier that afternoon as I labored up the steep ridge, but the bugles I heard there that morning had me putting one foot in front of the other until I reached the top. A quick calling session when I reached the ridgeline brought a calf elk running in, but other than some distant bugles, that was it.

The clamor of my cell phone alarm jolted me from a sleep that had taken all night to fall into. Crawling out of my sleeping bag, I slipped my feet into frost-covered boots and grabbed my bow from the limb it had been hanging on.  Stiff and sore from rolling around on a too-thin inflatable mattress all night, I trudged up the shelf that I had camped on, aiming to put myself in a good calling position before shooting light.

I picked my shooting lanes and groggily settled in on top of the ridge, still shaking off the sleep that had been so hard to come by. As soon as the gray dawn replaced the dark of full night, I started calling. Almost immediately a bugle answered, sounding far to the south. But not too far.

Instantly awake now, I answered. And so did he. But closer this time. Hardly believing that this whole hare-brained idea of hiking up here might be working, I called again. Silence. Just as I prepared to call one more time, a bugle erupted out of the lodgepole pines to my south, this time not one hundred yards away. He was coming in and coming in fast.

Crashing branches heralded his approach as I quickly clipped my release onto the d-loop. Out of the pines came the bull, charging along the ridgeline. A quick appraisal of his rack as he emerged from the trees immediately qualified him as a shooter, and I drew back as he passed behind a tree. Hunting solo, he had pinpointed my position and was making a beeline straight towards me.

Concerned that I was about to be run over, the bull finally stopped at eight yards and allowed me to take a shot, the arrow burying to the nock. The bull immediately spun, took several stops, and stopped, peering back at me. A red stream poured from his chest as he whirled and crashed off down the ridge into the trees.

Silence enveloped the sound of his departure and, despite the image of my arrow and the blood that accompanied it, I began to second guess the shot. Did I hit too low? Did the arrow skirt the side of the thoracic cavity? As these thoughts chased themselves around my head, a loud crash came from the trees where he had disappeared. He was down.

The whole chain of events from the first call to the final crash had taken no longer than forty-five minutes. A beautiful, symmetrical six-point bull lay at the end of a short, easy blood trail.

My father joined me for a pack out process that started at 7:00 am finally ended at 5:30 that evening, where a cold beer waiting in the cooler greeted us at the tailgate after we slipped the final loads off our backs.

                    Success had been hard earned on that ridgeline that morning, but it was, and always will be, undoubtedly worth it.

-Alex

Gear List

- Bow: PSE EVO NXT 33

- Broadhead: NAP Killzone (100 Grain)

- Arrows: Easton Axis

- Shelter: REI 3 Season Bivy

- Sleeping Bag: Kelty Cosmic Down-0 Degree

- Pack: Mystery Ranch Beartooth 80

- Boots: Zamberlan Leopard 1013 GTX Mid 

THE "BEST" BROADHEAD

 Pull up YouTube and type “what is the best broadhead” into the search bar. Instantly, you will be inundated with literally hundreds of videos with titles ranging from “the best broadheads of 2024,” to “the top 5 broadheads ever.”. You get the point. 

Broadhead comparison and testing is low-hanging fruit in today’s click-crazy world. It is also one facet of bowhunting that is consistently blown far out of proportion. YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram are full of “experts” that are here to tell you which broadhead is “the best.” The fact is, the brand of broadhead you shoot is not that important. Now before I get burned at the stake for being a heretic, hear me out. The goal of this series is to make everyone a better bowhunter. Sometimes that means taking a popular misconception (i.e., I need to spend hours researching what broadhead to use,) and clearing it up (no you do not.) These revelations are somewhat anticlimactic, hence the title of this series, “Anticlimactic Archery.” Are broadhead testing videos and articles about “the new best broadhead” fun and sexy? Of course they are. We as bowhunters love our gear. Will they make you a better bowhunter? Probably not. At least not in any meaningful way.

 So, now that I have taken all the fun away from broadhead comparison and testing, what is the “best” broadhead? The best broadhead is going to be the one you can shoot the best. Plain and simple. The end. Just kidding. Well kind of. When I say “shoot the best,” I am referring to consistent groups and proper arrow flight. There are several other components to consider when making your selection, but the concept is really that simple. If one focuses on consistent grouping and proper arrow flight versus hours of watching broadhead reviews and testing, I can guarantee they will become a better bowhunter.

 But how do I know whether to shoot a fixed blade or an expandable? Simple. It all depends. Let’s talk about fixed blades first. If penetration is your goal and you are proficient at tuning your equipment, choose a fixed blade. The brand doesn’t really matter. I watched my father take dozens of whitetail deer growing up with the old green Zwickey’s (you remember those, right?) because he had great arrow flight and kept them razor sharp. 

If you have a lower poundage bow and a shorter draw, a fixed blade can be a great option to ensure better penetration versus an expandable head. Mechanical broadheads suck up energy when they expand, reducing penetration. Fixed blades, on the other hand, require no mechanical deployment and retain their structural integrity, reallocating that energy to continued penetration. A lower poundage bow with a short draw length may not provide enough energy for the broadhead to successfully deploy expandable blades and retain sufficient penetration. Thus, a fixed blade head may be a good choice for a shooter with a lower poundage bow or a shorter draw length. 

One inherent drawback that comes with shooting fixed blade broadheads is accuracy at distance and tuning. It is harder to tune a fixed blade than it is a mechanical, and it is easier to obtain good out-of-the-box arrow flight with an expandable than a fixed blade. This does not mean that fixed blades cannot be tuned or shot accurately at distance; it is just more difficult. If you choose to shoot a fixed blade, the best one to use is the one you can group consistently and shoot the most accurately.

What about mechanical broadheads? The same principles apply to mechanical heads as to fixed blade heads. The best mechanical broadhead is the one you can shoot the most accurately and achieve the best arrow flight. Just like fixed blades, however, there are several considerations to be mindful of regarding mechanical broadheads. As discussed above, mechanical broadheads tend to suck up energy when they expand, reducing penetration. Energy is needed to expand the blades. This means that mechanical broadheads generally penetrate less than a fixed blade. 

Is this bad? Not necessarily. Again, it depends largely on your goals and your shot mechanics. For example, I have a 31.5” draw length, which is relatively long. My draw weight is set at 73 pounds, and my bow pushes out a 535-grain arrow at around 285 feet per second. With a draw length that long and a relatively heavy draw weight, I could probably tape a butter knife to the end of my arrow and still get decent penetration (just kidding.) Butter knife or no, I have more than enough energy to ensure consistent mechanical blade deployment while retaining sufficient penetration. 

While fixed-blades are inherently harder to tune and shoot accurately at longer distances, mechanical broadheads tend to be more “user-friendly” right out of the box. Due to the nature of mechanical broadhead engineering (i.e. lower profiles, wind-drag reduction, etc.) they tend to require less tuning to achieve good arrow flight and are easier to shoot accurately at longer distances. Another consideration when discussing mechanical broadheads is cutting diameter. While conceding penetration effectiveness, mechanical broadheads tend to have larger cutting diameters than their fixed blade counterparts, resulting in larger wound channels and greater internal hemorrhaging.  

               

So, what makes me an “expert” when it comes to broadheads? Absolutely nothing at all. All my experience with broadhead performance is purely anecdotal. I bow hunt as much as I humanely can (while remaining gainfully employed and dutifully married.) I typically get to take 3-5 western big game animals per year (elk, bear, deer, etc.) I am always trying new set ups, simply to gain experience and observe performance in the field. I have no sponsorships or pro deals, so I can write whatever I please. My quiver typically looks like a yard sale, with 2-3 different broadheads occupying it at any given time. This year I took an elk in Wyoming (broadside, 34 yards, NAP Killzone,) an elk in Colorado (frontal, 24 yards, REK Mechanical,) and a bear in Wyoming (quartering away, 15 yards, NAP Killzone.)

Am I saying that all broadheads are the same and it does not matter what you screw on to the end of your arrow? Of course not. Some mechanical broadheads have blade-locking mechanicals that can be knocked loose, causing the blades to flop open. Some fixed blade broadheads have aluminum ferules with poor straightness tolerances, resulting in compromised accuracy. 

I am, however, saying that spending hours researching different broadheads and watching paid-for “expert reviews” will not help you put more animals on the ground. I call this concept “majoring in the minors.” The vast majority of broadheads on the market today perform fine, and will get the job done if you put the arrow in the right spot. Find one that flies well for you, groups well for you, and gives you the confidence to get the job done when the chips are down.

-Alex