Choose an Expandable Broadhead That Works

When you walk into your local sporting goods store or archery pro shop, you’ll notice two things. First, how much hunting gear is still on your wish list. And second, how many choices you have when it comes to hunting broadheads. While there’s nothing wrong with fixed broadheads (they are super strong, durable over repeated use, can crush through shoulder blades, etc.), there’s something about an expandable broadhead when it comes to deer hunting. A mechanical broadhead generally has a much larger cutting surface than a fixed one, which is a major benefit against whitetails. So if you’re wondering how to choose an expandable broadhead this season, here are some tips on what to look for, from the archery guru himself, “T-Bone” Turner.

Choosing a Mechanical Broadhead

Despite all the choices of mechanical broadheads on the market, there are some things you should consider before making your choice to buy one. In the video below, T-Bone talks about what he looks for to choose an expandable broadhead, and why you should consider it too.

Before you choose an expandable broadhead, you should consider the pros and cons of a 2-blade versus a 3-blade broadhead. The 2-blade option offers less resistance when passing through an animal due to having one less blade, which can be a benefit for penetration (especially when shooting low poundage bows or with lighter arrows). But here’s the simplest way to look at it…the 3-blade option offers one more blade and therefore, additional cutting surface. If you were to compare a 2-blade and 3-blade broadhead, both with a 2” cutting diameter, you gain a full inch more of cutting surface by having a third blade (three separate 1” blades). Not only that, but it cuts in 3 dimensions to produce bigger wound channels, cut additional vital organ or artery tissue, and thus create a much larger blood trail. Wounds from a 3-blade broadhead also tend to open up more as the animal runs off, whereas a single slit from a 2-blade may close up periodically, reducing the blood trail. A 3-blade mechanical broadhead is better suited for higher poundage bows or when shooting a heavier arrow, simply because you need to produce more kinetic energy to compensate for the additional blade. And while the results when bow hunting deer are devastating, you can even use these on larger big game animals.

You should also contemplate the benefits of a rear-deploying or front flip-open broadhead. As T-Bone mentions in the video, there are a few benefits to the rear-deploying broadhead. With the front flip-open broadhead, the blades need to open up before it really begins to cut, which robs the arrow of some kinetic energy and can reduce the penetration distance. But with the rear-deploying broadhead, the blades simply need to slide back into place. While they are doing that, they are cutting and slicing the whole time.

The last thing to consider before you choose an expandable broadhead is the cutting angle of the blades. Many expandable broadheads have blades arranged too close to a right angle (90 degrees) to the ferrule. Instead of slicing like a knife, these blades act more in a chopping fashion (like an axe), which is not what they’re intended to do. Thus, they lose penetration and effectiveness by hitting the tough hide of an animal. Choose an expandable broadhead with a blade angle less than 45 degrees if you want to reduce the friction/resistance and rely on the sharp blades for cutting like a hot knife through butter.

Introducing the G5 Megameat

The soon-to-be-released G5 Megameat broadhead fits all the criteria that T-Bone talks about in the video above, which is why it’s so exciting to discuss and you might consider it the best expandable broadhead yet. It is very similar to the existing G5 Deadmeat broadhead, which is very deadly and has been popular with the Bone Collector crew for a while now, except the Megameat offers additional cutting surface (the Deadmeat comes with a 1.5” cutting diameter and the Megameat comes with a 2” cutting surface).

This 3-blade broadhead cuts a huge 2” channel with its super strong and wickedly sharp stainless steel blades. The broadhead also features rear-deploying blades that are held firmly in place when in flight with a simple Snaplock blade retention collar system. This reduces most drift associated with the wind and keeps the arrow flying true, but also ensures the blades won’t deploy until it hits the target. You can snap the blades back in place on this collar very easily. When fully extended, the blades form an angle of less than 45 degrees to the ferrule so it can truly slice through the target. The solid steel tip is sharpened and strong enough to punch through tough shoulder muscle and even a deer’s shoulder blade with enough bow poundage. It comes in both 100 and 125 grain options depending on your preferences and intended target. And if a blade or collar gets damaged, you can replace them as needed by simply swapping them out (the replacement process is super easy).

As another benefit, a package of both the G5 Deadmeat and Megameat broadheads also comes with a BMP (Ballistic Match Point) with the same dimensions, weight, and aerodynamics as the broadhead. This is important because practicing with field tips only allows you to get very accurate with field tips, but not necessarily your broadhead of choice. This causes some hunters to have a different point of impact when they finally shoot their broadhead. With the Deadmeat BMP (or soon-to-come Megameat BMP), you can target shoot with it (at straw, foam, or bag targets) and get basically the same performance as your broadhead so you know exactly how it will fly and tune your bow appropriately.

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So this season as you choose an expandable broadhead to tip your arrow with, keep these things in mind. The more you think about it, though, the easier the choice really becomes. With the top-notch materials and design of the broadheads that G5 offers, why would you risk going with anything else?