Gravedigger Broadhead Test

[Bowhuntr64]

New test just dropped. Check it out.

 

[1dirthawker]

not a fan of mechanicals, but you do a great and consistent job of testing!

 

[Deepfork]

So.....I like guns but archery is my thing. Been at it for over 40 years, hundreds of animals taken with a bow from squirrel to Blue Wildebeest. Mechanical broad heads are prone to spectacular success and at times spectacular failures. Moving parts increase the variables and make results unpredictable in some situations.

Lets discuss the Red Hartebeest in my profile pic. Very wary animal, this was a long stalk. My PH was a ninja and got me within bow range several times but the beest would not cooperate by presenting that perfect broadside shot.

I finally took the shot, most would have said there was no shot but I am confident in my ability to hit a spot within 30 yards. The Hartebeest was pointed away from me at 30 yards....almost straight away just slightly quartering. I picked my spot and took the shot. The arrow dug in behind the last rib, exited the animal near the front of the rib cage and reentered under the front shoulder. He did not go 10 yards.

Here is my blue wildebeest. This was a 40 yard Shot, he was almost looking right at me. I was not comfortable with the angle, but my PH told me EXACTLY where to put the arrow. I hit the spot and he only ran about 40 yards before piling up.

Neither of these shots would have been clean kills with any mechanical broad head. Its easy to predict how a fixed blade cut on contact broad head will preform, not so much with mechanicals when you are not presented that perfect broadside shot.

Any mechanical is prone to expend energy, which is at a premium in bow hunting, at the wrong time.

Sorry for the rant, don't mean to disrespect the guy doing the infomercial. But in my opinion mechanical broad heads are the solution to a problem I never had. I've tried most of them...I don't like them!!!!

 

[SikaMDhunter]

Sorry for the rant, don't mean to disrespect the guy doing the infomercial. But in my opinion mechanical broad heads are the solution to a problem I never had. I've tried most of them...I don't like them!!!!

He tests all kinds of broadheads. Only 2 of the mechanicals he has tested have even stood a chance to the bulk of the fixed blades he's tested. I would agree that fixed blades are the way to go but it is nice to see when a company tries to tinker with mechanicals and improve them. As it stands today I don't think I would use any mechanical over a good fixed blade.

 

[Ryan]

Sorry for the rant, don't mean to disrespect the guy doing the infomercial. But in my opinion mechanical broad heads are the solution to a problem I never had. I've tried most of them...I don't like them!!!!

So, why are you using a compound bow when a recurve would work just as well? The same holds true between those for failures with the recurve taking seconds to replace a string and a compound needing a bow press, probably in a shop. In the end you made choice that the positives outweighed the negatives.

He tests consistently and lets you compare. If the tests are infomomercials then he has also done infomercials for cut on contact heads such aa Iron Will broads, which we can compare and decide using those tests. I personally have used mechanicals under certain conditions and will again. My bushpig and nyala with a Muzzy HBX was great. I will not use the heads he mentions above, I tested them fine and then used them in the field and had a blade open in flight causing the arrow to flip in flight and miss a great springbok. I won't touch one that opens forward from those results.

 

[Ryan]

New test just dropped. Check it out.

Tried them in 2016 for light skinned animals in Namibia. They tested decently in my back yard. But when I actually used them in Namibia for a springbok they failed by having one of the blade open in flight causing the arrow to flip and miss the springbok. I will not use forward opening heads like these, the chance of this type of failure again isn't worth it to me. I do use Muzzy Trocar HBX, with rear opening and had no such failures.

 

[archer36]

I have the HBX but have not used them yet. The GD performed well for me. If you have a fear of front deploying heads opening in flight, a dental band will alleviate your fears.

 

[Deepfork]

So, why are you using a compound bow when a recurve would work just as well? The same holds true between those for failures with the recurve taking seconds to replace a string and a compound needing a bow press, probably in a shop. In the end you made choice that the positives outweighed the negatives.

He tests consistently and lets you compare. If the tests are infomomercials then he has also done infomercials for cut on contact heads such aa Iron Will broads, which we can compare and decide using those tests. I personally have used mechanicals under certain conditions and will again. My bushpig and nyala with a Muzzy HBX was great. I will not use the heads he mentions above, I tested them fine and then used them in the field and had a blade open in flight causing the arrow to flip in flight and miss a great springbok. I won't touch one that opens forward from those results.

Huh?! I don't like mechanicals, I explained why, clearly stated it was MY opinion. Your recurve analogy makes no sense to me.

 

[archer36]

So, why are you using a compound bow when a recurve would work just as well? The same holds true between those for failures with the recurve taking seconds to replace a string and a compound needing a bow press, probably in a shop. In the end you made choice that the positives outweighed the negatives.

He tests consistently and lets you compare. If the tests are infomomercials then he has also done infomercials for cut on contact heads such aa Iron Will broads, which we can compare and decide using those tests. I personally have used mechanicals under certain conditions and will again. My bushpig and nyala with a Muzzy HBX was great. I will not use the heads he mentions above, I tested them fine and then used them in the field and had a blade open in flight causing the arrow to flip in flight and miss a great springbok. I won't touch one that opens forward from those results.

His tests are NOT infomercials. He is sent the heads or the money to buy specific heads to be tested by viewers, not the manufacturer so he has no vested interest in the review. I find his testing to be the most comprehensive I have seen from anyone on the internet.