Deeper penetration? I suppose that depends on the broadhead too. You don't compare the Gravedigger or Hyde to a Vortex. The Muzzy Trocar HBX has given me great penetration. I tested others like the NAP Killzone and they didn't fare well. But again, my qualm with the Gravedigger style head is failure to function properly.
Thanks for sharing that. Typically an over the top deploying head penetrates more deeply, due to the fact that it doesn’t encounter as much friction on the initial impact. Hide can really dull an edge and it can absorb a good amount of energy with a larger rear deploying head. An over the top mech has a much smaller and more concentrated initial impact with that hide, so the blades retain more of their sharpness and there’s a lot more focused pressure on that hide, which tends to give deeper penetration.
The flip side is that over the tops make a smaller initial hole and if you don’t get a pass thru you may not have much blood. With a rear deploying head you at least get one big hole and that’s often enough for a great blood trail. An over the top hybrid provides a third option, between the two. Not saying it’s better, cause that depends on the head, the bow set up and the animal you’re hunting.
Muzzy Hybrids have done well in my testing. They do a great job. I’ve not compared them with the medium I’m using this year, but I’d like to. The Grim Reaper Micro Hybrid Pro has done extremely well in my testing and they come in several different cut sizes, so you can choose the best size for your set up.
The Killzone is below average for penetration compared to all the mechs on the market. It’s much more durable than Rage but penetrates much less effectively. I’ve still used them successfully on some animals, but there are better choices for sure.
I really like the rear deploying heads that have figured out you don’t need a huge 2” hole and have settled in the 1.5-1.75” range, like Afflictors and Sevr 1.5 and 1.7. They typically get you two holes and both are fairly good sized. I’ve been using those very successfully recently.
I was just impressed that the Hyde penetrated deeper than even some small two blade fixed heads with a 1 1/8” cut. But has a 2 3/4” cut. The “total tissue cut” rating that I give is the depth of penetration x the cut size. Compare that in all the heads I’ve tested in 2020; it’s interesting. With the Hyde I used the closed cutting position for the 1st inch and then the open position thereafter to be fair.
