The first deer I ever killed was with a fixed blade (something???) I don't even remember what type it was. Then about 6 years later I got more interested in bowhunting and got a better bow and was talked into mechanical broadheads. I think the first mechanical I used was a 3 blade Rockethead. First deer I shot was a doe at 48 yds. Watched her fall 120 yds later. I then got talked into trying a 2 blade Vortex mechanical and found they flew well. Unfortunately I found out they don't open correctly on a quartering away 145" 11 point (summised from a tracking expert) . 8 hours and 2 miles later, I lost the trail of the deer. That put a bad taste in my mouth so I went back to a 3 blade mechanical with a Trophy Ridge Steelhead XL. Last night a 3.5 yo 6 point that I had been trying to cull all season came creeping in at 25 yards broadside. Put my pin on him and squeezed off the release. SOUNDED like a gunshot when it hit the deer. I had a lighted knock so I saw I hit about 4 inches behind the front shoulder in the bottom 3rd, pretty much exactly where I wanted. No pass through. In fact the arrow only penetrated about 6 inches as the deer ran off. I figured it had to have went directly through a rib. I waited about an hour and 15 and found blood. Trailed the deer about 200 yards, but backed off when I saw he decided to take his trail up a mountain (pretty steep hill... in Texas a mountain). Came back the next morning, blood trailed the deer for another 300 yards and lost any sign of blood or him. Circled for another hour hoping to cut his trail again, but never found anything. Went back to try to find my arrow and found about 2/3 of it within 100 yds of the bloodtrail from the night before. I missed it the night before because evidently he passed by enough trees he pulled the knock back enough to shut it off.

So with that.... what do you use? Mechanicals typically from my experience and research fly better, but you don't have to worry about the mechanical failures of a fixed blade.

And if you like a fixed blade or a mechanical.... which brand and why?

muzzy 100 grain for fixed blade but been looking at the swackers, the can do quartering away shots with precision

I use mech. Spitfire made by NAP. Never had a problem and quartering away shots r not a problem.

dont listen to swamp he is a no shootin a$$. haha

Same here. Never had an issue and never had a penetration problem.

Thunderheads and Rages.

Ive killed more animals with a muzzy 4 blade than anything but after i tried the slick tricks they are the only fixed i shoot. they fly the best out of the package of any i have shot and penetrate well.

I have killed several animals with the grim reaper mechanicals without problems but get closer everyday to only shooting fixed. They may not cut a hole 6ft in diameter but they never fail to open. I hear stories of lost and wounded deer because of broadhead problems and know its only a matter of time before i have one.

I've only used Muzzy since having a mechanical failure. I think of the fixed as one less variable. The fewer the variables the better. Just my 2c

Ted Nugent is one of my customers and I was at his place yesterday. Really good guy and in person he's just like he is on TV, high energy and all about shooting animals. I told him what I ran into and he gave me a set of his Gold Tip Arrows along with a couple of packs of the Magnus 4 blade Buzzcuts. Have any of you ever tried these? He told me yesterday that so far this fall he has killed 22 animals with them and not a single time have they failed to open or broke on impact(of course he was being fascisous because they are fixed blade). He said he had one break on a moose that he shot, but it made it through the first and second shoulder blade and believes it broke as the bull was running away with the arrow. I guess I am going to go back to fixed blades. The only thing is, I will have to make sure my bow is fine tuned. I would rather just go and shoot, but alas hunting sometimes turns into work.

I use the Slick Trick 100 gr Magnum. It's a 4 bladed fixed blade and it will put a hell of a hole in anything you shoot. Here's an example

I tried the mechanicals when they first came out years ago and had two bad experiences right away, so I went right back the good old Thunderheads that never let me down.

G5 striker 100gr they fly true and no pin adjustments from field points till 60yd pin

Grim Reaper 100's. I love these broadheads, however before these I used thunderhead 85's.. Never had an issue when them either..

Amen Ram, Strykers all the way! I have made some good shots and a few awful ones, but they have done the job either way!

X2
same ones I use. slick tricks and grizz tricks are both good.
I have never had one fail to open on inpact. lol

Thunderheads!!!

Fixed all the way. There is not as many things to go wrong with them. Although I have considered buying some rage 2 blades.

If I had to shoot a fixed I'd go with a Hell Razor. I shoot Grim Reaper Razor Tip mechanicals and never had a problem.

Spitfire all the way for me they fly like field tips and are as nasty as any of the others on the market. I've killed lots of deer and lots of big hogs and took about every type shot from broadside to almost walking straight away and never had any issue with blades opening or penetration. As far as fixed blade I shoot the Magnus buzz cut off my long bow and they are a very good blade.

Two blade mechanical Bloodrunners for me.

A friend of mine highly recomended the Rage but upon first inspection I had suspicions about them. I bought some anyway. They fly GREAT but I have never felt comfortable about the way they are built.

I'm sure they work great when everything goes right but like others I wanted to remove that extra variable.

I got some Magnus Stingers and am very happy with the way they fly. I have yet to let one fly at a deer though but I feel absolutely confident in them.

slick tricks all the way they are great and super super super sharp I always have at least one in my quiver but I am giving the grim reapers a try to hopefully get a little better blood trail.

Why not have the best of both worlds and use the new Bloodrunner. I used those this year and had great success. If it does not open it is still a fixed blade if it opens it has the cutting diameter of a mechanical. I highly recommend you give them a try.

X4... Never had an issue with the Spitfire...very true flight and devastating..

I use both depending on animal.. with my setup I'm not worried at all about penetration on whitetail so it's mechanical for me.. this year I decided to try the epek xc3 so far I've taken one deer, double lung shot with a massive blood trail and he dropped 40 yds away