Does increased poundage mean increased kinetic energy?

[kernman]

I have a 40-pound, take-down, recurve. I wonder whether it has sufficient KE to allow my mechanical broadheads to open on deer. (They are 100-grain, Spitfires, by NAP). I am new to archery, but the bow seems to be pretty slow.

I pratice with carbon arrows, plastic fletchings, and 100-grain, field points. Overall, the bow shoots well, and I am happy with it. I practice a lot, and I feel that I am steadily improving. 

I'm just not sure if its adequate for deer. The guy at the archery shop says it is, with the setup I've got.

Some say mechanicals often don't open when they need to. All things being equal, would replacing the limbs with 50 pound limbs provide more assurance?

[huntswithdogs]

Replacing the limbs, now, may cause problems with your shooting. How soon before your season opens? Sometimes it's not wise to go changing stuff right before season.

If you're having second thoughts about the mechanicals, go ahead and buy some cut on contact heads. There's lots of choices out there.


HWD

[jgalar]

I have zero experience with mechanical broadheads, but 40lb pull on a recurve should be fine for reasonable ranges.

I agree with the above poster about changing limbs/pull weight. Even though 10lbs doesn't sound like much it makes a big difference when shooting a longbow or recurve. Also, your arrow setup will most likely be underspined.

[STUMPJMPR]

I talked with a friend of mine that shoots a recurve....He recommended staying with a fixed blade.... His reason was the same thing i thought i read somewhere...You won't have enough energy or speed to reliably open the mechanical broadhead...

[bscman]

I talked with a friend of mine that shoots a recurve....He recommended staying with a fixed blade.... His reason was the same thing i thought i read somewhere...You won't have enough energy or speed to reliably open the mechanical broadhead...

Ding ding ding!
I've seen guys shooting 70lb bows with mechanical broadheads fail to get a pass throughs, or even sufficient penetration on game in some instances. The majority of mechanical broadheads absorb too much energy as they expand.

For for a Fixed two or three blade design and you'll be much better off. You shouldn't have ANY problems with field tip vs. broadhead flight if your bow is properly set up, your arrows are trued, and you have the proper spine arrows.
Mechanicals are a joke, IMHO. Then again, they're also illegal on large game in my state for the very reason I listed above.

Yes, upping the draw weight will help. You will gain more KE, especially shooting a traditional bow.

[kernman]

Our season began Sept. 6., ends Sept. 28. I had planned to wait until next year to make any changes, such as increased poundage.

There seems to be much debate about mechanicals vs fixed, here and on other sites. A lot of people, including my archery shop guy, swear by them.

I guess I'll stick with the mechanicals for this year, and try some fixed heads next season. I just don't have the money to switch, and the season is almost over.

But I really don't trust these BH to open, at least not with my setup.

[mg66]

Here are two setups I have used over the years, admittedly using compound bows:

Using Easton XX78 SS 2314 aluminum shafts:

Total Arrow Weight = 490 grains
Draw Weight = 65 lbs
Draw Length = 30"

Chronograph Speed = 247 fps

Using Gold Tip 5575 XT Hunter Carbon Shafts

Total Arrow Weight = 375 grains
Draw Weight = 70 lbs
Draw Length = 30"

Chronograph Speed = 283 fps

When you work it out both setups were in the +/- 66 ft/lb range. More than enough for a Whitetail.

As for fixed v mechanical, the debate continues and will for all eternity. Each to his own. and I am talking compound not recurve bows. I use mechanical. It boils down to personal preference and how they fly and how the shooter perceives they fly (ie confidence). It's just plain ignorant to state one is better than the other. Try both and see which you believe gives you an edge whilst hunting. Touch wood, I have never had a mechanical fail to open.

I have tried several makes/models of fixed and mechanical and I like the Rocket Steelhead mechanicals. Using these, some have been pass throughs, some not but I put deer in the freezer and that there is the name of the hunting game folks. Strangely enough I have had pass throughs and not with fixed also. I think I see a pattern developing here. I have no scientific tests to support my use of mechanicals, just that I perceive I have the edge using these for my setup and my confidence and last but not the least for getting an ethical kill.

A point to note here is I shoot compound and probably could not even put an arrow in the same county I was standing in with a recurve.

Just my 2 cents

BTW ... to answer your original question, using all the same arrow weights, yada, yada, yada, an increase in draw weight would increase kinetic energy

[squirrellluck]

Hi, I bow hunt with a 53# Damon Howatt late 50s early 60s. Just my personal preference I use 2 blade zwickeys. If you go to fixed blade try to find solid blade design. I found the open blade design tend to whistle with a helical fletch. And lets face it traditional is slower but our advantage is that they are much quiter. ie they dont jump the string. Just my 2 cents

[jammer308]

Kernman, I've used the same mechanicals that you are speaking of. They never gave me a problem until I took a little ol chukkar partridge. I shot him from my tree stand at about 10 yards and one of the blades came apart. Using a hoyt razortech set at 58 lbs. I had heard bad things about mechanicals but they were all I had at the time, and wasn't exactly full of money you know. Anyway, after that shot I swore I was done with them and went right back to fixed and have been happy with them ever since.

The main problem I've heard about is on angled shots. it is possible that the blades won't open and may actually cause the arrow to deflect. On your mechanicals, the end of the blade in the forward position (closed)is too close to the tip of the point. It's a design flaw. The blade can actually hit the animal before, or at the same time, as the point. Causing the deflection.

If mechanical is what you want, there is a much better choice out now. (Sorry I can't think of the name at the moment)But with your bow you're best off to use a fixed blade design. At the very least, if you use the blades you have now, stick to broadside shots. Don't take a chance with quartering away, or a steep angle from a tree. Accuracy is obviously very important, and the whole reason for the mechanical design in the first place. But sometimes I think people go in directions they shouldn't, when they should just accept what limitations they have and shoot within them. I personally would never sacrifice arrow or broadhead performance for a slightly smaller group size in a hunting set up. Not only for my own satisfaction, but for the animals' sake.

 I know plenty who swear by them, and even saw a bear that was taken with a mechanical head that looked like a butcher knife went through him. They definately can work.  Personally, I just don't like the idea that they "might not" work the one time you need them to. And I just don't think they're necessary or worth the effort to improve accuracy when there are so many other variables involved.

[jammer308]

The mechanicals I'm speaking of are the Epek X-C3 and another one called Smoke. You can see them in the fall equipment review of "Bowhunt America". The Epek's I think are way cool in design. They are rear deployed blades, totally concealed in the shaft so they can be shot as field points, with the blades locked in. Then when you want to hunt with them, you just turn a set screw and the blades will work on impact. If mechanical is what you like than these look like the best design I've seen yet. They are still "mechanical", and I'd have to use them for a long time to fully trust hunting with them like i do my muzzy and thunderheads. Good luck.

[kernman]

As it turns out, bow season passed without me getting a legal deer in my sights. And I think it's for the best, in terms of ethics.

That's because I am now leaning toward fixed blades due to jammer's comments about angled shots. I could see the setup I have deflecting on bone, and flying apart. That makes a lot of sense.

It makes sense too, as stumpjmpr says, that my setup does not have enough energy to reliable open the broadhead. It would use all its energy on opening up, and it would not penetrate well, at least as I visualize it.

My take on this is fixed blades have always worked, with the right setups, on recurves. The jury is still out on the reliability of mechanicals with my set up.

Taking ethical kills into account, it would seem the decision is to go with fixed. And they are a lot cheaper, so much so that I can even practice with them.

It's okay to practice with what you are going to use in the field, right? (I use straw bales). I would keep about three fixed broadheads to practice with, to get the trajectory down. I would keep a few aside in pristine shape just for hunting.

My archery shop guy hunts with a compound, so maybe he is biased. I need to ask him if he has used them with the kind of set up I have.

[jammer308]

  It's okay to practice with what you are going to use in the field, right? (I use straw bales). I would keep about three fixed broadheads to practice with, to get the trajectory down. I would keep a few aside in pristine shape just for hunting.

If you go with muzzy's, they have practice blades that can be swapped out for your hunting blades. Plus they can be found just about anywhere that sells archery equipment, including wal mart. They're about as common as 30.30 and 30.06 ammo. I like the muzzy's for those 2 reasons.

Sorry to hear your season left you short changed. Mine did too. But that's why it's called hunting right?  I agree, it's probably a blessing in disguise. I know a few who insist on taking shots they shouldn't, and no doubt they have left a few wounded animals each for the last 2 years I've known them. No matter how much you tell, some just never get it. I really respect your efforts to find a good system and for keeping ethics a top priority. Good luck is bound to come your way.