Mechanical Vs. Fixed Broadheads

For bowhunters broadhead is an essential equipment that plays a very important role.

And it’s vital to choose the right broadhead for your hunting season.

Since there are two types of broadheads that are fixed blade broadheads and mechanical broadheads.

Both of these broadheads do the same thing; hit the animal, penetrate through its skin and cause extreme damage to kill the animal.

But still, there are huge differences between both types of broadheads that makes the hunters choose mechanical broadheads or fixed blades.

That’s why here I have written a detailed guide for mechanical Vs. fixed broadheads along with their pros and cons that any hunter should know before making a purchase decision.

Here is a YouTube video that you should watch.

Quick Overview of Fixed Blade & Mechanical Broadheads

Let’s have a quick overview of both types of broadheads.

Fixed Blade Broadheads

Fixed broadheads have been around since the start of bowhunting or even before that. These are the broadheads that used to be utilized in wars in stone age.

Fixed blade broadheads consist of 2 to 6 blades fixed at the top of the arrow shart. Their heads are comparably small as mechanical thus they produce small holes but have more penetration power.

Mostly, traditional bowhunters use these broadheads and these are also used for small game as hitting hard and causing deep penetration kills the prey on spot.

 Some Pros & Cons of Fixed Broadheads

Fixed broadheads have been around for quite a long time and a lot of bowhunters prefer them due to the number of benefits they offer, some of these advantages have been discussed below.

Pros

• Durable: Fixed blade heads are more durable as there are not any moving parts so they can’t fail.
• More Accurate: For hunting from distant places you need pin point accuracy and fixed broadheads are very accurate.
• Deep Penetration: These blades cause a small but deep wound that can help hit the vital organ like heart, lungs which can kill the animal in no time.
• Requires Low Energy: Fixed broadheads are super easy to shoot, they don’t require any specific kinetic energy to operate as they are lightweight.
• Can Travel Longer: Being light in weight these broadheads can hit far away targets.
• Sturdy: Being a fixed blade they are naturally sturdy and are not damaged upon hitting any rock or ground.
• Can Be Sharpen Easily: Fixed broadheads can be sharpened very easily with simple broadhead sharpeners.
• Not too Expensive: Being cheap is one of the important things due to which people still utilize fixed blade broadheads, they are very cheap when compared to other types.

Cons

• Not Fatal: Since these broadheads just penetrate but don’t cause fatal damage so you may miss your prey if it manages to run away.
• Not Suitable for Big Game: In most cases, big game requires more power and more damage in order to take down the big animals, in such scenarios fixed blade broadheads don’t perform well.

Expendable Blade Broadheads

Mechanical or expandable broadheads are newer in the market and have not any history in human wars or bowhunting.

Expendable broadheads consist of blades that expand upon hitting the animal, these blades are available in different designs and configurations but the overall concept is the same.

These blades can cause very big wounds causing loss of blood and damage of veins at the hit point. Only a single hit can kill the animal if shooted on any vital organ. In most cases your prey will not be even able to run or move away as the damage caused by these broadheads is huge.

Mechanical broadheads are used by bowhunters that are just getting into game or want to hunt big game.

Some Pros & Cons of Mechanical Broadheads

Expendable broadheads are relatively newer but are more powerful. So they do have some advantages and disadvantages that we need to discuss.

Pros

• Fatal: Expendable broadheads are fatal as they cause deep and large wounds so the chances are your prey will be killed immediately.
• Flies Faster: Being a bit weighter these broadheads can fly faster but also require more kinetic energy as well.
• Multiple Options: Mechanical heads are available in multiple shapes, sizes, grains that provide versatility.
• Suitable for Professional: These blades are perfect for experts who are accurate at aiming and can hit the target accurately.

Cons

• Not Suitable For Multiple Uses: Since, expandable broadheads have multiple mechanical parts so they may fail upon multiple use. So, using them fewer times is recommended.
• Expensive: Mechanical broadheads are more expensive.
• Can Be Damaged Easily: Mechanical heads are more prone to damages especially if you miss your aim and hit any stone or hard surface.
• Requires More Kinetic Energy: As mechanical heads are heavy your bow needs to be powerful.

Final Verdict

Hunters use both types of broadheads.

But after experiencing both types of heads for bowhunting I have found expendable blades more useful especially when I need to hit between a range of 50 yards. Moreover, they work both on small and big games as well.

However, for newbies I will always recommend to use the fixed broadheads as they are simple and easy to use. Once you get enough practice with fixed heads you can always opt for mechanical heads.

I hope you love our mechanical vs fixed broadhead comparison, for any queries feel free to post comments.