Before you set out on a hunting trip, you want to use the appropriate arrows because this will make or break your success. Many times, we use broadheads on larger animals because it leads to more ethical kills. Responsible hunting practices make for a better image of hunting overall because it has the potential to be done in a bad way. We want to be ethical hunters who take care of the land.
What game do you hunt with broadheads? You would shoot broadheads for bear, deer, moose, turkey, elk, wild boar, ducks, pheasants and jackrabbits. Even with small-game animals like the ducks, jackrabbits and pheasants, we use a broadhead because of how it leads to more ethical kills.
If you’d like to learn more about broadheads and how to use them, keep reading because we will go more in-depth on this subject so that you can learn more.
What Game You Wouldn’t Use a Broadhead On?
To better understand the game that you would hunt using a broadhead, let’s have a look at the game where you wouldn’t use a broadhead. For grouse, squirrels and rabbits, you wouldn’t need a broadhead. You’d use a blunt point on them. Field points have been used on small game, but I wouldn’t advise it because they aren’t effective.
You have an increased chance that the arrow might simply wound the animal, causing unnecessary suffering, or you’d lose your arrow altogether as the animal runs off with it.
Blunt points have an advantage in that they don’t get caught up in the grass or stuck in a chunk of wood, which makes them ideal for hunting squirrels in trees or rabbits in heavy foliage.
Keep in mind, it may even be illegal to take big game with field points or anything other than broadheads because the law and most hunters see it as an unethical practice. If you’d like to learn more about unethical hunting practices, you can learn more about why you should never shoot a deer in the head here. It’s very important that we act responsibly as hunters and promote conservation of the environment.
Understanding the Broadhead
Most hunters use broadheads to bring down large game animals. Beware of your local state laws because each state may differ in the minimum diameter and the number of cutting edges required of a broadhead for each game animal. Choosing the proper arrow and broadhead selection will make a large difference in how fast you kill the animal. We will now take a look at how to select broadheads for each type of game animal.
Choosing Broadheads for a Deer
Provided you shoot it in the right place, any broadhead will kill, but mechanical broadheads tend to do the best on deer because their full cutting blades open on impact. This strike creates an enormous wound, and they usually cause more internal damage to the deer. Why would you choose mechanical broadheads over fixed broadheads for deer? You get a larger cutting area with mechanical instead of fixed broadheads. Broadheads kill by slicing internal organs and causing the deer to bleed out.
Fixed blade broadheads do have an advantage in that they tend to be tougher. Mechanical leaves a good blood trail, but you also need to place the shot well and hit it from the right angle.
In the past, some mechanical broadheads were a laughable display, but the more modern ones have become increasingly effective and practical.
What is the Best Broadhead for Moose and Elk?
Moose and elk, sturdy animals that may prove difficult to drop in some cases, require a broadhead that takes them down fast because they may charge you if they see you. You want to use a fixed broadhead when shooting a moose or elk because the extra weight and muscle can spell disaster with a more delicate broadhead like the mechanical.
The thick hide and bones as tough as concrete has made it a must. You need a minimum of 50-pound draw weight to kill a moose or elk. I would recommend the QAD QBE100S Exodus Broadheads. You want at least a 100-grain broadhead to kill a moose. Getting a 125-grain broadhead will add to your penetration capabilities and is more ideal.
Provided you put the arrow in the right spot, you won’t have a hard time killing them, but you still need to come prepared.
Will Any Broadhead Kill a Deer?
Provided you place the shot correctly and hit it in the lungs or the heart, all broadheads have the potential to kill a deer. You may want to choose one that will leave a big blood trail to make tracking easier, however, and ensure that the deer does not get away, causing unnecessary suffering and harm.
What Broadhead for Turkey?.
Known as guillotine broadheads, the point is to take the head off for a fast and painless kill.
You can see the guillotine broadhead in action here:
You could choose either a mechanical or a fixed broadhead, but the guillotine does it in such a quick way that it makes it worth trying.
In truth, almost any mechanical or fixed broadhead will kill a bird, but some will do it better than others and lead to less suffering for the bird.
What Broadhead for Small Game?
With small game targets, you don’t want too heavy of a broadhead when going after them. When we say small game, we’re talking about animals like pheasants and jackrabbits. For animals like that, you will want to use a sharp fixed blade broadhead. Keep in mind, the feathers of a pheasant can stop dull broadheads, so you must use a sharp one.
The same would hold true for hunting geese. Use a fixed blade for extra durability. Most standard broadheads will work on geese anywhere inside 30 yards.
How Heavy Should My Broadheads Be?
You want a broadhead of at least 100 grains, but we would even say that you can’t go wrong with a 125-grain broadhead. In many cases, it will leave you with a harder-hitting impact. After you decide on the style and weight of the broadhead, you will also need to tune the bow for it to shoot correctly.
Why are heavier arrows better when hunting? Heavier arrows do better when hunting because of better penetration. After the arrow leaves the string, it has reached as fast as it will go and slows from that point onward. A heavier arrow shoots less distance, however, because it decelerates faster.
Still, you shouldn’t take 100-yard shots on an animal, anyway, because you risk injuring the animal instead of killing it. You can’t take an accurate shot on an animal from that far away. Either stalk it or wait until it comes closer.
Can You Target Practice with Broadheads?
You can target practice with broadheads, but you want to use a target that they specifically designed for broadheads. Broadheads will shred a 3D target in no time, and we wouldn’t advise using them on those targets due to their high cost. You can learn more about why these targets are so expensive here. Look for targets that were specifically intended to handle the abuse from broadheads.
The advantage of having a broadhead target comes from how your shot won’t cause lasting damage. It holds up for longer. You want the right material as well because of how you risk dulling the broadhead or even breaking it as it strikes the material.
Conclusion
On birds and small game, most broadheads will kill the animal. For larger animals, you may need a specific broadhead, which we highlighted above. You can buy three basic types of broadheads: Mechanical, fixed and removable. We would most recommend the mechanical and fixed broadheads. With whatever broadhead you use, you will want to keep your arrows sharp because this leads to a much cleaner and safer kill.
If you want to learn more about responsible hunting, I think this article here does a great job of highlighting the importance of ethical and responsible hunting. This is the type of hunting that I want to promote on my blog.