125grain vs 100grain

[Beaver Trap]

im looking for a little advice, if you don't mind giving your opinion. im an avid bow hunter that has used 100 grain muzzy brodheads since day one. I have nothing bad to say about them. they fly nice and manage to do the job every time. This spring a got a grizzley draw and i don't know if i should up the weight of my brodheads. I know 100 grains will do the job but would 125 make a diffrence. pls let me know what you guys think.

[trapperdan2061]

I too am considering the same change up and am interested in the information

[Bowzone_Mikey]

the only differance it would make it it will add 25 grains to the front of your arrow ... If you are confident that your tried tested and true 100 gr muzzys will do the trick .. then why on earth would you consider changing?

you 100 gr. will pass thru a grizz just the same on a good shot ... your 125 grain will piss a grizz off the same as a 100 on a poor shot.

whatever makes your arrow fly better ..

[Bow Walker]

Before going to hunt the venerable 'Griz', I'd make damn sure that my equipment was up to the task.

I'd not go hunting with anything less than 65 lbs of draw weight, I'd seriously consider using a 'heavy' arrow to maximize the KE, and I'd also make sure that my broadhead of choice gave me the maximum in cutting diameter.

So. In answer to your question, I'd ask what you were considering hunting that big 'ol grizz with. Can you supply a few details about your equipment?

[Beaver Trap]

Ive got the bowtech guardian. i draw 70lbs and deliver an arrow at 317 feet per second. I don't doubt that my arrow will go through its the damage on the bear i wanna maximize. I know the risk of a bad shot especially on a dangerous animal. I definatly will not be taking a shot if it aint perfect. i do like the larger cutting dia you talk about. that makes a lot of sence. but what do go for. It seems that like most overly large brod heads are cheap and not a quality product.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

how heavy is your arrow now because you just quoted the advertised IBO speed for the Gaurdian witch is taken with a 350 gr arrow at 30" draw at 70 pound weight

Bow hunting is differant from rifle hunting .... the harvest or last breath of the quarry is acheived by blood loss in bow hunting whereas rifle is acheived by shock induced by the mushrooming of the bullet ... thats why you dont want a pass through with a rifle but you do with a bow.

there is something to be said about cutting Diameter.. the bigger the holes the more blood will leak out and the quicker that bear will go to "sleep"

here are some differant Broadhead websites of heads that I am Familiar with and trust to get the job done

http://www.trophyridge.com/broadheads/
http://www.muzzy.com/pdf/Brochure%202009.pdf
http://www.rockymtbroadheads.com/broadhead_products.html

thats just a few ... the list could go on and on ... most broadheads are 1 1/8" cutting dia ... the Muzzy MX-3 goes up to an inch and quarter

I would caution against anything larger as you will see wind resistance and more planing unless you are willing to look at mech heads

I would like to see this thread not get into another mech vs. fixed

[jessbennett]

if you are confident in your muzzys' then why change?? if you know that they get the job done, thats what matters.

as mikey has said, cutting diameter is something to consider, but as you increase your cutting diameter, your chances of planing and accuracy are comprimised. you want an arrow that flies like a dart.accuracy is of the uptmost importance, and you want as much of the arrows energy to be transferred into the animal as possible.

and if you are still adament of a larger cutting diameter, you could look at the possibility of a high quality mechanical broadhead. eg, rocket steelheads, rage slip cams, and grim reaper are a few to start. the rocket steelheads are one of the toughest broadheads around mechanical or fixed.

[willyqbc]

Okay, we all know that the broadhead will do the job on a good shot, I think the issue here is what set-up choice will offer the best chance for a clean kill on a poor shot...a shoulder hit for example. To me....to maximize the chance of killing quickly on a poor shot I want my broadhead to pass completly through from virtually any angle. To do that you need to minimize potential energy lost as the broadhead/arrow passes through the animal. Arrow flight is very important here but we are talking broadheads so i will limit my response to that

Possible causes of energy loss due to the broadhead

failure - if a broadhead breaks a blade or the head is otherwise damaged it will not continue throught the animal as efficiently as it would if it were intact

Trocar tips - trocar tips take more energy to get through bone/hide than a cut on contact tip.

Wider cutting surface should do more damage but it also takes more energy to push through the animal. I don't believe the difference between fixed heads that are considered wide and those considered narrow is really enough to worry about.

So with that in mind I would want a tough as nails, cut on contact head with average cutting diameter. If 100 grainer flies like a dart in your bow I would be looking at a razor sharp Montec G5 in 100 grains. With your set-up and a montec, I believe you will pass through both shoulder blades if for some reason it came to that.

As always...just my opinion
Chris

[Bow Walker]

Well - with the stated equipment such as yours, it would not stretch the imagination to see you going to an arrow with a total weight of something in the neighborhood of 430 to 480 grains.

Having arrows of this weight built for your hunt would, of course, mean re-sighting and practising until you're very confident with them. Lots of KE and penetration for dangerous game.

Heavier arrows coupled with a lethal broadhead - such as the 4-blade Slick Trick - goes a long way in ensuring a quick and confident harvest. I mention the Slick Tricks not because of their wide cutting diameter, but because of their ability to deliver a devastating wound channel.

Read, study, and do your research. Then choose carefully. Go with what you are confident in - it'll pay dividends for your hunt.

[urbanhermit]

You are so right Bow Walker, I arrowed my first deer this last fall with a 400gr carbon, tipped with the 100gr Slicktrick traveling at 260 fps. Having shot lots of deer with a rifle, I still have a lot to learn about bowhunting, i waited a little too long before releasing my arrow. I hit the 120 lb whitetail through the hips. The slick trick pulverized both hip joints at 29 yards and kept on going. The deer exspired in less than a minute, it knocked the deer down on impact and it never got up. The wound channel was massive. I realize this was no griz but the performance was beyond words.
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