First elk hunt- Broadhead recommedations? - Page 1

Site Notices

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - First elk hunt- Broadhead recommedations?

Posted: 3/29/2017 8:58:04 PM EDT

Going on my first elk hunt this fall and decided to do an archery hunt. I've been using the rage 2 blade 100gr for several years with decent success on white tails but don't know if I trust them enough. I've had a couple fail to open and I don't want to take that chance on an elk. Also don't want to deal with the blades opening as i hike.
Any other recommendations?

Bear Code
65# draw
27.5" length
Gold Hunter 5575 arrows

Posted: 3/29/2017 9:13:22 PM EDT

[#1]

For my first couple elk I used expendables with aluminum arrows but when I retired my old Mathews Conquest pro for a more modern Mathews I stitched to Full Metal Jacket arrows and went with Slick Trick broad-heads and never looked back. Killed many deer with slick tricks, (34 in one season) and they worked great on elk. This one went 45 yards before piling up. Slick Tricks are pretty pricy but they are worth it to me to have the best on a big hunt. Good luck my friend, there is nothing like arrowing an elk.

Mathews
33" draw
70 lbs
Full metal jacket arrows

Question, guided or unguided? where and when are you going?
Just wondering.

Posted: 3/30/2017 12:03:08 AM EDT

[#2]

Slick trick.

Posted: 3/30/2017 6:09:10 PM EDT

[#3]

Unguided in Colorado. I'm going with a friend that has family in the area that we are going to hunt.

What distance do I need to limit my shots? I'm completely comfortable at 50yds and plan on shooting enough between now and then to stretch it to 60 but will there be enough energy left to open the heads correctly?

Posted: 3/30/2017 6:25:06 PM EDT

[#4]

http://radicalarchery.com/radical-broadheads/broadhead-products/

Seek no further

Read all about them here:
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,197488.0.html

Posted: 3/30/2017 10:18:53 PM EDT

[#5]

All of my elk were 35 yards or less. Max yourself at 50, at 65 lbs pull you will not have the kinetic energy for good penetration, plus its often windy as hell in the mourning when you have your best shot at a bull. What ever you do plan your trip around full moon, during full moon they feed all night and bed down before dawn and you dont have much of a chance. Our hunts were all unguided on public land in Wyoming, best way to go. One thing that is hard to get used to is judging distance on elk, it is easy to forget they are so much bigger then deer, you will not often have time to use a range finder, nice to have one with you but dont plan on using it when your "in the moment". Make or buy a life size cutout and put your target in front of it for practice at different distances. Success rate is very small for elk bow-hunting, go with the attitude that your gonna have a great trip whether you kill one or not. Try to budget your trip so you can go a couple years in a row. Calling is key, cow call is far more important the bull calling, you just bull call to locate them or piss them off, cow call is the money shot.

Posted: 4/11/2017 6:20:55 AM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Going on my first elk hunt this fall and decided to do an archery hunt. I've been using the rage 2 blade 100gr for several years with decent success on white tails but don't know if I trust them enough. I've had a couple fail to open and I don't want to take that chance on an elk. Also don't want to deal with the blades opening as i hike.
Any other recommendations?

Bear Code
65# draw
27.5" length
Gold Hunter 5575 arrows

View Quote

I'm doing my first elk hunt this fall too. Unguided in Idaho. I've read great things about slick tricks but haven't bought any yet. I'll get some and hopefully have an AAR this September. I'll sure as hell be chasing whitetails here at home as much as possible too.

Posted: 4/11/2017 9:02:06 PM EDT

[#7]

Which slick trick are ya'll using?
Anyone use the NAP Killzone?

Quote History

Quoted:
All of my elk were 35 yards or less. Max yourself at 50, at 65 lbs pull you will not have the kinetic energy for good penetration, plus its often windy as hell in the mourning when you have your best shot at a bull. What ever you do plan your trip around full moon, during full moon they feed all night and bed down before dawn and you dont have much of a chance. Our hunts were all unguided on public land in Wyoming, best way to go. One thing that is hard to get used to is judging distance on elk, it is easy to forget they are so much bigger then deer, you will not often have time to use a range finder, nice to have one with you but dont plan on using it when your "in the moment". Make or buy a life size cutout and put your target in front of it for practice at different distances. Success rate is very small for elk bow-hunting, go with the attitude that your gonna have a great trip whether you kill one or not. Try to budget your trip so you can go a couple years in a row. Calling is key, cow call is far more important the bull calling, you just bull call to locate them or piss them off, cow call is the money shot.

View Quote

Very useful info! Thanks!

Posted: 6/5/2017 2:28:59 PM EDT

[#8]

Check into Bloodsport Grave digger Extremes

Posted: 6/17/2017 12:21:10 AM EDT

[#9]

I plan on using the KuduPoint Broadheads.

Posted: 6/18/2017 3:16:53 AM EDT

[#10]

I use Thunderheads, fixed 3 blade from NAP. They have served me well on Hog up to Elk.

Posted: 8/3/2017 11:43:57 PM EDT

[#11]

I have used Shuttle T Locks and Montec G-5's successfully. Both are very accurate and fly true to my field points. The G-5 has a slight whistle that some people don't like. Nothing I have shot with them has "ducked the string."

I would try a couple different heads and see if one flies better than another. Then sell of the ones you don't like.

Posted: 9/2/2017 6:36:37 PM EDT

[#12]

Don't use mechanicals on Elk. It's pretty much the first thing you hear out of any seasoned bowhunter out here. With Elk, you need penetration.

Slick Trick standard or Magnum. I went with the standard (1" cutting diameter vs 1.125") for penetration. Slick Trick are widely praised for shooting just like field points with little to no truing needed.

G5 Montec. A great cut-on-contact broadhead that can be resharpened. They tend to be noisy.

Shuttle T-Lock. A lot of hunters have great luck with these but I've never personally used them.

Muzzy MX-3. The old reliable. The best Elk hunter I know has killed 23 nice bulls in 23 consecutive years using Muzzy's. He swears by them and will never change. The only problem is if you don't have a way to true them up, you'll have to buy several until you find a few that fly consistently.

Now there are other broadheads out there that will do the trick as long as you place the shot correctly, but the 4 I listed are the most popular for good reasons.

Posted: 9/3/2017 7:47:39 AM EDT

[#13]

Thanks for all the replies and info. I ended up going with the Montec G5 and so far I am pretty happy with them. I'm headed out the middle of the week so hopefully we will see how they do!

Posted: 9/3/2017 8:38:27 AM EDT

[#14]

G5s are good, but they do make that whistley sound that I didn't care for.

I went with Magnus Buzzcuts in 125gr.

Kills stuff effectively.

Posted: 9/4/2017 10:55:05 PM EDT

[#15]

I've never killed an elk with them but the G5s have served me well on deer. They have the same poi for me as my field points and hit plenty hard to pass through every time.

Posted: 9/6/2017 12:01:28 AM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
Thanks for all the replies and info. I ended up going with the Montec G5 and so far I am pretty happy with them. I'm headed out the middle of the week so hopefully we will see how they do!

View Quote

They will serve you well. I shot my first archery elk with one and it was very impressive. They are what I am shooting this year.

Best of luck to you this season!

Posted: 9/6/2017 12:50:03 PM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
G5s are good, but they do make that whistley sound that I didn't care for.

I went with Magnus Buzzcuts in 125gr.

Kills stuff effectively.

View Quote

I have been using Magnus 125gr 4 blade Stingers for several years. Great penetration and very accurate for me. I tend to shoot for the offside shoulder and end up with broadheads damaged due to slamming into bone. If I damage a broadhead, for any reason, I just take a picture of it, email it to Magnus with my address, and they will send me a replacement for free. Best customer service in the business.

PSE Dream Season EVO 70#
PSE Pro Radial X-Weave 300

Posted: 9/19/2017 12:53:24 PM EDT

[#18]

My elk hunts have all been rifle, but I was successful on a mule deer hunt last season with a Wac'Em Triton 125 gr on an FMJ shaft with brass insert. I think I was north of 560 grains weighed... Now, I've got a 31.5" draw so that comes into play.

Posted: 9/20/2017 8:08:06 AM EDT

[#19]

Thanks for all the help. We got back home from the 1 1/2 week trip Saturday night. Great trip, but no elk. We saw bear, muleys, bighorn sheep, and turkeys but not the first elk.
There was almost no bugling happening and the only fresh sign we found was next to private land.
That's why they call it hunting...

I will try out the Montecs on whitetails here at home and report back.

Posted: 11/26/2017 10:55:43 PM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:
Thanks for all the help. We got back home from the 1 1/2 week trip Saturday night. Great trip, but no elk. We saw bear, muleys, bighorn sheep, and turkeys but not the first elk.
There was almost no bugling happening and the only fresh sign we found was next to private land.
That's why they call it hunting...

I will try out the Montecs on whitetails here at home and report back.

View Quote

@25-06shooter where did you go in Idaho?

Posted: 11/26/2017 11:00:33 PM EDT

[#21]

Never been elk hunting but have killed lots of deer.

I have a 26” draw with a 60 lb bow so need a truly sharp, dependable broad head. The only one that gives me complete pass throughs without fail are the Strykers. I have used many different types thru the years but these are my all time favorites.

Posted: 12/28/2017 4:02:34 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
I use Thunderheads, fixed 3 blade from NAP. They have served me well on Hog up to Elk.

View Quote

Same here. Thunderhead 125gr. Killed everything from Whitetail, Hog and Elk with no problem.

Posted: 12/2/2020 8:38:12 PM EDT

[#23]

Realized your post was older after I started to reply so... I have killed a lot of deer and one elk with Montec G5 3 blade 100 grain. They are machined from a stainless steel billet. I’ve killed at least 8 deer with the same one, just retrieve, re-sharpen,re-use. Unless you lose it or hit a rock they’re nearly indestructible, on deer at least.

Posted: 4/18/2021 5:45:26 PM EDT

[#24]

I use Slick Trick Standards; no complaints so far.

I’ve got friends using NAP Killzones as well but I personally think the margin of error is smaller with mechanicals.

Posted: 4/18/2021 11:32:40 PM EDT

[#25]

Slick Trick Standards or Viper Tricks

Posted: 10/29/2021 4:26:28 PM EDT

[#26]

I wouldn't use a mechanical broadhead. Ive now hunted elk quite a bit, everyone shot with a Shuttle-T. I shot them and G5's side-by-side and the Shuttle-T's shot better for me. Ive killed 6 bulls in the last 4 years and all have been pass-through shots.

Posted: 5/22/2022 12:31:27 AM EDT

[#27]

Totally agree.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - First elk hunt- Broadhead recommedations?

Archery » Bowhunting

Warning

Confirm Action

About AR15.COM

Stay Connected

Newsletter

Contact Us