Choosing an elk hunting broadhead can be tricky. Long-range shots may be in the cards, but penetration is key to a quick kill. Broadhead selection could be the difference between bagging the bull of lifetime or going home empty handed. Read on to learn which elk hunting broadhead is right for you and your setup and get ready to pack out a big load of meat and antlers.
Fixed Blade or Mechanical?
Before we address the issue of broadhead weight, it’s important to consider what style of broadhead you’ll be shooting. Mechanical broadheads often improve accuracy, but fixed blades offer guaranteed performance on impact. Personally, I don’t want anything mechanical standing between me and the bull I’ve worked hard to get into bow range. Therefore, most hunters will be served best by a properly tuned, razor sharp fixed blade like those made by G5, Slick Trick, and Muzzy. These heads will fly true and do serious damage when they reach the target.
100 vs. 125 Grain
While deciding what elk hunting broadhead to use, weight makes a difference. Elk are tough and a broadhead needs to penetrate as much as possible. By using a heavier broadhead, you’ll increase the momentum of your arrow, increase your arrow’s front of center (FOC), and kill more elk. In case you’re not sold on using a 125-grain broadhead yet, we’ll examine the issue in further detail.
Increased Momentum
Momentum is the amount of force your arrow has when it reaches the target. By increasing the weight of your broadhead, you decrease your arrow speed, but increase your momentum at normal hunting ranges. Think of it this way. Would you rather be hit by a baseball traveling at 70 miles per hour or a bowling ball traveling at 30 miles per hour? While neither option sounds appealing, most people would choose the baseball. By using a 125-grain elk hunting broadhead, you’ll increase your momentum by about 10 percent and hit that big bull with bowling ball momentum.
Increased Penetration
Increasing the momentum of your arrow has a huge affect on its lethality on elk. Increased momentum equals increased penetration. This could help your arrow nail both lungs on a quartering away shot or it might help penetrate a bull’s armor plated shoulder if your shot hits too far forward. Even on a broadside shot, penetration is important and using a heavier broadhead will help you get more pass throughs and clean kills.
Increased Forward of Center
Increasing your arrow’s forward of center (FOC) weight distribution increases your penetration and improves arrow flight. For maximum penetration arrows should have a FOC of 20% or greater. Using heavier broadheads improves your FOC. Arrows sporting 125-grain broadheads will help you stay on target and make quick kills on these big, tough animals.
Affects on Arrow Flight
Typically, changing from a 100 to a 125 grain broadhead will not significantly affect arrow flight. However, if you’re shooting arrows that are on the borderline of spine strength for your draw weight, you may need to move up a notch. Just be sure to reset your pins and you should be good to go.
Use these tips to select an elk hunting broadhead and arrow a big bull this fall. Elk season will be here before you know it. Will you be ready?
