Fixed vs. Mechanical: Which Broadhead Type Is Best For You?

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Fixed or mechanical? Ask this question in a pro shop, outdoor sports show, or anywhere stick-and-stringers gather, and you better carve out half your day.

Why? Because most fixed-blade goers are hardcore believers that regardless of the game species, a broadhead sporting pre-deployed razorblades is the only way to go. The mechanical crowd is the same: passionate bowhunters who believe the benefits of a broadhead with blades contained in a titanium or aluminum ferrule are the bees’ knees.

This is a fixed vs. mechanical article. However, the goal isn’t to sway you one way or the other. Instead, I will break down the benefits of both and call out the pitfalls. And, of course, there is a clear-cut winner, in my opinion, but you’ll have to read on to find out what broadhead regularly lines my quiver.

Let’s dive in.

Fixed-Blade Broadhead

Fixed-blade broadheads fill a lot of quivers because they work. It’s hard to trump a surgical-sharp three- or four-blade broadhead that loses little to no energy on impact because the blades are already deployed. Top-tier fixed-blade builds cut like crazy and penetrate deep. These heads maintain cutting edges throughout flight and impact. Pass-through shots are common, even on large, heavy-boned animals like elk.

Another fixed-blade win is there’s zero chance of a malfunction. No matter how remarkable a mechanical design is, mechanical devices can fail. When you shoot a fixed-blade broadhead, you don’t have to worry about an O-ring breaking and causing pre-mature blade deployment, leading to an errant arrow flight. Fixed-blade heads are straightforward, which is one thing many fixed-blade lovers covet so much about these tried-and-true heads.

There are several fixed-blade designs to choose from. A popular style is a single-piece fixed-blade. Constructed from a single, solid piece of metal, the blades and body of these heads are forged or machined together without any moving or detachable parts. These heads are ultra-durable, often come in a single-bevel blade design, and can be re-sharpened multiple times.

Fixed heads with replaceable blades typically sport an aluminum, titanium, or stainless steel ferrule that the blades slide into. Though not as bulletproof, these fixed-blade builds will save you some coin, make blade-swapping easy, and kill like crazy.

Naturally, fixed-blade broadheads have some downfalls. First, even if your bow is perfectly tuned, your point-of-impact will differ from your field points around 55 yards. Yes, I’ve shot some fixed-blade heads that flew like field points to 50 yards, but beyond that, the geometry of the broadhead differs so much from a field point that there will be some variances. Second, fixed-blade broadheads with vented blades are loud. I believe animals hear the arrow in flight, not the sound of the bow going off. Lastly, manufacturers can’t build fixed-blade heads with cutting diameters over 1-1/2 inches to keep fixed-blade heads accurate. Most fixed-blade broadheads sport cutting diameters of 1-1/4 inches, which is plenty, but if you prefer red-carpet blood trails, these heads don’t always create them.

My Top Three Fixed-Blade Faves

Muzzy Trocar: If I had to shoot one fixed-blade broadhead for every big-game species I hunt for the rest of my days, it would be Muzzy’s 100-grain Trocar. These heads arrive pre-assembled and are the most accurate fixed-blade heads I’ve used. The solid stainless-steel ferrule is tough as nails, and this 1.187-inch cutting-diameter head penetrates deep and kills effectively.

QAD Exodus: Because the blades come back over the shaft of the arrow, accuracy is improved, which is one reason I have threaded Exodus heads on my shafts over the years. Another Exodus win is they are ultra-durable. A few years ago in Idaho, I shot a bear. The 1-1/4-inch cut Exodus blew through both lungs and was sticking out the backside of the steel drum bait barrel.

Iron Will Single Bevel: You get what you pay for when you go the Iron Will route. The Single-Bevel design maintains the arrow’s rotational spin through impact, causing massive tissue damage. These heads are uber-accurate, and right or left options are available to match your arrow’s rotation to your fletch orientation.

Mechanical Broadheads

Unless it’s not legal in the state I’m bowhunting in, I’ve gone strictly to mechanical broadheads. The reason for this is how far mechanical heads have come. The mechanical growing pains, such as blades opening in flight, blades not deploying, etc., are long gone. Today’s kingpin mechanical broadheads fly like field points, meaning no swapping sight tapes or re-sighting your bow before the season. Plus, these heads are whisper-quiet in flight. With the blades contained in the ferrule until impact, the flight is ultra-streamlined and totally hushed.

Another major mechanical head win is their massive cutting diameter. While cutting diameters between 1.5 and 2 inches are standard, there are heads out there that break the 2-inch barrier. Manufacturers can use larger blades without affecting accuracy because the blades aren’t exposed to air during flight. Naturally, pushing blades into action requires a loss in energy, but like blade retention and blade deployment, the geometry of blade arms has come a long way in recent years.

Of course, there are some things to remember if you go the mechanical route. Because energy is lost due to deployment, bowhunters pulling less than 50 pounds should test the mechanical head they plan to use to ensure the blades open on impact.

There are two types of mechanical broadheads: rear-deploying and front-deploying. A front-deploying mechanical is fitted with blades that tuck into the ferrule and open from the front of the ferrule in the exact way a flower opens. On impact, inertia pushes the blades out and drives them from the front of the ferrule to the back. Rear-deploying broadheads have blades that tuck into the ferrule and expand outward from the back of the ferrule on impact.

The main thing to remember with both heads is that both have working parts. The blades will be held tightly into the ferrule with an O-ring, collar, or tension device. Blade-retention devices have come a long way in recent years, but failures can occur.  Another mechanical concern is deflection. This happens when, as the blades deploy, they do not fully penetrate in the intended direction due to an off-angle impact. Instead of slicing straight through, the blades can get pushed or deflected to the side. With that noted, I’ve shot over 100 big-game animals with mechanical broadheads and never experienced a deflection, but it does happen.

My Top Three Mechanical Faves

SEVR Ti 1.5: I trusted one broadhead to my once-in-a-lifetime bighorn sheep hunt in 2021: SEVR’s Ti 1.5. I’ve never shot a more accurate or dependable broadhead. The blades on this front-deploying broadhead lock in place but can pivot side-to-side to ensure maximum penetration. Plus, each SEVR head comes with Practice Lock, a feature that allows you to add an included set screw into the ferrule and lock the blades in place. This way, you can practice with the same head you hunt with.

HINT: I’ve been testing SEVR’s new Ti 1.5 4-Blade Hybrid for a month, and it’s even more accurate than the original.

Rage Hypodermic NC +P: My only issue with Rage broadheads was their collar system, which was remedied. NC (No Collar) technology utilizes finger-like tabs on the blades’ Slip Cam pivot point to set them in place while in the closed position. I love the ultra-narrow, ultra-accurate Hypodermic hybrid tip, and if you want big holes and lots of blood to follow, this head doesn’t disappoint.

G5 MegaMeat: I love that G5 offers the B.M.P (Ballistic Match Point) for these 2-inch cut killers. B.M.P. points are ballistically matched to the MegaMeat, and you can thread them into your inserts and achieve the same flight you’ll get with a MegaMeat. The three-blade mechanical design reduces deflection chances, and the blades are scary sharp.

What broadhead you choose is up to you. Whether it is a fixed blade or mechanical, it makes no difference. As long as the business end of your arrow fills you with confidence and you spend time practicing with the broadhead you plan to hunt with, even if the packaging promises field-point accuracy, you’ll fill the freezer this fall.

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