Top Field-Tested Broadheads for Fall 2018

Once you loose an arrow at an animal, all of your hope rests in the broadhead you’ve chosen. Don’t go cheap. And once you decide on a head, buy several packs and sacrifice a couple for practice because they usually fly differently than your field points. Don’t expect magic. You still have to put them in just the right spot. Nonetheless, broadhead technology advances from year to year. Here are four new heads to consider.

QAD Exodus

I like the Exodus’s strength and simplicity. Its 1¼-inch cutting diameter, fixed-blade design aligns three, heavy-duty, 0.040-inch blades with the edges of a sharp chisel point for outstanding penetration. A swept-back blade design amounts to a broadhead that adds only as much length to your arrow as your field points. Replaceable blades ensure razor sharpness every shot. Cons: You need pliers and a blowtorch to remove them from their packaging, and I wish the three-pack came with a practice head. All told, it’s a great head for tough game like boars and elk. MSRP: $40 | qadinc.com

• Pros: Simple and sharp
• Cons: No practice head

Bloodsport Nitefall

This hybrid truly has it all. Dual 420 stainless-steel fixed blades provide a 1-inch cutting diameter. They follow a proven chisel tip for banging through bone. Then two mechanical “kickout” blades expand upon entry (using no O-rings or collars) to produce a 2-inch-diameter death hole. A spring within the aluminum ferrule locks them open so they won’t fold up and back out. Afterwards, the blades can be unlocked and replaced. The kickout blades are thin, and I wish the three-pack came with a practice head.MSRP: $40 | bloodsportarchery.com

• Pros: Blades lock open
• Cons: Thin folding blades

Rage Extreme 4 Blade

We all know that Rage mechanicals are dramatically deadly under most conditions. But some guys like the insurance of fixed blades, so Rage now offers a hybrid that features a fixed, 7⁄8-inch-diameter cutting tip. If that doesn’t do it, its 21⁄3-inch-wide, expandable SlipCam rear-deploying blades will. Folks, that’s enough total cutting surfaces to make Freddy Krueger blush. Cons: It still uses a plastic locking collar (as a plus, they include additional collars for crossbows). But the biggest beef? The heads come in stingy two packs. MSRP: $30 | muzzy.com

• Pros: Massive 2.3-inch diameter
• Cons: Only two per pack

Muzzy Titanium HB-Ti

A ton of features are jammed into Muzzy’s new 100-grain hybrid, yet it still retains the toughness for which the Muzz is known. First, a wicked, precision-machined titanium chisel tip opens the door for its fixed two-blade head that’s serrated and bulletproof thanks to its 0.05-inch thickness. They’re followed by dual mechanical blades that expand to 15⁄8 inches, giving it the best of both worlds. All those cutting surfaces did a number to a large axis buck I shot recently. MSRP: $50 | ragebroadheads.com

• Pros Heavy-duty blades
• Cons Expensive, lacks penetration