Phathead broadhead accuracy test & review

[Len Backus]

The Phat Head broadhead is a short, sharp, compact broadhead made by Steel Force and it flies extremely well. In this Phat Head broadhead accuracy test & review I shot them out to 100 yards.

Many of you know that I shoot a PSE TAC 15i crossbow and that it shoots tiny groups at 406 fps speeds. Up until this week I had only shot field tips with it. Getting close to hunting season I was in the final stages of selecting broad head candidates out of the myriad of choices out there.

The Phat Head appealed to me because the folks at PSE have had good luck with it and because it just looks like it would fly well and kill stuff easily at long ranges.

So yesterday morning I shot with them. I used the same arrow for each shot so I could eliminate any variables in my accuracy test and review. Bipod and bench. I get the same results prone as from a bench.

The following are the group sizes I got, each group was 2 shots. "Same hole" means the cutting edges of the blade from each shot overlapped each other since the 2 shots impacted so close to each other.

• 30 YARDS same hole
• 50 YARDS same hole
• 70 YARDS 1.5 inches
• 80 YARDS 2 inches
• 90 YARDS 2 inches
• 100 YARDS same hole

In addition, the 100 grain Phat Head broadheads impacted only 2 inches lower at 100 yards than the 85 grain field tips.

I am done searching for a good broadhead. I'll be shooting the Phat Head at deer in Wyoming out to about 130 yards this fall.

 

[Buffalobob]

re: Phathead broadhead accuracy test & review

I am leaving Sunday morning for bowhunting deer and elk in Utah with my vertical bow. I must say I am really impressed with the TAC 15 and the things you have been able to do with it.

I cannot think of any new guns I want nor need, so the TAC 15 is now sitting on the top of my list of new toys. Maryland has now gone to a no restriction on bows archery season and 130 yards is a long shot with a rifle in most places in Maryland.

 

[Chas1]

re: Phathead broadhead accuracy test & review

Sounds like you have a winning combination Len. Good luck with the hunt, let us know how it went.

 

[sniperjwt]

re: Phathead broadhead accuracy test & review

Wow thats impressive. I might have to check them out.

 

[Ripsaw]

Here is the deal Len. Fixed blades can be adjusted to fly good in a perfect environment. In hunting situations when adenalin, wind ,cold air,footing, and whatever else can effect the shot. If you so much as flinch a little when you pull that trigger your bolt will not even come close. Also have you ever heard the term SMOKER SHOT! It is when your shooting through a small opening in the brush. A fixed blade will deflect off something, 99.9% of the time. A closed mechanical has a 10/1 better chance of hitting it's mark than a fixed blade. Thats a fact. I spent allot of time trying to get fixed blades to fly, but there is just no getting around this dilemma with fixed blades. Peace out Brother.

 

[Super 91]

I don't agree 100%. It all boils down to the shooter, not the equipment. If Len is doing the shooting, he may or may not flinch. If you practice and train yourself, what broadhead you have on end of the arrow (not a bolt in this case as you stated above) is irrelevant.

I plan on giving the 75 grain Phat Head a try as that will put my complete arrow at 423 which is real close to the original weight of 425 since I am adding a Firenock to the mix.

I hope to be able to do some fletching this week if I get my jig back from the machinist after completing my mods.

After tuning and fletching I plan on shooting some long range groups just for grins, and hopefully with some Phat Heads.

 

[Ripsaw]

Look Super, Do what you want, But just remember it is a physical fact that when you put wings on the front of an arrow everything becomes more critical. I understand the advantages of fixed blades I wished they shot like Mechanicals, but they don't: that why manufacturers build mechanicals.

 

[Super 91]

Look Super, Do what you want, But just remember it is a physical fact that when you put wings on the front of an arrow everything becomes more critical. I understand the advantages of fixed blades I wished they shot like Mechanicals, but they don't: that why manufacturers build mechanicals.

Listen, I'm not here to bash heads, I merely am agreeing to disagree somewhat with you. I'm not trying to start a big debate, I merely am pointing out some things I have some experience with, just like you.

I do agree that putting a broadhead on a shaft causes things to change as far as flight generally speaking. There is a lot of tuning involved to get the same flight as field points. But as you mentioned that manufacturers make mechanicals, they also make super short heads with adequate cutting diameters that fly nearly the same as field points if properly tuned. Also, the longer the head, the more the change in weight distribution which will also affect how the spine reacts to a given head. The shorter heads tend to perform more like the field points which is in itself an advantage.

I am not so much refuting what you are saying as I am merely sharing my experiences. I have had the pleasure to shoot the TAC-15 for a year now, and have tried and tested a lot of heads and fletching configs to the this point. Most standard heads will not fly out of this bow due to the high speeds and exactly what you are saying. But some heads do and it is mainly due to the design of the head.

 

[jon.henry755]

Boys, boys, boys, I love you guys because you have strong knowledge and make some very compelling points that support your statements.

I think these arguments are very similar to those that fuel our manufacturing industry. That is why we have some very dedicated archers who use only mechanical headss and some who are locked to fixed blades. There are certainly pro's and con's for each type of head and it almost becomes a religious issue with some people.

That said, I think it would be great if we could do some additional testing as Super 91 is planning and come up with one or more specific configurations in both mechanical and another in fixed blades that are performing to our highest standards and can be recommended to our members.

This way everybody can maintain their own choices as to which head design they prefer. Maybe along the way we'll find out that on the TAC15's one type of head does considerably out perform the other and then everything else becomes a dead issue.

Similar to Len's testing results, let's see some test data to support our theory's, since that's an impartial engineering approach we can all agree on.

Getting more than a single arrow to fly and group well has been an ongoing challenge at long distances with these xbows, so we have a great deal of work to do before we can achieve optimal performance. Everybody's help and input serves to help us reach that end.

Regards,

Jon

 

[Super 91]

Agreed!

 

[deerdewdew]

moved to

http://www.longrangehunting.com/for...l-shot-woodchuck-tac-15-atom-broadhead-71390/

 

[Super 91]

I have never shot the Atom heads, but I have seen them and also have seen a number of failures with them, at least in the beginning. I always thought it was a good idea. How well do the ones you have hold up to target shooting? And what was the damage to the head after passing through the ground hog? Are these 100 grain heads? Do they make 75 or 85 grain heads?