Best Broadheads for 50# bow

[FLhunter7]

I know I could use most things on small game like whitetail but if I wanted to hunt for elk sized game what would be the best broadhead for lets say 20-35 yards.

 

[jeff]

A very good choice would be the Magnus Stinger, It is a coc and has a more gradual approach angle than many on the market. My wife with #50 and 480 grain arrows had exit wounds on kudu , blue wildebeest and shot clear through a zebra.

 

[Stubert]

Cut on contact 2 blade would be my choice. I use a broadhead called the Helix. It comes in weights from 100 grain to 225 gr. They are a single bevel 2 blade. Awesome penetration.

 

[mdwest]

A very good choice would be the Magnus Stinger.

This is what both my wife and I are currently shooting.

My bow is set just under 70#.. her’s is currently just a hair over 40#.. broadhead is performing well with both...

 

[Hunter101]

Magnus and kudu point

 

[Lee M]

Coc and sharp! Many good ones out there. Add a viper trick to the list as another possibility.

 

[Fire652]

I would check out kudu point broadheads. Single bevel coc and fly great

 

[Synergy]

Coc 2 blade...Helix o VPA

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I took my big 6x7 bull elk at 28 yards with a G5 Montec broadhead and 70# Mathews Switchback XT. My Montana outfitter strongly favors hunters to have COC broadheads.

 

[Tam Dl]

The only problem with COC heads is whether a person can sharpen or not. A lot of guys don't sharpen well at all, most COC heads come without even the edge formed, just the rough bevel grind. Those that come sharpened, these days, normally are sharp, though over the last 40 years, even a lot of replaceables with separate blades have only been barely razor sharp. Incredibly, there are a lot of guys who send their pocket knives back to the factory to get them sharpened, and there is a whole category of knives that have replaceable blade (which have certain advantages regardless of whether you sharpen or not).

50# doesn't tell us much, because you can have a velocity range of about 200 fps, and a weight range of 300 grains. Sometime during the 90 s compound archers were pushing shaft size to the point where you either had to go to a drop away rest, or a mechanical head to get stabilization. My own personal set-up at the time was to keep shooting the fattest arrows I could, using a shoot through rest, lots of feather. For the broadheads, I shot a Grizzly COC head of 100 grains, on the end of swaged aluminum shafts. This combo got me 305 fps at 5 grains, and probably around 280 at my hunting weight. The point is to realize that head/arrow/release/bow/velocity/arrow diameter, etc... all play into your decision with high tech gear, or you can set up sensibly with large enough vanes/feathers, that you can blow arrows down range with any head you want.

Some time in the 90s, I got interested in Elburg bows so it was only natural that I got excited by the first Ashby Natal study, where he found Elburg's Grizzly heads to be the highest performing head available. At the time they were also the cheapest, something that has been lost in the interim. A number of hunters I respected also used the Grizzly head with their longbows. All around win. Another feature of the head at the time is that you could get weights of 100 to 160 on basically the same head. So you could shoot them with an IBO rig, or a trad rig and really only be using the same head.

Originally the single bevel design was at least partly for the purpose of cheap manufacturing as the brazing line is right down the centerline of the clamshell, it would be right on the edge were the edge not offset. But Elburg was also concerned that it would break shoulder blades, so he got a toofer from the design.

A lot of discussions goes off in the direction of whether one shouldn't use larger cutting diameter heads, or 3, or 4 blade heads on deer, and given their small size this is understandable. However it gets odd when every dream discussion of what head they would use if they got a chance on something the size of an elephant, the answer always comes down to Grizzly heads or maybe Zwickey. Heads some seem to regard as not quite enough for whitetail deer. Overall another vote for the Grizz.

Two years ago, I went off in another direction. I bought 150 Ribtek heads, on the idea they were OK, and that I would have enough of them to shoot only them out of my hunting bows for practice, stumping, and on game. To me that was a direction worth trying as I don't really expect to have a shot at much larger than whitetail or black bear. There are moose on one property I own, but they aren't really a huntable proposition. Anyway, they are proven on game that size.

 

[Ty Howard]

Which ever head flies perfectly out of your set-up that has a sharp blade out front and a deep angle

Stinger
Muzzy phantom

Lots out there

 

[Nicholas Barcomb]

I use the original Grim Reaper broad head called the razor tip, but may go over to these new ones shortly:

https://www.grimreaperbroadheads.com/products/fatal-steel-mechanical-broadheads

 

[kathy]

Razor sharp with a heavy arrow and good FOC. Forrest

 

[firehuntfish]

I use the original Grim Reaper broad head called the razor tip, but may go over to these new ones shortly:

I am not a fan of mechanicals for Africa, especially over-the-top openers..... The amount of energy they consume to deploy act like a parachute on the arrow.... I definitely do not recommend anyone shooting a low poundage bow (65lbs. or less) to expect good penetration from them. I would completely rule them out on a 50lbs. bow... This is not my opinion, this is what I have seen first-hand too many times from clients who would not heed the advice of our PHs, resulting in horrible overall performance of mechanical heads on African game.

As far as the new stainless steel version of the Grim Reaper, I will concede that a mechanical designed in all stainless with beefed up ferrule and blades is what has been lacking severely in the design of every mechanical broadhead I have seen to date. As long as you have enough bow to get decent penetration out of these heads, I would assume their steel construction will help to keep them from bending, breaking, and deflecting which are the typical common characteristic flaws of the mechanicals on the medium to larger African game.

 

[Ridgewalker]

The only elk I’ve taken with a bow was a spindly 5x5 I called in to 17 yards. I used a Golden Eagle compound set to 52 lbs. broad heads were Bear razors I sharpened till they shaved. Buried almost to the fletching through both lungs.
Best of luck!

 

[jeff]

The only elk I’ve taken with a bow was a spindly 5x5 I called in to 17 yards. I used a Golden Eagle compound set to 52 lbs. broad heads were Bear razors I sharpened till they shaved. Buried almost to the fletching through both lungs.
Best of luck!

I still use the old green Bear Razorheads with my trad bow and have taken approximately 60 big game animals with them over the last 40 plus years, the kudu in my avatar was one, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Also have taken 7 deer (white tails and mulies) with an old Bear Minuteman takedown using Bear Razors with a draw of also about 52 lbs. most were side on with complete pass through.
I’ll have to admit I have a bit of a fetish for sharpening my own.
Also I really prefer carrying a recurve around in the woods.

 

[Nicholas Barcomb]

I am not a fan of mechanicals for Africa, especially over-the-top openers..... The amount of energy they consume to deploy act like a parachute on the arrow.... I definitely do not recommend anyone shooting a low poundage bow (65lbs. or less) to expect good penetration from them. I would completely rule them out on a 50lbs. bow... This is not my opinion, this is what I have seen first-hand too many times from clients who would not heed the advice of our PHs, resulting in horrible overall performance of mechanical heads on African game.

As far as the new stainless steel version of the Grim Reaper, I will concede that a mechanical designed in all stainless with beefed up ferrule and blades is what has been lacking severely in the design of every mechanical broadhead I have seen to date. As long as you have enough bow to get decent penetration out of these heads, I would assume their steel construction will help to keep them from bending, breaking, and deflecting which are the typical common characteristic flaws of the mechanicals on the medium to larger African game.

My father used to only be able to draw back a 50# bow until recently and only used Grim Reaper original broadheads and had no issue with them on any game he shot them at. I've also never had an issue with them on any game that I have shot them at either. Until you use them, you'll never know and be stuck in your mindset.

 

[firehuntfish]

My father used to only be able to draw back a 50# bow until recently and only used Grim Reaper original broadheads and had no issue with them on any game he shot them at. I've also never had an issue with them on any game that I have shot them at either. Until you use them, you'll never know and be stuck in your mindset.

I'm very glad to hear you have had success using them. But, to be honest, I am skeptical on the performance you say your father has gotten using a 50lb. bow.... Can you define "no issue"? Does that mean the game was eventually recovered, or does that mean that he gets consistent pass-thru's with these heads at that draw weight, and the broadhead emerges from the other side in tact? I am honestly not trying to be a smart-a$$, but if you are not getting penetration to the opposite side of the animals vitals, and the head is mutilated after the shot, I define that as an issue...

I have heard of many hunters having success on plainsgame animals with mechanical style broadheads provided that they are shooting enough bow... The OP asked a question on recommendations for the best broadhead for a 50lb. bow, and I gave mine based on my first-hand observations with scores of hunters and hundreds of plainsgame animals taken with archery equipment both here in North America and in Africa. Given what I have seen on a consistent basis, my advice is to leave the mechanicals at home when hunting African game regardless of the draw weight....

And to your comment, I have experimented with mechanical heads on African game which has only reinforced my experiences of their poor performance. I'm one of those guys that has to see it for myself... On my firsts safari, I took both Swhackers and Rages to try out. The Rage heads, or as I like to call them, "Garb-rage" have flimsy blades which bend or break with any bone contact whatsoever. The Swhacker blades actually held up, but the aluminum ferrule would either bend at the thread connection or break where the blades attach. Both designs also have a tendency to deflect from a straight path with any bone contact.... At the time I was shooting a 70lb. bow @29" with a total arrow weight of just under 500 grains.

Unfortunately, my experiences are the rule rather than the exception with these head designs from what I have seen time and again with folks insisting on using them.... Please understand that my only goal is to send bow hunters to Africa with the best equipment for the job to ensure their success. I am not endorsing bows or broadheads, and I could car less what brand of equipment folks use, as long as it will perform for them.... We advise our clients to use any of the many heavy duty, compact, fixed blade designs that fly the best from their particular set-up. We further advise our clients to use heavy arrows with high foc weight distributions for the best results. This is extremely important especially for those shooting 60lbs. or less.... We also ask that they leave the mechanical heads at home, or at least save them for the guinea fowl and other varmints....

 

[jeff]

My father used to only be able to draw back a 50# bow until recently and only used Grim Reaper original broadheads and had no issue with them on any game he shot them at. I've also never had an issue with them on any game that I have shot them at either. Until you use them, you'll never know and be stuck in your mindset.

Keep in mind that no game animal is lost because of too much penetration, you just have to look at some of the big five hunts to see what hunters are using to get consistent performance. We watch a lot of U Tube videos and see many hunts where mechanical s have poor penetration but they still recover the game so they think they performed great when they would have got pass throughs using coc broadheads.