Expanding Broadheads on Bear

C

Cat Hunter

New member
I am an avid bow hunter, and Im planning a trip to Maine this August for Bear. It has been an ambition of mine for many, many years to take a bear with a bow. I currently shoot a Mathews MQ1 with a draw weight of about 70 lbs. i use Easton 2312 arrows (XX78 Super Slams) 26 inches long with a Rocket hammerhead 3L broadhead. The broad head has a 2" cut. It has been devestating on deer and I took a nice Mule Deer in Utah 2 years ago at 45 yards. I was wondering if any of you had any experiance with expanding broadheads on bear, and would be willing to pass on some advise.
Thanks
 
I have used expandables on almost everything but elk. They will work. With that said you just have to know their limitations. They are not going to give you the penatration of a good cut on contact head or solid replacable head broadhead. I would also try to find a expandable with a smaller cutting diamiter. I have used the NAP expandable with good results. After having used them my person prefrence is non-expandables. I primarily shoot eather muzzy 90 grains or thunderhead 100's. At the Ranges you should be shooting at bears over bait I don't see any real advantage to an expandable. I have had two instances where expandables cost hunters I had with me animals. One was a broadside shot at an elk with a Vortex. The arrow hit right behind the shoulder and bounced out. No penatration. The second was on a mule deer at a hard quartering angle. I suspect the blade hit first and kicked the arrow out. So why chance it unless you are having serious arrow flight problems. If that is the case then get someone to help you tune your bow.

Scott.
 
I have never killed a bear, so I don't know how thick their hides are or how tough they are, but I would recommend that you use a cut-first type broadhead instead of the expandable. I shoot expandables on deer and they are amazing, but both my buddy and I have had poor results with them on elk. My broadhead didn't open, so the penetration was weak and the elk left a very light blood trail. We ended up losing it after about a half mile. My buddy shot a cow with an expandable my first year bowhunting for elk and the arrow opened, but it did not penetrate very deeply through the hide. The shot was good, however, and after a very long track job (about 6 hours) we recovered the elk. The arrow had gone just far enough in to nick the heart, and everytime she ran it cut a little bit more into it until it finally did some major damage, hence the long chase. Again, I have not had any experience with bear, but I hear that they are a tough critter, and if it were me I would choose a cut-first point from any of the big name guys, just to be on the safe side.
BWB
 
In Oregon expanding broadheads are NOT legal to use on any game animal. The idea is a good one, but to date the manufactures have not developed the reliability of penetration to the point where the ODFW will allow it's use. however I know that other states allow them, so go figure. A black bear has thick hide, big bones and a lot of muscle mass so I would want as much penetration as possible. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
I for one am NOT a fan of expanding broadheads on big game animals! When and if they work they are fine, however when they don't you have a lost animal. So who needs a "what if" kind of broadhead for use in your bow.

I have taken a lot of animals with a Long Bow and Recurve Bow using heavy arrows & broadheads, not fancy I grant you. However, it works every time out the gate and that is what is most important.
 
Cat Hunter,
I have shot black bear 300lbs +, with mech. broadheads. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif They work fine. I have been too Alberta Canada 2 years in a row and have seen more bear lost with rifles than with bows! :eek: Lots of the hunters in camp have taken bears 400 lbs+ with mech. broadheads. It' s all what you like and trust. I don't care if it's a 150gr. fixed blade or a 85gr. mech broadhead, a bad shot is stil a bad shot! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Just my humble opinion......Tim /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
P.S. Good luck on your hunt!
 
Hey Tim,
I have heard the same thing your talking about, but sometimes its better to get more than 1 opinion. And on these boards you certainly get alot of them. it seems there is alot of experiance to pull from here. Thats why I love these boards. I have used mechanical broadheads for 3 years now and have taken 13 whitetails, 1 mule deer, and 1 turkey with them. I have to confess the loss of 1 whitetail last fall but I think it was a poor hit. 15 kills to 1 loss is not a bad ratio. Although I never want to lose another animal again. I belive they will work just fine, especially at close range.
 
Cat Hunter - Is there a reason why you have to use expandables? Not picking a brawl, just curious. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I notice you are shooting 2312's, so I know your not shooting an ultra fast arrow. I also see you shoot a bow which has a good brace height.

With a well tuned bow and 2312's @ 70lbs, it should be no problem getting good flight with a sensible arrow rest.

A good fixed blade broadhead is always the best choice unless you absolutely can't get good flight, which means something is wrong with a bows set-up.

I gave expandables a try over 10 years ago, and killed all the deer I shot that year, but I had some penatration issues. Less blood trail, and a few longer that usual tracking jobs on good shots.I know what the "field tests" say on mechanicals, but I know what my own eyes have seen. :eek: Fixed blade broadheads have NO equal in penetration.

If I was hunting large bears I would have a perfectly tuned bow shooting a heavy fixed blade boadhead. The mechanicals will work on a good shot well, but if the shot is less than perfect, the fixed blade will still get the job done.

Whitetail have a fragile set of ribs, and expire quickly with a well placed arrow. A bears ribs are about twice as tough, and he is well muscled. You can easily kill a bear whith mechanical heads, but a fixed will get you surer results.

Trust me, I have SO been there done that too!!!

Good luck Cat Hunter!!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
sleddog,
I don't have to use mechanicals. I just already have a good stockpile of them. The broadheads im using have a 2inch cut, and 13 of the 15 kills I have made have been complete pass throughs. I thought about going to alittle narrower cut to allow for heavier bone penitration and so on. I havent tried any fixed blades for years. One of the things I like about mechanicals is the fact they shoot just like feild points. I quess I have built up alot of confidence in them, but ive never arrowed a bear. I sure do appreciate all the different veiws. Some I agree with and others I don't but everyone points do make scence.
 
Fair enough Cat Hunter! Confidence is 95% of making a good shot with a bow. Sounds like you have plenty!

Good luck hunting, Sleddogg
 
Hey Cat Hunter,
Are you going on a guided hunt or a do it yourself type?
CAUTION !!!!!!!!!!!! Bow hunting black bears is very addicting! :eek:
I leave in less than a month for Alberta, Ca. The wife and I are going too be camp with Archers Choice, from The Outdoor Channel! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Ralph and Vicki are a real blast to hunt with. Maybe I can talk them in too gettin us on the show!
If you trust, yourself and your equipment your bears will die. From what I have seen a well shot bear dies as fast if not faster than a deer!

Good luck in all your adventures........Tim
 
Sounds great Tim! I am going with an Outfitter, up in Maine. I have never taken a bear before so I am really pumped up about it. I have a couple of friends from Utah that are coming to VA and riding up there with us. Hey let me know how you do up there.
 
The mechs. of today are not the same as the mechs. of 10 years ago! I've shot several deer, mule and whitetail, plus a few coyotes with mechs. and they all worked fine with great penatration. I have not shot any bear with my bow, and I'd suggest going down, which you're already thinking of doing anyways, in size of cutting diameter. The snypers are a cut on impact head that I have, and my buddy has had, great success with and I also have had great success with the spitfires. If you've got the K.E. to drive a larger cutting dia. head through the animal, it adds up to a quicker loss of blood and a quicker kill. So, IMO, more K.E. and more cutting surfuce on the broadhead= quicker kills!
 
I know of guys who have used mech's for bear and have not had a problem. I have also been told that it isn't recommended to use mech's if you're shooting less than 70lbs.
 


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