FAQ - Which broadhead is best for bowhunting?

Q

"Which broadhead is best for bowhunting?"

A

This question is asked so often that people on bowhunting forums openly make fun of it in the form of memes like the one on the right.

The answer is that there is no "best", it is really all a matter of personal preference and what you are using the broadhead for. Let me elaborate below with the list of pros and cons below:

Fixed Blade Broadhead
Pros - Best penetration. Best when using a traditional recurve or longbow. Easy to resharpen.
Cons - Resharpening the blades is a necessity. Blade width often small diameter. Flight accuracy reduced due to planing. Some fixed blade broadheads are designed so the blades can be replaced, but not all.

Replaceable Blade Broadhead
Pros - Good penetration. Easy to replace the blades. No need to sharpen.
Cons - Replacing blades constantly can be expensive. Small blade diameter. Flight accuracy reduced due to planing.

Mechanical Expandable Broadhead
Pros - Larger diameter blades. Less planing = more accuracy. Blades are replaceable.
Cons - Low penetration. Sometimes difficult to remove/replace blades. Replacing blades constantly can be expensive. Blades break easily. Sometimes fails to open, resulting in less cutting width.

Mechanical Slip Blade Broadhead
Pros - Decent penetration. Larger diameter blades. Less planing = more accuracy. Blades are replaceable.
Cons - Sometimes difficult to remove/replace blades. Replacing blades constantly can be expensive. Blades break easily. Blades can sometimes open when bumped or during flight, resulting in a loss of accuracy.

And for the ultra traditionalist who like flintknapping their own arrowheads I am also going to list the following:

Flint Broadhead
Pros - Very cheap. Reasonably easy to make yourself once you get the hand of it. Reasonably sharp.
Cons - Breaks easily. Dulls or breaks after repeated use.

Obsidian Broadhead
Pros - Cheap. Razor sharp edge is easier to achieve. Keeps its edge longer. Doesn't break easily.
Cons - Harder to flintknap than flint arrowheads. Harder to find obsidian.

Glass Broadhead
Pros - Extremely cheap to make. Easiest to flintknap. Glass is more readily available than flint or obsidian. Different colours of glass available for aesthetically pleasing arrowheads. Keeps an edge reasonably well. Easy to replace if it breaks.
Cons - Breaks very easily.

Then there is the matter of what you are shooting at... Some broadheads are designed for specific animals, like blunt arrowheads designed for small game or turkey broadheads with the extra wide blades.

Bowhunters argue back and forth on bowhunting/archery forums about the pros and cons of all the various different styles of broadheads. Ultimately what is "best" is whatever the individual bowhunter decides is best for them, their bow and their chosen target. After all there is no 'one sizes fits all broadhead'.

I will say however that the 3D target below of a Jackalope is just plain awesome. Happy shooting!