What Broadheads Will Work With Today's Fastest Crossbows?

The questions are rolling in as the 2017 hunting season is just around the corner. Temperatures are dropping, leaves are changing, and hunters all over the country are getting their equipment tuned up and ready to go. This year’s rut looks to be earlier than last year with the 2017 ‘rutting moon’ falling on November 4^th, opposed to 2016 being November 14th. Getting yourself (and your equipment) ready to hunt early is going to be the way to go.

As you’re probably all aware, crossbow hunting has become red-hot and most states have opened up their bow seasons to let more hunters enjoy the sport. It’s a true win-win for everyone. Archery license sales are up, bringing in much needed revenue at the state level and more hunters are out purchasing gear and accessories, which supports the hunting industry and helps keep the sport we all love so much alive.

On the top of every crossbow hunters’ mind (besides that giant 4-1/2 year-old buck showing up on your game camera), is wondering what broadhead will work the best out of their state-of-the-art crossbow. Crossbow speeds are now truly impressive. 350 feet per second, unheard of just a few years ago, is the norm and newly introduced 400-425 fps crossbows are sitting on the shelves right now, ready to go. Along with these incredible speeds comes the ability to reach out farther with greater accuracy and huge amounts of kinetic energy left over for the kill.

The question now faced is this – which broadhead will actually work under these extreme conditions? Sure, they all say “crossbow” on the package, but which ones will really get the job done? Let’s take a look at a couple of tried and true performers that really work well with today’s modern crossbow.

Slingblade 100 and Slingblade Crossbow 125First off, we have the amazing and cost-effective Slingblade broadhead. This is a correct opening, two blade monster that will take any speed your crossbow puts out. It’s an American made 1-7/8″ cut diameter head with a design that absolutely will not open, even at extreme speeds. Under acceleration, the blades want to ‘sit back’ into their blade slots which prevents them from opening in flight. These heads only open when they impact the target. Along with this amazing ability, these are proving to be some of the most durable broadheads NAP has ever developed. Just to keep it all in perspective- a broadhead can go clean through a deer, bones and all, with just 40 pounds of kinetic energy. Some crossbows now generate up to 160 pounds of kinetic energy! This broadhead is strong enough to take that kind of abuse. On top of that, it flies as true as any field point, at any distance. The cherry on top is that this head retails for just $29.99, ten dollars less than most all others. If your shoot 100 grain heads, get the standard packaged Slingblade 100. If you need 125, then go with the Slingblade 125 crossbow package. They truly can’t be beat. Customers have rated this head 5 stars across the board.

Spitfire DoubleCross 100The NAP Spitfire DoubleCross combines two time-tested and proven mechanical technologies into one amazing head. It builds on both the Slingblade blade opening principal for the main blade and adds two Spitfire bleeder blades to boot. So along with the same 1-7/8″ cut main blades, we add two 1-1/8″ bleeder blades that stay closed with the Spitfire patented spring clip retention technology. No rubber bands, or O-rings are needed on this head. This is a true four bladed, 100 grain, correct opening mechanical broadhead. Just like the Slingblade, it’s a USA made product utilizing the sharpest blades in the industry. During the initial testing of this head, we shot 14 full sized hogs out of crossbows in Florida with astounding results. Again, like the Slingblade, this head can take the abuse and flies like a laser. This head also received five star reviews from hunters all over the country.

Thunderhead Nitro 100Most people believe that mechanicals are the only option for fast crossbows. Not true at all when it comes to the Nitro. For those who are looking at a true fixed blade option, take a look at the Thunderhead Nitro 100. This head is an all steel, 1-1/8″ three blade head that is one of the best flying fixed blades you can have on a crossbow, at any speed. Don’t let the 1-1/8″ cut diameter scare you- the biggest animals on this continent have been taken with these heads. Moose and elk hunters traveled the world raving about the knock down and penetration power this head possessed. They understood that the extreme sharpness this head has was a much more important factor than the cutting diameter (Remember, standard Thunderheads have been taking game for over 40 years with a 1-3/16″ cut). Fast forward to the crossbow world of today and you now have a durable all steel fixed blade that can fly like a dart over 400 fps while effortlessly take down the biggest game around.

As fast as crossbows are today, you know as well as I do that they will be even faster next year. More speed, more kinetic energy, more capability. Remember that not many broadheads are going to be up to the task of keeping blades closed in flight (mechanical), going where they should go, or hold up under the monstrous abuse these modern crossbows produce. Regardless of whether you choose a mechanical or a fixed blade broadhead, we have you covered with an array of excellent NAP broadhead choices that will truly get the job done.

Good luck hunting this season!