I recently spent some time matching broadheads to my arrows in preparation for a rapidly approaching trip to Texas and Nebraska for spring birds. Unlike my fall big-game regimen, this turkey prep involved only mechanical heads.
I’m a body shooter when it comes to gobblers, so I opt for impressive cutting diameters and overall cutting surfaces. I like three-blade heads more than two-blade models, and I like them wicked sharp.
I’ve heard plenty of arguments about shooting birds with fixed heads or going for the head loppers, but after experiences with both I’m committed to mechanicals that will cut as much of a turkey as possible. I have shot birds with fixed-blade heads, and they’ve died quite nicely when I’ve hit them will. Not-so-much when I’ve been off a few inches in my aim, unfortunately.
I’ve also sat in a blind with head loppers, but that’s not my style. I hunt too many pressured birds to count on a longbeard strutting into seven yards and posing perfectly for a shot where I can ethically attempt to relieve him of his dome.
If you’re like me, consider the following new turkey broadheads before heading out to put in some serious blind time this April.
Rage Xtreme Turkey Broadhead
Rage Xtreme broadheads are an excellent choice for gobblers, but their new Turkey version is even better. It boasts a 2.125-inch main blade cutting diameter along with .75-inch blades that are designed to slow this head down and keep it from passing through. Unlike other broadheads that have tried to produce these results, Rage’s latest has got things right. I tested this broadhead out last spring and found that it performed just like it was supposed to. They weigh 100 grains, feature .035-inch thick blades, and employ the Shock Collar to ensure that your blades stay where they should until impact.
DirtNap Gear Shred Head
I know I said it’s mechanicals or nothing for this guy, but I plan to make one exception this spring now that I’ve got a few Shred Heads with which to mess around. DirtNap Gear’s broadheads have impressed me quite a bit over the last few years, and I think their latest with its unique design will be bad medicine for spring birds. The overall cutting surface of the Shred Head measures just a shade under two inches and it features the Modular Weight System so you can shoot it as either a 100- or 125-grain option. These Teflon coated heads are built to punish with .051-inch thick…
