Trad Gang
Main Boards => Dangerous Game => Topic started by: Snakeeater on October 31, 2003, 07:52:00 PM
-
Based on advice from you guys I am looking for a good two bladed head for my hog hunt next March/April. I like the characteristics of the stainless steel SteelForce broahdheads but wanted to know if anyone here uses them. I am sure that they will be fine for javelina but wanted to know about punching through the shield on a hog.
Thanks,
Snake(hopefully pork)eater
-
Larry , how it going sending email...mark
-
We have shot the Steelforce and they fly well a good broadhead! The only thing that we didn't like was the Steelforce blade is a bit weak and bends if you hit something pretty hard. Switched to Magnus Stingers two blade very similair in design, and very strong. I just got some Magnus 4 blades in which are the two blade design with bleeders, haven't shot them yet at an animal. Hopefully I'll get on a hog soon and we'll see what happens. A three to one design or close to it does a good job on hogs.
-
Steve , hey buddy those stingers are tough...Ive seen the steel force (horseshoe_ on the point too....those bleeders are ok but if you break one off and cant find it...i mean dont want to take bite out of pork chop and get mouth full of bleeder blade ...Im just saying be careful...mark#78....Stainless steel is a softer steel too...I hear the force do ok on deer ..I shoot 135 gr thunderbolts , W Woodsmans ,Magnus..
-
Mark,
The other thing with Steelforce its a real pain installing bleeders. The free sharpening service is nice, but its not real available during season. The Magnus Stingers touchup and resharpen nicely.
Thanks for the warning on the bleeders! I'll make sure to account for all pieces if something fails. :(
-
I tend to stay with what has worked for me over the years, so I've never used the steelforce. I've heard some good about em on deer, and some bad on bigger boned animals. Soft tip was the main complaint that I've heard.
Most everything that Magnus produces is good. Again, I havn't used the stingers, but have heard nothing but good about them.
I stick with the Zwickey Eskimo 2 blade. Strong, takes a keen edge and flies true for me.
It's been my experience with the hogs that I've shot, that you may want to avoid the shield on a big boar. Hogs can leave spotty blood trails and at least around here, they will usually head for heavy cover when hit and the last thing I want to see when crawling in after one, is an arrow that didn't penetrate into the boiler room leaving an angry and agressive boar with my arrow sticking out of his side. That's why I wait until they offer me an opportunity to put it low and tight behind the shield on a quartering away shot.
-
Have you shot the Phantoms yet? They have more support towards the tip and will help in keeping the tip from curling and offer more blade support. They have penetrated the hogs I shot with them very well, but I still like my Muzzy's a little better. Mark
-
I would use a different brand than Steel Force for hogs. Too many better/stronger ones out there.
-
I have heard about the Phantoms but don't know who makes them. Anyone have a URL?
-
I shoot the Steelforce 140gr. glue-ons and have had great luck with them. I have never shot a hog with one though. I have however made some hits on a few big bucks that were to far forward and have shot thru both shoulders with little or no damage to the heads. I think Ron LaClair shoots them and likes em'. Shawn
-
Snakeater, Phantoms are made by Muzzy, but the website is not up and running yet. We have had them for 2 years now and produce and package them here. You can reach our representative at 770-607-9922. Thanks, Mark
-
Here in Europe it's quite popular hunting big hogs, especially in France.
Some hunting guides told me that they have bent even the 210gr. SteelForce, which got as the same weak blade as the lighter models. Often the tip curled up at the hogs shield.
Phantoms are nice heads but not really much stronger than the SteelForce.
I would recommend the 125gr. Magnus Stinger
.............or one of my BH's, if you need heavier ones. :D
Markus
Germany
-
I really daon't understand the attraction of the Steelforce head other than some savvy marketing. Make a mediocre head and triple the price it should be, so that people think it must be something special. Don't think that it dosn't happen that way with some products too. There are lots of better two and three blade heads in my opinion that you won't have to worry about if they are going to fold or not. Even some of the better two blade heads are a bit weak if you go with the lightweight versions. I shoot heavy arrows, so heavy heads are better for me anyway, to help balance out those heavy shafts. If it was me and I wanted a strong two blade, I'd use a 160 or 190 Grizzly or a 160 Magnus, 160 STOS or for a bit lighter a Zwickey. If I wanted a replaceable head I'd use a Muzzy. Rick
-
Try the Ace 165 Super Express, a tough head!!!!!!
-
My 2 favorites for big hogs are the Ace 200gr Super Express & the 160gr Grizzly. Both are augmented by a 42gr screw in inserts. Both are virtually indestructible. We have tried the Steelforce broadheads. They work ok....once. Sorry, but the very idea of sending broadheads back to the manufacturer to have them sharpened makes me laugh. The fact that Steelforce BHs cost more than most others(especially Magnus & Zwickey BHs) is also rather humorous.
-
Originally posted by Moe Monsarrat:
The fact that Steelforce BHs cost more than most others(especially Magnus & Zwickey BHs) is also rather humorous.
I agree that the structural integrity of the SteelForce need some kind of improvement, especially with tough game like hogs in mind but I don't know what's SO wrong with the price.
Of course it is more cheap to manufacture the cookie cutter stuff like grizzly, zwickey &Co with machines and dies with 40 years or more of age and if you are only used to a low price for some preground (not talking about sharpness) pieces of easy rusting metal, any other stuff seems to be very expensive for you.
I don't know where SteelForce are made but I think it's still in the US and not in Far East.
Don't get me wrong but I'm a broadhead manufacturer myself and I can hardly manufacture my heads for the retail price of a SteelForce with my expectations of quality.
It cost's a lot of money to pay your utmost attention in reproducable precision of the ferrule, heat treatment of the steel, grinding and sharpening the edges, etc.
So, I guess one have to think twice about a product before moaning about the price.
Just my 0.2.
Markus
-
"Expectations of quality" were what I had in mind when I purchased two packs of Steelforce BHs. For 6 BHs I paid over $40. That's fine with me IF they are stronger, better made or fly better than cheaper bhs like the Zwickey & Magnus & Grizzley. They do not even equal the three bhs mentioned on any of those points, which $40 will buy a dozen of. We used Steelforce BHs on hogs,javelina & deer. If they hit any bone, they folded up. Most were not usable again. That's no bargain in my book. That's why I say that sending them back to be sharpened makes me laugh. I've never seen one last long enough to get dull. Maybe I should cry instead.
-
I think it's not the quality which is the main problem of the SteelForce; it's much more the structural integrity as a function of how the geometry of all parts are engineered. Maybe a better designed blade, tempered to a senseful hardness would help much. I don't trust their flimsy ferrule either.
But $40 for six of them, what a snap.
That's hardly enough for a 3 pack of my BH's but I guess mine are a bit more built to last and even sharper than the SF's. :D
Markus
-
I buy broadheads that work, reguardless of price and gimmicks. It so happens that the brands of broadhead that have been around for forty years must have something going for them, while countless others have long disappeared. What difference does it make how old the tooling is? Yes they may rust, for the same reasons that the best knives rust, tool steel holds an edge better than stainless steel. So what I touch up my heads almost everyday anyway. Rick
-
Markus, I'd be interested to see your broadheads.Got a website? I currently use the 200gr Ace Super Express or the 160 gr Grizzly. I recently shot a large doe with a 160gr Snuffer, which brought her down in 50yds. I was not very happy with the penetration, but it worked well. The big Ace doesn't even seem to slow down going through a whitetail on a broadside shot.
-
Moe,
Markus does have a website, check out his previous post or his profile. His heads look a bit like an old deadhead, and they do look to be well made and have an effective design.
Of course, if Markus would like to send me a pack of 'em I would be glad to field test them on the hogs and javvies of west texas. :D
-
Moe,
sorry for the delay in my reply. It has been quite late overhere, now it's 5 o'clock in the morning. I guess, you've found my website in the meantime.
Rick, you're right. If you're happy with your heads, keep on use 'em. When I was talking about tooling I just wanted to explain why they are cheap. And yes, they outperform a lot of the other (modern) stuff but only if the bowhunter is willing and capable of paying much attention to some factors. One important factor is sharpness. I bet 80% of all "broadhead-users" are not able to create e real razors edge. The advantage of the very sharpness on steel with no or less amount of chrome is not worth mentioning if both steels are sharpened in professional way. BTW a few powdermetallurgic steels are outperforming the rest here but the material costs about ten times more.
I'm just making my own broadheads because I was not happy with the BH's on the market today. I don't like the glue-on stuff for several reasons and I don't like most of the modern screw-ins because their manufacturers stopped thinking about toughness and geometry at deersized game.
It's real funny that so many people find my heads looking like the old DeadHead. Now I'm a broadhead collector, too since about one year and I got a DeadHead in my small collection but I didn't even know all the "old-fashioned" heads when I started designing my head.
From what I know of ol' doc's testings the DeadHead performed very well in the Natal study. So this should be the right way.
Talking about fieldtesting, only a few number of game has been shot with my BH's so because they are quite new on the market but at all the times they worked flawlessly on African and North American game.
I have sent some heads to Ed Ashby in Australia and I'm curious how they will perform in his new study.
Sorry for the long post, guys. It's not easy saying all the things in the way I want it to say.
Good hunting
Markus
-
Markus,
How much are the silverflame broadheads? I didn't see it on your website.
-
I was also wondering the same thing.
-
I've shot plenty of Big nasty hogs in this part of the world with 125g - 160g Ribteks. There cheep and hold a good edge well. We found if you lube up the first 4" of the shaft and BH with vasaline ( spl?) this helps in penatration heaps. Other lads have used WW heads with good results.
If your bow is tuned with your arrows and you wait for a slightly turning away shot you'll do fine.
Hope this helps, Alan in Oz. :saywhat:
-
Larry, Moe,
the price of a three pack is EUR 38.00, which currently means almost US$45.00.
If you're still interested in more information, send me an email to [email protected] and I will send you the complete pricelist.
Thanks for your interest.
Markus
-
Snake, I dont really care for the Steel force heads due to the fact that I have seen them curl up when they hit a bone or something solid like a 250lb boar hog. Personally I prefer Magnus, Zwickey's, Grizzly's, Aces, Wensels, and at the very bottom even after the cheapies, Steel Force. They may do wonders on whitetail but for hogs they are my absolute last choice. In my opinion even the Magnus 100 even has more beef on the front end than the S.F.. I have a pretty good picture of a 315lb brute (field dressed) that I dropped with a Magnus with my 55lb Longbow and a Dougie Fir woodie at 28 yards, he might have gone 50 yards and dropped stone dead. The blade was shaving sharp and went allthe way through the impact side and poked out the off side about the length of the B.H. and the rest of the shaft was in him. I dont believe you need anything super heavy just as long as its well made and can stand a good wallop. I like to shoot iffy B.H.'s into a five gallon can filled with sand at tweny yards if I get good penetration without major damage to the head then I use it ( the type not the same head . Think about it thats a pretty solid target with a good bit of resistance. I hope I have helped. :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl: