zwickey broadheads.

[Terry Green]

I hear ya Jake...but I don't by a head for the warranty....I wanna head that don't need a warranty.  A new head is not even a consolation prize for a lost animal.

[Guru]

I used Zwickeys for 13 yrs. and can't remember ever having one fail to do it's job, when I did mine!

I have one downstairs on display that's buried in an off-side elbow joint bone of a whitetail...and also one I pulled out of an off-side elk shoulder blade....I'll try to get some pix

[IronCreekArcher]

Ask Don Thomas about Magnus Broadhead performance...I bet hes got some insight on the matter.

[Walt Francis]

Terry,
 I agree, “I don't by a head for the warranty....I wanna head that don't need a warranty”, that is why I do not use Zwickey's anymore.  I put one into the off shoulder of an elk and had the ferrel blow apart, separating the broadhead from the shaft.  My worry was what would have happened to the broadhead and penetration if it had hit a bone going in.  To answer this question I shot two Zwickey’s into a fir tree and got the same results; Two more blown ferrel’s.  I haven’t used Zwickey’s since.  If anybody is interested in my set up at the time, the arrows with a 125 grain Zwickey head weighed 550 grains and were shot from a 68# pound Marriah Thermal.

[Terry Green]

Walt...what year was that?  I know there were some issues earlier due to the brazen process but I never experience it...but for some time now Zwickey and Magnus are both brazened in the same plant.

I've shot a few into trees as well with higher poundage bows without any damage...cept to the tree when I cut the tree down to get my bhead back.        :D    

Never had a failure on an animal to date either.  But I had enough issues with magnus on the targets not to use them on game.....but Charlie Lamb still uses them that's for sure.  Maybe we both just had a run of bad luck.

Heck...there was a thread on here a few days ago about the furrels splitting on Grizzlys.

[blackfeather44]

I have used Zwickey 4 blade Deltas since 1970.  Have taken 5 bears and probably 40 deer with them.  The only time I've had a head damaged was when it went thru a deer (or missed!!) and it hit rocks in the dirt.  I ALWAYS soak mine in acetone to remove the paint inside the ferrule, where they dipped them at factory.  Then I use a "super glue" to fasten them, after trueing the blade to the shaft, by dropping the glue thru the slots for the bleeders.  I have never had one come off that way.  I always use the slow-set epoxy glue on my cedars.

[Walt Francis]

Terry,
That was in 1994, I bought the heads in 1992.  After that I went to Magnus but found they didn't hold a good edge after hitting a bone.  Currently I use Woodsmen, Eclipse (4blade), and Grizzly's, depending on what weight is needed to make the arrows fly true.  Haven't had any issues with any of these heads if I do my part.

[Terry Green]

Walt....yeah...I like the WWs...and I would like to try the eclipse 4 blade some time....might order some next week as I have heard good reviews on them...its just hard for me not to dance with the one that brought me if you know what I mean. And I like for my Bhead to come out of the animal as sharp as it went in.

I like the design of the eclipse 4 blade for hogs.  Do you have to use the short adapter with them?

Never uses a Grizzly on game either as I like wide heads if they are 2 blades....but if I had to I'd use the El Grande for the extra width.

[Walt Francis]

Terry,
With the Eclipse I most often use footed hex pine arrows and cut the taper short.  The bleeder blades on the Eclipse are a little tricky to get aligned (I found the Magnus bleeder blade easier to align) but a couple drops of fletch tite or super glue holds them in place.  When I use them with carbons, I slot a 125 grain steel adaptor with the band saw then align the slot in the Eclipse broadhead with the slotted adaptor, then install the bleeder blades.  Of all the broadheads I have tried over the years the Eclipse is the easiest broadhead to mount and spin true, so it is easy to get the slots aligned.

[SlowBowinMO]

The Eclipse bleeders sit farther forward than most heads, but you still can't use a full blown long adapter in them.  Most of mine are on 100 gr steel adapters I snipped the very tip off of.

[Terry Green]

Thanks Walt.

[DesertDude]

I sure like Everything about the 4bld Eskimo/Delta.

[John McCreary]

Have you ever tried Ace Standards? I like the 160 grain heads but they make 125's as well. I've found them as easy to sharpen as Zwickys but more durable.
As to the durability question I think with the majority of heads mentioned here one can't go wrong. I used Zwicky Deltas for years and wouldn't hesitate to use thwem again. You will find the odd circumstance where a head failed but that will usually prove to be a unique situation. I recall a few years ago Magnus had a run with over temper. The situation was corrected and all was well again. It did cost them a few customers with the stories of head failure but again that was a unique situation which was promptly delt with by Magnus.

John

[Panzer II]

I to have blown the ferrel on a Zwickey, but they are still a great Broadhead. I really like the Ace and the Ribteks. Especially the latter.

[acolobowhunter]

I to have shot Zwikey's for over 30 yrs. without any problems.  Usually for animals in the U.S. I use the 2 bld Eskimo (deer, elk, mountain lion, etc)  When I went to BC I used the 4 bld Eskimo and shot a moose, caribou and grizzley.  Thought I needed the additional cutting surface.  Really, I think the 2 bld Eskimo would have been fine.  I tried some Delta's but had some problems with planing, so stuck with the Eskimo.  Just lately I purchased some Ecli.  I haven't shot anything with them yet, but I think they will be a good bh. as well.  

[Charlie Lamb]

Having worked very closely with Mike Sohm at Magnus during the company's formative years, I can tell you that metalurgist reports show the Zwickey a couple of Rockwell points softer than the Magnus. That was then and of course things can change.

One should also take into account the metal characteristics if the two companies use different steel. No two steels react to "work" in exactly the same way.
That could infuence the way the broadhead reacts to a file.

Example... Zwickey going to copper brazing to strengthen an already strong head and the resultant heat treating that had always been done "in house".

The Zwickey's would be even stronger if they backed off on the spot welds and let the brazing do it's job.... spot welding actually removes/thins the metal along the edges of the laminated pieces, therefore creating potential weak spots.

I prefer Magnus heads as most know, but I also have a long history with Zwickeys and would fall back on them in a nano second if I had to... I like the Magnus strength and slightly larger size.

Of the two broadheads the standard Zwickey Eskimo is going to have a slight edge in the strength department... it's convex grind makes the difference, putting slightly more metal at the tip.

With the Zwickeys (I've broken a bunch... failure of the ferrule under compression) I found two things that really strengthen the four blade heads (or the two blade for that matter).

Most failures occurred when using short adapters... fill up the ferrule with a long adapter.
The other factor is glue used and it's bond.

Slow cure epoxy will make the Zwickey almost bomb proof but the gluing surfaces need to be pristinely clean.

Burning out residue isn't the way to do it. Think about it! You don't burn anything "completely" away. There will always be some form of redidue left over.

Make sure that any foreign material is removed by abrasive or solvent. There can be paint or oils from the machining process left in the ferrule.
I prefer to clean well with acetone, score with sandpaper and clean with acetone again. I use the same procedure for the adapters.

All the broadheads mentioned are fine products and a fella shouldn't feel like he's gambling regarless of his choice.

As a side note; As loyal as Single bevel fans are that style is unlikely to ever hold more than a minimal share of the market. Magnus and Zwicky will likely dominate as always.

I've seen the numbers.
 

     

[SlowBowinMO]

quote:Originally posted by Charlie Lamb:
One should also take into account the metal characteristics if the two companies use different steel. No two steels react to "work" in exactly the same way.
That could infuence the way the broadhead reacts to a file.

AND

I prefer Magnus heads as most know...

AND

As a side note; As loyal as Single bevel fans are that style is unlikely to ever hold more than a minimal share of the market. Magnus and Zwicky will likely dominate as always.

I've seen the numbers.
 

           

Very true on the single bevels, in fact all three of the new heavy Tuskers we just brought in are double beveled heads.  While I sure like the single bevels, the masses are still shooting double bevels for the most part.

[Terry Green]

Good post Charlie....  

[Guru]

Charlie, as usual bud