broadheads for turkey

[Mr Green 740]

This is my 1st year turkey hunting and i'm curious about what heads to use. The guide taking me recommended a mechanical even though I shoot a 59# longbow. His reason is he believes it to be easier to find the bird with the arrow still in the bird instead of a pass through. I shoot a 125 grain head and appreciate any feedback.

[Guru]

You aren't going to shoot thru(arrow completely thru,laying on the other side) too many turkeys with a trad bow and big BH's...period!

Turkeys have very,very hard bones and when hit absorb a lot of energy because they're not grounded with a lot of weight,like a deer. You can literally knock them off their feet when hit.

Use the biggest,baddest multi blade fixed head you can......I prefer a 160 Snuffer,but the 125 will work fine. I like the bigger heavier version....

[Charlie Lamb]

Listen to Curt. Using a mechanical "could" lead to bounce off penetration. Turkeys are much tougher than most give them credit for.

The biggest fixed blade you can shoot, 3 or 4 blade is the ticket.

The Snuffer is a great choice for several reasons.  

[Orion]

A friend of mine shooting a 65# compound had an expandable head bounce right back at him after hitting a turkey with it in the wing butt area.  Needless to say he didn't get the bird.  

I agree with the folks above.  Shoot a fixed blade head, and a lot of blades doesn't hurt.  I use 4-blade Zwickey Deltas and Eskimos.

[Molson]

Nothing better for turkey than a 160 Snuffer.

[Chris Wilson]

Something with multiple blades and a wide cutting area.  The bigger snuffers are great as are the Zephyr sasquatch with bleeder blades.

[Bowmania]

Use a 160 gr Snuffer for killing and a string tracker for finding.  The latter should be mandatory and if you don't use the former just plan on more string.

Bowmania

[Tim Kosteczko]

what do you guys think about the woodsmens for turkeys?

[ChuckC]

I don't know about harder bones or not harder, but I think turkeys have a unique concern.  You have to get thru a bunch of feathers that act a bit like kevlar, then, the thing only weighs 20-30 pounds and stands on two feet.  You are very  likely to knock it over or at least move it on the hit.  This means that the arrow flight is disrupted and penetration will be lousy, compared to that on a heavier animal.  Add to that the fact that a turkey kill area is tiny and maybe not where you might expect it, and you have problems killing turkey with a bow.
ChuckC

[Dr. Ed Ashby]

I'll second the 'no mechanicals' vote. Heavy bow and hefty arrow weight = and big rigid broadhead. Lower poundage bows = any of the wider cut 2 blades. Turkey feathers are tough and absorb a lot of energy. An off-center hit can easily cause deflection with ANY setup, but mechanicals are the worst! I like the bigger Sharks with bleeder blades for turkey.

Ed

[Van/TX]

This head was designed specifically for Turkey.  Believe it or not.  But it did pretty good on World record bears   :D  ...Van

 

[Guru]

Tim, I've killed a few with WW,they work fine.But I just prefer the Snuffer for more damage on less than pefect hits...

[jeff / sc]

I'm with Curt on this ...last one I killed was with a WW, and I will still have at least 1 in the quiver in case the turkey hunt turns into a hog hunt... but the rest will be 160 snuffers using a 100 gr adapter.

[robslifts]

I used a magnus 160 2-blade with a 50 lb longbow and shot straight thru my bird

rob

[joebuck]

...

[Ga.boy]

Like Van said, but with a slight modification.

 

[joebuck]

[mark land]

I have taken several gobblers with my recurve and all have fallen to a Muzzy 125 4bl head, it works perfectly on the birds I shot and I do not use a stopper with trad equipment, there is not enough energy to get adequate penetration with a stopper. All my shots have been hanging by the fletch, half way thru or broadhead fully imbedded.  I never had one shoot all the way thru a bird.  Mark

[Shawn Leonard]

Joebuck, sorry but you are incorrect, ya can buy heavy line for the string tracker and it is one of the best ways to insure recovery. I have shot birds with 65# bows and big snuffer and have never gottena  pass thru. I did shoot thru one young hen, but that was with a lighter bow and a small 8-10 pound bird. You do not want anything to impede penetration. Green, listen to Curt(Guru)he has killed more birds with his bow than most will ever shoot at!! Shawn

[Doug S]

I think the guide is right about keeping the arrow in the bird. I have shot about 20 now. I use my same setup for deer (because I am used to it) then I put a muzzy grasshopper behind the broadhead. Only weighs 5 grains and doesn't affect flight. Not every store has these but you can order them. It is easier to recover the bird if the arrow is still in it. Another suggestion is to not run after it. Many times The big gobblers will lay down at the hit. Shoot again and again before you start chasin. Jakes on the other hand seem to take off,running or flying when I hit them. Might have something to do with dominance thing.
If you use woodies then the grasshoppers won't work. There is another kind that slides up the arrow and has the prongs but I don't know what the name is. Remember you want to shoot a setup you have shot or can shoot acuratly. If you don't hit the bird it won't matter.
Good luck.