Originally posted by Bowbldr:
Hope it has more of a point.
Bob, you and a number of others, like me, have that same thought. I have not seen the final version of the 300 grain, but I am willing to await some field experience with the heads before I come to any final opinions on the heads. I can definitely say that some of the very expensive broadheads that appeared to be exceptionally well designed and built have had problems that left me disappointed, and could have resulted in lost game, or worse where dangerous game was involved.
The VPA Terminators have proved themselves to be superior broadheads. I bought quite a few of the 300 Xtreems heads from Bob some time ago, and they were outstanding heads that were amazingly tough, durable and effective. The Terminators are similar. With VPA's history, and after receiving the 250 grain Penetrators, I expect them to be outstanding performers too, but that doesn't mean a more pointed design on the 300 grain heads would not be better. As Andy Ivy has pointed out, penetrating ability on animals like Asiatic buffalo or large African species is paramount. Certainly, I would like to be able to re-use the broadheads and have them undamaged after shooting them into big animals, and if I can have that with a less aggressive point shape without sacrificing penetration, then I am all for it. But if I can get better penetration on the largest game animals, I am willing to replace broadheads with damaged tips, as long as the damage does not diminish penetration. Like Andy has said, he and I have both experienced such things as slight chipping of the heads that did not have appreciable impact on penetration and have also had the front third of the broadhead break off when hitting heavy bone, which really affected the ultimate penetration. When hunting the big, bad animals, the cost of the broadheads is slight compared to the cost of the hunt, and nothing compared to the loss of a trophy animal or the danger to the lives of others. In those circumstances, I want to put the animal on the ground as soon as possible after the shot, and the ability to re-use the broadhead is not something I would be considering until later, if at all. I do understand that re-usability is also a measure of the broadhead's ability to withstand the punishment of penetrating the animal in the first place, so the two factors are not independent of one another. I'm sure the folks at VPA are taking all that into consideration in building another great broadhead.
The 250 grain heads look to be perfect for the majority of my hunting, but the 300 grainers will get the nod for the really big stuff.
Allan