Facts on Expandable Broadheads

Aerodynamically superior to fixed blade broadheads, expandable blade broadheads are designed to perform comparably to practice points in flight. When attached to arrows not all expandable blade broadheads are created equal. Some will outperform others on speed, flight characteristics, penetration and cutting ability. Expandable blade broadheads have limitations and are best suited for close to medium-range shots at small to medium-size game.

  1. Design

    • Expandable blade broadheads have a field point style head with replaceable razor blade style inserts. The replaceable blades remain folded back, into grooves running the length of the head, during flight. The blades spring open on contact with the target. Expandable blade broadheads are of two, three or four-blade design, with the number of blades being a tradeoff between cutting ability and accuracy. As the number of blades on the broadhead increases so does the arrow's wind resistance, effectively reducing the arrow's aerodynamic ability and accuracy.

    Aerodynamic Ability

    • Because of the low profile the trajectory of expandable blade broadheads is virtually identical to arrows equipped with field points. In contrast to fixed blade broadheads, expandable blade broadheads are extremely accurate and require no additional practice to learn how to shoot.

    Wound Channels

    • Because the expandable blades remain folded against the head during flight, offering no wind resistance, the length of the blades can be significantly longer than those of fixed blade broadheads. The wider blades result in gaping wound channels that cause extensive tissue damage and massive blood loss.

    Limitations

    • The lightweight design of expandable broadheads does not allow the arrow to generate the kinetic energy of fixed blade broadheads, making expandable blades less than ideal for large game like bear and moose. Best suited for use on soft skin animals, such as deer, caribou and sheep, at shots under 40 yards, expandable blades will generally not perform well on quartering shots on even deer-sized game where the arrow may end up striking large bones.