• Mechanical or Fixed-Blade Broadhead for Turkey Hunting?

    Posted on Apr 4th, 2013
    Mechanical or Fixed-Blade Broadhead for Turkey Hunting?

    Engage in any broadhead discussions, whether online or at the local archery shop, and you are likely to hear the raging debate on which broadhead is the best for killing a turkey? A mechanical broadhead or a fixed-blade broadhead?

    As makers of both the ultimate fixed-blade and mechanicals broadheads, we know the issue is not black-and-white. There is a lot of gray factors, such as draw weight (this is usually not an issue on turkey, but it is on big game animals), how well your bow is tuned, and even experiences (good or bad) with different broadheads in the past.

    It’s clear, however, that a Wasp fixed or expandable broadhead will kill a turkey quickly when it hits the kill zones accurately. That said, the large cutting diameters featured on our Z-Force (1 5/8” cutting diameter) and Jak-Hammer broadheads (1 ¾” cutting diameter) is a little bit of insurance for making a lethal shot when it comes to hitting the small vitals of a turkey. Also, mechanical broadheads, by design, fly more like field points, so even if your bow is slightly out of tune, you may not notice any accuracy issues when you switch from a field point to broadhead. On the other hand, a fixed-blade boradhead can magnify the issues of a poorly tuned bow, but if your bow is tuned well, Wasp fixed-blade broadheads will fly as true as field points. Consider the cutting diameter and the setup of your bow when choosing the best broadhead for turkey hunting.

    Often, the larger cutting diameter is not enough to get fixed-blade enthusiasts to switch to an expandable broadhead. Why would they? Many have been shooting the Wasp Hammer, Boss, Bullet and SharpShooter for years with great results. Or, they have had bad experiences with the poor designs and inferior manufacturing that plagues our competitor’s expandable broadheads.

    Having confidence in what you are shooting is important when it comes to the mental part of bowhunting. You can be confident that a Wasp broadhead will perform when shot from a well-tuned bow. You do your part at the range, and our broadheads will do theirs in the field – no matter if you are shooting a fixed-blade or mechanical broadhead. We guarantee it.

  • 5 Common Sense Turkey Bowhunting Tips

    Posted on Feb 28th, 2013
    5 Common Sense Turkey Bowhunting Tips

    Just about every article on bowhunting turkeys starts with the same stale intros: Turkey hunting with a bow is an extremely difficult endeavor, A turkey’s eyesight is so good, etc. Hardcore bowhunters don’t need to be told how difficult it is. They know.  It is why they choose to use a bow instead of a shotgun. It is hard work, but more rewarding, and when you approach it from a common sense attitude it does not seem all that intimidating.
    The work begins in the offseason, and below are some tips you can do right now to make a spring bowhunt for turkey easier:

    1. Scout

    Bowhunting turkeys is similar to bowhunting deer. You do not have the luxury of using run-and-gun tactics like the shotgun hunter does. You must know the land, how the gobblers are using the land and how to ambush the turkeys from natural cover or a ground blind.  Learn where the birds will be, figure out how you can setup in the area without being detected. You may be surprised how easy it becomes to kill a bird with a bow the first or second sit of the year when you’re armed with this information.

    2. Use a Decoy

    Once you have pinpointing a place to set up your blind or a place that offers natural cover to shoot from, think about buying a decoy or two. Again, this is just common sense. A decoy attracts the birds to your location and takes their eyes off of you. Place the decoys close (5-10 yards) and out of the line of sight of your location. From your scouting, you should know where the birds are likely to approach from.
     

    3. Learn to use a Mouth Call

    You can’t shoot a bow holding a call, so the hands free diaphragm calls are a necessity. Pick one up and learn to make the basic yelp, purr and cutt. But calling is not a substitute for scouting. No matter how good of a turkey caller you are, you can’t call a bird where he does not want to go. Use calls to get the attention of turkeys and trigger them to search or pursue your decoys.

    4. Tune Your Bow and Choose your Broadhead with Turkeys in Mind

    Turkeys are a much different target than big game animals, and you should adjust accordingly. Think close shots and large cutting diameter broadheads to assure hitting the small vitals. Check these other Wasp Blogs on how to tune your bow and choose the best broadhead for turkey hunting. You want to get the turkeys close and combining decoys with good woodmanship and calling will present a shot closer than you thought was possible.
     

    5. Practice Your Turkey Shots Under Hunting Conditions

    Get a life-sized turkey target and make sure you know the best shot placement for turkeys. Practice from a hunting stool, standing, kneeling and sitting positions until you are sure your form is solid and you can hit the target with the broadhead consistently(see more on turkey shot placement here).

    With a little preparation and the right archery, decoying and calling gear, getting a close shot on a turkey with a bow is easier than you think. Don’t let all the talk about how hard it is cloud your judgment of common sense. Just put down the gun, stay focused on knowing where the birds will be and make your shot count.

  • Recommendations for the Best Turkey Broadheads

    Posted on Feb 15th, 2013
    Recommendations for the Best Turkey Broadheads

    There are many opinions about what broadhead is best for turkey hunting. Some like to use the same broadhead they use for big game hunting because their bow is tuned for that particular head. Some like a mechanical with a larger cutting diameter to maximize shock and damage to a turkey’s vitals. And some like to go as far as dulling the blades of a broadhead, or putting a small game stopper behind the broadhead, or lowering their draw weight to make their equipment less efficient.

    Choosing the best broadheads for turkey hunting is all about creating a big hole, and not so much about a clean pass-through. An arrow that does not pass though is a benefit, as it hinders flight and running escapes. By nature, a turkey help absorb the energy of your arrow. They are small and absorb some of the impact. But, you also need to use a broadhead that will pierce the considerable shield of feathers, wing quills and fiber of a turkey.

    In the end, it all comes down to shot placement. An arrow, even if it passes through the bird, delivered to the vitals with a large cutting diameter broadhead is sure to result in a quick death. It is in cases of bad shots when an arrow is left in the bird that will make recovering a wounded turkey easier. Pick a broadhead, tune your bow to shoot like a laser and get ready to stack some turkey this spring.

    Here are some great turkey broadheads for whatever bow you may shoot:

    The 1 5/8-inch cutting diameter of the Z-Force and 1 3/4-inch cutting diameter of the Jak-Hammer are great turkey broadheads creates a better chance of inflicting the kind of damage needed for a clean kill and recovery of a gobbler. It can be a huge benefit for bowhunters who do everything right until, for whatever reason, they release an arrow slightly off target. The huge cutting diameter is what you want because the kill zones – whether it is a heart/lung, neck, or spine shot – are so small on a turkey.

    The angle of blades of the Z-Force and Jak-Hammer, when fully deployed, efficiently slice through the armor of a turkey and does major damage to the vitals.

    If you prefer fixed-blade heads, the Hammer SST is great for turkeys. Its 1-3/16-inch cutting diameter is perfect for using in states with broadhead regulations prohibit mechanical broadheads or for using with traditional bows delivering lower kinetic energy.

    In general, turkeys are hard to hunt with archery equipment. Make it a little easier and select the right Wasp broadhead this spring.