Showing posts with label Bow Hunting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bow Hunting. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The Range Reviews: American Whitetail King Broadhead Target

The Best Broadhead Target Available Today!
© 2009- 2011 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5.

As part of my reeducation in archery in general and bowhunting in specific, I decided I needed a new target to shoot at. A cardboard box full of newspaper and more cardboard just wasn't going to cut it any more; it's too easy to ruin expensive shafts that way, and I'm trying to run a professional operation here anyway. It was high time I got something appropriate for the job at hand.
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5.
There are many types of targets available, from styrene blocks with plastic wrap that are barely adequate for kids' bows with target points, to very expensive and realistic game targets that will help refine your technique and eye; they even have one that looks like a velociraptor.

But for those of us stuck in an urban or suburban environment, a big square target is far more practical, and stores easier. What I wanted was the toughest and longest lasting broadhead target on the market. Practicing with what you are going to use is the key to success, and I intend to bring it to the hogs down here. And for that I needed to bend some bow limbs and shoot some arrows.

Make that a lot of arrows.

First date... She's built...

The beauty of Al Gore's Internet is that almost everything is on it. You want to know something, it is probably on the Net. Bowhunting targets are no different. After doing my research, I narrowed in on the King Broadhead Target by Whitetail Deer Inc. I needed something that could withstand repeated strikes with a broadhead and not disintegrate. It needs to absorb all the shooting I intend to do until such time as I get back in shooting shape.

"I will not trade a penny of profit for a customer's satisfaction. Our broadhead targets will out perform any open layer target when shot with broadheads...period."
Ralph @ American Whitetail Inc

That's the kind of thing I like to see. Performance and customer satisfaction before profits.

The King series is designed around a "Multi Layer Density" system. The target is built up from different density layers of foam to create a variable ratio of friction through the target.

The first layer consists of a layer of low density foam on the front. The soft foam is chosen for superior healing properties. The second layer is a medium density layer chosen for its ability to soak up energy and slow the rate of the arrows travel. Both of those layers back up to a layer of high density foam. As the broadhead penetrates and drives through the low and medium density foam, the arrow's energy is absorbed, resulting in far less penetration of the high density foam which ultimately stops the arrow. This results in a very durable target and easier arrow removal.

Whitetail Deer Inc wanted to"build a target that would stop any broadhead shot out of any bow, have unbelievable durability and smooth, easy broadhead arrow removal." I think they have done an exemplary job in putting together a target for bowhunters that performs exceptionally well at a very reasonable price. The King Broadhead Target is less than $40.00 at any of the venues I found; how's that for a bargain!

I used both the Browning Cobra which draws 45# and my new SiegeWorks Creations American Longbow that draws #50 on the King. I'm using my new Muzzy Phantom MX broadheads which, by the way, I'll be reporting on in the near future.

I found that, as expected, field points where substantially more difficult to remove. Broadheads came out with considerably less effort. Having only shot about sixty arrows in a half dozen days at the target, I haven't had an opportunity to see how the long term effects of shooting broadheads at the target will be, but I am keeping a log for future comments.

Pulling field points with care!

If you plan on shooting field points, then you will have to get an arrow lube like PSE Scorpion Venom Arrow Release Fluid. It is formulated to allow the easy removal of arrows from targets. I have not tried it, but the commentaries I have read are positive. I think it was originally developed for 3D targets. Think about it; that arrow shaft must be building up quite a bit of heat as it slows down in the target material. The lube helps defeat the grip of the material on the arrow.

Overall, the target performed as I had hoped it would. It stopped the arrows and something some folks might think very important, it doesn't leave a mess as you draw the arrows out. Some targets leave bits and pieces of themselves every time you pull an arrow. I've pounded the middle left aiming point now, and I have yet to have anything come out.



I only had one thing go wrong, and that was the fabric handle. This is not an important issue for the target. I was lugging the target from point a to b, and the nylon strap let the screw head work its way through. Later on the other side let loose too. Easy fix, two small washers or even a couple of pennies. Back the screw out, lay the strap back down drive the screw through the penny and that is the end of the problem. That will have to wait until I get back home. Again it's my fault it tore out, I sure don't baby anything I own.

I can fix that lickety split.


Register for the
American Whitetail
FREE target give away!


There is one more thing. The good folks at American Whitetail Inc. have a weekly drawing for one of their targets, all you have to do is register.

That's right! Every week, American Whitetail Targets will give away a broadhead target. The give away is open to all US residents. To register, simply fill out the form at their website (Here) with your information. (In the notes section you could put down that you saw it here at The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles...)

So enter, it's free, and give it a shot!

King Broadhead Target
MSRP: $36.95

American Whitetail Inc.
Box 299
Ferdinand, Indiana
47532
Ph. 1-888-233-1976
Fax 1-812-937-4157
Email: Tammy@archerytargets.com


There is a pretty good video on YouTube on the King Broadhead Target




As you can see, the King Target takes a licking and keeps on stopping arrows.

"I can wholeheartedly recommend the Whitetail Inc King Broadhead Target without reservation. It is a well made target, made of quality materials, here in the USA, by bowhunters, for bowhunters. The price is very reasonable and it works as advertised. That my friends, is a good American deal!"
Albert A Rasch
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles


Best Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Shindand Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...


The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles, Albert A Rasch, Hunting in Florida


Albert Rasch,HunterThough he spends most of his time writing and keeping the world safe for democracy, Albert was actually a student of biology. Really. But after a stint as a lab tech performing repetitious and mind-numbing processes that a trained capuchin monkey could do better, he never returned to the field. Rather he became a bartender. As he once said, "Hell, I was feeding mice all sorts of concoctions. At the club I did the same thing; except I got paid a lot better, and the rats where bigger." He has followed the science of QDM for many years, and fancies himself an aficionado. If you have any questions, or just want to get more information, reach him via TheRaschOutdoorChronicles(at)MSN(dot)com.





Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Range Reviews: Muzzy Phantom MX Broadhead

© 2009- 2011 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5.


Having cut my teeth on Fred Bear Razorheads, I'm partial to broadheads that don't have any moving parts. Now, I don't have anything against mechanical broadheads, if it works, I'm all for it! But my personal preference is for a traditional broadhead; I know they work. Then again, I also like flatbows, longbows, and anything with a sinew back to it.
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5.
New for 2009, Muzzy's Phantom MX broadhead was designed for the bowhunter that desires a traditional style but also wants superior penetration, strength, and performance. These are critical concerns for me. Hogs are difficult quarry, both in terms of killing, and their physical structure. Muddy, pitch ridden hair, covering a thick almost impenetrable hide add up to one tough hombre. Throw in hard-as-oak bones, and Mr Boar Hog is a walking armored pig.

The new Phantom-MX offers a compact profile for superior flight. With a main-blade thickness of .040-inch, it has unbeatable strength and excellent flight characteristics, even at compound bow speeds.

The primary blade cuts on impact to drive deep through thick hides and bone, and the "bleeder blades" at .036" thickness creates a wide wound channel. Blood loss is substancial and immediate; tracking should be a simple affair. The two blades on the Phantom-MX are a wide 1 1/8" x 1" cutting diameter. By the way, the Muzzy Phantom-MX bleeder blades are not your typical, thin, spring steel add-on blades; these bleeders are built to the same tough standards that the main blade is. That means it will take a hit and won't sheer off. They are also easily sharpened, though they are a little bit more difficult to disassemble than the regular broadheads.

According to Muzzy, "Consistently deadly in even the most extreme conditions, the 100-grain, 4-blade Phantom-MX will easily take down some of the heaviest big-game species, such as elk and moose, with unparalleled accuracy."

We are going to put it to the test later on with a series of hog hunts, should the gods favor me, and Armageddon doesn't hit first!

Ok, a few hints. When you open the packaging, cut off the two tabs in the back with a sharp knife, razor, or chisel. It makes your life a lot easier. Open it face down so you don't lose the shim washers.

See the shim between the shaft and head?

They are sharp out of the box, so be careful. I must admit I feel it is necessary to touch up the edges on any broadhead, before I would use them on game. A sharp broadhead is the tool of the ethical bowhunter. Use which ever system you like, I used my Sterling Sharpener.

I carefully aligned all the broadheads to the arrows' nocks. In other words, the main blade on the Phantom MX, when nocked, are vertical, that is, on the same plane as the string. All you need to do is carefully screw the broadhead in tight, and the warm the last couple of inches of the shaft until the ferule loosens. Then just straighten your broadhead. If everything is always in the same relative place, you will be more consistent.

I took one, and I am using it as the "Practice head." On my new Kings Broadhead Target from Whitetail Deer Inc, it penetrates about two inches deeper than some old Anderson broadheads that I've had since the eighties, using the same bow. This speaks well of the design.

Muzzy Backround

I was able to get a little background on Muzzy, and the family that runs it. I always find it interesting how good, solid, American folks get started and become a household name.

"In 1984, after retiring from a successful restaurant business, 65-year-old John Musacchia, Sr. decided it was time to pursue a dream that evolved after a particularly intense African bow hunt for Cape buffalo in the 1970s. John was shooting the best broadheads available, yet, after repeated hits with penetration problems, the buffalo remained on his feet. Full of fury, the buffalo charged. John grabbed a rifle and downed the animal just in time. Before he even left Africa, the still shaken hunter began thinking about how to design a better broadhead.

Several years later, John developed the right-angle, locking-blade base that would eventually define the Muzzy broadhead line. The locking-blade system improved the head's dependability by reinforcing the ferrule, creating an almost solid interior column of stainless steel. John then added another incredible design element - the extended trocar-shaped tip.

John first introduced the blade-locking system and Trocar Tip to the public in 1984, and it was an instant hit among bowhunters. He then decided to produce and market the broadheads himself with the help of his son Johnny and daughter Michele. The company grew slowly but surely. By 1988, Michele and Johnny had basically taken over the operations and John moved into an oversight role. He eventually passed away in 1996 after a long battle with cancer.

Michele took over as CEO of Muzzy Products Corporation and saw to it that Muzzy upheld the principles instilled by her father, such as working hard, persevering, constantly improving and treating people fairly."

"My father was a great mentor and taught us that to be successful, you have to work hard, give your customers the best products and treat people fairly," Michele says. "For 25 years these principles have been what guides us at Muzzy Products and always will."



Muzzy Phantom MX

Muzzy
110 Beasley Road, Cartersville, Ga. 30120
1-866-387-9307

MSRP: $29.95 per package of three

Best Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Shindand Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...


The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles, Albert A Rasch, Hunting in Florida


Albert Rasch,HunterThough he spends most of his time writing and keeping the world safe for democracy, Albert was actually a student of biology. Really. But after a stint as a lab tech performing repetitious and mind-numbing processes that a trained capuchin monkey could do better, he never returned to the field. Rather he became a bartender. As he once said, "Hell, I was feeding mice all sorts of concoctions. At the club I did the same thing; except I got paid a lot better, and the rats where bigger." He has followed the science of QDM for many years, and fancies himself an aficionado. If you have any questions, or just want to get more information, reach him via TheRaschOutdoorChronicles(at)MSN(dot)com.