Best Broadheads For Deer In 2024

It makes sense then that you want a quality broadhead that's accurate and effective, but how do you choose between fixed and mechanical, three blades or four, single-piece or trocar tip to find the best broadheads for deer? 

At Deer Hunting Guide, we have decades of collective bowhunting experience that's given us some insight into what makes the best broadhead for deer. With that knowledge, we've compiled a list of our favorites along with what we consider when picking them out.

List Of The Best Fixed Blade Broadheads For Deer

Best Fixed Blade Broadheads For Deer: Reviews And Recommendations

Best Overall: NAP Thunderhead

The NAP Thunderhead is sometimes called “old reliable” in the bowhunting community because of its sharp blades and penetrative power. It has over an inch of cutting diameter, but more importantly, it’s manufactured with micro-grooved Slimline ferrules. Like serration on a knife, these help the broadhead cut through flesh and achieve better penetration, increasing your chances of a lethal shot.

Unfortunately, NAP designed the Thunderhead years ago, and it isn’t as adept at handling the power of newer compound bows and crossbows. The blades have a lot of drag and pull the arrow off course if it's even slightly untrue. Plus, it’s lightweight, just 100 grains, which increases your arrow speed but it makes it more susceptible to wind.

Pros:

• Value 5 pack
• Wide cutting diameter
• Penetrative grooved ferrules
• Lightweight 100 grains

Cons:

• Less accurate at high power
• Susceptible to wind

Overall, we'd recommend the Thunderhead for anyone hunting with a recurve bow or beginner compound bow. It comes in a pack of five, so it’s a great value, especially if you’re new to bowhunting and likely to lose one or two.

Here is a great video showing what the NAP Thunderhead Broadheads can do.

Additionally, its penetrative power makes it a good choice if you're hunting a particularly big buck. In fact, a lot of us at Deer Hunting Guide like using it for even bigger game like elk or moose, especially when we’re using traditional bows.

Best 3 Blade: G5 Montec

What we like best about the Montec is its different weight options. You can choose between 85, 100 and 125 grains. Talking about the best weight for a broadhead inevitably brings up arguments in the bowhunting community, but the truth is it depends on your goals and preferences. Whether you’re looking to make long, accurate shots from the ground or take down big bucks from your tree stand, G5 lets you choose exactly what you need.

We also like the metal injection-molding design. Basically, the broadhead is just one piece of metal. This means it doesn’t have parts that can break or come loose, ruining your accuracy.

The blade shape itself is tapered, which makes it easy to sharpen. We’d almost say that the Montec is too sharp. Along with its smaller cutting diameter, its excellent slicing ends up not leaving much of a bloodtrail. In other words, while it pierces flesh with no problem, it does less of internal damage. Your accuracy needs to be on point.

Pros:

• 3 weight options
• Single-piece injection molding
• Easy to sharpen
• Highly penetrative sharpness

Cons:

• Small to average cutting diameter
• Produces poor bloodtrail

Since it’s penetrative but less destructive, we suggest the Montec for experienced, accurate bowhunters. In fact, since you can get it in the heavier 125-grain version, it’s a good choice for crossbows. With a good shot in the kill zone, this broadhead can help you drop big game on the spot. 

 Best 4 Blade: Muzzy 4 Blade

Muzzy is another popular brand, both in the bowhunter community in general and here at Deer Hunting Guide. The 4 Blade’s main draw is its value. You get six in a pack for a low price.

One of the reasons for this low price is that you have to assemble the broadheads yourself. If you don’t know what you’re doing, this can make it hard to true the arrow and get a consistent, accurate shot. 

That said, we do like some aspects of the multi-piece design, the steel trocar tip most of all. This provides more internal damage and penetration over other broadhead designs. You get a better blood trail, and you’re more likely to get a lethal shot even if you’re slightly off and strike bone or cartilage.

Pros:

• Value 6 pack
• Destructive trocar point
• 4 stainless steel blades

Cons:

• Inconsistent assembly
• Small cutting diameter

This Muzzy broadhead does have a fairly small cutting diameter. Consequently, we do like it a bit more for frequent harvesting over trophy hunting. 

In other words, if you’re going to need a lot of broadheads to manage a herd on your property, including does and young bucks, it’s a great way to cut costs. However, if you have one weekend a year to get a mature buck, go with something else.

Editor's Choice: QAD Exodus Broadhead  

The QAD Exodus is another multi-piece broadhead. As a result, it’s not the most consistent or accurate on the parket, but it is destructive. Along with the sharp .040-inch blades, it comes with a stainless steel tip called the “Rock-Buster.” Add in the wide 1.25-inch cutting diameter and heavy 125-grain weight, and you get a broadhead that will plow through bone and cartilage causing maximum internal damage.

Another upside of the multi-piece design is that you can just replace the blades instead of sharpening them. While these blades aren’t quite as secure as those in other models, they are short. By being both short and wide, they produce more spin to improve accuracy and, again, penetration.

Pros:

• Destructive steel tip
• Wide cutting diameter
• Replaceable blades
• Short blades 

Cons:

• Insecure multi-piece design
• High price

You should consider the Exodus if you know exactly what you want in a broadhead. It’s a model that you can use season after season thanks to the replaceable blades, but it is expensive. You don’t want to choose them and then decide you prefer a single-piece or three-blade model.

Trophy hunters will probably benefit more from this broadhead than those hunting for venison. It’s penetrative and destructive, so it can tear up a lot of meat. While that means you don’t have to be as accurate to get a kill shot, it could get frustrating when you’re butchering your deer.

Best 2 Blade Broadhead: Stinger Buzzcut

The Stringer Buzzcut has a unique design you don’t often see among fixed-blades. While it’s technically a four-blade broadhead, two of the blades are small bleeder blades and mostly serve to provide spin and a straight trajectory, though they do do a bit of extra damage inside the deer.

The main blade is what really does the cutting. In fact, it has serrated, knife-sharp edges that do more than just slice, but cut up the tissue they encounter. This produces good blood trails and, of course, is instantly lethal if you hit the right spot.

RELATED: TideWe Recurve Bow Review

While the Buzzcut doesn’t have the widest cutting diameter, its compact design actually makes it easy to use. It flies a lot like a field point, so even if you can’t practice a lot with a broadhead, you can still take an accurate shot.

Pros:

• Great spin
• Serrated blades
• Produces good blood trails
• Design closer to field point

Cons:

• Narrower cutting diameter
• Screw design

RELATED: SAS Courage Recurve Bow Review

Best Fixed Blade Broadheads Comparison Chart

List Of The Best Mechanical Broadheads For Deer 

Best Mechanical Broadheads For Deer: Reviews And Recommendations

Best Penetrating: RAGE Hypodermic NC

RAGE gave this broadhead a cool name that it definitely deserves: Hypodermic NC. The tip is truly like a needle, and with the two blades retracted, you end up with a broadhead that shoots more or less like a field point. Nevertheless, on impact you get a huge 2.3-inch cutting diameter to increase your chances of a lethal shot and leave better blood trails.

However, we’d classify this broadhead as “fragile.” It’s fast, aerodynamic and accurate, but the blades and mechanisms are so delicate that they break easily, making the Hypodermic basically a one-use broadhead. 

Plus, it has a “no collar” blade retention system. This is supposed to be innovative as it means the blades open more easily, but sometimes they can open too easily, before they hit the deer. This means they can spin off inaccurately. 

We have not encountered that problem. As a matter of fact, I used the Rage Hypodermic on my Ohio deer hunting trip, where I killed the whitetail buck below. Notice that entrance wound from the Rage broadhead. The blood trail was massive and the deer only went 40 yards before piling up.

Pros:

• Shoots like a field tip
• Huge cutting diameter
• Great blood trails
• Aerodynamic
• Blades open on contact consistently

Cons:

• Fragile blades
• Blades can open too soon

This broadhead is a solid choice if you’re concerned about getting maximum damage and blood trails. Just be careful with them. Keep them in a good quiver, and use care to not bump it when you have an arrow nocked.

Editor's Choice: G5 MegaMeat Broadhead

As the name suggests, the MegaMeat is a great broadhead for harvesting deer. Its sharp steel blades and two-inch cutting diameter mean a lot of internal damage and easy-to-track blood trails so you can come home with venison.

The blades are pretty fragile and likely to break. However, because there are three blades, losing one on impact won’t necessarily ruin the shot. Plus, they’re replaceable, a great feature for a mechanical broadheads. 

On top of that, the ferrule and tip are pretty stable and durable, not to mention aerodynamic. The end result is that you can use these broadheads repeatedly if you’re willing to replace the blades every so often. 

Pros:

• Great blood trails
• 3 blades
• Replaceable blades
• Durable steel construction
• Aerodynamic design

Cons:

• Fragile blades
• Top-shelf price 

The MegaMeat might be the broadhead for you if you have your own property and plan on managing a herd for years to come. While it’s a top-shelf model, it can even save you money in the long run since you can reuse the ferrule by replacing the blades. And that’s on top of its ability to take down deer with ease.

Best Flying: Wasp Jak-Hammer 100 SST

If you’re tired of your broadheads opening too soon, take a look at the Wasp Jak-Hammer. The main reason we put it on our list is its secure neoprene O-ring deployment system that keeps blades put until they hit their target.

Of course, the downside of this system is that sometimes the blades don’t open at all. However, the three-blade design means you’re still more than likely to do internal damage even if one blade takes the day off. This is on top of the steel trocar tip that can punch through bone and other tissue giving you a good blood trail despite the lower 1.75-inch cutting diameter.

We also want to mention the aerodynamic design. If it weren’t for the blades, it would be easy to mistake the Jak-Hammer for a field tip. It’s no surprise that it flies like one.

Pros:

• Neoprene O-ring deployment
• 3-blade design
• Steel trocar tip
• Shaped like a field tip

Cons:

• Small cutting diameter
• Blades may fail to open

In general, the Jak-Hammer is a standard expandable broadhead that’s good for beginners as well as experienced archers new to expandables specifically. While it does have penetrative power, you don’t have to worry too much about maintaining the delicate mechanisms. Plus, it doesn’t take a lot of practice to get accurate with it.  

Best Rear Deploying: Grim Reaper Razorcut SS Whitetail

It’s appropriate that the Razorcut is made by Grim Reaper because we’ve yet to find a more lethal broadhead out there. With an incredibly narrow ferrule and tip, it zips through the air in a straight line, often going all the way through your deer. It’s specifically designed for high-powered bows like compound bows shooting upwards of 400 FPS.

The Razorcut is a rear deploying mechanical broadhead and has a two-inch cutting diameter, which is pretty good. Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem to leave much of a blood trail, probably because it ends up passing through so quickly that it doesn't bounce and knock around very much. 

The result is that you do need to be accurate. Using a fast bow will help with this, but you should probably practice too. Luckily, the pack comes with a practice head, so that’s not a problem.

Pros:

• Aerodynamic and accurate
• Can handle a lot of power
• 3-blade design
• Includes practice head

Cons:

• Doesn’t produce much of a blood trail
• Fragile blades

The Razorcut is a broadhead for serious and experienced bowhunters. It takes finesse to use the delicate design, and accuracy to send it right into your quarry’s heart. 

Since this broadhead has a tendency to pass through, it’s best reserved for your biggest buck. In fact, it’s not a bad choice for elk, bear and moose either.

Best Hybrid: Muzzy Trocar HB Hybrid 4 Blade

This broadhead is one of our all-time staff favorites. We love the hybrid design: two mechanical blades and two fixed blades. This provides initial cutting power to travel deep, and then when the mechanical blades open you get serious damage that leaves an easy blood trail.

The two fixed blades can also do some damage in case the mechanical blades don’t open, which is unfortunately more likely to happen with the Trocar HB than other models. Additionally, they only open to about 1-⅝ inches, which isn’t especially wide.

We do like the trocar point, though, that can take on bone and still come out ready for another hunt.  And, considering all the great features, the Trocar HB has an impressively affordable price point.

Pros:

• Hybrid blade design
• Trocar point
• Low price
• Aerodynamic design

Cons:

• Mechanical blades may fail to open

Here is an awesome video testing and reviewing the Muzzy Trocar HB.

Muzzy actually advertises the Trocar HB as shooting like a field tip. We probably wouldn’t go that far, but it is true that the hybrid design with the fixed blades slightly offset gives a bit of spin and stability to the broadhead that provides for more accuracy.

Largest Cutting Diameter: NAP Killzone Max

Overall, the Killzone is a mid-range broadhead designed for your standard compound bow, though it’s not a good choice for recurve bows or longbows. If you use it with a compound bow between 300 and 350 FPS, you’ll find that this is one of the most consistent broadheads as far as deployment of the blades. This is thanks to NAP’s proprietary spring clip design.

A side effect of this design is that the Killzone is highly reusable. The only exception to this is if you hit a lot of bone. NAP designed the tip more like another blade so that it can cut through the deer’s hide, but this means it doesn’t shatter bone as easily. Hits to the ribs, for example, can dull the blades quickly, and while they are replaceable, it’s a hassle to do so.

The blades provide an enormous cutting diameter, though. A full 2-⅜ inches. There are only two of them, true, but you should still get a good blood trail and a lot of internal damage.

Pros:

• Spring clip design opens at the right time
• Reusable
• Wide 2-⅜-inch cutting diameter

Cons:

• Doesn’t handle bone well
• Blades difficult to replace

Consider the Killzone if you regularly hunt with a mid-range compound bow. These aren’t great for recurve bows or crossbows, but at the right FPS, they are consistent. You can use the same bow and the same broadheads season after season, which allows you to improve your skills more quickly.

Best Mechanical Broadheads Comparison Chart

Fixed vs Mechanical 

Fixed Broadheads

Fixed broadheads have two, three or four blades fixed onto a central ferrule. In fact, in many cases, fixed broadheads are made of all one piece of metal molded into shape. The blades themselves have varying angles and shapes.

RELATED: DeerSeeker Recurve Bow Review

Mechanical Broadheads

Mechanical heads, also called expandable broadheads, don't have fixed blades. Instead, the blades retract into the ferrule of the head where a mechanism holds them until the broadhead strikes a target. The force of the impact activates the mechanism and causes it to release the blades. They spring out, cutting through the target as the arrow continues to move.

They have many different designs, some using two blades, others three or even four, some with bleeder blades. Some have their blades retracted forward like the petals of a flower, while others are rear deploying. Some use spring mechanisms to keep the blades retracted while others use O-rings or rubber bands.

Which Is Better And Why?

The debate over fixed versus mechanicals will probably never end, certainly not as a result of this article. But the truth is, we here at Deer Hunting Guide prefer fixed heads. They're more reliable, more penetrative and more destructive. Before you get bent out of shape, though, we do admit there are situations when a mechanical broadhead is the better choice.

The main reason a fixed head is better is that they're simpler. They don't have a lot of moving parts that can break or function incorrectly. Meanwhile, mechanical heads sometimes open prematurely or don't open at all, ruining your accuracy or not doing enough damage to leave a blood trail.

Additionally, fixed heads help to provide the arrow with spin. This improves accuracy over mechanicals.

What's great about expandable broadheads, though, is that they're closer to field points. Not everyone has access to the type of range where they can practice with broadheads, so mechanical heads let you shoot accurately even if you've only been able to practice with field points during the off-season.

Choosing Broadheads For Deer

Materials

The most common material you'll find used for broadheads is stainless steel, and it's also the best. Stainless steel has the strength to cut through soft tissue and often even bone without bending or breaking. 

Look for high-carbon or titanium alloys as well because they're less likely to corrade. This keeps the blades sharp for longer.

Now, it is worth noting that most mechanicals  may have other materials involved in their mechanisms. These could be rubber bands or aluminum springs. It can be hard to tell whether these are quality or not, so check reviews beforehand. 

Weight In Grains

Another never-ending argument in the bowhunting community is what arrow weight is best, and broadhead weight is a big part of that. Broadheads are measured with the same unique unit of weight as the arrows themselves: grains. One grain is about 65 milligrams.

A lighter broadhead helps your arrow fly faster. A fast arrows travels farther and is more accurate over a longer ranger. 

Nevertheless, heavier broadheads have become increasingly popular in recent years. That’s because they penetrate tissue more easily, and, basically, modern bows have the power to handle them.

In other words, if you have a powerful compound bow or crossbow—one shooting over 350 FPS with a draw weight over 70 pounds—go with more grains. However, if you have a beginner crossbow or traditional bow, go for fewer. 

Cutting Diameter

Generally speaking, wider cutting diameters are better. They do more internal damage and are more likely to strike the heart or major blood vessels.

However, they can be harder to handle from an accuracy standpoint and take more practice to learn on. If you're a bow hunting beginner, you may want a broadhead with a narrower cutting diameter.

Additionally, wider broadheads face more resistance when they enter the animal. Therefore, they're better for compound bow vs recurve. Those using recurve bows or longbows might want a smaller cutting diameter.

Penetration

Penetration is an important aspect of broadheads. In fact, all else being equal, a broadhead ideally passes all the way through the deer's body and exits out the other side. This will make a great blood trail that's easy to spot. 

Just make sure your broadhead isn't sacrificing damage for penetration. It still needs to slice through as much tissue and blood vessels as possible, both to kill the animal and leave a trackable blood trail.

Penetration also depends on the arrow that you choose. Be sure to choose the best hunting arrows that you can afford. These will provide superior penetration when used with a good broadhead.

Accuracy

A broadhead is useless if you can't hit a deer with it. I can't stress enough the importance of practicing with your broadheads. I can almost guarantee that they will fly the same as your field points.

Most mechanicals fly similar to field tips so they are very accurate. 

RELATED: Best Arrow Rests For Accuracy

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I Use Mechanical Or Fixed Blades For Deer?

At Deer Hunting Guide, we have a slight preference for fixed heads. If you're a regular hunter, they provide consistency, penetration and value.

That said, if you have limited ability to practice because you don't have a yard at home or a range nearby suitable for broadheads, mechanicals can make it easier to shoot accurately.

Do You Practice With Broadheads?

Usually you don't practice with the broadheads you're going to hunt with, especially not if they're mechanical. You don't want to damage them or dull the blades.

Some hunters like to target shoot with their broadheads, at least to get their broadheads and bow tuned. However, it's better to do this with foam targets or straw targets versus the cork targets you often find on the range. You should also ideally sharpen the blades after practice.

As for mechanicals, while you shouldn't practice with the hunting heads themselves, most mechanicals include a practice head in their multi-packs. This is a head that has the same shape and weight as the actual broadheads but is usually molded from a single piece of metal. This way you can practice and zero in your aim without damaging the real things.

Do Broadheads Fly Different Than Field Tips?

Yes, broadheads fly differently than field tips, especially fixed-blade broadheads. The blades create more surface area which can magnify slight deviances in trajectory. Plus, they catch the wind. Since the blades are retracted into the ferrule, mechanicals fly more similarly to field tips, but still not exactly the same.

The best way to be sure that your broadheads are flying correctly is to use the walk back tuning method.

What Broadhead Has The Largest Cutting Diameter?

The broadhead with the largest cutting diameter is the NAP Killzone Max Mechanical Broadhead measuring in at a huge 2-⅜ inches.

Mechanicals usually have larger cutting diameters since bigger cutting diameters start to negatively affect accuracy and performance on fixed-blade broadheads. 

Is There A Difference Between Crossbow Broadheads And Regular Broadheads?

There is not any inherent difference between crossbow broadheads and regular broadheads. The same broadheads you get for your compound bow should work for your crossbow.

Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that crossbows have more power and a longer effective range. For this reason, it can be advantageous to use a heavier broadhead and disadvantageous to use a mechanical broadhead, which could open in-flight due to the greater force behind it.

Click here to learn more about a crossbow vs compound bow.

It is important to sight in your crossbow or compound bow with the exact broadheads that you will be using. Don't just assume that all broadheads shoot the same.

What Is The Best Rage Broadhead?

The best Rage broadhead is the Hypodermic NC 2. It's easy to shoot and flies true. Meanwhile, the consistent mechanisms deploy the blades on contact with a huge cutting diameter that leaves a clear blood trail.

What Broadhead makes the best blood trail?

The Rage Broadhead makes the best bloodtrail. The huge 2" cutting diameter makes a devastating entry and exit hole, leaving a bloodtrail that is like nothing you have ever seen before.

Final Thoughts

Both mechanical and fixed blades can be effective choices for successfully hunting deer. Our reviews cover broadheads for just about every situation, so choose the one with the penetration, cutting diameter and weight you need to get a lethal shot and trackable blood trail.

Be sure to have a good bow case to store your broadheads in, where the heads are protected, so they do not damage your bowstring or other gear.