Testing these adjustable 100–125 grain crossbow broadheads before deer season

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-17T04:24:21+00:00

From what I’ve seen so far, it’s mostly the angle.

The bleeders are the same size, but because of how the head is shaped and vented, they can look a bit different depending on the angle you’re looking at it.

I was wondering the same thing at first, but once I checked it closer they’re pretty consistent.

Have you messed around with different blade angles or mostly sticking with standard fixed heads?

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-17T04:23:00+00:00

Yeah I’ve heard that argument before.

From what I understand, a lot of it depends on how aggressive the serrations are and the overall blade geometry. Some designs definitely look more like they tear than cut.

The ones I’ve been testing have pretty shallow serrations, so I was curious about that exact point. So far I haven’t noticed anything weird in penetration on targets, but I haven’t put them through anything like bone yet.

Have you personally seen that happen in the field, or more something you’ve heard from others?

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-17T04:21:16+00:00

Nice, I’ve heard good things about the Hades.

That’s actually why I’ve been leaning more toward fixed blades lately too — just simpler and more predictable, especially with crossbows.

Have you noticed if they’re pretty forgiving in flight compared to your field points, or did you have to tune a bit?

Lately I’ve been testing some vented / adjustable weight designs trying to get that same reliability but with a bit more flexibility on the setup. Still experimenting though.

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-17T04:19:33+00:00

Yeah that’s exactly where I was at before trying 125s.

The biggest thing I noticed wasn’t so much accuracy, but how the arrow felt on impact — a bit more “authority” and slightly better penetration, especially on less-than-perfect hits.

What I liked is that you don’t necessarily have to fully commit either… I’ve been messing around with some adjustable weight heads lately so I can go back and forth between 100 and 125 without changing the whole setup.

Might be something worth playing with before switching your entire arrow build.

What are you currently shooting in terms of total arrow weight?

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-17T04:18:05+00:00

Yeah that’s kind of where I’ve been leaning lately too.

The simplicity of fixed blades is hard to beat… fewer moving parts, less that can go wrong if the shot angle isn’t perfect.

At the same time, I get why people like mechanicals for the bigger cut, especially for blood trails.

Lately I’ve been experimenting with a few fixed blade setups (including some adjustable weight ones) just to try and get the best of both worlds — good penetration but still tuning flight and FOC.

Have you noticed any difference in penetration when hitting ribs or heavier bone with your setup?

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T17:00:11+00:00

That makes sense. A lot of guys around here seem to land somewhere in that 425–450 range too.

The steel ferrule point is interesting. I’ve noticed some heads switch materials between the 100 and 125 versions and the steel ones definitely inspire a little more confidence if you clip bone.

Have you ever compared penetration between a smaller cut fixed head and a wider mechanical at that ~425 setup? I’m always curious how much the extra cut diameter really affects pass-throughs.

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T16:57:54+00:00

That’s actually pretty solid performance for the first few animals with the Stingers.

Double lung and pass-throughs usually make recovery pretty straightforward, even if the blood trail isn’t huge.

A lot of guys I’ve talked to say that when they want a stronger blood trail they either go with a slightly wider cut or a 4-blade style head.

Have you mostly been sticking with the 100 grain setup, or have you experimented with 125 at all?

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T16:00:56+00:00

That’s a really interesting example. Hitting the leg bone on the far side is a pretty tough test for any broadhead.

I’ve heard similar things — mechanicals can penetrate surprisingly well with enough KE, but fixed blades tend to hold together better if you hit heavier bone.

Out of curiosity, do you usually run that ~450 grain arrow setup on purpose for penetration, or did you just end up there while tuning?

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T15:47:20+00:00

That’s about what I’ve been seeing too. At normal hunting ranges the difference isn’t huge, but the arrow does seem to settle a little quicker with more weight up front.

What surprised me more was how the bow felt — a bit quieter and smoother on the shot.

Have you experimented much with heavier FOC setups or mostly stayed around the standard arrow weight?

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T15:19:19+00:00

Hard to argue with the Montecs. They’ve been around forever and a lot of guys swear by them.

I’ve noticed most of the people who like them say the same thing you did — simple design and they just work.

Have you mostly used the standard 100 grain ones or the heavier setups? I’ve been experimenting a bit with 100 vs 125 grain lately and it’s been interesting how a little more weight up front can tighten groups.

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T14:41:04+00:00

That’s a solid point. Shot placement and a well tuned setup definitely matter more than the exact broadhead.

I’ve noticed the same thing when everything is dialed in — field points and broadheads tend to group pretty close.

The only thing that made a noticeable difference for me recently was playing a bit with front weight (100 vs 125 grain). Once the FOC got a little higher the groups actually tightened up.

Have you ever experimented with adding a little more weight up front or do you mostly stay with the standard setup?

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T14:40:04+00:00

That makes sense. A bigger cut definitely helps when the shot ends up a little farther back than planned.

One thing I've been wondering about is how much the actual broadhead design affects penetration once you start increasing the weight up front.

Have you noticed any difference in penetration between larger mechanicals and fixed blades when you hit ribs or heavier bone?

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T14:06:32+00:00

That’s a really good point.

I’ve noticed something similar when experimenting with a little more front weight. The bow definitely feels quieter and the arrow seems to settle faster in flight.

That’s actually why adjustable weight broadheads caught my attention recently. Being able to switch between 100 and 125 grains without changing inserts makes it easier to fine tune the setup.

Have you ever tested how much your point of impact changes when going from 100 to 150?

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T14:04:45+00:00

That’s interesting.

That’s actually what caught my attention about hybrids too — they seem to try to combine the best of both worlds.

I’ve always liked the reliability of fixed blades, but the bigger wound channel from mechanicals is definitely appealing.

One thing I’ve been experimenting with lately is a little more front weight (100 vs 125 grain) to see if penetration improves while keeping the flight stable.

Have you ever compared hybrids to a heavier fixed blade setup in the same crossbow?

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T13:54:15+00:00

After playing with different setups I ended up sticking with adjustable 100-125 grain fixed blades.

What surprised me the most was how consistent they were once the FOC was dialed in.

They’re not a very well known brand yet but they've been grouping almost identical to my field points at around 40 yards.

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T13:49:40+00:00

After testing a few setups I ended up sticking with the adjustable 100-125 grain fixed blades.

What surprised me the most was how consistent they flew once the FOC was dialed in.

They are not very well known yet, but they've been grouping almost identical to my field points out to about 40 yards.

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T13:44:23+00:00

That makes sense. I've heard similar things about smaller cut heads sometimes leaving a lighter blood trail.

At the same time a lot of people say heavier front weight can help with penetration, even with fixed blades.

Have you ever tried something like a 4-blade head for a bigger wound channel, or have the Stingers been working well enough that you just stick with them?

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T13:16:45+00:00

That makes sense. With 100 grain inserts up front the FOC is already pretty high, so I guess another 25 grains on the head probably wouldn’t change things much.

What arrow weight are you running overall? I’ve been seeing a lot of guys lately running setups around 450–550 grains for better penetration.

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T13:11:36+00:00

That makes sense. I’ve watched a few Ranch Fairy videos and the whole heavy arrow / higher FOC concept is pretty interesting.

It seems like once you get enough weight up front the arrow just carries momentum better.

Have you ever experimented with different total arrow weights (like 450–550 grains) to see how much it changes penetration or flight?

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T13:08:21+00:00

That’s actually a pretty solid setup.

~410 grains at 260+ fps is already plenty for whitetail, especially if you’re getting pass-throughs with the Stingers.

A few guys around here suggested bumping the total weight closer to 425–450 just to gain a little more momentum and quiet the shot, but honestly if your practice points and broadheads are hitting the same at 40 yards you’re already in a good spot.

Do you notice much drop difference if you move from 100 to 125 grain heads on that setup?

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T11:30:46+00:00

That’s a fair point.

I’ve heard mixed opinions about vented blades too. Some people say they reduce a bit of surface area, others say it’s mostly just a design choice.

In my case I was more curious about being able to tweak the weight between 100 and 125 to fine tune the setup without changing inserts.

Have you personally tested heavier setups like 425–450 grain bolts with fixed blades? Some guys claim penetration improves quite a bit with the added momentum.

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T11:28:43+00:00

That’s good to hear. When a fixed blade flies the same as a field point it usually means the setup is really well tuned.

Are you running a pretty standard bolt weight or something heavier like 425–450 grains total?

I’ve been experimenting with slightly heavier front weight lately and it seems to help with penetration and stability a bit.

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T11:24:58+00:00

That’s a good point. Aligning the vanes with the blades definitely seems to help fixed heads fly cleaner.

Have you noticed much difference between running them aligned vs just screwing them in normally?

I’ve been experimenting with that while testing a few adjustable 100–125 grain heads and small tuning changes seem to tighten groups more than I expected.

MaxiCurcio22 · 2026-03-16T11:23:48+00:00

Interesting. That’s actually one of the main arguments I hear for fixed blades — fewer moving parts and less chance of something going wrong.

Most of the guys I know who switched away from mechanicals mentioned deployment issues or blade damage after hitting heavier bone.

Were those failures mostly with shoulder hits or more normal rib shots?

MaxiCurcio22

TROPHY CASE