For this type of a challenge, many hunters choose a rugged fixed blade, cut-to-tip head that they can depend on to get the job done every single time.  For many, that head is the Magnus' 2-blade screw-in model.

Before putting the Magnus broadheads through the paces, we will first cover the basics.  Each head, not including the aluminum adapter, is comprised of three main, high-carbon steel pieces; the main blade and two halves of the ferrule/tip combination. Each ferrule piece incorporates a tip section that matches the main blade in angle. These matched tips "sandwich" the main blade and are made "one" through precision grinding. Magnus calls this heavy-duty construction the "triple laminated tip". Blade thickness transitions from .025" at the rear of the cutting edge to .046" at the laminated tip.  This transition occurs where the rounded center of the ferrule stops. Copper brazed joints and spot welding hold the three-piece design together. 

The blades are ground to a 25-degree angle, and one of them has "Magnus" stamped on it.  The entire head component is painted black and glued onto a threaded aluminum adapter.  The threads are 8-32, matching most arrow components.  Testing was done on each head to ensure proper alignment  between the adapter and main head component.  Each pack of six heads are generally priced between $20.00 and $24.00.

TESTING
Testing began in the usual way with a basic quality inspection.  With one exception, all components appeared to be in good order including finish, cutting edge continuity, braze joints and adapter machining. The only flaw found was in the threads of one adapter. The anomaly did not appear to be severe until it was threaded into one of my arrows and "froze" inside the shaft. I talked to Magnus president Mike Sohm about the problem and was assured that this was an isolated problem and one of the few he had ever heard of. Through a little research I found out that one of the major highlights of Mike's company is the commitment to customer satisfaction. Any time I have run into a Magnus customer who has experienced a problem they couldn't seem to say enough about the customer service they received. If you were to buy a pack of heads with the problem described above Magnus would replace it in a heartbeat! In fact, these heads have a lifetime guarantee on them. 

Sharpening 
Magnus recommends sharpening all two and four blade broadheads with the Accusharp knife sharpener. So that testing would correlate more closely to the heads in a hunting situation I sharpened all of them right out of the box. I used the Accusharp on three heads and a Lansky on the other three. The Lansky produced a sharper blade but also took much more work. The Accusharp does a fine job and only takes a minute. 

Spin Test
Next up was a spin test, which all heads passed and then it was on to the tuning. From previous testing I knew my new Darton Rampage, shooting Beman Carbonmetal Matrix arrows at 262 fps, was tuned and ready to go. The first round of paper tuning with the broadheads resulted in a tear low and left. I went back to my field points to verify my set-up and upon taking a closer look found the slightest of tears- low and left. To determine flight characteristics the broadheads would produce without re-tuning I shot a group of four Magnus tipped arrows at the center dot of my Cube target. The results were not satisfactory so I went back to field points to re-tune the bow. To make a long story short, a separate tune was needed for the broadheads to achieve consistent arrow flight.

Arrow Flight
Consistent arrow flight was tested by shooting six rounds of four arrows each at a single dot. The greatest spread, measured center to center, of all shots was only 1 3/8". The bottom line is that when you put the time in to properly tune these heads, they will drive tacks. 

Penetration
The penetration test has always been one of my favorites and after hearing positive feedback from so many Magnus users I was excited to see the results. The first victim was a ¾" pine board secured at 20 yards with nothing immediately behind it, an arrow stop too close to the back of the board would flaw the penetration results. Two heads were fired, three times each, for a total of six impacts. Three of the shots passed completely through the board, breaking away large pieces. Other than when the board was hit too close to the edge, this has never happened with any other head I've tested. This can probably be explained by the continuous 1 ¼" cutting edge produced by the two blade, cut-to-tip design. The other three shots that stayed in the board averaged 11 ½" in penetration, which was measured from the back of the board to the tip of the broadhead. After passing through the wood the heads showed no signs of bending, breaking, or even visible wear! The cutting edges appeared as if they were never used.

A brand new "Cube" target was the brunt of my second penetration test. Again, the target was set-up at 20 yards. Since the new Cube is 20" thick and the heads did not protrude from the back, the penetration was measured from the front of the target. The body of each arrow was marked where it met the face of the target and then removed. A measurement was then taken from the mark to the tip of the head. Ten shots in all averaged 17.35" of penetration, which after going over past test data appears to be an excellent depth.

After all of the flight and penetration tests were complete I went to work on a couple of the heads with a bench vise, hammer and two pair of pliers. I focused mainly on the braze joints, head to adapter glue joints and the thin section of the vented blades. The braze joints took a significant amount of force to peel them apart. Certainly more force than that to be found inside an animal. The thin sections of the blades were bent back and forth many times before they would fail. The glue joints took less force to separate however it was still enough to withstand any hunting situation.

Conclusion
In conclusion I believe it is safe to say that the Magnus two-blade screw-in broadheads are extremely tough, above average penetration wise and will fly well with proper tuning.

The only head that was destroyed, outside of my vise, was brought to its demise by a 2"x6" hardwood board shot at an angle! I would not hesitate to take on any big game animal in the world with these heads. 

Ratings
Design: 4 of 5
The penetration and durability witnessed prove the design of this head. 

Durability: 4.5 of 5
Simply - a very tough head!

Flight: 3.75 of 5
These heads fly well once proper tuning is achieved, but I found them to be a bit critical. The benefits of dependability, penetration and durability are enough to overshadow any downside this may cause.

For information on these or any other Magnus product contact:

Magnus Archery Company
P.O. Box 1877
Great Bend Ks. 67530
620-793-9222 - PHONE
620-793-9141 - FAX
Web Site: www.magnusbroadheads.com
 Email: info@magnusbroadheads.com