In the bowhunting industry there are several factors that make a successful
hunting rig. If asked people will give you a variety of answers on
what piece of equipment is most important. Is it the bow, the arrow
or the ever crucial site, rest or release mechanism? In fact no matter
what your setup may be, is it not a combination of all the components?
I believe it is, but I also believe the piece of equipment most overlooked
is the one responsible for the lethal injury to the animal, the broadhead.
Just like other equipment, there are a variety of models to choose
from. Which is best for your setup? In years past I chose a
mechanical because of my experience with planning of fixed heads at speeds
over 275 fps. Well maybe you are thinking that my bow wasn"t tuned
-- I can assure you it was. I could get one that would fly
perfect but try another from the same package and my arrow would impact
several inches off target. Now this was with the same arrow with
only the head replaced. And yes they were spin tested!
So this year when Ballistic Archery Inc. out of Rosemont, New Jersey
sent me a pack of Steel Force Premier Series Broadheads I immediately formulated
a conclusion of what the outcome would be. Continue reading and I
think you will be as amazed as I was at my final conclusion.
Initial inspection
First off let me give you a full description of the broadhead components
followed by a breakdown of each. This particular Steel Force Broadhead
is labeled as the Premium Series. It is manufactured out of 420 HC
stainless steel and tempered to 49-51 Rockwell hardness. The aggressive
low angle design of the main blade is of cut-on impact/contact design.
This design is enhanced by a diamond shaped tip that is combined with a
razor sharp edge. The main blade is accompanied by two lockdown bleeder
blades. This four blade combination slides into precision groves
within the 7075 aircraft grade aluminum ferrule. The 3 heads I received
within the pack were all less than one grain within the 100 grain weight.
Breakdown/Tests
Tests were performed with the Steel Force Broadhead mounted on a 28.75"
ACC 360 arrow. Overall weight of the arrow came in at 420 grains
and was launched from a Bowtech Patriot with a draw weight at 72 lbs.
This setup flew through the chronograph at 275 fps with a kinetic energy
level of 71 ft. lbs.
Before shooting all three broadheads were mounted and spin tested which
resulted in excellent alignment. The first test was a simply accuracy
test at twenty yards. Even though I call this test simple, its result
would probably mean the most. If unable to fly close to field point
precision my confidence in them wouldn't amount to much. I was astounded
as they flew with the accuracy of my field points. Several groupings
and interchanging of heads resulted in the same accuracy and passing marks.
The Steel Force stainless steel head is very rugged and had no problems
what so ever blowing through my compressed formed target. For the
ultimate test I launched the arrow from a distance of 10 feet into a very
tough treated 2" x 4". The penetration was excellent with the broadhead
totally burying and the diamond shaped tip protruding almost a half-inch
beyond the board. I attribute this to the very sharp cut on impact
diamond head and low angle design of the .048 thick blades with 49-51 Rockwell
hardness. Unfortunately I did not get an opportunity to try them
out on a mature whitetail during the latter part of Ohio's archery season.
Sometimes you just can't get the deer to cooperate! The .015"
bleeder blades performed flawlessly as they complimented the 1" main blade
cutting path. The overall toughness of the blade was advanced by
the precision and tight tolerances of the high strength 7075 aluminum ferrule.
The unique locking mechanism enhanced this by showing no signs of movement
or "slop" when flexed as pressure was applied to and against the main blade.
Finally all broadheads where weighed with the result less than one grain
within the 100 grain specifications. Factoring in the error margin
of my scale I would have to say they are as close to perfect as humanly
possible. I account for this precision as each broadhead is manufactured
using state of the art equipment and then hand assembled and tested for
absolute uniformity.
Design 5 out of 5
The sweptback angle design of the blades reminds me of a high speed
fighter jet wingspan. The precision of each broadhead shows with
its tight tolerances. These tight tolerances and uniformity are shown
when interchanging ferrules and blades. No matter how many times
you interchanged and reassembled them the state of the art design allow
for a complete broadhead with no wind planning.
Toughness 4.5 out of 5
When compared to other cut on impact heads the Steel Force Premium
Series is at the top of the class. The 0.048" blades are rock solid
when locked onto the high strength aluminum ferrule.
Sharpness 4 out of 5
The cut on impact head and blades were absolutely razor sharp out of
the package. They hand sharpen each head which results is probably
the sharpest available. The blades did lose some of the sharpness after
several passes through the target, which can be expected. However
all Steel Force Broadheads offer free lifetime resharpening.
Accuracy 5 out of 5
The accuracy of the Premier Series is in a class to themselves when
it comes to a cut on impact/contact fixed blade. From now on you
will find one in my quiver.
For more information
on this or other fine Ballistic Archery products see your local dealer/pro-shop
or contact:
Ballistic
Archery, Inc
Steel Force
Broadheads
PO
Box 9
Rosement,
NJ 08556
Phone
609-397-1990
Fax
609-397-0374
Email:
stlforce@aol.com
Web
Site: www.SteelForce.com |
