I had the opportunity to review a very interesting broadhead this week. It’s called the Toxic broadhead and it’s manufactured in the USA by Flying Arrow Archery from MT.
As you can see from the image below, it has a very unique design worthy of investigating. It nearly replicates the shape of a 3 leaf clover and leaves an equal imprint on whatever gets in its path. Whether or not it damages tissue isn’t the question. How well it flies is!
Hurling a cylindrical shaped object with more surface cutting material than a normal 3 sided broadhead will unequivocally damage more flesh when applied under the same force. As stated above; how it travels to its destination will ultimately determine whether or not you’ll be bringing home your game with a tag on it though! Flight is everything in archery, especially in bow hunting. Second chances are few and far between and the thought of crippling an animal is something any respectable hunter wants to avoid.
The broadhead I tested was a 100 grain head. I shot it in two different days; one windy and one in calm conditions. I shot into a traditional foam target at 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 yards. I attached the head to my arrow and powered it with my Bear Carnage set @70 pounds draw weight. I custom fletched my vanes with a helical offset. All of this data matters if you are using my results for your benefit, so please make note of it.
In a nutshell, here’s what I found:
1. The broadhead damages foam better than a traditional 3 sided head.
2. Flight characteristics are surprisingly good but different.
3. Compensation for wind is minimal.
4. Deflection at angles are more severe than a traditional broadhead.
5. The Toxic actually generates lift.
6. Penetration isn’t as good as a low profile 3 bladed fixed broadhead.
For the record, I rarely shoot a broadhead into a barrel or plywood to test durability. When I’m finished with my flight testing, I’ll purposely slam it into a layered unit of materials I created, not to see if it will break, but rather to see where and how it will break when a tremendous amount of force is applied to it. Weak links are quickly exposed using this method. The Toxic blades are properly fortified and the chiseled tip held its ground.
As noted earlier, this head will generate lift because of its design. It’s not a lot of lift but nevertheless it does fly higher and drop less than some of the traditional 3 bladed heads I compared them to. The curvature of the blade creates a slight “camber” which in turns generates lift. Anywhere lift is found, the component of drag will be at its side. With drag, comes a slight loss of speed. So which do you prefer; less drop and less speed or more drop and more speed?
The lift and drag generated by the Toxic are both minimal. Every broadhead has its flight characteristics, and this just happens to be theirs. These results are to be taken into consideration if you shoot a comparable setup like mine and decide to pilot your next set of arrows with these. All in all, I liked them very much and found them to be very intriguing. I would recommend these broadheads and suggest you practice with them prior to any hunt. I would be willing to bet some huge blood trails and easy recoveries when packing these little monsters!
Pricing is comparable to other broadheads on the market and I’ve found them in 3 packs for just under $30.00. More information can be found by visiting their website http://flyingarrowmontana.com . If you would like to view my video on the wound channels, please CLICK HERE. Toxic broadheads get a “Thumbs Up” from me.
NOTE: From the manufacturer:
- They do not recommend shooting helical fletching as helical may cause erratic flight. Straight fletching is recommended .
For more from Marc please go to: Marc Anthony
and:
www.marcanthonyoutdoors.com
www.nontypicalhunter.net
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I always appreciate a good review of a good product, but I have to correct an error. You are claiming that this arrow has lift. If an object is spinning, as your arrows were due to thier helical fletching, the net lift on the object will always be zero. The lift applies equally down as it does up. The fact is, these arrows hit higher because they have lower drag. Thier speed does not reduce as quickly, and they reach thier targets faster before gravity has the chance to pull it down as far. This is because this Brodhead has the opportunity to direct incoming air toward the arrow, creating more pressure behind it than normal, while most Brodheads direct air away from the body of the arrow, contributing to a lower pressure spot, or vacuum, behind the arrow. This is the definition of drag: higher pressure in front, lower pressure behind. It’s really basic physics. I hope I have helped.
you sure did Mike. thank you for the clarification. Of course the end result is still the same regardless of the aeronautical flight pattern but it’s nice to have an exacting explanation of why the Toxic flies as it does. thank you. Main thing, this is one incredible broadhead.