In this review I tested a broadhead by Lone Wolf, which has traditionally been know for manufacturing deer stands.
Now, they have made a foray into the broadhead market with a really unique design.
Lone Wolf 100-Grain Fixed Blade Broadhead
Here’s a good look at the Lone Wolf 100 grain broadhead. And wow, there are all kinds of unique things going on here! I’ve never seen another broadhead like it. You notice first of all, that it’s just one piece construction. But unlike a lot of other heads, it’s not one piece of steel. This is one piece of 6061 aluminum (which isn’t the strongest aluminum but it’s still a pretty strong.)
Now, the strength of a broadhead doesn’t just come from its materials. It also comes from its geometric design, like how thick it is, which can affect its structural integrity.
You could have a super-high quality steel, but if it has poor design, it then it could break. Or, you could have something made out of aluminum that a really stout design and it could be really durable.
So, I was eager to see if this will be durable like that or not, given that it’s all aluminum.
With this head being all aluminum, the advantage is it allows the broadhead to be a lot thicker than it would be able to be at this weight (100 grains) than if it were made out of steel. It would be a couple hundred grains at least, maybe 250, if it were made of solid steel.
The Lone Wolf head has a relatively short overall design and it feels relatively sharp. It has a super sharp tip. The backs of the blades are sharpened as well, to make it a little bit easier to pull out of a target or out of an animal. If the animal is moving with the broadhead still embedded, then the back of the blade will be cutting as it is backing out.
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11/20/2024 10:04 pm GMT
So it’s just three blades, but the blades are thick! (At the base, the blades are 0.22″). These are some of the thickest blades I’ve ever seen!
And, those thick blades are going to create an incredible wound channel, as well as provide some structural durability.
But, instead of just cutting a neat little slit, it’s going to take a chunk out of the tissue, or whatever it hits, and create a wound channel that would be really difficult to close up, thus displacing a lot of tissue.
It also has a hard, anodized coating over it, which will give it a little extra durability.
They say the coating has a Rockwell hardness of about 60, whereas the aluminum itself is about 45 to 50. So, I didn’t know how durable it was going to be. And, I didn’t know how durable that coating was and what was going to happen when it rubbed off a little bit on the edge.
Nonetheless, I was very intrigued by this broadhead. I really liked the looks of the wound channel that I thought it would generate and I was eager to put it to the test!
Let’s take a look at the various tests I performed with the Lone Wolf brodheads and the associated results!
For the Lone Wolf broadhead testing, I used my Bowtech CP28 set at 72 pounds. I also used Bishop FOC King Arrows for most of the shots, but then for the really hard impact ones, I used the Bishop FAD Eliminator.
Flight Forgiveness (I field pt then I broadhead @30 yds):
As you can see, the Lone Wolf head had good flight versus a field point.
Initial Sharpness Test
It took 350 grams of force to cut through the wire which is a 8.5 on a 10-point scale.
I shot the Lone Wolf head into ballistic gel fronted with a rubber mat and 1/2″ layer of MDF. It penetrated 7-1/14″.
Edge Retention Test
After the ballistic gel penetration test, I checked the sharpness again… It took an additional 225 grams of force to cut through the wire, which is a 5.5 on a 10-point scale.
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11/20/2024 08:48 pm GMT
Durability Test (1/2″ MDF max 3 shots):
I shot the Lone Wolf head into MDF three times. It remained in excellent shape.
Durability Test (22 gauge steel plate max 2 shots):
And here it is after the two shots through a .22 gauge steel plate. As you can see, the tip got pretty blunted and the blades got really dulled. But structurally, it held together fine. And, it made really nice holes. They are not just a circular wound channel with three slits, but they are really triangular holes, due to the extra thick blades.
I shot the Lone Wolf broadhead into a concrete block and it actually stuck.
Here is the head after all the durability tests. Now, after the steel plate, the edges got really dulled from that.. very dulled. And, the tips was really rounded as well. But structurally, it held together extremely well and stuck very deeply into the concrete. It still spun true.
Man, I tell you. It has some real unique strengths to it. And, I love it whenever somebody comes out with something different and tries some innovation, because that’s what makes broadheads evolve. Somebody tries something and maybe they hit it dead center and you’re like, “Wow! This is the best thing.” Or maybe it spurs on some other idea.
But, in terms of real performance when it comes to sharpness, edge retention and durability, it proved to be lacking.
So I can imagine it’s going to really put an animal down if you hit it in a good spot, but in terms of prolonged usage and resharpening and so forth, I think you’re going to have some challenges with it.
Here’s the Lusk Grade (7 Golden Arrows) for the Lone Wolf Broadhead.
So, I applaud Lone Wolf for coming up with a really creative design. Be sure to check out the score sheet to see how it did in the areas that matter to you, and see if this broadhead might be a good fit for you.
SEVR originally came out with a broadhead that had a 2.1” cutting diameter. It was a great head with fantastic flight and it was tough. But, the penetration is about what you would expect from a 2.1” broadhead and it was a bit lacking in kinetic energy for my purposes.
For a deer, or even for smaller game like turkey, if your number one goal is a big hole, the 2.1” SEVR is going to deliver. But to round out their lineup, they’ve come up with two additional offerings.
The 1.5-inch and 1.7-inch SEVR broadheads look the same in shape, but with some subtle differences in head and ferrule composition.
SEVR 1.7-inch Broadhead
To compliment their original broadhead, SEVR introduced a 1.7” head. It has a stainless steel tip and it has got a good grade aluminum ferrule. It has rear deploying blades that lock in place, which I love.
The 1.7” cutting diameter provides decent penetration and is a good all-around broadhead offering for pretty much any kind of game.
SEVR 1.75-inch Broadhead
The SEVR 1.75-inch head replaced the 1.7-inch version, which has been discontinued.
SEVR 1.5-inch Broadhead
SEVR also introduced the 1.5-inch head. The 1.5-inch operates just like the 2.1-inch with a few design differences.
On the 1.7-inch head, the tip is not quite as big as the 1.5-inch head and also has a smaller ferrule. The 1.7-inch head only comes in a 100-grain and is a little cheaper, while the 1.5-inch head comes in a 100-grain as well as a 125-grain.
SEVR 1.5-inch and 1.7-inch heads | The details…
Firstly, just as the name implies, the 1.5-inch head has a 1.5-inch cutting diameter. Also, the ferrule and tip on the 1.5-inch head are titanium, as opposed to the stainless steel tip and aluminum ferrule of its 2.1-inch predecessor.
The blades of the 1.5-inch head are stainless steel and lock into place just like the 2.1-inch head.
The 1.5-inch head is designed for big-bodied, heavy-skinned animals. It is also better for longer distance shots, due to the smaller cutting diameter.
Although the cut is 1.5” wide, the chiseled tip itself is approximately 5/16-inch wide. So, with the 1.5-inch width cut in one direction and the 5/16-inch wide tip cut in the other direction, you get a total of a little over 1-3/4 inches of cut with a 1-1/2-inch hole.
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11/20/2024 10:05 pm GMT
Pricing
SEVR has a direct-to consumer approach, so you can only order them from their website. You can purchase them by the eaches, but you can get a better deal if you buy higher quantities.
At the time of this article’s publishing, the 1.7-heads are $11.99 each. The 1.5-inch head is $13.99. The 1.5 is more expensive due to the titanium head. You can purchase at SEVRbroadheads.com.
Using code LUSKFIVE will give you $5 off any order at SEVRbroadheads.com!
Blades and cutting features
I love the way the SEVRs work. They have two small “wings” that are exposed during flight. When they come in contact with an animal, they actually “pre-stretch” the hide (skin) as the blades deploy. In theory, since the blades are rear-deploying, not only do you get a 4-cut entry, but you get a bigger cut.
The heads of the SEVRs also lock into place. So, unlike a lot of mechanical heads that can close down if there’s not a certain amount of pressure, these heads lock in place and they stay that way in the animal.
Because they lock in place, they will not give a smaller cut than they do at their full deployment. The blades will go back into pre-deployment position when removing from the animal, but will still lock back down in deployment position.
The blade will simply fall to the side that encounters the bone, allowing the other blade to continue cutting and still keeps the broadhead on track.
SEVR blades will rotate when coming in contact with bone or other hard surfaces, which helps prevent bending and breaking of blades and keeps heads on course.
This feature helps increase the chances of getting a good exit and getting better penetration of lungs and other vitals when the head encounters bone. And, because the blades stay locked even as they rotate, they just “dance” around the bone.
Another nice feature to the SEVR broadheads is that when there is heavy pressure on the blades – the type of pressure that might bend or break both blades – they compressed ever so slightly to absorb some of that impact. Because of this feature, they are difficult to break.
The 1.7-inch heads have a blade thickness of 0.035-inch thick. The 1.5-inch heads have blades that are 0.032-inch thick. Both heads have all the same features, locking in place and pivoting around bone, staying on track.
I was excited that they came out with a 1.7 and came out with a 1.5 because the 2.1-inch was just a little bit much for me to be able to be confident that I would be able to get a pass-through on an animal.
Although I knew I would get a big hole, I needed to be confident that I would get pass throughs. And, when hunting large animals like elk or bear, I want to be sure I get deep penetration.
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11/20/2024 07:33 pm GMT
Blade angle and overall cut
Another thing I like about the 1.5-inch head versus the original 2.1-inch head is that the blade angle is much less. So, penetration is not only better because of a smaller cutting area, but it’s also better because of the smaller angle.
The same with the 1.7-inch head. While it has a slightly larger cutting angle than the 1.5, it is still less than the 2.1. So, the 1.7 also gets better penetration, not only because of the angle, but because of the smaller diameter cut.
Now, you might think, “Oh, 1.5 or 1.7 inches is kind of small.” But, there are not many fixed heads that have a 1.5-inch cut. They might have a combined 2-inch cut, with 1-inch one way and 1-inch the other way.
But, what I have found with broadheads on game animals is that the wider a cut, the more effective bloodletting you will get.
On three and four-blade broadheads, although you may get more total tissue cut, you get a smaller cutting diameter. And, smaller holes tend to get plugged up easier with organs blood and tissue, resulting in less effective blood trails.
But, when you get a wider cut, even like a 1.5-inch, the hide and wound tend to stretch open as the animal moves, producing better bloodletting.
With the 2.1-inch head, you’re going to get a lot of bloodletting, but you are going to compromise penetration to do so.
So, with the new SEVR lineup, you have something for everyone. But, what I really wanted to see was… how do they fly? They are really the same heads, so I just tested the 1.5-inch.
The SEVRs fly just like a field point, providing great accuracy, even at long distances.
When it comes to target shooting the SEVR heads, there is a feature that helps them stand out. Each head comes with a small set screw, so that when you shoot, the head stays in a closed position.
Because the blades do not deploy, they don’t touch the target at all. It’s very nice on your target and on the head itself.
So, in essence it makes the actual broadhead a practice head, and is easy to pull out of the target. Just be sure that when you hunt, you have removed the set screw, or the blades will not deploy.
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11/20/2024 10:13 pm GMT
Penetration and durability testing
For my penetration and durability tests, I shot the SEVR heads through 1-2-inch layers of MDF, with a foam mat in the front. I also shot them at a 45-degree angle on the MDF. After those tests, I shot them into a steel plate.
For testing, I shot the Bowtech SR6, set at 72 pounds, on the comfort setting. The arrows I used with the heads are the Bishop Mammoth FOC King, bsecause they are the most durable arrows made. These tests really put the arrows through the ringer and yet they don’t get damaged, as they are incredibly resilient.
I shot the 1.5-inch, 125-grain head and the 1.7-inch, 100-grain head into the MDF. Both broadheads penetrated all the way through the first board and then stopped into the second board.
In the back of the second layer of MDF, the 1.7-inch bulged out a little bit. The 1.5-inch bulged out quite a bit more.
On the entrance hole, both deployed upon impact even with the soft pad over the first board and the cuts are exactly as advertised.
The 1.5-inch head opened up to 1.5 inches. And the 1.7-inch head opened up to 1.7 inches exactly.
45-degree angle shot into MDF
I set up two MDF boards at a 45-degree angle and shot both the 1.5 and 1.7-inch heads into it.
Both heads penetrated precisely straight through. There was no sliding off the 45-degree angle board at all. And, the penetration was great for both of them. You see the top one was the 1.5-inch, the bottom the 1.7.
Both the 1.5 and 1.7-inch SEVR heads created their respective sized entrance holes in the foam pad and MDF board.
Both heads penetrated into the second layer of MDF board.
The 1.5-inch SEVR penetrated slightly better through 45-degree angled MDF board.
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Steel Plate Penetration Test
Because these heads held up so well in the MDF testing, I also shot them into a steel plate to evaluate what would happen.
I honestly wasn’t expecting them to hold up that well after all those other MDF board shots. But, they went through the steel plate and then through the second board.
You can see that the 1.5-inch at the top, blew all the way through it. And you can see the tip of the 1.7-inch, 100-grain, sticking at the bottom.
Here are the heads after going through the initial two layers of MDF and then another layer of MDF and an angle, and then a layer of steel plate and then another MDF, half inch MDF.
All of them were half inch MDFs. And they both held up extremely well.
On the 1.5-inch, there was zero damage to the tip. The blades took very little damage, incurring only one nick. (The nick at the bottom is part of the design that holds the rubber bands in place.)
As for the 1.7-inch, they too held up really well, receiving small nicks both blades from the steel plate test.
Overall, the SEVR heads held up really well, including the blades, tips and ferrules.
Both the 1.5 and the 1.7-inch SEVR heads penetrated the steel plate and the first layer of MDF.
SEVR 1.75 Review
The SEVR 1.75-inch expandable replaced the discontinued 1.7-inch version.
I like the 1.5 for really big animals. I like the 2.0 for a little bit smaller animals. My thoughts were that this one just might be the one to use for every animal.
Let’s take a closer look at it…
A closer look at the SEVR 1.75
Here’s a good look at the 1.75 compared to the 1.5 and the 2.0 versions.
The body and tip of the 1.75, like the other versions, is made out of the single piece of grade 5 titanium and you notice the tip is a good stout chiseled tip. It has basically a third of an inch cut in one dimension, and then when fully open, it has 1-¾ inches of cut in that dimension. That’s why it’s called the 1.75.
The tip of the 1.75 functions like a bleeder. It opens up a cross cut to help you get a wider wound channel that is more difficult to close up.
I was really eager to put this head to the test and see how it measures up to the 2.0 and the 1.5 and just see its overall performance.
Flight Forgiveness Test of 1.75 (1 field pt then I broadhead @30 yds)
The 1.75 has incredibly forgiving flight!
Initial Sharpness Test of Sevr 1.75
It took only 175 grams of force to cut through the wire, which is a 10 on a 10-point scale!
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11/20/2024 09:10 pm GMT
Penetration Test 1 (2/3″ rubber mat, 1/2″ MDF, FBI Gel)
The 1.7 model penetrated 6-½ inches.
You can see that it opened to its full cutting diameter on impact, which is pretty rare for gator-style heads on this rubber foam mat, because it’s kind of soft. Usually, I have to test it on a cardboard box to see how well it opens, but this one opened very well.
Edge Retention Test (sharpness after Penetration Test 1)
It took no additional force to cut through the wire after Penetration Test I, which is a 10 on a 10-point scale for edge retention!
Penetration Test 2 (layered cardboard)
The 1.75 penetrated through 54 layers of cardboard. And,just like in Penetration Test 1, once the blades locked open, they stayed in that open position the entire way.
Angled Shot Test (1/4″ MDF/Carpet)
The angled MDF was no problem at all for the SEVR 1.75.
Durability Test (1/2″ MDF max 3 shots)
The 1.75 was in absolutely perfect condition after the 3 shots into the MDF.
Durability Test (22 gauge steel plate max 2 shots)
Here is the 1.75 after the second shot through the steel plate and you can see the blades experienced a bit of edge chatter and then the tip got a little bit blunted. And, then one of the little-bats sheared off on the second shot on the right side at the top. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen that happen to a SEVR head, but it was the second shot through the steel plate, and otherwise, it held together well.
Concrete Test:
I shot the 1.75 into a concrete block…. and it stuck!
Check out how embedded the 1.75 is in the block!
Here’s a good look at the head after all the durability tests. It has gone through the MDF 3 times, the steel plate 2 times, and then it stuck really deeply into the concrete. And you can see the edge chatter that it incurred on the steel plate. And then, one of the little blades, as I noted earlier, broke off on the second shot into the steel plate. But, then it stuck really deeply into the concrete and even the blades hit the concrete a bit as you can see in that picture.
Even after embedding into the concrete, the 1.75 spun really well… Really impressive durability in this broadhead!
Final Thoughts and score on the SEVR 1.75 broadhead
So what do you think of the 1.75?
Man, it did really well. The blades were super sharp and held their edge incredibly well. And, of course, it had excellent flight. It’s simply one of the best flying broadheads out there.
The SEVR 1.75 scored better than any head I’ve ever tested!
It has great durability.
And, this broadhead actually got the highest score of any broadhead I’ve ever tested to this point!
I think this is going to be in my quiver quite a bit in the days ahead.
BONUS: SEVR 2.0 Ti Broadheads Review
Below I’m going to show you the results of my testing of the SEVR Ti 2.0, but first, a little history behind this head…
How the Ti 2.0 came to be
SEVR originally came out with their first broadhead, called the 2.1, which was just known as the SEVR. It had a massive 2.1 cutting diameter, and some really cool features (blades pivoting around bone and a super low profile in flight, titanium ferrule, etc.)
There was a lot I liked about that head and I did some initial testing on it when it first came out.
The only drawback that I saw in that head was that it wasn’t the best at penetration. Now, with a full 2.1-inch cut, you don’t expect it to penetrate super well, but I thought it should penetrate a bit better than it did.
So since that time, SEVR came out with the 1.7 and the 1.5, which I’ve covered above. They shortened the cut a little bit in the 1.7, and 1.5 (1.7 inches and 1.5 inches instead of 2.1).
I’ve since come to love those heads. In fact, the 1.5 is one of my very favorite heads, period. It’s more durable than most fixed-blade heads and by far the most durable mechanical that I’ve ever tested. I’ve taken animals with it all over the world.
Well now, they’ve come out with another big cut model that is also supposed to maximize penetration. And that is this Ti, (Titanium) 2.0.
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The SEVR Ti 2.0 compared to the old SEVR 2.1
I tested the SEVR Ti 2.0 for penetration, for edge sharpness and retention, and for durability.
I didn’t test the flight because I’ve already tested the flight of the SEVRs quite a bit and they fly exceptionally well. You can see the low profile. They just fly like a field point.
But I put it through all those other tests and I want to compare the 2.1 to the new 2.0 and see what the difference is in terms of penetration.
The SEVRs have a solid titanium ferrule that is grade 5 titanium and one piece all the way up, including the tip.
The blades are made out of a hardened 420 stainless steel at 0.032 inches thick. The blades are held in place by a little O-ring at the base that fits into that groove and when they’re shot and penetrate into the hide when they first made contact, the winged tips pushed the blades back and they deploy and lock into an open position, giving a full cutting diameter (in this case, 2.1 inches).
Here, you can see the differences between the old SEVR 2.1 and the newer SEVR Ti 2.0.
These two heads may look similar, but there are three main differences.
The new Ti 2.0 has a slightly smaller cut, 2.0 inches versus 2.1 on the original SEVR.
The blades of the Ti 2.0 have a more swept angle (less straightness) to them, so they’re going to get easier penetration.
The little winged tips that caused the deployment of the 2.1, they protrude a little bit farther beyond the blade than they do on the 2.0. On the 2.0, they just slightly protrude, and that increases penetration.
So, those three changes and modifications from the 2.1 to the 2.0 are supposed to result in up to 15% deeper penetration by and large. So I was eager that to the test.
SEVR Ti 2.0 sharpness test
The SEVR Ti 2.0 was still able to cut paper cuts paper after five strokes of the shaft of a carbon arrow.
The Ti 2.0 was able to cut paper after 5 strokes of the arrow.
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11/20/2024 10:53 pm GMT
Ballistic Gel Penetration test comparison
I shot both the 2.1 and the Ti 2.0 into ballistic gel that was fronted by a rubber mat and 1/2″ MDF.
The 2.1 penetrated 6 and 3/4 inches and the new SEVR Ti 2.0 penetrated 7 and 3/4 inches.
Ti 2.0 MDF durability test
I shot the Ti 2.0 into MDF to see how it would hold up. The results were surprising.
Here’s the head after going through the MDF five times. And as you can see, it looks brand new.
Then, I decided to see how it would handle a .22 gauge steel plate.
Here you can see the SEVR after going through the steel plate twice and after having gone through the MDF. You can see the blades got pretty bent up and yet, it held together. Pretty impressive.
One last thing I think is worth noting on the Ti 2.0… If you already have the old 2.1 heads, you can just order the blades for the 2.0 and swap them out. These can be used with the ferrule of the 2.1. So, it’s nice that you can do that. If you want to pick up some penetration from the 2.1s that you already have, just get the new blades and put them in there.
The Robusto is marketed as a crossbow broadhead, but it can easily and very effectively be to used through a vertical bow as well.
A Closeup Look At The SEVR Robusto
So, let’s check out this Robusto broadhead!
The Robusto has the same blade deployment system as the other Sevr expandables, so it will work great out of vertical bows. It’s just 150 grains, so you have to account for that extra 25 grains if you’re used to a 125-grain heads or extra 50 grains if you use 100-grain heads. But, that also increases your FOC a little bit. It increases your momentum a little bit as well. So, I like that extra bit of weight in the 150-grain.
The blades are held in place really strongly by the silicon O-ring. It’s a really thin ring, but it’s silicon, so it doesn’t dry rod or freeze.The overall profile of the Robusto is super small in the closed position. That’s what makes these one of the very best flying heads. This, just like all of the SEVRs, should fly incredibly well.
The Robusto is all-stainless steel, whereas in the 2.0 and the 1.5, the ferrule is made out of titanium. Here, it’s all stainless steel.
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11/20/2024 09:58 pm GMT
The tip, by my measurements, has a 0.33″ cut when closed. And, when fully deployed, the Robusto has 2″ of cut the other way. So overall, 2.33″, which is a pretty nice cut.
Now, you notice there is this little hole for a set screw right here. It’s in each individual pack of broadheads. And, you just screw it in. This keeps the blades in the closed position. So, you can practice with them and shoot the same broadhead that you’re going to be hunting with, but in the closed position, so you won’t dull the blades, since they won’t contact the target at all. You just have to remember to take out that set screw before you go hunting, or you’re going to be really disappointed when the blades would not open!
Also, when you’re practicing using the set screw, you don’t need to use the O-ring!
So, the way the Robusto works, is that the small deployment arms, are blunt and angled forward. As they press on a medium like animal hide, they push and indent the hide just a little bit and then the blades spring open and it gets a bit bigger cut than just the advertised 2″. That’s the theory of it.
The pressure causes that O-ring to expand and it slides back or cuts off, and then the blades come into their open position and they lock in the open position. And that’s one of the things that’s really unique about the SEVR is that blades lock. They have a little mechanism in the back where the two blades butt up against each other and they come into the lock position.
The Robusto in the fully open and locked position.
Even if there’s not pressure pushing the blades, they’re still going to stay in that open position. Whereas, most Gator Blades, if there’s not pressure, they’re just going to collapse. They’re just going to go back down. These would not due to the locking mechanism.
Another thing this does is it allows the blades to pivot, and that’s kind of SEVR’s claim to fame is to cut straight through. A lot of times, what happens with a big 2-blade mechanical, is that as it penetrates, if one of the blades hits a heavy bone, which causes a deflection, drastically changing the arrow’s direction.
And, you’re thinking, “I made a perfect shot,” but then the arrow changes direction within the animal because of that deflection, and you can end up losing the animal.
The pivot allows it to hit a bone and then the blade just folds back and it stays on course.
Now, you’re not going to get as much of a cut if that blade goes back. However, you’re going to get more than just that one blade because the blade is going to stick out. So, you’re not going to get the whole cut, but you’re still going to get quite a bit.
Now, one of the drawbacks of this can be that if it hits a bone one side right before it exits, then you might get an exit with just this cutting diameter. Now, you are still getting the 0.33″ one way, and you’re getting more than 1″ the other way, so probably about 1-1-4/” overall, which would be a smaller exit hole.
But, unless that happens, it’s going to return right back into its fully open position. But, the tradeoff is that you aren’t absorbing a lot of energy if one blade is hit, but then you might get a smaller exit.
I’ve taken many animals with the Sevr heads I’ve seen that happened one time where I had like an inch and a quarter exit hole, but it really was inconsequential as far as harvesting the animal.
The blades of the Robusto are 0.032″ thick, so pretty average thickness to the blades. But again, because of that design feature, they’ve proven over the years pretty durable.
You’ll notice also there’s a little divot here in the blades. That’s just where the O-ring goes. It’s not like there’s a chip in the blade. That’s not because it contacted the ferrule or anything. That’s just where the O-ring goes so it doesn’t get cut.
To get the blades closed, I just like to put my finger over it. I’m not even really touching the blade. And then with my thumb nail, I push up on one of these little ends of the blades and then the other one just slides under it. It comes with a little plastic tool you can do this with, but it’s just as easy to do it with your nail like that. And then there it is in the closed position. When it opens, it pops. You can hear a little snap.
For the Robusto tests, I used my Bowtech CP28 for most of the shots. I used the SR6 for one of them. And, I used Bishop FOC King Arrows for most of the shooting, and the Bishop FAD Eliminators for the really hard impact shots because they are just so incredibly durable.
Robusto Testing
I was eager to put the Robusto to the test! Let’s see how it performed!
Flight Forgiveness
I shot one field point and one Robusto at 30 yards.
Initial Sharpness
The initial sharpness of the Robusto registered at 200.
Penetration Test 1 (2/3″ rubber mat, 1/2″ MDF, FBI Gel):
The Robusto penetrated 6-1/2″. I know it doesn’t look like that, but if you look closely, you can see this thing that happens with the gel. There is a cut that goes in front of the tip that extends about an inch-and-a-half beyond where the final resting place of the head is. And with gel, it shoots forward and then kind of compresses back sometimes. And that’s what happens. The blades opened very well and stayed opened. They’re at an angle and so it looks like they are pretty closed, but they’re actually their full cutting position.
Edge Retention Test (sharpness after Penetration Test 1): 225
The Robusto registered 225 after the MDF/ballistic gel penetration test.
Penetration Test 2 (layered cardboard):
The Robusto penetrated through 54 layers of cardboard.
Opening Test (Leather stretched over box):
You can see that the blades opened up almost to their full cutting diameter of 2″ on impact.
And, the blades locked open as you can see the impact into the target right behind the cardboard box here.
Durability Test (1/2″ MDF max 3 shots):
The Robusto was in perfect condition after going through the MDF 3 times.
Durability (22 gauge steel plate max 2 shots):
Here are the holes the Robusto made in the steel plate.
And it’s still in really good condition after going through the steel plate 2 times. And then here are the holes in the steel plate as well.
Durability Test (Concrete I Shot):
The Robusto stuck in the concrete block!
So here’s the Robusto after all the durability tests. It went through the MDF and the steel plate, and held together very well through all of those. The blades are in really excellent shape. It actually stuck in the concrete, which was really impressive. But, you see that it did get a bend to it. It looks kind of like a Concord jet.The tip is actually really pointy. It got a tiny bit of a curl to it, but stayed together really well. Obviously, it’s not reusable with that kind of a bend, but it held together relatively well considering that it’s about 750 grains being shot out of a 72-pound bow at 5 yards into the cinder block. So, for that, to hold together, stick in the cinder block and to only have that kind of damage is pretty impressive durability, especially for a mechanical.
Final Thoughts On The SEVR Robusto
So what do you think of the Robusto?
Man, I tell you, it’s another winner of a broadhead by SEVR. I love their 1.5. I love the 2.0. And I like the all-steel Robusto as well. I like the slick design to it, and that tip penetrates just a little bit better. I like that it’s all steel. You get a little bit of extra FOC and momentum by being 150 grains.
I was a little surprised that it bent and buckled a bit when it stuck in the concrete. But, a lot of fixed blades can’t do that. It did hold together but it’s the first time that I’ve shot any SEVR in the concrete and had it experience a bend like that.
So, I don’t know if it just hit an extra hard part in the concrete or what, but overall, the durability was just incredible and its performance was very good.
It actually got an even higher score than the SEVR 2.0. The 2.0 had gotten the highest score of any broadhead mechanical or fixed that I had tested up to this point. And now, the Robusto just replaced that as the highest score.
Things I Wish Were Different About The Robusto
There are a few things I wish were different with the SEVR Robusto, but the main thing is I wish the deploying arms didn’t cover up some of the blade.
You leave it open and you go, “Hey, how come these blades or these little deploying arms are sticking out like that?” People ask me that question all the time and yet at the same time, I would think that they would impede the penetration and yet, they don’t. It still penetrates quite well.
Everything in broadhead is a tradeoff. And, the benefit of having that mechanism that causes the blades to deploy properly and interlock, is the interlocking, pivoting, and strong, shock-absorbing nature of it. The drawback is it covers up some of the blades and yet, in terms of penetration, total cut size, blood-letting, and so forth, it really hasn’t been proven to be any kind of a problem.
I love this Robusto head. And, again, props to SEVR on another great broadhead!
Sevr 1.5 Hybrid Review
The 1.5 Hybrid has an extra little cross blade to it and I was really excited to test it and see how it performed…
Here’s a good look at the 1.5 Hybrid. And, like every Sevr, really tight specifications. It spins extremely well. Same materials. You’ve got titanium ferrule and then you’ve got stainless steel blades.
But let’s start at the tip and go through some of the modifications and upgrades that have been made in this new hybrid.
First of all, you see the tip here is a bit different. It has got 6 edges to it as opposed to 4 in the previous models. And then it has this extra groove here that probably is just more for aesthetics more than anything else and it does look really cool.
From what I had heard, this chiseled tip is just as good at busting bone and staying durable but I was going to have to put that to the test.
You can see the bleeder blade here. And the bleeder has a cutting diameter of 0.7″ and the blade itself is 0.039″ as opposed to the main blade at 0.032″. So, they beefed it up just a little bit and added this 7/10 of an inch so the total cut on this 1.5 is now 2.2″, 1.5″ in diameter and then the extra 7/10 of an inch there. So that really is a game-changer. It adds quite a bit of cut in the same overall package.
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By my measurements, the 1.5 Hybrid is slightly shorter than the 1.5 but just a little bit. They’re basically the same.
Now, another interesting thing is the bleeder blade, which has a pin like a screw that holds it in place. It’s not really load-bearing, which is nice. A lot of times when I test load-bearing pins, they just shear off. The load of this blade on impact is being supported by the ferrule itself. It’s resting on the ferrule, so that’s where the impact is going to be absorbed, not just by that pin.
The cutting diameter of the Sevr 1.5 Hybrid is basically the same as the diameter of the deployment arms, and they’re in the same basic area. Sevr says that the extra bleeder does not disrupt the flight at all because the turbulence of these little deployment arms in flight is already being disrupted by these deployment arms. So apparently, it’s supposed to fly just like the Sevr 1.5.I looked forward to testing that.
The Sevr 1.5 Hybrid is not supposed to have any rattle. They listened to some of the complaints of consumers that had experienced some rattle in the 1.5. But, they’ve modified an internal washer to eliminate any rattle.
This O-ring holds the main blades in place and as these deployment arms penetrate against a medium, they force the O-ring out like this.
So here is the Hybrid in the open position and that’s where you get the cutting diameter of 1.5″. It locks open, unlike every other Gator style head. Most of them that I know of, there has to be a pressure on these deployment arms to keep the blade at its full cutting diameter. That’s not the case with the Sevr. They lock open.
As the Hybrids locks open, they have a pivot to them. And that allows them to pivot around a hard medium. when they hit a bone, rather than veering off course and stopping penetration, they pivot back, allowing one to extend farther out. You definitely don’t get the full cut at that time, but you don’t just get half either. This extends out a bit farther than it would have been. It comes all the way out like shown and it pivots around. And, then as pressure is put on it after that, it immediately pivots back into place.
I have noticed internally in animals that the pivoting action of the Sevrs takes place really quickly, so that when it pivots around a rib or something, man, it pivots right back to its full cutting diameter. I really like that.
Now, also note that due to the internal that washer making things a little but tighter and tighter specs, it’s a little bit more difficult to open than I’ve seen with the previous models.
And then one other feature that a lot of people don’t understand is that this lock in the back here if you can see that the two back-ends of the blades intersect right there and there’s a little wedge that they create. What that does is when – if there’s a medium that hits both blades at the same time and puts pressure on them, they’re a lot less likely to break because it absorbs a lot of the shock and causes one of the back-ends to slide over the other. It’s really hard to do. It takes a really hard, even force to do it. But, they slide over each other and then they still stay locked, and sometimes it’s hard to pull them apart. But, it’s a really creative way to absorb extra impact and keep the blades from breaking or bending terribly on impact.
Now, for resharpening of the main blade, the Stay Sharp Guide replaceable blade kit does a really good job on that. As for these bleeders, you can replace those bleeders, or you can just use a small file to sharpen.
Now, let’s move on to the tests!
Flight Test (1 field point & 1 Broadhead 30 yards, Killer Instinct SWAT X1 Crossbow with 675 gr Bishop Bolt, 300 fps):
The Sevr Hybrid just clipped the bullseye.
Edge Test I, Initial Sharpness Test (Grams of force to cut copolymer wire):
It took 143 grams of force to cut through the wire which is an 10 on a 10-point scale. Plus a 0.57-point bonus for being under the threshold of 200.
It penetrated 9″, which is really pretty surprising. I mean I think the 1.5 penetrated like 6 1/2″. The only thing I can think of is that, that bleeder blade being in front opened up a wound channel that caused less friction from the gel on the arrow shaft, allowing it to penetrate better.
In here, you can see the entrance hole. It reached its full open position of 1 1/2″ and the blades stayed deployed the entire time.
Edge Test 2, Edge Retention (sharpness after Penetration Test 1):
It took an additional 15 grams of force to cut through the wire, which is a 9.7 on a 10-point scale.
Penetration Test 2 (layered cardboard):
The 1.5 Hybrid penetrated through 45 layers of cardboard, which is a bit less than the 1.5 did. But, that’s understandable with that extra cut right in the front.
Durability Test 1 (3 shots 1/2″ MDF):
It’s in perfect shape after the three shots through the MDF.
Durability Test 2 (2 shots 22 gauge steel plate):
And here is the Hybrid after the two shots through the steel plate. And man, really impressive. The bleeders are actually in perfect shape and the main blades are in new perfect shape. There’s a little bit of a nick on each of the blades but not that part where the rubber band goes, that silicone ring that holds the blades close. But, there’s a couple other tiny little nicks there and the tip looks a little bit less sharp. And then you can see that it opened up nice holes. It’s not a full inch and a half of cutting diameter, but it’s close.
Durability Test 3 (1 shot cinder block):
So, here it is after all the durability testing. And man, this thing did really well. Sevrs have a reputation of being super strong. I hear people complain about mechanicals all the time like, “Oh, they break up. They’re so cheap.” Man, not the Sevr! But this one, I expected the bleeders to peel off, even in the in the steel plate. But man, they impacted. I mean they stuck really deeply. Even the bleeders went into the concrete!
The Hybrid had a tiny bit of edge chatter on the blades, but otherwise, they were still in incredible condition. And if there was any wobble, it was just from the concrete that was fused to it. Really impressive durability!
Final Thoughts And Scorecard Of Hybrid 1.5
So what do you think of the Hybrid 1.5?Man, this is a winner of a broadhead! I didn’t know how it was going to fly, how durable it was going to be. But man, it just excelled in all the testing. It got by far the highest score of any broadhead that I’ve ever tested to that point.
SEVR Broadheads Review Conclusion
When I first heard the SEVR broadheads were hitting the market, I had a lot of hope that they penetrate well and hold up well with the changes made to the new models. These heads have exceeded my expectations.
In terms of flight, I knew they would fly extremely well. And, they fly as good as any mechanical head I’ve ever tested. They are like a field point in flight, flying right up there with the very best.
In terms of penetration, they were excellent, maintain outstanding durability as they were shot into 4 total layers of ½-inch MDF, a steel plate and foam mat.
So the SEVR 1.5 and 1.7-inch are really a good heads for bowhunters to consider for various animals.
My purpose in this review was to find out how the Iron Will Outfitters broadheads perform when it comes to penetration and durability.
The Original Iron Will Broadhead | Beauty In A Box
I have never held a broadhead and felt like I was about to propose. But, that’s just what I felt like when I received the Iron Will Outfitters broadheads.
The hand-made box that each broadhead comes in is the definition of quality. The broadhead lies flat in the box on a felt background. It’s really impressive.
The hand-made box gives the Iron Will broadheads a head-start in visual excellence.
But enough about the box, it was time to start checking out and testing the broadheads themselves!
Firstly, even to the eyes, the Iron Will broadhead screams quality. I have tested many broadheads and there are some that you can hold before testing and just know, “this isn’t going to be very good.” However, the broadheads from Iron Will made me go, “OK. This is top tier for sure.”
You are paying for them to be top tier, so you would expect them to be. But, these broadheads literally fit the bill.
To go straight to the testing for each Iron Will broadhead, click the appropriate link below:
The Iron Will broadhead is made of A2 Tool Steel that has been triple heat-tempered as well as cryogenically tempered to produce incredible hardness.
It has Rockwell hardness of 60 but also has an incredible resistance to impact.
You may feel like there’s a diamond inside the Iron Will Outfitters box, but it’s just a precision-crafted piece of archery beauty.
Its Charpy C-Notch score is multiple times higher than a typical stainless steel. So, it has a really good resistance to impact and it has a fairly good resistance to wear which will make a difference on edge retention. The bottom line is that it is top-notch steel.
Another thing I like is that it is a “cut on contact” tip, which aids in penetration. It has two larger blades followed by two smaller bleeder blades. Both the main blades and the bleeders are really thick (0.063 inches). All the blades are replaceable as well, which is nice. It also has a solid steel ferrule.
When you take a look at the tip of the broadhead itself, you’ll notice it has a chisel tip, even though it’s a 2-blade head. The chisel tip provides extra lateral strengthening as the ferrule goes up high towards the tip.
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11/20/2024 10:04 pm GMT
The Trade-Offs
There are a few things about the Iron Will broadhead that are not my favorite. These are observations regarding design.
First of all, with the 2-blade tip and the A2 steel, the benefit is that you are going to get great penetration. But, you’re not going to get the lateral support that you would get with a real chisel tip or a 3-blade tip where all 3 blades come together. It structurally cannot be as supportive. So, while it’s a plus for penetration, it’s a minus on durability and hard impact.
And, then the protruding ferrule… again, there’s a plus to it in that it strengthens the blade going up pretty high. But, it has a little bit of a lip to it, and I can imagine that it could get stuck, not on flesh but maybe on bone, if it splits bone or a hard material.
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Additionally, it’s a component head. And again, this is a trade-off. So it’s several pieces. The set screw has no tension on it that would go against the arrow itself and into the ferrule. But, you have multiple pieces.
Now, the plus side of that is that each piece can be stamped, ground and hardened to extremely high specifications with fine-tuned machining. The negative the the multiple pieces is that, in theory, is, it’s just not going to be as strong as a one-piece broadhead, especially a CNC machined head.
The anatomy of the Iron Will Outfitters solid broadhead.
In addition to the appearance and construction, I like the flight. I got to shoot these out to a hundred yards and it is extremely forgiving. I’ll put the Iron Will up there with the best heads I’ve ever shot in terms of forgiveness, if not the best.
I can pop balloons with this broadhead at 60, 80, and 100 yards fairly readily, and it groups extremely well.
But, how would the Iron Will perform in penetration, durability and hard-impact testing? I decided to test it against the best-selling 3-blade head on the market: The G5 Montec.
Penetration and Durability | Iron Will (Original) vs. G5 Montec
In my first penetration test, shot the Iron Will Outfitters broadhead into about 60 layers of cardboard with a Rinehart target behind it just in case.
The Iron Will broadhead penetrated further into the layered cardboard than the G5 Montec.
Penetration Test #1: Layered Cardboard
First, I tested the G5 Montec broadhead and then the Iron Will.
For the first penetration test, the Iron Will shined. It penetrated a couple of inches further into the cardboard than the Montec.
For that first penetration test, you really can see that the penetration of the Iron Will shined. It went through 7 layers of cardboard, which was about 1-1/4 inch further than the Montec. Afterwards, the Montec’s blades just slid right across my fingernail. They obviously had been dulled. However, the Iron Will still bit into my fingernail. That’s A2 Steel for you.
In the second penetration test, I shot both broadheads through three layers of compressed fiberboard.
The Montec has a diameter of 1-1/6 inches as does the Iron Will. But the Iron will also has 0.75 inches in the cross bleeders. The Montec has only three blades. So, the Iron Will has roughly 1.8 inches of cutting cut, versus 1.6 for the G5 Montec.
The Iron Will also penetrated further into fiberboard than the G5 Montec.
Even with the larger cut of the Iron Will, it buried about a 1/2 inch further than the G5 Montec.
So, even with a larger cuts of animal tissue, you would be getting deeper penetration into soft material as well as hard material.
After this test, the Montec was again already dulled somewhat and would not catch on my fingernail. The Iron Will, even after this second test, shaved my fingernail and was still sticky.
Additionally, the Montec ferrule bent during the test and wobbled during spin, whereas the Iron Will still spun true.
For the durability test, I shot the Iron Will into a 16 gauge steel plate.
The Iron Will had good penetration into the steel plate, but the top of the ferrule got stuck somewhat and was slightly chipped away. (Other broadheads that I have shot into the steel plate have suffered significant damage).
Here is the Iron Will broadhead penetrating a 16 gauge steel plate!
The tip of the broadhead held pretty firm. There was a little bit of a dent on it, but not as much as was expected. The Iron Will did really well compared to all the other fixed blades I’ve tested on the steel plate. The only one that has tested better is the Bishop Holy Trinity, with its 3-blade design of S7 Tool Steel.
The bleeders got a little thinned out and dinged up, but can be replaced.
For this test, I shot another Iron Will broadhead into a cinder block to see how it performed on hard impact.
The Iron Will penetrated well into the cinder block. The bleeder blades did not make it into the block, so it was a relatively small area, but penetration nonetheless. The head got dinged up and the ferrule was cut, but still spun well post-testing.
The Iron Will penetrated the block, and spun well after testing.
For this final test, I shot the Iron Will at a 1/8-inch fixed steel flat bar. I have shot other heads into this flat bar before and the only ones to survive it have been the Bishop Holy Trinity.
The Iron Will made made a nice cut in the bar and actually penetrated the other side. The ferrule we talked about was actually embedded into the steel bar.
The head itself did not fare too well. It also did not penetrate far enough for the bleeders to touch. The blades just disappeared; I’m not sure where they went, but they are somewhere in my backyard. While the Iron Will punched a hole in the steel bar, it didn’t endure it.
The Iron Will broadhead penetrated the steel flat bar, but some components went AWOL.
I’ve had one small critique about the original Iron Will, and that is that it’s cut size. It’s 1-1/16 inches wide. It does have bleeders as well that are 3/4 of an inch.
So what that does in a good way is it maximizes penetration and it maximizes long range flight. But, sometimes you’re not going to be shooting over 60 yards and you have no trouble getting a fixed blade broadhead to pass through an animal, but you want a bigger hole, and that’s where the Iron Will Wide comes in.
The Iron Will Wide (on left), is 1 and 3/8-inch wide. And, it has the same bleeders as the original (right), at 3/4 of-an-inch.
Iron Will Wide Flight
I was really impressed with the flight of the Iron Will Wide head. I didn’t expect it to be this good, especially at longer ranges.
Now, I will say that it’s not as forgiving, accurate, and consistent as the Original. With the Original, I can pop balloons even in a crosswind and so forth at all different ranges.
With the Wide, I’ve got to really pay attention to my form and even then, it’s a little bit touchy.
I’d feel a lot better taking shots with the Wide under 60 yards. But, as you can see, it can still work out to 80. But, on animal (mule deer, whitetail, elk, etc), I’d shoot the Original if I was going to be shooting past 60 yards.
Penetration Testing of the Wide
Here, you can see the penetration of the Wide into the ballistic gel. As expected, the Original penetrated a bit more deeply. It measures 7 and 3/4 inches. And the Wide penetrated 6 and 1/2 inches. The way I have the ruler set up there, you can’t quite see it, but that was the actual penetration, 7 and 3/4, and 6 and 1/2.
The cool thing about the Original Iron Will vs. The Wide is, you have a choice. If you have a setup where you need to maximize penetration or you’re going after something really big and you need maximum penetration, or if you’re shooting something at really long range, man, the Original is the way to go. It flies like a dart and penetrates really deeply.
But, if you’re shooting something under 60 yards, the Wide shoots plenty well under 60 yards and it’s going to make a really big cut if you have the kinetic energy to handle it.
So, you can have something for any situation. Some people may want to consider putting both in their quiver. Say, if you are like a Western hunter, maybe you have a really long shot, well then, you can use this like a follow-up shot or something.
Here, you see the two heads after going through the MDF, of course into the gel, and then also through a 22-gauge steel plate. As you can see, man, this A2 steel is just – it’s just something. And the Wide on the right, again, has gone through a couple of deer, a raccoon skull with the raccoon in it, the raccoon skull, and a rabbit and into the ground multiple times because of those things. So these heads are just amazingly resilient and resistant to impact. They hold an edge incredibly well.
Here’s a good way to see the difference in the hole size. Quite a significant difference. Of course, the Wide on the left and the Original on the right.
In addition to the Wide, Iron Will now also makes a WIDE version of it’s original SOLID (unvented) broadhead. It sports a 30% greater cut than the original.
The blades, as in all of the Iron Wills, are 0.062 inch thick. The ferrules are made out of a grade 5 titanium. This is a really stout titanium that is stronger than many steels, but a lightweight material which allows it to keep the weight down to 150 grains, even in this solid model.
I tested the Wide Solid for long distance flight, edge sharpness and edge retention, for penetration, and for durability. Let’s see how the Wide Solid performed.
Here’s a good look at the Wide Solid in 150 grains. It has a cutting diameter of 1-3/8 inches x 3/4 of an inch (30% greater than the original solid). For comparison, the original solid is shown as well.
I made this edge retention test a bit challenging. After every two strokes of an Easton HEXX shaft over the edge, I did a push paper test over the blades. I gave 2 points for every time it cuts paper after every two strokes.
The Wide Solid cut paper after 10 strokes of the arrow.
In the ballistic gel penetration test, the Iron Will Wide Solid penetrated 7 inches and the double bevel Solid penetrated 7 and 3/4 inches.
In the cardboard penetration test, the tip of the Iron Will Wide Solid penetrated through the 51st layer. The Iron Will Solid with bleeders cut through 60 layers.
I shot the Iron Will Wide Solid through a .22 gauge steel plate five times. Here’s the Wide Solid after going through the steel plate 5 times. You can see it’s still in excellent shape. It basically looks brand new. And, it makes very nice holes. You can see those bleeders just widened that hole up and made a really make a nice oval cut. That’s going to create some serious blood-letting.
Here is the Wide Solid after the fifth shot through the steel plate and then after being shot into the concrete and it still spun very well. So, this head went through a lot (steel plate PLUS broke the concrete in half after the third shot). And, you can see the tip did not curl and that main blade did not bend at all. Impressive!
The Wide Solid by Iron Will is a fantastic head. I’ve always really liked the Wide 125-grain vented version but I like this one even more!
Iron Will also has a single-bevel solid head. They have a 2-blade, as well as one with bleeder blades.
The one with the bleeder blades adds and additional ¾ of an inch of cut.
The bevel angle of these heads is 32 degrees. The thickness of the blades is 0.062 inch thick. The ferrules are made out of a grade 5 titanium.
And it’s interesting with all the Iron Wills that use that titanium ferrule, the blades are completely interchangeable. So, you can interchange the double bevels. You can interchange the Wide series. You can interchange them with any of the heads that use that titanium ferrule.
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The blades themselves are made out of an A2 tool steel. They are brought to a Rockwell hardness of 60, which is extremely hard which allows them to get really, really sharp, a fine edge on them.
Because the blades are made of the A2 tool steel, they have an incredible resistance to impact. That’s especially important with a single bevel, because as the head rotates, there’s a lot of pressure that is put on the blade’s leading edge in the rotation.
This is the 125-grain version of the Iron Will single-bevel solid broadhead. They’ve got a 2-blade and then also one with bleeders (both shown above). They both have a cutting diameter of 1 and 1/6 inches. It has the bleeders. The bleeders on the 4-blade add an extra 3/4 of an inch cut. The beveled edges on these heads aids in rotation during flight.
In stainless steel or carbon steel broadheads, you’ll often see an edge chatter, or bumps or dents that are in that leading edge as they hit a hard substance. But, given the resistance to impact of this steel, that really should not be an issue.
So, I was eager to put these to the test. I tested them for long distance flight, for edge sharpness and edge retention, for penetration, and for durability. Let’s see how these single bevel Solids performed.
Here are the two single-bevel heads at 70 yards, aiming for that lower left circle. As you can see, they grouped really well. Really great flying heads.
The Iron Will Single Bevel cut paper after 10 strokes of the arrow.
The Single Bevel without bleeders penetrated 8-1/4 inches. The one with bleeders penetrated 7 and 1/8 inches.
The Iron Will Single Bevel with bleeders cut through the 54th layer of cardboard. The Iron Will Single Bevel with no bleeders penetrated through the 56th layer. Both of the Iron Will single-bevel heads rotated just about 40 degrees, almost identical rotation.
Here, you can see a really good look at the wound channel that’s created by these single bevels. Here, the 2-blade is just your classic S-cut, nice hole. And then here with the bleeders, a nice S-cut going both directions. I’m really glad they made the bleeders single bevel as well, because that is a wicked-looking wound channel. Wow! And as for the heads themselves, you see here in the 2-blade, you literally can’t even tell it has been shot, let alone through steel plate. The onee with the bleeders got a bit more of a rotation and got a little bit more dinged up on the edges. But it’s almost entirely cosmetic.
The Single-Bevel just embedded in the concrete during the cinder block test.
Here’s the head after going through the concrete. The tip did not curl at all and it held up really well and still spun true. (Since the concrete would keep the bleeders from impact, I did not shoot the 4-blade head into the concrete, since it’s essentially the same head).
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11/20/2024 08:48 pm GMT
Single Bevel Solid vs. Double Bevel Solid Battle
I decided to test the 100 grain Iron Will Solids head-to-head!
These heads are identical in every attribute except the beveling.
I used my Bowtech CP28 for most of the shots and the Bowtech SR6 for some others. I used the Bishop Archery FOC King Arrows for most of the shots as well and the Bishop Archery FAD Eliminator for the really hard impact stuff.
The ferrules in these are made out of titanium, which has a really good weight to strength ration. That’s to keep them at a 100 grains.
The blade thickness is 0.062″ both in the bleeders and in the main blades. The cutting diameter is 1-1/16″ this way and 0.75 or 3 quarters of an inch from bleeder tip-to-bleeder tip. this way.
There is one set screw that is not load-bearing. It just holds everything in place there but you don’t have to worry about that pin breaking or anything because all of the pressure goes back on to the arrows insert.
Now, what’s interesting about the 100-grain is they’re the same width, same size cut and the same blade thickness as the 125-grain and yet, they have a shorter overall profile. And, that’s going to make them a bit more forgiving in flight because there is less surface area. I would imagine it’s going to help them to penetrate a bit more because there’s less friction on the blade surface.
Now, one thing I will note is if you look at the double bevel, you can notice that because of the double beveling, the very tip gets really narrow. It’s really pointy, which is impressive.
The single bevel. OK. Same material, same dimensions, but rather than having a double bevel on every side, it has a single bevel and that is brought a bevel angle of 32 degrees which is a really good balance of penetration, sharpness, and still getting a bit of a rotation.
Now as mentioned earlier, you can see that the end of it stays thicker longer because it has a bit stouter Tanto tip to it being single bevel in this design. I would imagine that’s going to make that tip just a little bit more durable, though I expect both of them typically really durable.
They each penetrated through 68 layers of cardboard.
SB Rotation Test ( FBI Gel):
The single bevel rotated 15 degrees at 10-1/2″ of penetration.
Durability Test (1/2” MDF, 3 shots):
Both of the heads are in absolutely perfect shape after going through the MDF 3 times.
Durability (22 ga steel plate, 2 shots):
Here are both of the heads after going through the steel plate 2 times and they both did very well. The Double Bevel is on on the left and lost the very tip of the blade. The single bevel on the right got a little bit of edge chatter on one of the top edges. But, otherwise, they both did excellently.
And here are the holes from the Double Bevel on the steel plate as well as the Single Bevel. You could it got a bit more of an S-cut due to that single bevel rotation.
Durability Test (Concrete 1 Shot):
Here are both heads after going through the MDF 3 times, the steel plate twice, and the concrete block. Notice that the tip is broken off of the Double Bevel. That’s not from the impact, but rather from me trying to get it out with a hammer and a chisel. It still spun true. The Single Bevel didn’t stick in the concrete, but that’s not a knock on the broadhead. There are so many variables that affect that. It took a huge chunk out of the concrete and it stayed perfectly intact and spun true. I was really impressed with the durability here.
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11/20/2024 08:49 pm GMT
Iron Will Wide Solid Single Bevel Broadhead
Originally, Iron Will came out with a Double Bevel and then they came out with the Double Bevel Wide. Then they came out with the Single Bevel and everybody was like, “Are you going to do a Single Bevel Wide?”
They said, “Ah, maybe one day.”
Well, now is the day.
So, once it came out, I was super eager to put this head to the test and see how it performed.
The Iron Will Wide Solid is a really cool-looking broadhead. It’s made of A2 tool steel.With A2, you’re getting a great impact resistance. And, then in terms of blade thickness, you have 0.062 inch thick blades and bleeders, which is really nice for a wound channel, as well as durability.
It’s single-bevel-sharpened all around on the back as well as the bleeders at a 32-degree bevel. So, a good balance of maintaining the sharpness, as well as generating some torque in that rotation as it penetrates. It has a Tanto tip to give it extra durability.
The dimensions of the Wide, just like the Double Bevel Model, are 1-3/8 inches in the main blade and then 3/4 of an inch in the bleeder. So, the total cut is 2-1/8 inches, which is a really nice size cut. I’ve always liked the Wides for that.
In addition to the wide cut, you’re going to get some rotation, which with this extra diameter here and that flare, and the thickness in the bevel angle, I thought it would probably get some pretty decent rotation.
This head is 150 grains, because they wanted to keep the blade solid. They could have saved some weight if they had made them a cut-out and vented, but I’m glad, at least in this model, that they kept it solid.
So, the head being all solid is going to make it quieter in flight and it’s going to make it a bit more durable.
Let’s see how it performed.
Flight Forgiveness (I field pt then I broadhead @30 yds):
As you can see, the Wide Solid Single Bevel head flew right with the field point.
Initial Sharpness
It took only 175 grams of force to cut through the wire which is a 10 on a 10-point scale!
Penetration Test 1 (2/3″ rubber mat, 1/2″ MDF, FBI Gel)
The Wide Solid Single Bevel head penetrated right at 8 inches. I know it may not look like that the way, with how it’s lined up with the camera, but 8 inches is the actual measurement.
Edge Retention Test (sharpness after Penetration Test)
It didn’t take any additional force to cut through the wire, so that gets a 10 on a 10-point scale!
Penetration Test 2 (layered cardboard)
The Wide Solid Single Bevel penetrated through 53 layers of cardboard.
Angled Shot Test (1/4″ MDF/Carpet)
No problem at all with the angled MDF/carpet penetration test.
Rotation Test (Clear Ballistic FBI Gel)
It rotated 38 degrees and penetrated 10-1/4 inches.
Durability Test (1/2″ MDF max 3 shots)
It’s in perfect shape after 3 shots to the MDF.
Durability Test (22 gauge steel plate max 2 shots):
So, here it is after the 2 shots through the steel plate. And structurally, it held together very well. And look at those holes in the steel plate. It made really nice, classic S-cut holes, both with the main blades, as well as the bleeders. That will open up a really nice wound channel that’s going to be hard to close up. It did experience a bit of edge chatter and that’s because of that 32-degree, which is really good for cutting. It’s super sharp, but it does create or allow a little bit of edge chatter on a super hard impact. It’s not much, but each of the 4 blades experienced some edge chatter.
Concrete Test
So, here is the Wide Solid Single Bevel after all the durability tests. It went through the MDF 3 times, through the steel plate twice, and then cut a chunk of the concrete off the block. And man, it held up really well. I was a little concerned that with it hitting at an angle like it did, that it would have bent, But, man, it held up extremely well! The only signs of damage are from the steel plate, where there was a bit of edge chatter on both of the main blades, as well as on the bleeders. But man, with the concrete test, it just did extremely well. I was really impressed with the durability.
Iron Will Wide Single Bevel 125 Grain Broadhead
For this test, I used my Elite Era compound bow and a Killer Instinct SWAT X1 Crossbow for the flight testing. I used Bishop Archery Arrows and bolts for all the different testing.
Iron Will Wide Single Bevel 125 grain Up Close
This is a really nice broadhead. I say it all the time, but when you open up the package of an Iron Will after spending quite a bit of money, you do not wonder where that money went. You just go, “Oh, yeah. This was money well-spent.”
Let’s zoom on in here and check out this new Iron Will Wide Single Bevel and then put it to the test.
First of all, the materials… the blades are made out of A-2 tool steel and they’re brought to a Rockwell hardness of 60. Now, A-2 tool steel is really superior to the typical like 420 stainless steel that’s used in most broadheads just because it can withstand a lot more impact. So it’s a really great steel to use in a broadhead application for its ability to get super sharp, be super hard holding edge, as well as resist impact like that.
The ferrule is a hardened steel ferrule and the blades are 0.062″ thick, so pretty thick blades. In this 125-grain model, you notice that you have a bit of venting. That’s probably going to give a bit of a whistle in flight. However, I don’t really worry about arrow flight noise. I’ve never seen it to be an issue in the field so it’s not a problem for me. It’s probably going to make a more forgiving in flight as well. But I looked forward to testing the flight.
The cutting diameter of the Wide Single Bevel 125 grain is 1-3/8″. That’s really a nice, good, wide cut for a fixed blade broadhead.
As for the bleeder blades, it’s a 3/4″ cut in that direction. That may sound small, but it really opens up a nice wound channel. The total cut is 2-1/8″, which is really nice again for a fixed blade broadhead.
The overall length beyond the edge of the arrow shaft here is 1.39″ so not super long, not super short, right in between.
The single bevel is 32 degrees. So for resharpening, the Stay Sharp Guide makes a 32-degree sharpener largely for this, but there are others that have the 32-degree bevel as well. And man, it works very well with this broadhead. The little bleeders are single bevel as well just to help with the rotation and the sharpness.
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11/20/2024 11:29 pm GMT
Flight Test (1 field point & 1 Broadhead 30 yards, Killer Instinct SWAT X1 Crossbow 675 gr Bishop Bolt, 300 fps):
In the flight test, it’s so close to the 9-ring, so I gave that an 8.5.
Edge Test I, Initial Sharpness Test (Grams of force to cut copolymer wire):
It only took 107 grams of force to cut through the wire which is a 10 on a 10-point scale. Plus, it gets a 0.93 point bonus. That may be the sharpest. Certainly, one of the sharpest I’ve ever tested.
The Wide Single Bevel 125 grain penetrated 8″ into the ballistic gel.
Edge Test 2, Edge Retention (sharpness after Penetration Test 1):
It took an additional 34 grams of force to cut through the wire, which is a 9.32 on a 10-point scale.
Penetration Test 2 (layered cardboard):
It penetrated through 55 layers.
Durability Test 1 (3 shots 1/2″ MDF):
The head is in perfect condition after the three shots through the MDF.
Durability Test 2 (2 shots 22 gauge steel plate):
And here it is after the 2 shots to the steel plate and the head is in almost perfect condition after those 2 shots. There’s a slight bit of edge chatter on one of the main blades and then on the bleeder as well but very little. And then you can see really cool holes, just a classic S-cut of that single bevel. Plus, the single bevel bleeders, that’s going to make a nice wound channel that’s hard to close off.
Rotation Test (Clear Ballistic FBI Gel):
Interestingly, there was no rotation in the gel. I’m not sure why that is. Maybe the venting in the blades and the wide cut, maybe that just prevented it in the gel. I did notice quite a bit of rotation in the target when I shot it into that. But the rotation here was zero.
Durability Test 3 (1 shot cinder block):
Here it is after all the durability testing. Still spins perfectly through. Man, it held up very well even with that cut on contact tip. It went pretty deeply into the concrete, with slightest bit of edge chatter, but man, it did very well.
Final Thoughts On The Iron Will Single Bevel Wide 125 Grain
So what do you think? Man, it performed really well, as expected. That might be the sharpest blade I’ve ever tested. I couldn’t believe how sharp that was. And it held its edge fairly well too and had incredible durability, even with the venting. It lacked a little bit in flight and in penetration. But, that’s what you expect with a big wide broadhead. But, if you have the juice behind your setup to drive it deeply into big animals, this really is a good choice.
Conclusion
The Iron Will was very forgiving, flying very well at long range out to a hundred yards.
In the penetration testing, it out-penetrated the G5 Montec, which has a smaller cut than the Iron Will does. The head also did really well against the 16-gauge steel plate. It did better than all the other fixed plates I’ve tested with the exception of the Bishop Holy Trinity.
And then in terms of a concrete or the cinder block, it did really well, sticking deeply into the block with the two main blades, remaining strong.
The Wide Solid and the Single-Bevels also performed amazingly well.
The only place that the original failed (and you can’t really call it a failure) was when it was shot into the 8-inch steel flat bar, where it just kind of fell apart.
But overall, I have to give these heads an A+. I put these broadheads up there towards the very top!
