In this article, I’m covering a re-test of the 125-grain Annihilator Broadhead.

When I originally tested this broadhead, it performed extremely well in terms of penetration, (i.e., draining a water jug) and in terms of the hole that it produced in a layer of MDF.

It also flew really well out to 50 yards. However, beyond 50 yards, there just seemed to be a drastic drop in velocity, causing an incredible drop in the point of impact.

However, after making a video of that test, I was contacted by some friends who had also tested this broadhead at longer ranges, but did not see the drastic results I had seen.

I then visited with the designers of the Annihilator broadheads at the Archery Trade Association (ATA) show. They also said that their tests had not shown the drastic drop. In fact, they had seen really consistent flight, even at longer ranges. So, I told them I would very gladly test it again.

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>> Click here to jump straight to the broadhead battle between the Annihilator Original and the Annihilator XL

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The backstory to my original test of the Annihilator broadhead

The day of the re-test, it was sub-zero temperatures (with the wind chill). When I re-tested the head, I found that the people I had spoken to were exactly right. It flew extremely well, even at longer ranges.

I realized that in my original test, I had made a two-fold mistake.

My two mistakes

Before I tested the Annihilator broadhead the first time, I was talking to a friend about it. He told me that when he shot it at longer ranges, there was a really large drop due to the wind resistance of that big surface area that they have. And so, that was already in my mind.

So, then when I shot it and tested it and there was a big drop, and I thought, “Oh, this just confirms what my friend had said.” I didn’t retest it or question my test results enough. That was my first mistake. I shouldn’t have had that in my mind.

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The second mistake that I made in the initial test is that I had made adjustments to my site tapes and I didn’t take that into consideration when I was testing the Annihilator.

So, I felt really badly. I went back and made the adjustments in my site tapes and… Boom! Dead on!

I feel really badly that I made both of those mistakes, and both of those mistakes adversely affected the reputation of Annihilator (as well as my own reputation for doing a poor job in testing the broadhead).

I want to give a sincere apology to the makers of Annihilator broadheads, to their loyal fans, and especially to those who I turned off from these broadheads after my initial test, because it actually does fly very well even at longer ranges.

So, that’s why I wanted to do a completely new test. I’ve got new test mediums for 2020 that I’m using anyway. So it’s a good way to do those.

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The Annihilator broadhead | The specifics

So, let me explain this broadhead just a little bit for those of you that aren’t familiar with it.

When I first heard about it, I wasn’t that interested in testing it because the cutting diameter is sub-1 inch. It’s 0.91 inches of cut. To me, that’s just so small.

I thought, “Why would I want to test the head that has that small of a cut?”

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However, what I wasn’t understanding was the design of this head has a “scoop” feature to it. So, while it has a small cutting diameter, when it presses through a medium like animal tissue, it actually displaces an incredible amount of it. (Note: As of the publishing of this article, I personally have not tested the Annihilator head on an animal).

So, the hole that it creates, and the tissue that’s displaced, is in theory far greater than if it was just 3 crossblades of 0.91 inches. It has an incredible surface area. (That showed in a test that I had done originally. The Annihilator drained a water jug in record time. It also put a big hole through MDF. And so, in the retest, I wanted to show that).

The Annihilator is designed to put a much larger hole than the head size suggests. The small surface area allows it to fly really well, but then displace a lot of tissue. And so, it makes a really nice hole.

Another cool thing about this head is that it’s a solid piece of 4140 tool steel. That is a really high quality of tool steel. So, it’s way more resistant to impact and much tougher than stainless steel, for example. It has a Rockwell hardness of 52, which is a pretty good balance of being soft enough to resharpen and hard enough to keep its edge.

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Another thing I really like about it is that re-sharpening for this head is extremely easy. It’s like the Bishop Holy Trinity and some other three blades that I’ve tested in the past.

You can just lay it flat on a flat stone or any kind of a flat edge surface and it is very easy to sharpen to a razor-like edge.

In my re-test, I used a half-inch layer of MDF surrounded by 1/3 of an inch of rubber foam mat. Beyond that was a gel block by Clear Ballistics, so you can see what happens to the broadhead once it enters the gel. (I will be doing this for all the broadheads I test this year).

Then, I shot it through a 22-gauge steel plate 5 times. (I like to shoot it through the steel plate until there begins to be significant damage to the blades. So, I basically see how many times it can be shot into the steel plate without facing significant damage. But, I stop at 5 because with some heads, I could keep going forever).

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The Re-Test of the Annihilator

So let’s get into the test results and see how it did with long range flight, penetration and water drainage ability.

Long-Range Flight

In the re-test I was able to pop a balloon at 70 yards with this head.

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Penetration Testing

In terms of penetration through the MDF and gel, the Annihilator did very well. It did not do as well as some other broadheads I’ve tested, but it still had good penetration and made a nice hole in that MDF, as well as the gel.

Below, you can see the penetration of the Annihilator after going through the MDF and the rubber foam mats and into the gel. It penetrated 8-1/4 inches.

Below is a steel plate after I shot it 5 times with the same head. You can see the Annihilator really does make nice holes. Thus, it should displace a tremendous amount of tissue.

Edge Retention

In terms of the durability of the edge (edge retention), the Annihilator is pristine. There is not a mark on it. It doesn’t quite shave hair, but it still bit into my fingernail… very impressive.

So, it’s durable as they come. It went through 5 layers of steel back-to-back-to-back with zero damage. That’s what that 4140 tool steel is going to do. It kept its edge really, really well.

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Water drainage test

The water drainage test was just other otherworldly. I don’t know any other word to describe it. It drained the bag in .40 seconds!

The reason I used the water bag drainage test instead of a water jug drainage test is that I felt that in a water jug, because the plastic is pretty stiff, sometimes the plastic folds in, sometimes it comes out, sometimes it stays in place. And so, the results are very inconsistent. Even with one head, I get different results.

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But with water bag drainage test, and I fill it up 10 cups the same amount that the line is the same in all the tests that I do, try to shoot it in the same spot every time.

It’s much more consistent and much more like an animal because the bag is a little more nimble, like the tissue or the hide of an animal. And so, what you see is kind of what you’re going to get in terms of the drainage.

The Annihilator goes into the bag and displaced so much water so readily, it actually created a back-pressure to the water. When I looked at it in super slow motion, I could it make the hole and suck the water right out of the bag.

It was just amazing to see that. It’s an indication of what may happen with blood-letting and tissue damage within an animal as well. I can’t wait to test it on an animal at some point in the future.

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Conclusion on The Annihilator Re-Test

I’m really grateful that I was encouraged to retest the Annihilator, because I knew it was a great head before. It tested really well in all categories except long distance.

However, now knowing after the re-test that it actually flies extremely well, even at long distances, it has gone from a very good head to a phenomenal head.

So, now I have confidence in this head at longer ranges. It gets a 10 out of 10 in terms of accuracy at long range.

The Annihilator did excellent in all of the test categories. This is a winner of a head and it’s something to really consider for pretty much any animal you are going after. Give the Annihilator a look. Great job, Annihilator!

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And now a Battle! [Annihilator Original vs. Annihilator XL]

I was really excited to battle the Annihilator Original vs. the Annihilator XL. The XL is basically just a bigger version of the Original.

For my flight and some of the penetration testing, I used the Bishop FOC King Arrow from Bishop Archery. For some of the more harsh durability tests, like shooting through steel, I used the Bishop Frozen Fire Arms Dispatch (FAD) Eliminator. It has a nice footing on the end and that prevents the steel from cutting through the shaft.

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And then for some of the concrete tests, I’m using a tank of an arrow by Bishop Archery. It’s called the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time). The Goat with a 125-grain tip weighs 1300 grains. Just the shaft is like a weapon in and of itself. It feels like a giant tent stake or even a spear. It is the best of the best when it comes to arrows.

So, let the Annihilator Broadhead battle begin!

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Annihilator Original and XL compared

Here’s a good look at both models of the Annihilator heads below. The Original has a cutting diameter of 0.91 inches and the XL has a cutting diameter of 1-1/16 inches or 1.06 inches. So, 0.91, 1.06, about a 17% difference.

Flight comparison

For my flight comparison, I shot two broadheads of each model as well as a field point, to compare.

Out of the box sharpness comparison

In the out-of-the box sharpness comparison, I used a sharpness testing machine, by Edge-On-Up. This tester holds a wire and measures how many grams of pressure it takes for the blade of a broadhead to break it.

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Ballistic gel penetration test

I shot both the Original and the XL into ballistic gel, fronted by rubber matting and 1/2″ MDF.

Cardboard penetration comparison

I shot both heads through layered cardboard to determine how many layers each could penetrate.

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Steel plate penetration test comparison

I shot both the Original and the XL through a steel plate five times each.

Now, I will say that I don’t think that the holes these heads made in the steel plate is really any different than the holes that an Exodus would make, (which are amazing), or a Tooth of the Arrow, a evan a solid steel 3-blade like a Bishop Holy Trinity.

Those all make triangular holes really similar to this. But, I do prefer those to just 3 slits. I mean they make a lot more internal damage and cause a lot more blood-letting than just the 3 slits do.

Cinder block test comparison

I shot both the Original and the XL into a cinder block to see how they would hold up. The XL showed out! See picture below.

How to sharpen the Annihilator broadheads

Now, you saw how durable they are and how they hold their edge really well. But, if you want to get them really sharp, one method of sharpening is super easy.

Because the Annihilator heads are 3-blade solids at a 60-degree bevel angle, you just one flat on any stone or any surface and just stroke it gently. Just be sure you have the same number of strokes on each side.

Do this until it comes out just like you got it from the factory. It’s super easy to do. You can even do it in the field. Again, you can do it on any surface. I love that about these 3-blade, 60-degree bevel heads.

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You can also use the Stay Sharp Guide. They come out with individual sharpeners that are not very expensive at all for different styles of broadheads. And, in most cases, they put an edge on those heads better than how you got them from the factory.

They have a sharpener especially designed to put an extra sharp edge on these 3-blade, 60-degree heads. This is super helpful, because one of the drawbacks is that you can only get it so sharp with that 60-degree bevel.

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Conclusion of Annihilator Original vs. XL battle

What can I say about the durability of these Annihilator heads? They are absolutely fantastic!

Both of them performed really well and both had some great strengths.

My only critique of the Annihilator Original is the size of the cut. It has got some really cool features and it’s incredibly durable. It flies super well, penetrates exceedingly well, but I just have a little concern about that small cut.

And then you have the Annihilator XL. Even with it’s larger surface area, it still penetrated and flew very well and it was just still extremely durable.

So, for me and my hunting purposes, like hunting whitetails and hogs and stuff like that day in and day out, the broadhead battle winner of the Annihilator Broadhead battle is… the Annihilator XL! (check out the scorecards below).

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Other fixed-blade broadhead reviews from John Lusk:

• Afflictor Fixed Blade Heads
• Valkyrie Broadheads
• Dirt Nap DRT heads
• Bishop Holy Trinity

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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

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.

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A Closer Look At The Lone Wolf Broadhead

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.

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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.

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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!

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Lone Wolf Broadhead Testing

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):  

Initial Sharpness Test

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Ballistic Gel Penetration Test 

Edge Retention Test

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Penetration Test 2 (layered cardboard)

Angled Shot Test (1/4″ MDF/Carpet)

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Durability Test (1/2″ MDF max 3 shots):

Durability Test (22 gauge steel plate max 2 shots):

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Concrete Block Test

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Final Thoughts On The Lone Wolf Broadhead

So what do you think of this broadhead?

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.

Something I really like about is the amount of tissue it displaces. I like the wound channel that it’s going to generate. Even though it’s not super wide, it’s going to create some wounds that are going to be difficult to close up.

And, I like the idea of trying something in a different material… in this case, aluminum.

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So, I like a lot of that ingenuity.

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.

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.

John Lusk of Lusk Archery Adventures

-By John Lusk

In this broadhead review, I tested broadheads from SEVR; The SEVR 1.5, 1.7, 2.1 and Ti 2.0.

• SEVR 1.5
• SEVR 1.7 (now discontinued)
• SEVR 1.75
• SEVR 2.1
• SEVR Ti 2.0
• Sevr Robusto

SEVR Broadhead Offerings

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.

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.

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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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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.  

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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.

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If you’ve ever shot a broadhead into a deer or other animal and hit bone, it typically deflects off course. But, the great thing about the SEVRs is that the will rotate to one side if they come they come into contact with bone or a hard medium like a rib.

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.

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.

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Blade Thickness

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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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.  

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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.

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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.

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Of course, with the 1.7, you would get even more.

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.  

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SEVR flight

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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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.

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MDF Board Penetration Test

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.

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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.

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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.  

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

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)

Initial Sharpness Test of Sevr 1.75

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Penetration Test 1 (2/3″ rubber mat, 1/2″ MDF, FBI Gel)  

Edge Retention Test (sharpness after Penetration Test 1)

Penetration Test 2 (layered cardboard)

Angled Shot Test (1/4″ MDF/Carpet)

Durability Test (1/2″ MDF max 3 shots)

Durability Test (22 gauge steel plate max 2 shots)

Concrete Test:

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.

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.

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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.

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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).

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.

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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.

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.

Then, I decided to see how it would handle a .22 gauge steel plate.

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.

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Sevr Robusto Broadhead Review

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!

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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.

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.

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.

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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.

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

Initial Sharpness

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Penetration Test 1 (2/3″ rubber mat, 1/2″ MDF, FBI Gel):   

Edge Retention Test (sharpness after Penetration Test 1): 225

Penetration Test 2 (layered cardboard):

Opening Test (Leather stretched over box):

Durability Test (1/2″ MDF max 3 shots):

Durability (22 gauge steel plate max 2 shots):

Durability Test (Concrete I Shot):

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 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.