Cheap Broadheads vs. Expensive Broadheads: Which Is the Better Investment?

QAD Exodus & Grim Reaper Micro Hades

In the world of bowhunting, few debates spark as much conversation as the comparison between cheap and expensive broadheads. Broadheads are critical to ensuring a successful hunt, and your choice can impact your effectiveness, accuracy, and overall hunting experience. I have learned this first handedly through my 7+ years of shooting archery. While budget-friendly broadheads can seem like a good deal, high-end options often come with advanced features that promise superior performance. But are expensive broadheads worth the extra investment? A someone who prides myself in finding the best "bang for your buck" deals, broadheads may be a product one has to compromise on. Let’s dive into the pros and cons of each to help you decide what best suits your needs and budget.

Cheap Broadheads: Pros and Cons

Pros

1. Affordability: The most obvious advantage of cheap broadheads is the low price point. Hunters on a tight budget can stock up on more broadheads, reducing the impact of losing or damaging one during practice or in the field.

2. Accessibility: Cheaper broadheads are widely available at almost any outdoor retailer. This convenience makes replacing lost or damaged broadheads easy and quick. You can even order large quantities of these broadheads through websites like eBay and Amazon.

3. Great for Beginners: If you're a novice archer, a lower-cost broadhead can be an excellent choice to learn with and test various types without a major financial commitment. This provides you the ability to start familiarizing yourself with shooting broadheads with low financial risk when you inevitability miss your target - trust me, it happens to all of us.

Cons

1. Durability Issues: Lower-priced broadheads are often made from less durable materials, such as cheaper metals or weaker plastics. This can lead to bent blades, poor flight, or damage after just a few shots or a single impact. This also goes back to my statement about when you miss your target, it may be harder for you to determine if it was the tune of your bow, or the material of the broadhead that caused the mis-flight.

2. Consistency: Budget broadheads may have less stringent quality control, resulting in inconsistencies from one broadhead to another. Meaning you may have a pack of broadheads that all have varying weight. This will affect your arrow flight and where you are hitting your target.

3. Limited Features: Cheaper options may lack the high-tech designs and engineering that come with pricier broadheads, like advanced blade retention systems, aerodynamic shaping, and superior cutting diameter. Most budget broadheads are built on simple design. This can however still be effective in the field.

Expensive Broadheads: Pros and Cons

Pros

1. High-Quality Materials: Premium broadheads are typically crafted with stronger, more durable materials such as stainless steel, aircraft-grade aluminum, or even titanium. This results in blades that hold their sharpness longer and withstand tough impacts without failing. This means you will be able to use the same broadhead on multiple animals.

2. Superior Flight and Accuracy: High-end broadheads are engineered with precision and tested rigorously, providing better flight characteristics, superior penetration, and a more predictable trajectory. The higher quality creates more reliability in arrow flight.

3. Innovative Features: Expensive broadheads often boast cutting-edge features, such as replaceable blades, precision-machined ferrules, and advanced cutting surfaces that enhance wound channels for better blood trails and ethical kills.

Cons

1. Cost: The main downside of expensive broadheads is their price. Usually more expensive broadheads cost more per head, leading to the customer only getting a pack of three broadheads. If you lose or damage one, it can feel like a significant setback, especially for budget-conscious hunters.

2. Overkill for Some Hunters: Not every hunter needs the premium features offered by high-end broadheads. For casual or hobbyist bowhunters, the benefits might not justify the cost.

3. Repair Costs: Many high-end broadheads offer replaceable blades, but the cost of replacement parts can add up. In some cases, repairing or maintaining an expensive broadhead might be close to the cost of buying a brand-new cheaper one.

When to Choose Cheap Broadheads

• If you’re a beginner still learning the ropes of bowhunting, go with cheaper broadheads to get comfortable with the basics without breaking the bank. Learn about broadhead tuning and how you can tune your bow to shoot broadheads and field points the same.

• When you’re on a strict budget, quantity can matter more than premium features.

• Recommended Broadheads: Amazon 3 Blade 6 Pack Stainless Steel Broadhead, Muzzy 3 Blade Broadhead, Slick Trick Standard

When to Choose for Expensive Broadheads

• If you’re serious about hunting and archery isn't a leisure sport. Any animal that your arrow is sent towards, deserves the cleanest, most ethical kill. Expensive broadheads will give you the confidence that your arrow will fly true and hit your mark.

• If your hunting budget allows for it. Meaning that there are plenty of good budget friendly options out there if you are going to just use a broadhead once and be done. If you plan on reusing one broadhead multiple times, that means you will be getting the most bang for your buck with a more premium broadhead.

• If you appreciate high quality materials and engineered design. In my opinion this is what drives high cost of broadheads. The additional labor hours in design and quality products (i.e. USA Based), drive the cost per head up.

• Recommended Broadheads: QAD Exodus, Grim Reaper Hades, VPA Omega, VPA AC Hole Punch, Day Six EVO X, Iron Will

Conclusion:

Whether to invest in cheap or expensive broadheads depends on your hunting style, budget, and personal priorities. For beginners or those hunting on a budget, affordable options are great for gaining experience. Although if hunting is going to be your priority, you may benefit from investing into a more mid-higher budget option to start to understand how broadhead and arrow flight marry up together. The most important thing is to shoot your bow with broadheads way before you enter the field. Once you have spent some time shooting and developing your arrow "build", consistent, reliable performance will become important and higher end broadheads will help you achieve this. Weigh the pros and cons, and choose the broadheads that align with your hunting goals—your best choice might not be the most expensive but the one that suits you best on the mountain.

Keep it Steep, and goodluck on your adventures!