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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the size of the hex wrench used with the new 3-blade and Low Pound broadheads?
The wrench size is 0.035". Our replacement blades include a wrench.

2

Is the new 3-blade Swhacker recommended for use in crossbows?
Yes, the 3-blade broadhead can be used with crossbows.

3

My question is whether impact with something hard (i.e. rib) is required to deploy the main blades or would the blades deploy if they just went through soft tissue only (i.e. muscle, organs, tendons, etc.). I have been a fixed blade guy my whole life but am considering making the switch to mechanical heads.
A tremendous amount of research and testing was poured into the characteristics of the retention shrink band including type of material, size, thickness and strength. The result was the absolute perfect band that keeps the blades closed during flight and deploys when intended. Once you hit your target species the main cut blade will deploy after entering the body cavity regardless of where the broadhead enters the animal's anatomy. Physics force the broadhead to deploy. Once you dialed-in your equipment and get off a good shot, you will experience a positive outcome. Swhacker mechanicals are simply designed to get the job done. As mentioned above, physics force the blades to open.

4

How do I line up a two blade broadhead like a Swhacker with my fletching?
It's really a matter of preference. Most people at Swhacker Broadheads line them up vertically. If your bow is properly tuned it does not matter how the head is lined up with your fletching.

5

I bought a new pack of Swhacker Broadheads this summer (2014) that has the practice head. How can I buy some practice heads without buying another pack of broadheads?
As of July 2014, we are not selling the practice heads by themselves. We do intend on adding practice heads for purchase by themselves come summer 2015.

6

What is the diameter of the ferrule base on the Crossbow head and does Swhacker plan on making Crossbow heads in other sizes?
The diameter of the Swhacker Crossbow broadhead is .35 of an inch. We have discussed offering other Crossbow configurations. Stay tuned.

7

I am using a crossbow that shoots at 400+ fps. Will I have to double or triple up on the bands to keep the blades on Swhacker Broadheads closed during flight?
The heads that have oil on the blades result in a shrink band that acts more like a rubber band - it stretches. On a fast crossbow this could cause a premature opening of the blades. We recommend that our customers discard the band the band that comes on the head in the package, thoroughly clean the oil off the blades and install a new shrink band before hunting.

8

Can I use Swhacker Broadheads with my crossbow?
Yes. Our mechanical broadheads are well suited for use with crossbows - even the fastest crossbows on the market today. We recommend that crossbows and compound bows produce a minimum of 50 ft/lbs of kinetic energy when using the 1.75-inch model, 55 ft/lbs of KE when using the 2-inch model and 60 ft/lbs when using the 2.25-inch model. Most crossbows produce plenty of kinetic energy to use all Swhacker mechanical broadheads.

9

I just harvested two deer with a Swhacker Broadhead. Both deer were hit in the lungs (one broadside and one quartering away). With the quartering shot the expandable broadhead punched through the offside shoulder and passed completely through the buck. Both deer expired in less than 75 yards. My concern is the poor blood trails left by both deer. Can you provide some insight on why the blood trails were light?
No two harvests are the same. Every shot will severe different blood sources. Sometimes the hole in the hide does not align with the hole in the lung cavity. Especially when a shoulder is involved. When this happens the only blood you will get is from the hide wound until the lungs fill and it comes out of the mouth. Keep shooting Swhacker Broadheads. You will see plenty of blood.

10

I bought several packs of 125-grain Swhacker Broadheads. Several heads weigh are a few grains less than 125 grains. Are these lighter heads defective? Will these heads have a different flight path?
Manufacturing tolerances have to be allocated to each component of the broadhead. The normal distribution of these tolerances can add up to plus three grains or minus three grains. A few grains light will not affect flight. On average, five grains of arrow weight will only attribute to about 1 foot per second of arrow speed. One can argue that the aero drag increase of the broadhead can easily offset and speed increase you get from the head being light. You should not have any issues with these broadheads.

11

I use a bow with a 45-pound draw. Will your expandable broadheads work for me?
A 45-pound draw is on the very low end of the spectrum. Our new Low Draw Weight Swhacker Broadheads will work with your set up. Also, if you plan on using our 100-grain, 1.75-inch Swhacker ONLY shoot at small deer, broadside, nothing but ribs

12

I am shopping for a new expandable broadhead and have never used Swhacker. Why should I switch from the brand I have used for several seasons to Swhacker?
It boils down to one simple difference. Other expandable heads open on impact and the head has to push the full width of the cut through the skin and bones before it ever makes it to the vitals. This burns up penetration energy. Swhacker does not open until the head has cleared the ribs leaving energy for penetration and razor sharp main blades to take care of the vitals.

13

When the broadhead opens the back side of the wing blade makes contact with my arrow. Can I file off that small portion that is making contact with my arrow?
Filing back a slither of steel from the inside wing blades will not affect the performance of the head or flight pattern. With that said, careful attention must be taken when removing even a small portion of the wing blade. Even a small bend in the wing blade will alter arrow trajectory.

14

I drew a good elk tag in New Mexico. I am trying to figure out which broadhead to use on the hunt. I am considering a Swhacker 125-grain, 2.25-inch head and two others. My set up includes 31.25-inch, 526-grain Axis arrows and a Strothers Moxie bow with a 32.5-inch, 72-pound draw shooting at 296 feet per second. As far as deer and pigs go, I would not hesitate to use Swhacker Broadheads. Will Swhacker Broadheads hold up on an elk out to 70 yards?
To date, my family and I have shot over 50 elk with Swhacker Broadheads. If I drew a tag here in Arizona, I would certainly use a 125-grain Swhacker. My oldest son took a bull when he was 15. His shot was 38 yards using a 60-pound Bowtech Allegiance. He took another bull when he was 16 with a 42-yard shot. My last cow was taken at 98 yards away. We are confident Swhacker expandable broadheads will work for you.

15

Do the Swhacker Broadhead blades lock into position after opening?
No, the blades do not lock in place when opening up. If they did then Swhacker heads would be considered a barbed head and thus make them illegal in many states. The best advice we can give is to always consult local and state game laws when you are concerned if a hunting product is not legal for use in your area.

16

Is it reasonable to expect penetration through the shoulder bone of a whitetail from 30 yards or less using a bow that shoots around 320 fps?
It depends on what you consider the shoulder bone. The actual shoulder blade is very thin bone and I have taken bull elk through the shoulder blade. If you are talking about the joint when the blade and the leg bone come together, then anything can happen. That's a tough heavy bone. I have had cases where I have totally blown that joint apart, and other times where the head hits at just the right angle right in the curvature of the joint and had no penetration.

17

Why do the small wing blades have a left single bevel when most archers use right helical? Seems like it would rob energy working against itself.
I work for a major defense contractor and have several aero engineers on my design team. We have had many discussions concerning FOC, vane size and position along an arrow shaft. We have also had a number of discussions on drag created by broadheads and other irregular surfaces that disturb the airflow along the arrow shaft. They have assured me that the bevel on the wing blades has negligible effect on the rotation of the aero in not only a free body state (in flight) but during impact and penetration. It is a simple math problem if you want to solve for a ratio. Just take the force vector of the small wing blade. Grind angle is 18 degrees. And the surface area of the 3 vanes with their offset angle. You will see that the rotational contribution of the vanes FAR outweighs the affect if any the wing blades have.

18

The blades rattle in the head. Is there something wrong with the set of Swhacker Broadheads I purchased?
No. In order to ensure that the blades open freely every time, the ferrule slot is intentionally machined with some clearance. This also ensures that the blades do not become trapped should the ferrule impact a heavy bone that will try to squeeze the slot closed. To eliminate the rattle, place some bowstring wax on the surface of both blades, close the blades, and slide the shrink band on.

19

Can the same blades be used on more than one animal without losing any of the blade sharpness? Also, what type of adhesive do you use on the screws when replacing these mechanical broadhead blades?
Yes, Swhacker's mechanical broadhead blades are durable enough to reuse. Depending on the impact and pass through density you could harvest several animals on one set of mechanical broadhead blades. We recommend keeping a sharpener handy to tune the blades after every use. This is not necessary but will enhance the pass through. Our Swhacker HDX3 Multi-Sharpener Dual Angle Sharpening System works well and will attach to your bow or keychain. We recommend a low strength adhesive designed for small fasteners. Here is a link to one adhesive that works well, and there are many others on the market that will get the job done for you.

20

The blades damaged the side of the ferrule. Is this normal?
Yes. Impact dents on the side of the ferrule will occur. The blades open with a lot of energy. As a result, the broadhead blades will make contact with the ferrule. These small indentations will not affect the performance of the head.

21

How do I replace the blades?
The fastener hole in the ferrule is not tapped through both sides. The near side (side with the hex socket in the set screw) is tapped with half threads so the screw can be removed after the threads are damaged when the blades deploy. The far side is not tapped through so that the screw can be tightly bottomed out. When removing the screw always back it out by turning it counterclockwise. Use a .050-inch hex wrench. If the blades have been deployed a number of times, a small drop of oil on the threads will help it rotate during removal.

22

Can the blades from one broadhead model (ex: 100-grain, 1.75-inch) interchange with another broadhead model (ex: 100-grain, 2-inch)?
No. The blades will not interchange.

23

I shoot a Mathews Z7 Xtreme set at 65 pounds. I plan on hunting elk in Colorado. Does Swhacker work well on elk out to 60 yards? Will it have enough energy to penetrate?
If you are shooting an arrow that weighs around 400 grains you will be fine. We have shot many elk with similar setups. The last elk I shot was at 98 yards with a 70-pound bow shooting 464-grain arrows. She was slightly quartered at me, the arrow went through the last rib and wedged into the pelvis. As long as you don't hit the front leg bone or shoulder joint, you should be fine.

24

The Swhacker Broadheads I bought do not fly like field points. They drift to the right with graduating extremity over distance. I shoot a properly spined arrow from a bow that is paper turned and walk back tuned with field points. Any thoughts on what could be causing this?
Sometimes just a slight change in weight distribution due to the increased length of the broadhead will cause the tune to change slightly between field tips and broadheads. The stiffer the spine and the higher your FOC is, the less this has an effect. If you are a right-handed shooter, then move your rest to the right a small amount at a time. Each time you move it, shoot the broadhead and a field point. Keep repeating this process until the heads and the tips fly in the same spot. One they are hitting the same spot, you can set you sight. It shouldn't take much to bring them together. This is the spot your bow wants to shoot the broadhead/arrow combination straight down the pipe. What's happening is the arrow is not coming out perfectly straight, and even thought the wing blades are very small, there's enough there to steer the arrow to the right as it comes out of the bow. When the arrow starts it movement from an angle, the angle increases the farther away the target is located.

25

What is the difference between the crossbow and compound models?
There is no mechanical difference between the compound and crossbow models with the same specs. We were requested to produce separate models from our retailers.

26

Can the #207 or other compound models be used from a crossbow?
Yes, the #207 is not a dedicated crossbow model, but can be used from a crossbow! If your crossbow is rated over 440 fps we recommend using two bands.

27

Do you have a Field Staff?
Yes! We release our applications each year around late March / early April on our social media pages.

28

Who carries Swhacker near me?
Here is a link to our retailer list.

29

Can the tip of the Broadhead be replaced?
Typically if the tip of the broadhead is damaged, the ferrel is likely also compromised and should be replaced. At this time we do not sell replacement tips.

30

What is the speed rating for crossbow models?
If your crossbow is rated for 440fps or less any of our models with one band or one plug is recommend. If your crossbows speed rating is exceeding 440fps, we recommend using two bands or one plug & one band (#200,#261,#269).