LAST UPDATED: May 8th, 2015
The last gear review I wrote was about a quiver which, as I pointed out, is probably one of the least glamorous pieces of equipment you can carry into the field with you. This month we’re doing a complete 180 and covering one of the most heatedly debated products in the bowhunting world; the broadhead. The business end of an archer’s arrow is often held in high praise when things go well, and damned when they don’t. In many eyes it can mean the difference between another taxidermy bill or more than a few sleepless nights. Ah yes, the broadhead is bowhunting’s biggest scapegoat.
When it comes to picking a broadhead, there seem to be two general trains of thought. Either the compact, fixed-blade heads that are strong and durable, or the large expandable heads that are accurate and open up giant wounds in their intended target. Both will get the job done if put in the right spot, but many archers tend to pick one side of the fence or the other. For those who like big holes and a no-fail design, the new Killzone broadhead from New Archery Products may just be the next “big” thing. (pun intended)
The new Killzone broadhead from New Archery Products. A rear-deploying mechanical broadhead with a 2 inch cut that uses no o-rings or rubberbands to keep the blades closed in flight.
The Killzone is a rear-deploying 2 blade mechanical broadhead that opens to a full 2 inches as it enters the target. That is nearly twice the diameter as your average fixed-blade head. What that means for you mechanical broadhead shooters is giant entry wounds, and hopefully shorter and easier recoveries of game animals.
As you can see, the Killzone left a MASSIVE entry hole on this Kansas buck last November. Bigger holes usually means better blood trails and quicker recoveries.
NAP Marketing & Sales Manager Brady Arview with his 2011 Kansas whitetail – one of the first to fall victim to the new Killzone.
A 2 inch cut mechanical broadhead isn’t exactly a new idea, we all know that. So what makes the Killzone special? That little gem of innovation lays inside the ferrule of the broadhead, and is the mechanism that holds the blades closed in flight. NAP’s patented spring-clip design has been around for years in the venerable Spitfire broadhead, and has helped bowhunters kill countless animals. Those who frequent Internet Forums or the local bow shop can atest that they’ve never heard anyone complain about a Spitfire blade opening in flight, which bodes well for the Killzone. The same can’t be said for some of the other mechanical broadheads on the market.
With the patented spring-clip design the Killzone’s blades will not deploy prematurely, which means you don’t have to worry about your arrow running off course on accident. For the bowhunters who have always been leary of mechanical heads due to the possibility of failure this should bring a big sigh of relief.
The Killzone’s blades won’t open in flight, but they had no trouble opening up on my backyard target. The top left arrow shows just how big the Killzone’s entry hole is. The other two arrows were tipped with a field point, and a Killzone practice head. All shot from a distance of 25 yards, I’d say that’s good enough to fill my tags this fall.
The Killzone comes in three different configurations – a chisel-style Trophy Tip, a cut-on-contact Razor Tip, or the red Deep Six model that is compatible with the new Easton Deep Six components. All three designs are available in 100 grains and feature the same 2 inch cutting diameter. Practice heads are available as well, which means you can save your sharp blades for when you really need them.
The razor-tipped cut-on-contact Killzone, in the closed position, shown next to the Killzone practice head.
As an admitted fixed-blade fanatic, I was a bit skeptical of these large mechanical broadheads. I’m a big proponent of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. However, curiousity has gotten the best of me and I truly want to see what the talk is all about. With the new design of this broadhead eliminating any worry about blades opening in flight or in my quiver, I have a lot more confidence in this design than I did in before. So when I take to the woods this fall, my Apex quiver will be full of Killzone broadheads with a Trophy Tip. And when the business end of my arrow makes the acquaintance of a wary whitetail, I’m sure you’ll hear all about it right here.
Citibank asks “What’s in your wallet?” I ask “What’s in your quiver?”
Watch this video to learn more about the new NAP Killzone.
