Going away from QAD Exodus

[ASH556]

I've killed 4 (maybe 5, you'll see) deer with the QAD 100gr Exodus, swept blade model. I'm a 29.5 draw. I shot the first at 22yds from my 2007 AR32, 70lb on the front of a Beman 400 spine cut to 28". She flinched like a fly bit her, kept feeding calmly, and then fell over dead about 10 or 15 seconds later. The next 2 were shot with the same setup: a doe at 40yds, double lung, she ran maybe 20 yds and expired; and a spike shot at 17yds who ran maybe 40yds and crashed.

Number 4 was a six point last season out of a Mathews Vertix at 70lb on the front of a Gold Tip Velocity 300 spine cut to 29.5 with a 20gr FACT weight in the front, 14yd shot, heart and lungs. That deer ran 125yds before expiring. Look at the hit in the pic below.

I was less than thrilled with the distance this deer ran, but sometimes it happens I guess.

Fast forward to this past weekend. I'm now shooting a V3 31 at 65lb, Gold Tip Blackout 300 spine cut to 29.5 with a 20gr FACT weight in the front, 22yd shot, double-lung, full passthrough. Pink and bubbles on the vanes:

5 steps from the shot:

75yds from the shot:

I looked for 3 hours and never found this deer. Last blood was 150 yds from the shot.

Beyond the issue of these last 2 recoveries (or lack thereof) I'm also frustrated with accuracy. The bow is in-tune per my local pro shop. It's dialed perfectly to 60yds, which is is far as I can shoot at home. I always confirm with broadheads at my ranges. Last night I went to confirm with the shot/dulled head from Saturday before putting new blades in it and getting ready to hunt again. First shot at 20 was dead on. Second and third shots at 40 were good. Shot at 60 missed the target completely. Went back to 20 and was off by 4". So, I grabbed a new fresh head out of my quiver and shot it at 20: dead on. Shot it at 40 to confirm, also dead on. Didn't get to shoot it at 60 because it got dark.

This is the Exodus and a Field Point at 40:

At this point my confidence in the head is just completely shaken and I want to try something different. I've never shot a mechanical before and am thinking about it. I hunt hardwoods in Georgia from 20+ feet up in a Summit. I want something I can confidently shoot out to 60 if need be, but usually as you can see from my track record I do not take long risky shots. Hoping for more consistent flight from a mechanical, maybe the G5 Megameat? I don't have any more Exodus blades, so I have to buy something regardless. The question is just whether to buy more Exodus or something different.

I just need some recommendations and to get back on track before an all-day sit I took off work for tomorrow.

Thanks!

 

[watermedic]

It's not the head.

 

[oppthepop]

QAD Exodus is all i shoot - bow and crossbow. Never really had any issues with the broadhead. All issues I ahve had were from.......ME!

 

[ddd-shooter]

Those fletchings don’t look like a double lung hit to me...if I had to bet, I’d say muscle hit. Looks like gristle/fat on arrow as well? Maybe you went through backstraps?
Id bet a field point double lung would put a deer down, much less a exodus.

Muzzys are always a good standby, as are slick tricks.
For a mechanical, I haven’t found anything better than a spitfire. Have shot rage, kill zones as well, but you’re gonna need good momentum if you go up to a mechanical, although it sounds like you’re good there.

 

[Ihunt]

Are you removing the rubber o ring from the heads? If not, that’s your consistency problem.

While I don’t know where you hit that deer, I doubt any other head would have changed your outcome. The Exodus is probably the best replaceable head out there.

 

[DoubleRR]

Slick Trick SS Mag... extra sharp blades... 4 blades wound channel...exceptional accuracy....easy to tune too!

 

[Keith Karr]

Exodus is one of the best heads available. Changing heads is not solution.

 

[Ihunt]

If you want to try another head look at the Tooth of The Arrow. It’s a 4 blade fixed head.

 

[ASH556]

Ok thanks for the feedback everyone. Looks like the QAD is a good head. I need to get a sharpener because when I went to the shop yesterday to get some new blades they didn’t have any. I bought 2 packs of 100gr 4 blade Slick Tricks. Guy at the shop said they are similar to the QAD and should fly well. I made an adjustment to my rest because the Slick Tricks we’re hitting right of the field points. Hitting good out to 40.
Grateful for the feedback that a sub-100yd track shouldn’t be expected and just because they go farther doesn’t mean something’s wrong.

A potentially dumb side note: the Slick Tricks do fit in the Mathews quiver better than the QAD.

Thanks again for the feedback everyone. I really wasn’t intending to bash QAD or the Exodus head; just benchmarking my experiences.

 

[PAE]

Slick Tricks are great.

 

[catchdogs]

SwhAcker 2 blades

 

[davidhelmly]

Watermedic is dead on, it’s not the head, it’s all about shot placement. If you shoot a deer thru both lungs with a field tip the deer is going to die every time.

 

[BowArrow]

Watermedic is dead on, it’s not the head, it’s all about shot placement. If you shoot a deer thru both lungs with a field tip the deer is going to die every time.

 

[BowArrow]

Have been shooting QAD Exodus for three years and have been well pleased. Great penetration. After a shot, I clean arrow with sponge and touch up blades with a number two Nicholson file. Ready for next shot.

 

[Andy12]

Go out to 20 yards and shoot a field point. Then take a bare shaft ( no fletching) with a field point and shoot it.
I guarantee they will not hit in the same spot.
Your bow is out of tune.
Post results and we’ll go from there.

 

[sportsman94]

This one was killed by a buddy this weekend with a qad exodus 125. No trouble blood trailing it for the 60 or so yards that it ran

 

[mizzippi jb]

Whatever y'all do, don't shoot an expandable. They just don't make em bleed

 

[Long Cut]

It’s not the broadhead

Look into bareshaft tuning, nock tuning your bow. YouTube Ranch fairy, he knows what he’s talking about but comes off as a knucklehead