Setting up for Moose
The requirements for selecting an arrow and broadhead are quite different than what would be ideal for whitetail. As most shot opportunities are less then 40 yards, and as moose have heavy bone and muscle, trading speed for weight is not only recommended, but necessary. We advise that at an absolute minimum your total arrow weight be at least 450 grains. We also prefer hunters have some sort of illuminating nock, as it greatly helps determine what action should be taken post shot.
Fixed or expandable?
We strongly discourage mechanical broadheads in moose camp. While they can be very effective, a blade that strikes bone will almost always self destruct or fail to penetrate. It is not uncommon for a mechanical broadhead to be recovered with two or all blades being broken off on ribs. A fixed or removable blade is ideal. With a properly tuned bow, there will be no difference in your flight path compared to field points.
With a gradual taper, low-drag ferrule, and good reinforcing, this is an ideal moose broadhead.
A solid core and re-enforced back make the G5 an exceptionally strong broadhead. These very rarely break passing through bone.
A single bolt at the end of what ends up being a long lever, combined with a fairly steep blade angle, this style of broadhead often destructs on ribs.
How many blades?
A broadhead with two or three blades is ideal. Each time a blade is added, more frontal surface area (and resistance) is added. The 4th blade of most broadheads does not cut a significant number of additional blood vessels, as most of the tissue being cut would have already be sliced by the blades flanking it. Broadheads with more than 4 blades are typically sales gimmicks to sell product to those who base their purchase on how "bad-ass" something looks. Traditional shooters should use a two blade broadhead.
Even though there is a 4th blade on the Slick Trick, it is still suitable for moose hunting thanks to a smaller cutting diameter, and acceptable blade geometry.
Three slim, swept back blades result in a very minimal surface to create drag, resulting in one of the straightest flying, and deepest penetrating broadheads we have used.
A sales gimmick of "looking cool", these broadheads do not offer any real positive, and are banned from our camps.
Blade GEOMETRY
The ideal blade has a slowly tapering, swept back design. This results in a wedge that will efficiently penetrate through bone and issue. A broadhead that has a steep blade will be more likely to snap and breakoff, or outright stop the arrow from penetrating. A good visualization for this would be to compare a splitting axe, to a chopping axe.
Cutting Diameter
Less is more. Even though moose don't typically travel too far when hit mortally, an exit wound can REALLY help with tracking. We want to ensure at a minimum we hit both lungs, not two ribs and half a lung. A smaller cutting diameter (1 1/8" ball park) will help a broad head minimize bone contact on ribs or shoulder and get into the boiler room.