This review will be a bit more than my regular reviews on Broadheads.It will include a couple extra reviews of other Magnus Broadheads form myself and a few of my hunting friends that use Magnus broadheads.
I received a set of 100 grain 4 blade STINGERS to test, I immediately liked the design.The tip is anything but fragile and they are made from Knife grade stainless steel and have an aircraft grade aluminum furrel.The blades are replaceable , or they can be easily sharpened.They are as sharp right from the package as any broadhead that I have seen.The Stinger as well as all Magnus Broadheads is unconditionaly Garanteed.I have not seen any other Broadhead with a warranty like this.If you shoot it into a rock ledge, Mike Sohms from Magnus will replace it.
I originaly intended to shoot these from my traditional Bows for this review and this is where the review starts.I placed the Stingers on a few good carbon arrows that were internaly weighted to give me a total weight of 600 grains .Spin testing proved the Stingers and the arrows to be as perfect as can be.If you are a traditional Shooter you have probably found that you needed to index the broadhead a certain way to get good arrow flight and acuracy.This can be difficult unless you have nylon washers that allow you to tighten them untill they are in your desired position.The day I went to test the Stingers I was out of washers so i decided to go for it anyway.One Stinger was vertical, another was horizontal and the third was somewhere inbetween.I shot them from my longbow and my recurve to check for flight and acuracy.On both bows the Stingers grouped together, even though they were indexed diferently.Also they were grouping with my fieldpoints.
I had already filled my moose tag and had kept the shoulder blades to use for calling next year.They were the perfect target to test the stingers on.After proping them up against a target butt I shot clean thru the Moose Shoulder blades.The stingers smashed thru and to my surprise they were still intact.Even the Bleeder blades were still good.The main blade was still hunting sharp also.
If they shoot this well on my Trad gear I decided to give them a real flight test.This time I put them on some very light carbons and shot them from my compounds.Both bows that I used are tuned to shoot most broadhead styles well and the Stingers were no exception.They grouped with the fieldpoints out to 50 yards.I was shooting them at 275 and 293 feet per second without any problems at all.I did not need to retune either setup.Arrow flight was perfect.When I shot them into the Shoulder bladse of the moose the results were the same as with the traditional Bows.They easily smashed thru the bone and remained is near perfect condition.All that was needed was a light toutch up on the sharpener and they were ready for hunting.Magnus has designed and built a superior Broadhead again, this time it is called the "STINGER".
Magnus Stingers are highly recomended,and with the lifetime guarantee you will not find a better choice of broadhead.They shoot acyrately from traditional Longbows and recyrves as well as from modern hi speed compounds.
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This part of the review is strictly for the tragitional shooter that uses woodies.The broadhead that I will discuss here is the magnus 100 grain glue on two blade.Like all Magnus broadheads these also cary a lifetime guarantee. The 100 grain glue on is an almost perfect broadhead for traditional shooting with a light weight deep penetrating broadhead.These are one of the better designs,[3to1] 2 1/2" long and 1 1/4" diameter with 11/32 ferrule, they are an acurate broadhead when instaled straight on wooden shafts.The long taper in the two blade 100 makes it very easy to install straight the first time.Spin testing will prove this to you.
The blades are copper welded to a central core that adds to the overall strength of these broadheads.They ar a true flying and tough.The arrows that I installed them on varied from POC to Australian Silverwood tapered shafts.All of the flew well and spin tested the first try.I was not able to harvest an animal this year using my traditional bows, but I did use them small game and stump shooting as well as at the range.After a full season of shooting and sharpening the 100 two blades are still in new like condition.
I broke several arrows stump shooting into things I should not have and each time the magnus survived.While shooting at Grouse they took a beating and several times ended up stuck into trees or rock piles.I am very impressed with how well the Magnus 100grain 2 blade stood up.After abusing them for a season I also found that sharpening a Magnus is very easy.A few swipes on a sharpener and you are ready to go again.They are not so hard that a sharpening job takes a lot of time, or is difficult to do.
Traditional shooters who like a light weight broadhead that is very durable will love these.And with the lifetime guarantee they will last untill you loose them.
This part of the review is provided by Shannon Kuzic, a good friend that helps with my testing program.Shannon was responsible for a review update on the Merlin Recurve Bow this fall.I have decided to use the review from the :Shannon: bow in its entirety here.The success speaks for itself, and makes for some interesting reading.Shannon was using the 125 grain Magnus 2 blade screw in broadheads .
*****Shannons Review*****
This year, I was using 125 grain, 2 blade MAGNUS BROADHEADS on my compound and recurve. Let me get something straight, you read all these articles on how big fixed wing broadheads, that are not vented, do not fly out of fast bows. Well I am here to tell you that they do. My arrows are 25 ¼ inches long with three four inch low profile vanes with a 4 degree right helical. They weigh in at 385 grains, with the 125 grain Magnus Broadhead and clock in at 290 feet per second. Five arrows group within 4 ½ inches at 60 yards. I don’t think that many hunters would complain about that. I have taken five animals with Magnus Broadheads and all were one shot kills. The broadheads went through rib bones and shoulder blades without any damage. You only need to touch up the edge and they are ready to fly again. If you are looking for a deep penetrating broadhead, that won’t break, Magnus is my number one choice.
REVIEWED BY SHANNON KUZIK LICENSED BIG GAME GUIDE PRODUCT TESTER
"Shanon Kuzic Recaps Two Exciting Hunts WITH THE SMB and Magnus Broadheads."
"4 X 4 WHITETAIL BUCK"
When Pete brought over the SWISS MILITARY BOW to the range, I was amazed how the lamanations flowed from the riser to the limbs. When we started shooting it, there was no hand shock and was whisper quiet. I set the bow up with 29” internally
weighted Carbon Epic 400 arrows, weighting 650 grains tipped with a two blade 125 Grain Magnus broadhead. At my draw length the bow was pushing them out at 165 feet per second for 39 foot pounds kinetic energy. I could not wait to try it out this hunting season.
I was not able to do any serious hunting till November. I managed to get a couple days off work to go in late season elk. In five days, I hiked over 100 kms looking for a big bull elk. I saw elk ever day but only one bull. He would not come closer then 50 yards. I had dozens of cow elk at under 10 yards but my tag was only good for bulls.
Finally, on Saturday November 22, my luck turned. The problem was that it was -30 degrees Celsius. I arrived at my hunting spot two hours before daylight since it takes 1 ½ hours to get to the fields where the elk are feeding during the night. I set up on their trails and try to ambush them as they walk to there bedding areas. Just as the sun was coming up two cow elk came down the trail and past by me at 7 yards. I was hoping that a bull would be following them so I sat for another two hours with out any more action.
My toes and fingers were frozen solid. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to pull the bow back. I had to get moving and warm up so I started still hunting my way back to my truck. I stopped to call every 500 yards with my buck grunt call and doe bleat. On the fifth set up, I found a swamp that was full of tracks. I set up on a log that was laying between two of the main trails and started calling. About five minutes later, I heard something walking through the bushes to my right. I saw patches of brown moving through the white limbs. When the deer crossed my trail, he smelt the Buck Fever Synthetics sent that I dripped on my boots, put his nose down and walked in my direction. I saw that it was a nice 4x4 whitetail buck. I turned my body to the right so I could get a better broadside shot. The buck walked right pass me at 5 yards with his nose to the ground. When he was quartering away, I came to full draw and released my arrow. The arrow passed completely though the buck and he ran though the swamp and out of sight. I would like to say it was a perfect heart shot but it wasn’t. It looked like the arrow might of hit the liver and maybe the far lung.
It took 30 minutes to find the arrow in the long swamp grass and snow. The arrow had snow frozen on the blood so there was no clues on what kind of hit. I waited another 45 minutes before I started to track down the wounded buck. There was a consistent blood trail but after 300 yards I started to get worried that it might not have been a fatal hit. I started to go slower with an arrow ready just in case I jumped the buck at close range. A hundred yards later I finally found the buck in the middle of the trail. The Magnus broadhead had hit the last rib going in and exited the back of the right lung. After pictures I still had to drag the buck 2 ½ kms out of the bush to my truck. Even at -30 degrees Celsius the Merlin Swiss Military Bow performed flawless and was a treat to carry all those miles.
SHANNON KUZIK
"A 5 X 5 WHITETAIL FALLS TO THE SMB And Magnus Broadheads"
November 28, only two days left of the 2003 hunting season, I had to get out to one of my favourite tree stands in search of whitetail and moose. On the way to my tree stand, I put a couple of drops of Buck Fever Synthetics scents on my boots and a scent pad 10 yards from my tree stand. When there was enough light to see, I called a couple of times on my grunt call and doe bleat. About 15 minutes later, I saw a whitetail doe walking down the trail I had walked in on. The doe came in to 10 yards and started to lick the sent pad. When she turned broad side, I came to full draw, released my arrow and missed just under her chest. I thought how could I miss at only 10 yards but I guess buck fever works with does too.
About 45 minutes later, I noticed movement to the west. Looking through my binoculars, I saw a 30 inch bull moose walking through the bush. I watch him bed down in a willow flat about 400 yards away. If he would stay bedded there till noon, I would climb down out of my tree stand and put a stalk on him.
Just as I was sitting back down, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. 125 yards away, a buck was looking in my direction. Looking through my binoculars, I saw he was a 140 class 5x5. I grunted at him and he started to walk slowly in my direction, taking his time, smelling every branch he walked by. A couple of doe bleats and he picked up the pace. I grabbed my bow and got ready for the shot. He was going to walk on the right hand side of my tree stand so I had to turn and face the tree. At 15 yards he turned 90 degrees and started to walk behind the tree. I came to full draw and released the arrow right over his back. The buck did not react or run off, he just kept walking. By the time I pulled another arrow out of my bow quiver and put it on the string, the buck was standing over my first arrow and smelling the scent pad hanging on a branch. I came to full draw, anchored and released in one fluid motion. The arrow flew true, entering the back of the rib cage and punched though the far shoulder. The buck jumped and ran down the hill 50 yards before he expired. I couldn’t stop my right leg from shaking; my adrenaline was pumping from all the action. After the pictures and field dressing, I found that the arrow and Magnus 125 grain broadhead had gone through a rib on the way in and completely through the shoulder blade, stopping on the hide.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get my bull elk or moose this year but I know the Swiss Military Bow would have no problem penetrating any big animal. It was a pleasure hunting with this bow this year. Merlin put a lot of pride and thought into building this bow. I know you would enjoy shooting one too.
SHANNON KUZIK
The next part of the Magnus reviews was provided by a good friend and hunting partner, Randy Inberg.Randy took a nice 10pt whitetail this fall with his Magnus broadheads.Thank You Randy for your valued input.
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This broadhead has received many reviews and I am sure this will not be the last. Magnus 2 blade broadheads are classics.....like a good movie, you see them come up again and again. These classic broadheads are being used by archers using both traditional and the fastest modern compound bows.
Design: I show a little bias here. If for no other reason, I give it high marks just for being a cut-to-tip design. Made of high carbon steel, it is spot welded, copper brazed and is reinforced at the tip. Razor sharp, with a long shallow blade-to-blade angle of approximately 35°, it effortlessly penetrates hide, punches through bone and slices through the boiler room of the largest big game animals in North America.
Durability: I don't shoot at steel or rocks if I can help it. A little bone, a little wood, sure. After passing through a Manitoba buck this season, I found my arrow lodged in a fallen oak. Excavation with a knife was required to retrieve the broadhead. Visually, the broadhead was undamaged and a spin test back home confirmed that this broadhead only needed to be re-sharpened before reclaiming its space in my quiver.
Sharpening: These broadheads come sharp out of the package, but are so easily sharpened, why not? Magnus recommends the Accu Sharp knife sharpener. I have also used an Eze-Lap diamond sharpener with excellent results. These carbon steel broadheads are easily sharpened to a razor edge.
Tuning: One of the more frustrating things you may have experienced is tuning your bow so that your broadheads shoot like your field points. I had no problems obtaining a perfect spin test on a package of six Magnus 100 grain screw-in broadheads. However, my shot placement was not identical to that of shooting field point arrows. My arrows were planing high and right; this was not unexpected nor should it be.. Now, this has more to do with the bow being out of tune than some excuse that the broadheads are to blame. A short time later, after some minor adjustments to my arrow rest, I had my field points and broadheads grouping on top of each other. I tuned both of my hunting bows to shoot Magnus tipped arrows this season, both very fast bows, one set-up shooting in excess of 300 fps.
Cost: Apart from losing your broadheads, your investment in Magnus is for life. Magnus offers an unconditional lifetime warranty on these broadheads. You bend it, they replace it. Nobody, I say nobody, offers equal service.
PETE WARD
