Wace'em vs Epek vs Field Tip

Founder · Jul 7, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Jul-07-12 AT 03:54PM (MST)[p]Here's the deal. I shot the Epek head last year and killed a big buck with it and was very please with how it flew and performed. This spring the guys at Wace'em were talking about doing some advertising here on the site and gave me these broadheads a couple months back and asked that I shoot them. So, finally I have done it.

I did this as an experiment yesterday. It was a bit windy, but I think my shooting went well.

The camparison is between the field tipped arrow, the arrow tipped with the Epek broadhead, and the Wace'Em broadhead.

Below you will see the arrows I shot and the yardage. As you will see, the Wace'Em tipped arrow just didn't fly the same as the other two. I've had trouble with fixed blade heads before and that is why I went to the Epek head.

So take a look at what I got yesterday. I shot 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 yards. With the 80 yard set the wind was just too much and I missed the entire target with two of the three arrows.......losing a Wace'em blade.

I love the build of the Wace'em. It looks and feels tough as heck and it looks like it could split some serious bone to make it's way into an animal. I think if a guy was going to go with a fixed blade head, these would be a great choice, but I think the bow would need to be tuned for the broadhead. I guess that is why I like the Epek, because it simply flies the same as a field tip.

Anyway, so there you go.

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com

nooma · Jul 8, 2012

It's hard to beat the Epek and it hammers the game too...Thanks founder.

theox · Jul 8, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Jul-08-12 AT 03:40PM (MST)[p]

interesting,.. cause my wac'ems shoot just like my field tips. and are tough as concrete nails. i can shoot group as tight with my wac'ems as my field tips. Everyone i know that shoots them has the same results as me. I find it odd you struggled that bad. i have never heard of anyone having that kind of problem with wac'ems... interesting to me

BuckBrush · Jul 8, 2012

I never shot the epek before but the wac'em didnt fly like field points for me either. I know how to broadhead tune a bow but i would rather not have too. I know some people love them. To each their own.

BigPig · Jul 8, 2012

The Wacem is one of the best flying heads out there. I used to shoot them years ago but got tired of blades breaking. I hear they have since addressed that issue. I now prefer a truly solid one piece, the VPA 3 blade. Thats all beside the point. Back to the subject... the Wacem is a VERY forgiving head. If you had flight issues with one I'd go so far as to say your bow is likely quite out of tune. A Wacem should shoot absolutely spot on with field tips from a tuned bow and with good shooter form. Even with things slightly out of whack, they should still fly ok. IMO simply going to a mechanical is merely a lousy band aid type of a solution. Why not fix the root of the problem? Tune the bow. That way if you still decide to shoot a mech, you will at least be doing so from a properly tuned set up with optimal arrow flight.

I can see reasons why guys might like to shoot mechs (more cutting diameter, wind resistance, etc) but shooting them because they fly "like field tips" is missing the point. Most any good fixed head (especially a compact one like a Waccem) will do that with good form and tuning, with far less chance of Broadhead failure. Just my .02.

AntlerJunky · Jul 8, 2012

Hi Guys,
I dont comment on here alot, but I feel I have some experience to offer about Wace'em. I have been shotting the 85 grain head for several years and have killed several deer and pigs. The thing I can say is they fly very good if your bow is tuned! (every good archer should know this and probably gets tired of hearing it and saying it). The penetration is superior to most heads out there as I have ried several. I used to shoot steel force saber tooth but got tired of one shot heads because the tips would bend from a pass through hitting a rock! Im not gonna say mechanicals are bad but I did lose a deer with one and it put a bad taste in my mouth. Have not used one sense and probably wont. Use what works for you and for the animal. Back to penetration example (no BS!) I shot a mule deer buck at 72 yds, smacked him in the ribs (cut rib going in and out) and he went 50 yards or so and fell over! Same with a blacktail at 68 yds!!! Arrows were 5 to 10 yds behind the animal.
I would say the one drawback is the blades will come out if your hiking alot and the head come loose! (learned the hard way) Now I put a very minute amount of superglue betwen the gold ring and the ferrule. (I pulled an arrow out to get ready for a shot and all I heard was ding ding, blades falling out.).
They are hard to get at times but they do work well. The blood trails are not spectacular but when they drop within 50 yds from a solid pass through, Ill take that.
Hope this helps. Thanks

wildwilderness · Jul 9, 2012

I have to speak up for the wac'em too! I love the head, flies excellent too. Fixed blades are a little touchy but you have to do some basics, like checking your arrows, spinning the head and making sure you bow is in tune! Also test all three blades, sometimes you get a flier.

From Founders group it looks like his bow is out of tune and that his form isn't that great! I am not talking about "tune to the broadhead" but tuned for field points first!

I hunt a lot of elk and the wac'em gives me the best penetration and great flight.

bowhunt · Jul 9, 2012

Founder,
You are doing something wrong:
-Bow out of tune
-torquing your bow...

I have had nothing but GREAT accuracy and performance from the Wacem heads.

However, if you do not correct what is wrong, if I were you, I would keep shooting the expandable.

AntlerJunky · Jul 9, 2012

Thats a good point I forgot to mention, WW. I spin every arrow when I place a wacem on it to see if thier is a wobble. If it wobbles I dont use it or try to fix it! Any wobble mixed with bad shooting form which you almost cant get away from in the field can make you wonder why you missed or even worse, hit to far back, to high.......... list goes on and on! (Been there done that).

swbuckmaster · Jul 11, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Jul-11-12 AT 02:24PM (MST)[p]
Im sorry but thats not your typical group with those heads. They are extremely accurate heads and have always grouped with my field points out to 80 yards. They could be one of the best flying fixed blade heads made imho. I wont bash the epek heads because I like them as well and are made by a friend of mine. but the wac'em heads are great heads.

My 50 yard groups are literary touching each other and I rarely shoot more then two arrows at any dot for fear of destroying my arrows with the wacem heads attached.

bowhunt · Jul 11, 2012

Agreed SWbuck..., it just does not make sense, unless you really have something wrong.

OCHOA505 · Jul 17, 2012

I can also attest to the Wac'em Broadheads flying great. I do recall on my buddys bow when he would overtighten them they would plain right not sure why but never had any issues on mine and they both flew like darts.

I stopped using them just due to availablity sometimes hard to find 85 grains. But very good head!

hunthard1967 · Jul 27, 2012

From what I can see your bow is obviously out of tune. If you look at the pictures each arrow is coming it a completely different entry angle and even the broadhead impact from short yardage was quite far from the desired impact. Unless you were shooting from a completely different spot with each set up then your arrows are obviously "kicking" around. I also noticed that you are using different arrows and completely different fletchings on each arrow. To do a proper and unbiased "test" of a broadhead then the bow must first be perfectly tuned to your fieldtips (that should weigh exactly the same as the broadheads)and the arrows and fletchings should remain and be exactly the same when you move to the broadheads.

HuntinFool · Aug 26, 2012

When I was broadhead tuning my bow about a month ago my slick tricks were giving me a tough time so I screwed on a wacem four blade and it shot perfect all the way out to 70 yards with my field points. If I would have had more of them I would have planned on hunting with them.