Poor performace from Slick-Trick Broadheads!!!

Had a bad experience with Slick-Trick broadheads this year and after my experience I would not recommend them to anyone.
Let me start with a description of my archery setup:
Bow: Bowtech Patriot #70
Arrows: Carbon Express Maxima 29?
Broadheads: Slick-Trick 100 gr.

Last weekend I called in a cow elk and shot her at 30 yards. It was a broadside side shot with a complete pass through but I hit her back further than I would like. I new it would still be a fatal shot but she would need some time to expire.
Upon making the shot, the elk ran about 80 yards and stop along the edge of some Aspen trees so I figured I could ease in and get another arrow in her which I did. She gave me a good 40 yard shot that was nearly broadside. I'd say she was quartering away at about a 5 degree angle. Still a very good ethical shot. The arrow hit here perfect right behind the shoulder. I thought to myself, that should kill her quick. She jumped and ran about 20 yards and stopped. Upon closer inspection with my binos, I could see that the arrow had only penetrated about 2 inches. I could not believe it.
As I watch the elk I could tell she was not going to go far. She was having a hard time simply standing there. I hung back but kept an eye on here. She eventually disappeared through the trees down below me. In an effort to keep tabs on here I eased down to where she disappeared. I didn't want to loose track of here because she was not bleeding externally at all. It turns out she had actually bedded down about 20 yards from where she disappeared. I again eased in on her and when she stood up I put another arrow in here on the opposite side from the previous arrow. This shot was a bit more of a quartering shot probably about at a 45 degree angle. Still it was a good shot with plenty of room to get the arrow in the vitals. I placed the arrow perfectly but again the arrow did not penetrate. At this point I backed out and left the elk alone. I knew she was not going to go far and if I gave her some time she expire.
I came back 6 hours later and found here not 20 yards from where I'd last shot here. Upon inspection of the two quartering shots I found the arrows had simply hit ribs and stopped. On the shot that was @ about a 45 degree angle, the arrow hit a ribs and simply skipped along the outside. It make a long cut through the skin along here side until the arrow hit the shoulder and stopped. I was amazed at how poorly the broadheads performed.
The 4 blades on Slick-Tricks are at a steep angle with a short chisel tip. I'm guessing the blade angle must inhibit penetration when the arrow does not hit perpendicular to its target.
Anyway, I thought I'd pass my experience along. Fortunately the first hit was good enough to kill the elk and enabled me to harvest the elk.
I will never use those broadheads again for any kind of big game. Maybe I'll keep one on my arrows for shooting grouse. Hopefully I'll get good penetration on a grouse.

Good to know. I shot my bull with a G5 Montec and it went down in a hurry. (see "Short Elk Season")

I recently spent the same amount of money on twice as many muzzy broadheads and I hope they work as good as the Montecs. The slick tricks are not expandables???

Wow. That is the first negative I've ever heard about those broadheads. I'm sure the Slick Trick folks would like to hear about it. I do think that once any given broadhead has been around long enough there are bound to be some naysayers. Heck, I've even heard of Muzzy "failures".

Wapiti,

That is too bad that you had a poor experience with the Slick Trick broadhead. I just started shooting them this year and am very impressed with the the flight as well as my penetration up too now. I have not shot an elk (yet) this year with them but did shoot an antelope as well as a cougar that I cow called in and was extremely impressed. Actually I used the same broadhead for both and it is still my number one arrow/broadhead in my quiver. The cat I shot at 63 yards and shot through her (7 year old, 105 lbs. 76 1/2" long) shoulder blade and still got both lungs as she was quartering towards me.

Hopefully the broadheads continue to hold up for me.

Splash

Zigga- Hey great to hear that you had a positive hunt with the Montec's. I bought some this year but have yet to get into shooting range on anything.

But I have 8 more days to try.

i used the montecs for the last 2 years and think they are the best definately the best ive used.
check out the elk forum and West Wash bull
slight quartering away rib on entry and exit and through
the shoulder blade and meat on the opposite shoulder then another 12 yards and buried in a tree.
easy to sharpen and very sturdy - - so far.

Wapiti, I was just wondering what your total arrow weight is. Obviously a four bladed broadhead is not going to penetrate as well, but still should do a better job than what you have described.

I was kinds wondering what your total arrow weight is also.
I'll be using ST this year. Even though I am surprised with your story, I've heard so many good things about them, I will use them until I am dissatisfied.

Lien2

The total weight of the arrow is around 370gr. I'm not sure exactly. I know the weight of the shafts, they are 8.2gr/inch. The broadhead is 100gr. Combine the fletchings, nock, & insert and the arrow is probably around 370gr.
The fact still remains regardless of the arrow weight that the broadhead deflected of ribs at a slight to moderate quartering shot.

Man....you got me freaked out now. Those are exactly what I'm using this year, 100gr. Slick Tricks. I'm not gonna change just yet, but hopefully they get the job done when/if the time comes. Thanks for the story.

Did you sharpen the blades? Cause they are not the sharpest of blades. Well I sure love my Slicks. Shot my deer right through the neck with probably about a 15 degree quartering shot and got him in the jugular and throat pipe and only the last 10 inches of my arrow didnt pass through.

Not to be critical, it is great you got your deer, but what the heck are you doing shooting a deer in the neck? The jugular is a pretty small target and you are not going to have much luck recovering a critter without cutting that vein.

Wapati -
Yeh, 370 grains should be plenty. Thanks for the update on the ST. I hope it was a fluke. Glad you stuck with it and got your elk though. Congrats!
bowhuntingboy-
I'm kinda curious how your arrow ended up in the neck also?

Lien2

All skill! Not really. I will admit that I shouldn't have taken the shot, because my peep site was being all screwed up and wasn't twisting correctly. So I used open site and which just happened to make me shoot left. And I got him in the jugular. Dropped on the spot
But I do know that my slick trick took a chunk out of my mighty trophy.

sorry to hear about your poor performance with the ST, very strange to have such poor penatration with that head. I can't really suggest any solutions to that problem, but can tell that I have had great performance on a number of different animals, including African game. My hunting partner shot a bull last week(quartering away at close range, but hit right in the center of a rib, only to put a perfect hole through the rib, although he did not get a pass through the ST performed great and the bull only went 50 yds with massive blood loss. I know it is hard to have confidence in a product once it has failed on you, but call Gary at slick trick and he might have a solution for you. Good Luck!!!

How was your arrow flight? Even our cow blunting friends here at MM's get that much penetration with blunts sometimes. With your set-up you should have plenty of KE. A few years ago I switched to a new set-up and had problems getting my bow tuned correctly. It was shooting tight groups but I didn't have good arrow flight. And that was robbing me of KE.