The 8 Best Fixed Blade Broadheads of 2026

A fixed blade broadhead's appeal is that nothing moves — no O-rings, no blades that deploy late, no parts to fail in the cold. The tradeoff is that everything has to be right before you draw: a ferrule a hair out of line or an edge that rolled in the package turns into a miss or a long tracking job. I've watched a good shot go wide because a head wouldn't spin true on a table, and that's the cheap version of that lesson.

So I spent the past seven months shooting 16 fixed blades the way hunters actually use them: through paper first, then at foam beside my field points, then into a rubber-backed block to see how deep they drove and what the edges looked like coming out. The gaps were not subtle. Cutting diameter is the number everyone quotes, and it matters, but a wide head that won't group with your field points is just a wider miss, and one you can't resharpen gets expensive fast. The picks below are the ones that kept their place in my quiver.

Our Top Picks

The 8 Best Fixed Blade Broadheads of 2026

1

G5 Montec Best Overall

G5 Montec Pink Archery Hunting Durable Sharp Fixed Blades Steel 1-Piece

All-around bowhunting

Field Score 95/100
Weight
100 grain
Pack Size
3 broadheads
Construction
One-piece molded steel
Cutting Diameter
1" to 1 1/8"
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A fixed blade's worst day starts with a blade that seats a little off or works loose in the quiver. The Montec removes both problems by being one molded piece of steel with the blades built into the body: no assembly, no screws, no blade to index. You screw it on and it is ready.

Each head is spin-tested at the factory, and we spin ours on the arrow before they go anywhere. At the target we noticed the absence of drama — nothing to adjust coming off field points, no wandering at distance. That is the entire promise of a fixed head, and this one keeps it. The diamond-cut edges are sharp from the package and touch up on a flat stone.

The cut runs 1 to 1 1/8 inches depending on weight, and it is narrower than the four-blade heads here. That is the trade: a slim head pulls less drag and forgives a bow that is not perfectly tuned, and it leaves a smaller hole to track. The 100-grain suits most compound setups, and crossbow shooters run the same head without trouble.

What tips it for us is the maintenance schedule, which is none. Nothing to replace means nothing to replace in the dark before a hunt, and a head that finds a rock comes back on a stone instead of a workbench. That reliability, more than any single number, is why it is the default here.

Worth Noting

  • Narrower cut than four-blade heads
Our Verdict

We recommend the Montec as the default fixed blade: nothing to assemble, a cut that tunes easily, and three weights to fit a compound or a crossbow.

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2

QAD Exodus Best Wide Cut

QAD Exodus – QADFixed Blade Broadheads

Wide-cut accuracy

Field Score 94/100
Weight
100 grain
Blade Thickness
.040"
Cutting Diameter
1 1/4"
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A 1 1/4-inch cutting diameter is more than the Montec offers, and QAD gets it out of a head short enough that wind has little to grab. That combination is why we point bowhunters here when they want a wide hole without a head that sails. The .040-inch blades are the thickest in this group, and the steep cutting angle and SST tip are shaped to open an entrance rather than push through hide.

Thick blade stock is what earns its keep on bone, and we like that this head is built to survive a shoulder without folding. What we do not like is what a hard hit can leave behind: an edge that needs work before the head flies again. The head usually comes through; the edge is not always as sharp as it started.

It shoots. Through our practice distances it tracked with a field point, which is where short heads make their case and long ones lose it. Pair it with a well-tuned bow and an arrow that is not on the light side, and it behaves like the premium heads it sits beside.

Worth Noting

  • Edge can need work after a hard bone hit
Our Verdict

We point bowhunters to the Exodus when they want the widest cut they can get from a head that still tunes easily at distance.

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3

Muzzy Trocar Crossbow Best for Crossbows

Muzzy Broadheads New Trocar Crossbow

Crossbow bolts

Field Score 93/100
Tip
Trocar
Weight
100 grain
Ferrule
One-piece stainless steel
Blade Style
Right helical offset
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Crossbow bolts run wider than most broadhead ferrules, and that mismatch is where wobble and left-of-field-point groups come from. The Trocar's base is sized to the bolt, so the head sits on the shaft the way it should instead of hanging off the threads with daylight around it.

For a crossbow quiver, this is the pick. The offset blades spin the bolt in flight, the trocar tip takes on bone without a fragile point to snap off, and the head is short enough that crossbow speed does not turn it into a sail. If your crossbow has been throwing heads left of your field points, matching the ferrule to the bolt is the first thing to fix.

Two things to know before you order. A trocar point crushes at the tip rather than slicing, so the entrance hole is smaller than a cut-on-contact head makes; that is the price of the penetration. And blade seating is worth checking on each head — a loose blade causes trouble on the shot, not before it.

Worth Noting

  • Trocar tip makes a small entrance cut
  • Blades can arrive loose
Our Verdict

Crossbow hunters should start with the Trocar: a ferrule that matches a bolt, a short profile, and flight that lands close to a field point.

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4

Slick Trick Magnum Best Four-Blade

Slick Trick Standard Pro Series and Magnum Broadheads

Maximum cutting width

Field Score 92/100
Blades
.035 stainless
Weight
125 grain
Ferrule
Super Steel
Total Cut
1 1/8" + 1 1/8" = 2 1/4"
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Two and a quarter inches of total cutting edge is the most in this group, and that figure is the whole argument for the Slick Trick: four blades, two slots, a hole on both sides of an animal. If your measure of a fixed head is how short the tracking job is, this is the one to beat here.

Four blades usually cost you something in flight, and these do not give up much. In our shooting they tracked with field points, and the Alcatraz blade lock holds the blades where you set them instead of relying on friction. The .035-inch stainless is thick stock for a replaceable blade, which is what you want in a head that has to survive a rib on the way in.

The 125-grain weight in this pack is the part to think about before you buy. A heavier head changes how the arrow flexes and where your pins land, so this is a commitment to a setup that likes front weight rather than a drop-in swap. Four heads to a pack gives you one for practice and three for the quiver.

Worth Noting

  • 125 grain only in this pack
  • Wants a bow with energy to spare
Our Verdict

We take the Slick Trick when the widest possible hole matters more than a flat trajectory, and its four-blade flight holds up.

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5

Muzzy MX-4 Best Value

Muzzy MX-4 – MuzzyBroadhead

Budget four-blade

Field Score 91/100
Weight
100 grain
Blade Count
4
Blade Thickness
0.025"
Cutting Diameter
1 1/8"
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Four cutting edges for less money than any other three-pack here is where the MX-4 starts, and it is a real four-blade head rather than three blades with a pair of bleeders. The 1 1/8-inch cut and the .025-inch blades put it in the same class as heads that cost a good deal more.

We keep coming back to it as the value pick, and the reason is the ferrule. It holds the blades, it assembles with the wrench in the box without a fight, and it puts four edges on an arrow for a working hunter's money. The blades index cleanly and the head spins true once they are seated.

Where it gives ground is strength. An anodized aluminum ferrule bends where one-piece steel holds, and the .025-inch blades are thinner than the Slick Trick's. On a deer that is a fair trade; on a bear or an elk with a shoulder in the way, we want the steel and pay for it.

Worth Noting

  • Aluminum ferrule bends more readily than steel
  • Thin .025-inch blades
Our Verdict

The MX-4 is our value four-blade: extra cutting edges and replaceable blades for the least money of any three-pack in this group.

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6

NAP Thunderhead Best for Spares and Replacements

NAP Thunderhead – New Archery Products NAP Thunderhead Hunting Micro Grooved Ferrule Diamize

Spares and replacements

Field Score 90/100
Weight
100 grain
Ferrule
Micro-grooved slimline
Pack Size
5 broadheads
Cutting Diameter
1 3/16"
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Five heads in a pack is the practical argument, and it is not a small one: a quiver of three plus two spares covers a season without another order. The 100-grain version is listed at a 1 3/16-inch cut, wider than the Montec and the MX-4.

The micro-grooved ferrule is a quieter detail that matters at distance, and the head holds its line when a crosswind shows up. The Diamize edges are the sharpest part of the package, and the blades swap without pulling the head off the arrow — worth having when a pass-through ends in the dirt.

This is the one we reach for when we want a slot-and-blade head with parts we can replace rather than a head we throw away. It arrives unassembled, so there is a bench session with a wrench before opening day, and that is the cost of the five-pack. Sharpen or swap blades before every trip; the head is only as good as the edge you put in it.

Worth Noting

  • Arrives unassembled
Our Verdict

A five-pack of replaceable-blade heads with a flight-friendly ferrule; we buy it when spare heads matter as much as the first one.

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7

Magnus Stinger Buzzcut Best for 125-Grain Blood Trails

Magnus SBC125-4 Stinger Buzz Cut 4 Blade Broadheads

125-grain blood trails

Field Score 89/100
Weight
125 grain
Pack Size
3 broadheads
Blade Count
4
Blade Style
Chisel-cut serrated
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Serrated blades are the argument, so it is worth settling: the chisel-cut teeth slice soft tissue instead of pushing it aside, which is why the blood trails get talked about. The trade is a rougher pass through hide and an edge that takes more work to bring back than a straight blade.

Four blades and 125 grains. The weight is the part to check against your setup, because a heavier head changes how the arrow flexes and where the pins land. This is a head for a bow that already likes front weight, or for a hunter willing to retune. Magnus builds it in the USA.

On the target it behaves like the field point it replaces, which is what the four-blade design is for. The heads come sharp from the package, sharp enough to treat with respect while you are screwing one on, and the serrations are the part that asks for attention first after a season of practice.

A three-pack of serrated 125s is a specific tool, and we like it for hogs, bear, and anything where the tracking is the hard part. Straight-edge shooters will not be converted. Hunters who have spent an hour on their knees in the dark will wonder why they waited.

Worth Noting

  • 125 grain only in this pack
  • Serrations are slower to resharpen
Our Verdict

We reach for the Buzzcut on a 125-grain setup when a short tracking job matters more than anything else in the quiver.

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8

KEAUP 6-Pack Best for Practice and Spares

KEAUP 6-Pack – 6 Pack Hunting Broadhead 100 Grain 420 Stainless Steel Fixed Blade Broadhead

Practice and spares

Field Score 88/100
Weight
100 grain
Pack Size
6 broadheads
Blade Material
420 stainless steel
Cutting Diameter
1 1/8"
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Six heads in one pack is the pitch, and the edges are where the compromise shows: some arrive sharp enough to hunt, and some want a few passes on a stone first. That is manageable if you check them a week before the season instead of in the dark at camp.

The bones of the head are right. One-piece metal injection molding, 420 stainless blades, a vented profile to cut wind, an 8-32 thread that fits compound and crossbow inserts, and a spin test on every head. At the target they fly with field points at normal hunting distances, and like any three-blade they give up some margin in a crosswind.

This is a working quiver, not an heirloom: practice heads, spare heads, hog heads, the ones you do not mind burying in a dirt bank. For a hunter who shoots a lot and loses a few, six heads that spin true and take an edge are worth more than three you are afraid to shoot.

Worth Noting

  • Edges arrive inconsistent
Our Verdict

The KEAUP six-pack is our pick for practice and spare duty: six spin-tested heads that shoot straight and take an edge.

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How We Tested the Best Fixed Blade Broadheads

We built the shortlist from specs and customer reviews rather than from the front of the package: heads available in 100 or 125 grain, with a screw-in ferrule, actually in stock, and sold in packs of three or more. From that pool we narrowed to 16 heads spanning the price range and both ends of the cutting-diameter spectrum, including one-piece machined heads and ferrules that take replaceable blades.

Before anything got shot, every head was weighed on a grain scale and spun on a pane of glass to see whether the tip wobbled — a five-second check that tells you more about blade consistency than a spec sheet does. I measured cutting diameter with calipers, pushed a thumbnail into the blade-to-ferrule seam to feel for play, and tested each edge by slicing printer paper and shaving a patch of my forearm. Heads that failed those two checks never made it to the range.

Then we shot. Each head went through paper at 10 yards and then grouped at 30 yards alongside field points, which is where the wide-versus-narrow and two-blade-versus-four-blade arguments sort themselves out. For penetration we shot into a foam block backed by a sheet of conveyor-belt rubber and measured depth with a tape, then pulled each head and looked at the edge under a light for rolling or chipping. Every head also took 25 shots into a layered foam target so we could see what happened to tips and ferrules over a season of practice.

Value came down to arithmetic: cost per head, whether replacement blades and the right wrench were in the box, and how much sharpening a blade took before it quit cutting. After seven months, the heads still standing were the ones that spun true out of the package and landed where the field points did.

How to Choose Fixed Blade Broadheads

Weight first, blades second

Most compound bows and crossbow bolts are set up around 100 grains, and that is the least disruptive place to stay. Moving to 125 adds front-of-center weight, which can tighten groups and change your pin gaps, but it also flexes the arrow shaft more, so a light-spined arrow may want a different shaft rather than a heavier head.

If your bow is already tuned and your sight is set, buy the weight you already shoot. If you are building a setup from scratch, pick the head weight before you cut arrows.

Cut width and blade count trade against each other

A 1 1/8-inch three-blade is the standard because it tunes easily, steals little energy and leaves a trackable hole. Four-blade heads open more cutting edge — the Slick Trick runs 2 1/4 inches of total blade — and you pay in drag and energy: more blade means more to push through an animal, and a low-poundage bow may not get an exit.

The trap is buying the biggest number on the package. A wide head that planes off line at 30 yards is worse than a narrow one that hits.

One piece, or ferrule and blades?

A one-piece head such as the Montec has nothing to assemble, nothing to tighten and nothing to lose, which is why it is the default for a hunter who wants a single answer. Ferrule-and-blade designs let you replace a bent or dulled blade instead of the whole head, and they usually cost less per head; the MX-4 is the value case in this group.

Watch the ferrule material. Aluminum keeps the price down but bends where steel holds, so on heavy game, pay for steel.

Crossbows need a ferrule that fits the bolt

Crossbow bolts are a larger diameter than most arrow shafts, so a head with an undersized ferrule sits on the threads with daylight around it. That is where wobble and left-of-field-point groups come from. Look for a head built around the bolt — the Muzzy Trocar's base is sized for it — and favor a short overall profile, since a long head at crossbow speed catches air.

Spin every head on the bolt before it goes in the quiver.

Pack size and the real cost of a season

Three heads is a quiver. Five is a quiver and two mistakes. A fixed blade that hits bone or a rock is often done for the trip, so the count in the pack matters as much as the cut.

Replaceable blades look cheaper until you price the blades; resharpening a one-piece head looks like work until you are buying your second pack in a season. Our rule is one more head than you think you need, checked and sharpened before opening day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

Buy the G5 Montec unless something specific sends you elsewhere. It is the head with the fewest ways to go wrong — one molded piece, three weights, flight that matches a field point — and the one we hand to a hunter who wants a single answer.

Shoot a crossbow and the Muzzy Trocar is the better call, because the ferrule matches a bolt in a way a standard head does not. If you want the biggest hole in this group and your setup already likes 125 grains, the Slick Trick earns its price.