Choosing the best turkey broadheads comes after choosing where you’ll aim. Are you confident enough to aim for the neck, or are you going for the vitals?
Below, you’ll find the best turkey hunting broadheads, including those meant for heart/lung shots, as well as those best for head/neck.
Turkey Broadheads - Top Picks
(Full List Below)
Best For Vitals
Best Guillotine
Honorable Mention
- 3-blade, 2″ cut
- Robust ferrule allows reuse
- Rebuild kits available
- Practice broadhead available
- Designed for head/neck shots
- Fixed-blade design
- 125-grain
- 3-3/4″ cutting diameter
- 2.3″ x .75″ cut
- 2 pack
- 2-blade, slip cam design
- 100-grain
- Rage Shock collar increases blade retention
Turkey Broadheads - Heart/Lung
- Southeastern Bowhunting approved
- 3-blade, 2″ cut
- Robust ferrule allows reuse
- Rebuild kits available
- Practice broadhead available
I’ve been shooting the Grim Reaper Razorcut Whitetail Special in 100 grains for the past two years. I can say from a lot of experience that these broadheads do exactly what you want them to.
Their 3-blade, 2″ cut leaves gaping wounds and increases friction, causing the broadhead to oftentimes stay in the turkey.
Having the broadhead stay in the turkey ensures the bird never leaves the ground. The ferrule is super robust, the blades click into place and stay there until they contact hide, and the replacement kits are easy to install and save lots of money in the long run.
In my opinion, the Whitetail Special is one of the best turkey broadheads for vital shots because your bow setup doesn’t have to change much from deer season to turkey season.
- 2.3″ x .75″ cut
- 2 pack
- 2-blade, slip cam design
- 100-grain
- Rage Shock collar increases blade retention
The Rage Xtreme turkey hunting broadheads are another great choice, and are specifically designed for turkeys.
The 2-blade, slip cam design, coupled with the Rage Shock collar keeps the blades locked in tight until impact.
At 100 grains, with a 2.3″ x .75″ cut, these turkey broadheads cut deep and wide.
The cut-on-contact tip also has blunt notches on each side to slow the arrow down on impact to keep the arrow in the bird, impairing its ability to fly off.
Rage turkey broadheads are designed and built with the same high-quality materials as their deer hunting broadheads.
- Rounded tip for maximum trauma
- Front-deploying mechanical blades
- Ultra-sharp Diamize blades
- 100 grains
- 3-pack
The NAP Gobbler Getter is a mechanical broadhead for turkey that looks a little different than most.
Instead of having a razor sharp tip, the tip is completely rounded. This is meant to cause as much shock and trauma as possible upon impact, and to decrease penetration, keeping the arrow from passing all the way through.
Again, keeping the broadhead inside the turkey is ideal for keeping it on the ground, especially in the case of a marginal shot.
The Diamize blades are going to stay nice and tucked in flight, and deploy from the front to deliver a wide, 1.5″ cut upon impact.
Definitely one of the best turkey broadheads on the market, and should be a front-runner on your list.
- 3-blade design
- Short, grooved ferrule
- Razor-sharp blades
- Replaceable blades
- 2″ cutting diameter
You may have only thought of the G5 Megameat as a deer hunting broadhead, but with it’s wide, 2″ cutting diameter, beefy ferrule, and replaceable, razor-sharp blades, it makes one heck of a turkey hunting broadhead.
The Megameat has made quite a name for itself in the deer world, but I would argue that it can be just as effective on the vitals of a longbeard.
I typically turn my draw weight down to around 55-60 lbs. for turkeys to help keep my broadheads from passing through. At that weight, you should have any problem keeping the arrow in the bird.
And the amount of devastation these broadheads produce makes them some of the best turkey broadheads there are, even if they’re not marketed as such.
Turkey Broadheads - Head/Neck
- Designed for head/neck shots
- Fixed-blade design
- 125-grain
- 3-3/4″ cutting diameter
Magnus Bullhead turkey broadheads are notorious for delivery head-lopping shot.
Given their sheer size and profile, adjustments to your setup will probably be in order to get this guillotine broadhead flying straight out of your bow, but the results warrant the effort.
This video is a great resource for tuning a guillotine broadhead.
If you’re confident in your abilities, and would rather have a lethal hit or no hit at all, the Magnus should be at the top of your turkey hunting broadheads list.
See their video below, which demonstrates the devastation made possible by their 125-grain, 3-3/4″ cut fixed blade turkey broadheads.
- Designed for head/neck shots
- Fixed-blade design
- 2-pack
- 200-grain
- 4″ cutting diameter
The Solid D-Cap is another great guillotine broadhead for delivering a quick and ethical kill.
With a whopping 4″ cutting diameter, you gain a little room for error, and the 200 grains is going to help the arrow to fly straighter.
However, as with the Magnus, this guillotine broadhead is going to require some tuning to fly straight.
- Designed for head/neck shots
- Fixed-blade design
- 4-blade design
- 200-grain
- Economical for trying out
Typically, I don’t like to promote super low-priced options for any piece of hunting gear because price oftentimes correlates with quality.
However, this guillotine broadhead has been highly-reviewed, and gives hunters who are on the fence about trying this style of turkey hunting broadhead a low-price entry point.
So, if you’re thinking about trying out turkey broadheads designed for head/neck shots, but don’t want to break the bank until you know for sure, this is a great option.
What makes the best turkey hunting broadheads?
The best turkey hunting broadheads are durable, fly straight, cut wide, and if meant for the body of a turkey, are designed in a way that will decrease penetration so the broadhead stays in the turkey.
When choosing turkey broadheads meant for head/neck shots, razor-sharp blades and straight flight path are most critical because your success rides on those two factors when aiming at the head or neck of a turkey.
A guillotine broadhead that doesn’t want to fly straight is not one that you should ever carry into the woods. If flight is erratic when target shooting, it won’t change once you’re afield.
Guillotine Broadhead vs. Mechanical Broadhead
Both the guillotine broadhead, as well as the mechanical broadhead are equally as effective at ethically killing turkeys. However, a guillotine broadhead is best for experienced archers who are confident in their abilities to use one.
This style of turkey broadheads should only be used for close-range shots, typically no further than 20 yards.
Mechanical turkey hunting broadheads offer more room for error and give you more shot opportunities because there are multiple locations on a turkey where the vitals can be hit, and you can ethically shoot further distances.
Turkey Broadheads vs. Deer Hunting Broadheads
Depending on which turkey broadheads you’re looking at, there can be big differences between those and deer hunting broadheads, or there can be almost no differences.
What you’re looking for in broadheads for turkey hunting is razor-sharp, wide-cutting blades, quality engineering that causes them to fly straight, and a design that creates trauma and keeps it inside the bird.
The latter can be helped by turning down your draw weight. I found all of those things with the same mechanical broadheads I use for deer hunting, so I continue to use them.
If your deer hunting broadheads do the same, you can use them. I would shy away from using broadheads with a small cutting diameter, which is common among many fixed-blade deer hunting broadheads.
They create less trauma and pass through easily, which could lead to a wounded turkey taking flight.
How To Tune a Guillotine Broadhead
Because of the sheer size and profile of a guillotine broadhead, they often create the need for broadhead tuning your bow, and possibly shooting stiffer arrows.
If you find yourself with this type of turkey broadheads and can’t get them to fly straight, see the video below for help on tuning.
Broadheads For Turkey Hunting
Choosing a broadhead for turkey hunting can be a little more challenging than for other big game species, such as whitetails.
With most big game animals, there are countless options that can be argued to be the “best.” Mechanicals, fixed-blade, hybrid, two-blade, three-blade, four-blade, single-bevel, double-bevel, wide-cut – the list of options goes on and on and on.
In reality, the best is the one that is well-placed, regardless of shape, size, or brand. A pencil-sized hole in the heart will kill an animal better than one the size of a quarter in the ham.
So, oftentimes, big game animal broadhead selection comes down to personal preference, mixed with a little bit of what’s trending at the moment.
When talking turkeys, however, there’s a little more thought that needs to be put into your selection – like where you’re going to aim.
Turkey Broadheads For Head/Neck Shots
These dead-on-contact broadheads are specifically designed for head/neck shots on turkeys. You either miss or drop that turkey in its tracks.
It takes a certain level of dedication and practice to use this style of broadhead successfully. If you have the proficiency necessary to take the head off a gobbler at your maximum effective range, then this just may be the broadhead for you.
With a target so small, an inch could make the difference between a tagged bird and a disappointing walk back to the truck. If your skills aren’t quite at that level yet, or you’re looking to have a little more room for error, aiming for the heart and lungs is the way to go.
Turkey Broadheads for Heart/Lung Shots
Though the vitals of a turkey aren’t very large in general, they are an easier target to hit than the head/neck.
Oftentimes, a turkey will move and/or extend its head and neck randomly, creating an extremely hard-to-hit moving target.
The body, though not often frozen in place for long periods of time, is a much more reliable target for which to aim.
Upon yelping just before a shot, the head may move to try and see what made the sound, but the body often stays completely still for a few moments.
That’s when a well-placed mechanical with a wide cut really comes in handy.
Other Considerations When Bowhunting Turkeys
There are so many options and opinions when it comes to broadheads that the only way to truly find out what works best is to just start trying them out. You don’t have to break the bank to do your own trial error.
At around $30-$45 a pack for most of the major brands, trying three or four per year isn’t that expensive when compared to the amount of money we spend on so many other luxuries throughout the year.
The real problem lies in actually choosing which ones to try. One way to get started is to listen to what others are saying.
I know, everyone’s got an opinion, and so many of them contradict. But you can basically rule out the “problem” broadheads if the majority is hating on them.
You may not think that’s a good way of disciphering the good from the bad, but if 70 out of 100 bowhunters say a certain broadhead flies funny out of their bows, you don’t want to be number 71. You’d be better off going with one that 70 out of 100 said was great.
Many of those other 30 will not have properly tuned their bows in the first place. Not to mention those who haven’t learned proper shooting technique.
All this to say, if you don’t know where to start, click the link for one of the broadheads I mentioned above and just try it out.
From there, simply visit internet forums and listen to what the majority is saying about any given broadhead you’re looking to try out next. If the report is good, don’t overthink it. Just order a pack. Believe me, I know it can be hard, but this time next year, you’ll be happy you did. Good luck and happy hunting!
Have questions about turkey hunting?
We’ve answered many of the most common turkey hunting questions here!
