Best Broadheads for Elk
Elk need a broadhead that clears the 60 ft-lb kinetic-energy threshold, holds up on a shoulder hit, and produces a wound channel a wounded bull cannot outrun. This is heavy-blade, cut-on-contact or single-bevel country. Mechanicals work on broadside lung shots but stall on quartering-to angles. The 3 heads below are the ones elk hunters actually run when it counts.
Iron Will S100 (100 or 125 gr)
1.0 in cut, .062 in A2 tool steel, cut-on-contact tip. Made in Bozeman, MT. On a 70 lb compound with a 500 gr arrow, the S100 pushes 82 ft-lb of KE and pass-throughs on both shoulders are routine, not aspirational. MSRP around $100 per 3-pack.
Cutthroat Single-Bevel (175 or 200 gr)
1.25 in cut, .062 in A2 blade, single-bevel. Requires a heavy arrow (500 gr and up) and matching helical fletch. Splits bone via rotation, which is the trait Dr Ed Ashby documented on African plains game. Runs about 88 ft-lb on a 650 gr arrow at 240 fps. MSRP around $60 per 3-pack.
G5 Montec 100 (100 or 125 gr)
1.0 in cut, .050 in stainless, one-piece cut-on-contact. The everyman elk broadhead. Runs about 78 ft-lb on a typical 70 lb / 460 gr setup. Not as bombproof as Iron Will but roughly half the price at $45 per 3-pack. Resharpens well on a tri-hone.
Kinetic energy thresholds you should hit
- Minimum for elk lung shot: 60 ft-lb.
- Preferred for quartering angles: 70 ft-lb.
- Ashby heavy-arrow standard: 80 ft-lb plus 15% FOC or better.
Iron Will S100, 125 gr, 500 gr arrow, 68 lb Hoyt. Bull at 47 yd quartering-to, entered high shoulder, exited off-side rib. 60 yd recovery. That is the whole story.
Rokslide, Elk Hunting Forum, 2024 Iron Will thread
Broadhead law by state
Fixed blade: Legal in all 50 states for big game archery seasons.
Mechanical: Legal in ~44 states for big game. Restricted or discouraged in Idaho (mechanicals prohibited for big game archery), Oregon (mechanicals prohibited), and check current-year Wyoming regs. Legal but not preferred for elk and moose where cut-on-contact fixed heads penetrate through heavy shoulders.
Cut-on-contact: Legal in all 50 states. Preferred or required in some traditional-archery-only hunts.
Minimum cut diameter: Most states require 7/8 in cut for big game. A handful (Georgia, Mississippi, others) require 1 in. Always confirm current-season regs with your state fish and wildlife agency.
Blade count: Some states specify minimum 2 sharpened edges. Most modern broadheads exceed this by default.
This is a research summary, not legal advice. Confirm the current season regulations with your state fish and wildlife agency before you buy or hunt.