RFA Talon Overview with Vids -

Red Feather Archery · 12-28-2009, 10:47 AM

Hello Bowhunters,

My name is Stan Mercer and along with my brother Mike, I'm the owner of Red Feather Archery. We started the company after I developed a small game head that we call the Talon to use on small game. I've been an avid bowhunter for 28 years and spend more time hunting small game than anything else.

For the last 15 years I've hunted nutria and raccoons on a golf course I used to be a club pro at. In shooting hundreds of critters I've shot just about every kind of head possible and never did find one that I really liked. Seemed like they either couldn't hold up to the pounding that the river rocks that line the ponds dished out, or they didn't cut enough of a wound channel to kill the bigger nutes and coons cleanly.

So, I drew up a design that I thought would do both things, added a concave tip to help keep the thing from sliding under grass and gave it to a good friend of mine who is a machinist. He made a couple of proto-types and after some trial and error, here we are.

I read Varmit101's review of the head and appreciated it, but felt like the head really needed to be tested for durability and wouldn't ask someone else to try to wreck a head they bought. So, here is a video that my wife took with her digital camera of me shooting a cinder block. I'm shooting a Mathews DXT in the video that is 60# at 28.5in. The arrows are cheap Wal-Mart shafts I knew I could abuse.

Here are still pics of the head after the cinder block and the back of the cinder block.

Getting no damage from the cinder block I shot the same head into a piece of angle iron. Here's that video.

Here is a still pic of the head and the angle iron. You can see the indents of the Talon on the angle iron.

I also thought I'd throw some pics on here from some nutria that I shot last week with my daughter.

The first one was a small nutria that I made a poor shot on from about 20 yards. The arrow hit behind the shoulder angling back, a classic gut shot. I then shot it again in the neck, lights out. You can see both entrance wounds in the first pic. The second pic is graphic, but shows what the concave tip will do with a poorly placed shot.

Entrance

Exit

The second nutria was a full sized adult. I shot it from about 25 yards and drilled it behind the shoulder as it was swimming, quartering slightly away. The arrow wrecked it's heart/lungs and blew up its off side shoulder. Just the three small points broke the skin on the far side. Here is an entry pic.

And a pic of the head pushing against the off side shoulder.

Both nutes together. A great night with my daughter

If any of you have any questions please ask them. I'm on vacation today with my family, but will be back on the computer tomorrow to answer them all. Thanks again, Booner for letting me post this.

Stan

varmint101 · 12-28-2009, 11:58 AM

Awesome review Stan!! I didn't hardly have any time to do my little review. Awesome.

cartman308 · 12-28-2009, 04:04 PM

Very good writeup! these look excellent. Nice design! Where can we get some of these to try?

Booner · 12-28-2009, 05:17 PM

Now where do you think you can get them....hahaha. broadheadshed.com. We should have them listed in the next couple of days.

Okie101 · 12-28-2009, 07:25 PM

That's the first time I've heard of someone standing on a golf course guessing yardages with a bow and not a bag of clubs.......four....whack..

Sweet head you got there Stan....great review..

Soon as they are available at BHS....I'll give Booner a call

WABOWMAN · 12-28-2009, 08:26 PM

Ill be getting some of them for grouse and munks,chipmunks that is!!!!!

Booner · 12-28-2009, 09:43 PM

Ask any question you want people....that is why he posted this demo. Give feed back, and your personal opinion. I will keep it as a sticky for a week.

Mule426 · 12-28-2009, 10:15 PM

i guess the first question would be what is the grain weight on them???

What kind of accuracy can you excpect at what distances????

BuckFeverLodge · 12-28-2009, 10:20 PM

Stan - that thing looks serious. I find it interesting that you shot it into a cement block, then steel, yet the points seemed to be barely disformed. What is this thing made out of, Kryptonite? Do you have a Rockwell hardness rating on this head? Just curious?

cartman308 · 12-29-2009, 06:17 AM

Have you used the G5 SGH on critters? How did it compare to the Talon?

camoprincess · 12-29-2009, 07:51 AM

I think it looks pretty sweet. I am going to assume that since the block nor the steel did damage to the tip, that the tip could really do some damage on small game.

Now this may be a silly question and it is not about the broadhead, what the heck is a nutria? I saw the pics but I still have no clue

Booner · 12-29-2009, 09:20 AM

Princess...there are no stupid questions. A Nutria is just a water rat....haha. They are bigger than a regular Norway or Roof rat but they live in swamps, ponds, and slackwater. They have a slight webbed foot and are very agile in the water. They were orinally brought to Louisiana to help the fur trade industry in the late 20's from South America. They were turned loose into the wild by careless fur traders and have become a horrible pest for the wetlands all across the country. They feed on the roots of wetland plants and vegitation and will destroy a plant very quickly. This upsets the natural balance of the wetlands. The female can breed up to 3 times a year and have anywhere from 3 to 13 offspring. Just a big ol' pest!

Red Feather Archery · 12-29-2009, 05:45 PM

Hey all, thanks for the kind words. To answer a few questions.

Mule426 - The grain weight on these things is just under 125 grains. I don't make them my self they are made by machine shop and they just missed the 125 that I was going for. That is an issue that we will address with them on the next run. The ones I weighed on my scale at home came in at 121.5 grains.

I believe that the accuracy is the same as field tips. I hope that others that have the tip can chime in and share their thoughts. I'm not the best shooter in the world and mostly shoot recurves and longbows. I am getting the hang of a release and sights though.

BuckFeverLodge - The heads are made out of 4140 steel. They are heat treated to a rockwell of 52 +/- 1 point. I can sharpen them by running them down a file or an Arkansas stone and get a good edge. Not sure that is necessary though. They are very tough, but I didn't shoot the tips at a glancing angle, and that might make a difference. Not sure I'll have to try that out too.

Cartman308 - I have used the G5 SGH. I hope someone else who has shot both heads can chime in with their thoughts as I'm a bit baised in my opinions

Camoprincess - The only thing I can add to what Booner wrote about the nutrias is that they are a whole lot of fun. I figure they are the Oregon equivalent to hogs, as that is something that we don't have where I live. From what I understand hogs are a lot of fun to hunt, but a lot of folks think of them as nothing but pests and would rather seem them all gone.

If there are any other questions, or any kind of a test that anyone would like to see me try let me know.

Stan

varmint101 · 12-29-2009, 07:04 PM

For me, the Talon flies with field points out to the 30yds I tried it with.

Also for me, I can't get that wonderful of flight out of G5 SGH. It seems to be erratic at times. Also, I've broken the G5 head. Hopefully with further use the Talon won't break, but we will see!

Wood · 12-29-2009, 11:08 PM

How much will they cost? Looks like something to add to my quiver.

12-28-2009, 10:47 AM	#1 (permalink)
Red Feather Archery Broadhead Maker Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 730	RFA Talon Overview with Vids Hello Bowhunters, My name is Stan Mercer and along with my brother Mike, I'm the owner of Red Feather Archery. We started the company after I developed a small game head that we call the Talon to use on small game. I've been an avid bowhunter for 28 years and spend more time hunting small game than anything else. For the last 15 years I've hunted nutria and raccoons on a golf course I used to be a club pro at. In shooting hundreds of critters I've shot just about every kind of head possible and never did find one that I really liked. Seemed like they either couldn't hold up to the pounding that the river rocks that line the ponds dished out, or they didn't cut enough of a wound channel to kill the bigger nutes and coons cleanly. So, I drew up a design that I thought would do both things, added a concave tip to help keep the thing from sliding under grass and gave it to a good friend of mine who is a machinist. He made a couple of proto-types and after some trial and error, here we are. I read Varmit101's review of the head and appreciated it, but felt like the head really needed to be tested for durability and wouldn't ask someone else to try to wreck a head they bought. So, here is a video that my wife took with her digital camera of me shooting a cinder block. I'm shooting a Mathews DXT in the video that is 60# at 28.5in. The arrows are cheap Wal-Mart shafts I knew I could abuse. Here are still pics of the head after the cinder block and the back of the cinder block. Getting no damage from the cinder block I shot the same head into a piece of angle iron. Here's that video. Here is a still pic of the head and the angle iron. You can see the indents of the Talon on the angle iron. I also thought I'd throw some pics on here from some nutria that I shot last week with my daughter. The first one was a small nutria that I made a poor shot on from about 20 yards. The arrow hit behind the shoulder angling back, a classic gut shot. I then shot it again in the neck, lights out. You can see both entrance wounds in the first pic. The second pic is graphic, but shows what the concave tip will do with a poorly placed shot. Entrance Exit The second nutria was a full sized adult. I shot it from about 25 yards and drilled it behind the shoulder as it was swimming, quartering slightly away. The arrow wrecked it's heart/lungs and blew up its off side shoulder. Just the three small points broke the skin on the far side. Here is an entry pic. And a pic of the head pushing against the off side shoulder. Both nutes together. A great night with my daughter If any of you have any questions please ask them. I'm on vacation today with my family, but will be back on the computer tomorrow to answer them all. Thanks again, Booner for letting me post this. Stan

12-28-2009, 04:04 PM	#3 (permalink)
cartman308 Broadhead Mod Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Fraziers Bottom, WV Posts: 1,201	Very good writeup! these look excellent. Nice design! Where can we get some of these to try? __________________ Broadheadtalk Moderator Athens Factory Staff Shooter

12-28-2009, 07:25 PM	#5 (permalink)
Okie101 Broadhead Tester Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 1,044	That's the first time I've heard of someone standing on a golf course guessing yardages with a bow and not a bag of clubs.......four....whack.. Sweet head you got there Stan....great review.. Soon as they are available at BHS....I'll give Booner a call __________________ Athens Archery/ Whalens Hooker Releases/Sword Sights/LTL Acorn Outdoors

12-28-2009, 08:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
WABOWMAN 130gr Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: port townsend,WA Posts: 504	Ill be getting some of them for grouse and munks,chipmunks that is!!!!! __________________ Athens Field staff TRU-ball staff Vapor trail pro staff Broadheadshed staff Owner MAY'S CUSTOM ARCHERY ATHENS APROVED DEALER

12-28-2009, 10:15 PM	#8 (permalink)
Mule426 100gr Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: New Mexico Posts: 167	i guess the first question would be what is the grain weight on them??? What kind of accuracy can you excpect at what distances???? __________________ Athens Archery Field Staff/Smooth Stability Pro Staff/ Victory Archery Advisory Staff/Carbon Creations/ArcheryProstaff.com Accomplice 32" Camo on Black,Omega Rest Smooth Stability 8" Stabilizer Next G1 Camo

12-28-2009, 11:58 AM	#2 (permalink)
varmint101 130gr Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Freetown, IN Posts: 456	Awesome review Stan!! I didn't hardly have any time to do my little review. Awesome.

12-28-2009, 05:17 PM	#4 (permalink)
Booner Administrator Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Arkansas USA Posts: 952	Now where do you think you can get them....hahaha. broadheadshed.com. We should have them listed in the next couple of days.

12-28-2009, 09:43 PM	#7 (permalink)
Booner Administrator Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Arkansas USA Posts: 952	Ask any question you want people....that is why he posted this demo. Give feed back, and your personal opinion. I will keep it as a sticky for a week.

12-28-2009, 10:20 PM	#9 (permalink)
BuckFeverLodge Broadhead Admin Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: SW Michigan Posts: 1,398	Stan - that thing looks serious. I find it interesting that you shot it into a cement block, then steel, yet the points seemed to be barely disformed. What is this thing made out of, Kryptonite? Do you have a Rockwell hardness rating on this head? Just curious? __________________ ATHENS FACTORY STAFF SHOOTER, Red Feather Archery Field Staff, Eco3 Outdoors Pro Staff, U-slide Bow Holder Pro Staff, LTL Acorn Outdoors Pro Staff "Anybody can kill one with a gun" Steve Casselman "It's going to be a very bad year for a lot of unsuspecting critters!" Matt Futtere - Arrowdynamic Solutions

12-29-2009, 06:17 AM	#10 (permalink)
cartman308 Broadhead Mod Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Fraziers Bottom, WV Posts: 1,201	Have you used the G5 SGH on critters? How did it compare to the Talon? __________________ Broadheadtalk Moderator Athens Factory Staff Shooter

12-29-2009, 07:51 AM	#11 (permalink)
camoprincess 145gr Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: SW Michigan Posts: 638	I think it looks pretty sweet. I am going to assume that since the block nor the steel did damage to the tip, that the tip could really do some damage on small game. Now this may be a silly question and it is not about the broadhead, what the heck is a nutria? I saw the pics but I still have no clue __________________ CamoPrincess The " Princess "Assassin "Yes, I do shoot like a GIRL, and am dern proud of it too." ATHENS ARCHERY Field Staff Buck Addicts Field Staff Broadheadshed.com Field Staff Athens Accomplice 32 ~ Black, 48#, 24"DL

12-29-2009, 09:20 AM	#12 (permalink)
Booner Administrator Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Arkansas USA Posts: 952	Princess...there are no stupid questions. A Nutria is just a water rat....haha. They are bigger than a regular Norway or Roof rat but they live in swamps, ponds, and slackwater. They have a slight webbed foot and are very agile in the water. They were orinally brought to Louisiana to help the fur trade industry in the late 20's from South America. They were turned loose into the wild by careless fur traders and have become a horrible pest for the wetlands all across the country. They feed on the roots of wetland plants and vegitation and will destroy a plant very quickly. This upsets the natural balance of the wetlands. The female can breed up to 3 times a year and have anywhere from 3 to 13 offspring. Just a big ol' pest!

12-29-2009, 05:45 PM	#13 (permalink)
Red Feather Archery Broadhead Maker Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 730	Hey all, thanks for the kind words. To answer a few questions. Mule426 - The grain weight on these things is just under 125 grains. I don't make them my self they are made by machine shop and they just missed the 125 that I was going for. That is an issue that we will address with them on the next run. The ones I weighed on my scale at home came in at 121.5 grains. I believe that the accuracy is the same as field tips. I hope that others that have the tip can chime in and share their thoughts. I'm not the best shooter in the world and mostly shoot recurves and longbows. I am getting the hang of a release and sights though. BuckFeverLodge - The heads are made out of 4140 steel. They are heat treated to a rockwell of 52 +/- 1 point. I can sharpen them by running them down a file or an Arkansas stone and get a good edge. Not sure that is necessary though. They are very tough, but I didn't shoot the tips at a glancing angle, and that might make a difference. Not sure I'll have to try that out too. Cartman308 - I have used the G5 SGH. I hope someone else who has shot both heads can chime in with their thoughts as I'm a bit baised in my opinions Camoprincess - The only thing I can add to what Booner wrote about the nutrias is that they are a whole lot of fun. I figure they are the Oregon equivalent to hogs, as that is something that we don't have where I live. From what I understand hogs are a lot of fun to hunt, but a lot of folks think of them as nothing but pests and would rather seem them all gone. If there are any other questions, or any kind of a test that anyone would like to see me try let me know. Stan

12-29-2009, 07:04 PM	#14 (permalink)
varmint101 130gr Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Freetown, IN Posts: 456	For me, the Talon flies with field points out to the 30yds I tried it with. Also for me, I can't get that wonderful of flight out of G5 SGH. It seems to be erratic at times. Also, I've broken the G5 head. Hopefully with further use the Talon won't break, but we will see!

12-29-2009, 11:08 PM	#15 (permalink)
Wood 85gr Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Spokane Wa Posts: 66	How much will they cost? Looks like something to add to my quiver. __________________ His bow remains steady, and his arms are made strong by the power of the mighty God of Jacob.

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