Day Six Broadhead Review (Evo 125gr)

Looking for a Day Six broadhead review?  There aren’t many since they are one of the newest (and most expensive) options on the market.  That’s a shame because I think they also happen to be one of the best options around. But is it right for you? Read on.

When the Day Six launched their Evo broadheads last summer I was intrigued based on my positive experiences with the Day Six HD Arrows (review here).  I picked up a 6 pack before last season and was fortunate to actually put one to good use… but let’s not jump ahead.  First, here’s a quick overview:

Rather a video review? Here you go:

Overview & specs

The Evo broadhead has all the hallmarks of a great elk broadhead: minimal surface area, solid construction, and an emphasis on penetration. Add aerospace tolerances, top shelf materials, plus 100% USA production and it’s clear these are designed with perfection, not cost, in mind. Here are some quick specs:

• Day Six Evo broadheads
  • $89 / 3 or  $190 / 6 with included SKB case
  • 1 1/16” wide main blade and 1/2” bleeder blades
  • S30V stainless steel blades, hardened stainless steel ferrule
  • 100 or 125gr
  • $33 for set of 3 replaceable blades + screws
  • Other options:
    • Evo-X: 1 ¼” blades, 125 of 150gr (blades interchangeable with Evo!)
    • Evo XL: 1 ¼” blades, 200 or 250gr

It’s hard to overrate that S30V steel.  I won’t dive into why powder steel is so amazing here (see the Benchmade Altitude review for more) but there is a reason it’s a standard in high end knives.  It’s not common in broadheads due to cost but it’s an extremely sharp and durable steel.  It also happens to be nearly rust proof, which we’ll dive into later.

Day Six operates on a direct to consumer model so the only place you can buy these is straight from their website.  While that business model means that you might not have heard about them, it also means they can pass the middle-man costs on to you as savings.  We’ll talk about alternatives later, but I think $89 is actually a pretty fair price considering what you get.

There are a lot of subtle details to the Evo broadhead design, but let’s dive into them in the pros/cons.  Here are my thoughts:

My Day Six Broadhead Review (Pros & Cons)

I tested the Evo 125gr broadhead over the course of last season and was fortunate to actually kill a bull with one on opening day in August (first elk ever killed with a production head?  It’s possible). Here’s what I liked and didn’t like:

Pro: Accuracy, Accuracy, Accuracy

Many broadheads are so long or wide that they act like rudders on the front of your arrow.  The short, relatively narrow design of the Evos leads to phenomenal accuracy and makes them easy to tune.  They’re up there with the best fixed heads I’ve ever tested which is impressive given that they have non-vented blades.

Pro: Best in class penetration

I’m a strong believer that a complete pass through (read: two holes) is far better for elk hunting than a wider cut.  That’s especially important for folks with low poundage or short draw bows. While fixed blades will always penetrate better than mechanicals, there are two unique design aspects of the Day Six broadheads that make them phenomenal penetrators: their blade angle and blade curve.

If you dive down the rabbit hole of broadhead design, you’ll see a lot of claims that a 3:1 length:width ratio is best for broadhead penetration. It all boils down to the blade angle: a blade does a far better job cutting when you slide something along it than when you “push” it through something.  Therefore the “steeper” the broadhead edge is (closer to being parallel with the arrow itself) the better it penetrates.

So why aren’t these 3″ long? Well a long broadhead is great for traditional archers but the amount of drag they create wouldn’t be very accurate out of a compound bow.  By slightly curving the blade edges, Day Six was able to create a short design that acts the same as a much longer straight edge blade.  Couple that with a very relaxed bleeder blade angle and you have a broadhead that penetrates like crazy. Don’t believe me? They actually won the Born & Raised outdoors broadhead test for penetration.

Pro: Great tolerances

Broadhead tolerances really boil down to two measurements: straightness and weight.  The Evos were fantastic at both. All six broadheads were within 0.3 grains of 125gr and it was impossible to detect any wobble with a naked eye.  Alignment was also perfect with replacement blades, which means the underlying system is solid. You’d expect great tolerances at this price and it’s nice to know the broadheads live up to the hype.

Pro: Perfect practice

I personally think one of the most important features in a broadhead is the ability to practice with the exact same broadhead you’ll use to hunt.  Why? Each individual broadhead and arrow combo is unique, so it’s critical to know the actual combination you’re using is accurate.  Sure, you can replace blades or use a practice head, but i’ve still seen slight changes in impact after that.

Since the Day Six Evos have great edge retention I’d be comfortable shooting an arrow several times, stropping it (or not), and then using it in the field.  That level of confidence is priceless.

Pro: Sharp!

S30V steel is capable of getting razor sharp and these don’t disappoint.  No need to do anything to these straight out of the package. I was also impressed at the edge retention after shooting them into a foam target 10-20 times.  I’d still strop them back to razor sharpness, but you could easy use them “as is”.

Pro: Quiet

A Day Six broadhead review is complete without mentioning their silent design. No arrow is dead silent but the solid blades (read: no vents) on these are very quiet.  I haven’t found that to be a big deal with elk but I’ll take every advantage I can get. On the other hand, these are perfect for axis deer since they are about as jumpy as it gets!

Pro: It clearly works on elk

As I mentioned, I was lucky enough to use the Day Six broadhead to on an elk last year.  The shot ended up being through a tiny gap in the trees at 32 yards from a sitting position.  The arrow was a clean pass through and the elk died within 100 yards. Textbook performance, and a testament to the benefits above.

I will say the broadhead hit a rib and deflected out the bottom of the animal, which isn’t that unusual (and why I don’t recommend mechs!).  The blood trail was plenty fine and clearly the results speak for themselves.

Con: Resharpening + replacement cost

I had to think hard to find something I didn’t like here and my only complaint is that they aren’t the easiest broadheads to resharpen.  Most of that is due to features I wouldn’t change (curved blades, relaxed blade angles, etc) and is also the same as 80% of the fixed blades on the market.  That said, you’ll have to remove the blades and freehand these if they really get dull (stropping is plenty fine for target shooting, even some hunting).

I’d love to see a micro “V-notch” style sharpener for these but since replacement blades are only $11 I’d predict that most guys will just swap blades out anyway.  That’s totally fine if you’re shooting 1-2 elk a year. If you’re shooting 20+ deer in Alabama, you might want to use another set of 3 blade broadheads that you can touch up on a stone.

I intentionally didn’t put price as a “Con” here because I think you actually get fantastic value with these heads.  That said, replacing these isn’t cheap and I would think twice about winging one of these at a turkey for example. The decision is up to you but I think they’re a worthwhile investment if you’re focusing on elk.

Tips & tricks

You can swap in the 1 ¼” Evo-X blades with your Evo broadheads.  That’s a nice benefit for you guys that want a wider head for whitetail that can be converted for use with elk. It will add 25 gr of weight, so you’ll have to retune, but at least it works. You can also carry extra blades into the backcountry as a lightweight way to have an “extra” broadheads.  The ferrule is so strong on these I highly doubt you’d ever see one bend even if you ruined the blade on a rock.

Given how easy and precise it is to swap blades on these, I bought a set of backup blades and designated two as high volume practice blades.  I don’t worry about resharpening them and simply swap the other blades back for a shot or two before I head out.

All that precision is going to be completely worthless unless you spin test your arrows (and better yet, spin test your inserts when you build your arrows!).  If you’re going to spend $30+ for a broadhead, do yourself a favor and get a Pine Ridge Arrow Spinner for $20 and make sure they spin true.

Alternatives

In some ways I hate reviewing broadheads because emotions tend to run strong here.  Why? There are literally hundreds of good heads and honestly a sharp stick would kill an elk if put in the right spot.  If you’ve had great results with a head you’re already using, I say stick with it, and don’t interpret this as invalidating its design.

That said, if you’re looking for the best broadheads made for elk it pretty much boils down to these and the Iron Will Broadheads.  The Solids, German Kinetics, and Bishops are nice, but they can’t beat Day Six or Iron Will on the ratio of accuracy to strength in my opinion.  

The Iron Will broadheads are basically the same design as the Day Six (and many other broadheads before those two existed).  The biggest difference is penetration, blade steel, and rust resistance. The Day Six’s will penetrate better with their curved (vs tanto) shape and relaxed bleeder blade angle.  The A2 steel in the Iron Wills will likely hold an edge a bit better and be a tiny bit stronger. That said, A2 steel is not stainless and is definitely known to rust. For me, that’s pretty annoying since the last thing I want to do is maintain my broadheads by oiling them.  In the end, they’re both amazing options and you’d be happy with either.

Summary: Day Six Broadhead review

If you’re looking for the best broadhead for elk regardless of cost, the Day Six Evo should be one of your finalists.  Their unique design provides fantastic accuracy and penetration in a compact package. Quality S30V blades mean top tier edge retention and the overall tolerances are some of the best in the business (made in the USA!).  The Evos are also very rust resistant and allow you to practice with the same broadhead you hunt with, which are big pluses for backcountry hunters. The design does make sharpening a bit more difficult but that’s a tradeoff that has to be made to get this level of performance. At almost $30 a head they’re not cheap but I think that’s a fair price given the value they deliver.  

Would I buy them?  Yup, they’re my primary broadhead when I’m chasing elk or when I care about arrow noise (aka Axis deer hunting).  If you want the best you can buy and value rust resistance + penetration above all else, these were made for you.  If you choke up at the thought of losing a $30 head there are plenty of great options that won’t break the bank. Let me know your thoughts on the Day Six Broadhead review below and sign up to stay tuned for more reviews coming soon.