300-Xtreem Solid 1 Piece 3 Blade SS

300-Xtreem Solid 1 Piece 3 Blade SS by Pete Ward
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This Review is being done on a prototype Broadhead that is about to be introduced in Early 2008. The Broadhead is what many of us that shoot High to extreeem FOC have been looking for. The production model to be released in spring 2008 will be made from MIM molded Stainless Steel and hardened to RC 49 with cryogenic treatment at -300F . It is to be solid 1 piece 3 to 1 ratio .97″ diameter with a Tanto tip.

I have had the privilege to be in on the ground floor of the design and testing of these heads. I am excited at what I have seen to date. I have not seen a Broadhead that has the penetration potential before that matches the Xtreem300’s potential. The small diameter of .97” with the long time favored 3 to 1 ratio weighing 300 grains is a first to my knowledge. Made with MIM molded stainless steel, it will be a rust free head that requires little care and deep penetration.

Prototype#1
The first model I received was tapered to a needle point, and feedback from many of the people that saw it resulted in the needle point being shortened to a Tanto type tip that is very resistant to deformation and curling when it contacts heavy bones.

Prototype#2 with Tanto tip (machined from solid stainless 420 rc49, cryogenic treated at- 300F)
The first thing I did after receiving these heads was to spin them at high speed in the press. They spin perfectly, so the next step was to tune some arrows for the heavy heads. I already had a 300 gr. setup for a wide 2 blade with steel adapters, and the 300-Xtreem flew perfect on these arrows from the bows I would be hunting with.

Not only do they fly perfect for me they are silent in flight, which for me is very important. My efforts to harvest game with the 300Xtreem proved to be fruitless this fall. Although they were in my quiver every day out I did not capitalize on the opportunities that were presented to me. I take full responsibility for having to eat Beef this year.

After the season closed and the feedback was in, Asgir decided to send me some of the newer prototypes to experiment with. These are the final configuration that the MIM molded stainless heads will have. I like them a lot. Even more than the first prototype that had a wider cut and a, needlepoint.

Because these are prototypes machined from solid stainless 420 ,RC49 ,cryogenic treated at -300F and not the MIM molded stainless I will not go into sharpening as it really does not apply, other than to say that all you need is a flat file, or a flat block of steel or glass and some 600 and finer Emery cloth to produce a very fine edge.

The production head will have the same RC49 and -300Fcryogenic treatment

The production heads will sharpen with the same methods, and of course a good fine oilstone will also do just fine. The ease of sharpening these style heads is that you do not need to hold angles. Just lay them flat on the stone, wide file or block and 600 grit emery cloth and stroke 2 blades at a time. It cannot be easier.

For the hunter that has discovered high and extreem FOC, the 300Xtrem will be a welcome addition. Now we can screw in a 300-grain head and not need to bother with aligning steel adapters in the old glue on Broadheads like we did before to get heavy heads. The Expensive brass inserts and steel adapters that were needed to bring up the weight are not needed, although some like me will still be using the brass inserts, to take the FOC to a new extreem. I now can have 400 grains up front on my carbon shafts, with an FOC of well over 25%.

For the hunter that wanted to try High FOC heavy heads he can now have 300 grains up front in a standard arrow with aluminum inserts. There is no need to pull the insert and change it to Brass to get the weight up, risking damaging the shaft from heating the old inserts. These heads are just like having a 200-gr Broadhead and a 100-gr-brass insert, which is a very popular combination.

Many shooters will find that their arrows if made from carbon have been overspined, and they can screw the 300 gr Xtreem on and get very good flight with little other tuning. I suggest that you first try a 300-gr-field point to see if this case fits you. If not you may be able to trim the arrows from the fletch end and stiffen it up. Properly tuned arrows is a must, but unfortunately many hunters are shooting a much stiffer than needed arrow already.{ A 300 gr point can be made with a 100 gr steel adapter and a 200 gr Ace glue on point.} Matching 300 grain points will be made available that are the same length as the 300Xtreem.

We hear of heavy headed arrows nose-diving and all sorts of other things. I have been shooting from 200 to 400 grains up front for years and the arrows do not nose dive. A heavy shaft is a heavy shaft and the trajectory is the same if the weight is evenly spread of loaded on the nose.

Normally I do not shoot into concrete or steel to test a broadhead. I have been asked to do this with the 300Xtreem to evaluate the Tanto tip and overall strength. The photo is a 300Xtreem embedded into the basement wall. After removing and inspecting the head I found it to be in remarkable shape. One blade had a small chip and the point did not curl over or deform to the eye. To check it for straightness I put it in the drill press at high speed and spun it. There was no visible wobble. And when it was lowered to a block the tip was spinning true with no run out. The Tanto tip works well to prevent tip deformation.

Watch for an update to this review when the first production 300Xtreem MIM molded Stainless Steel heads are ready for market. The production heads will be sold sharp and ready to hunt.

(Manufacturer information)
Asgeir Samuelsen
Optek Precision Tooling Ltd.
1980 Boylen Road, Units 2-4
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada L5S 1P5
Tel +1 (905) 677-5270
Asgeir Samuelsen

E-mail Address optek@bellnet.ca

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