For someone who loves bowhunting, walking the many isles at the annual Archery Trade Association (ATA) Show is like being a kid in a candy store — with a pocket full of coins and no parents in sight. That was me back in mid-January, grinning ear to ear as I learned about the latest and greatest in archery gear.

If you weren’t able to attend ATA 2019, then allow me to showcase some of the most interesting products I witnessed during my 3-day visit. Be sure to check out my “Top 10 Crossbows from ATA 2019,” and stay tuned for a discussion about arrow rests. In this article, however, I’m focusing on broadheads, and specifically the 11 great heads I spotted that deserve serious consideration in your quiver this spring (black bears) and fall (whitetails and more).

Mechanical and Hybrid Broadheads

Bloodsport Deadline

In the world of crossbows, the name of the game is speed, so it only makes sense that Bloodsport Archery (www.bloodsportarchery.com) would reveal a mechanical broadhead designed for bolts flying up to 500 fps. The 100-grain head has a 7075 aircraft-grade aluminum chisel tip, two 420 stainless-steel blades, and a 2-inch cutting diameter.  There are no rubber bands or O-rings. This head is supposed to fly exactly like a field point, and based on its low-profile design in the closed position, I believe it. If you’ve been having trouble finding a mechanical broadhead that will stay closed in flight and shoot like a field point, then check out the Bloodsport Deadline.

Grim Reaper Micro Hybrid

The new-for-2019, 100-grain Micro Hybrid from Grim Reaper (www.grimreaperbroadheads.com) features two front fixed blades with cutting diameter of 1 1/16 inches, followed by two jackknife-style mechanical blades that cut 1 1/4 inches. The name “Micro” means it’s a smaller version of the existing Grim Reaper Hybrid, which has blades that measure 1 3/16 (front fixed) and 1 1/2 (rear mechanical) inches. The Micro Hybrid is designed for those shooters who want a broadhead that flies a bit better at long range, with the dependability of a fixed blade, and the added cutting provided by the mechanical blades.

Muzzy X

Muzzy (www.muzzy.com) is well known for its fixed-blade broadheads, but the company’s new offering unveiled at ATA 2019 is called simply the Muzzy X. This 100-grain four-blade expandable has two front blades that slide rearward to deploy, and two back blades that deploy in a jackknife motion. I never seen a design like it before. It has a rugged steel tip, .035-inch-thick blades and a total cutting diameter of 2 5/8 inches (1 1/2 inches on the front blades, 1 1/8 inches on the rear blades).

NAP Dark Knight

New Archery Products, or simply NAP (www.newarchery.com), makes numerous high-performance broadheads. I’ve used the company’s fixed-blade designs for big game, and also killed a good number of turkeys with its mechanicals. The broadhead it announced during ATA 2019 is a blend of both designs, and NAP is calling it the Dark Knight. This innovative hybrid head features one large fixed-blade (1 3/4-inch cutting diameter) that pivots in the ferrule if it hits bone. The obvious advantage is this broadhead should penetrate deep, giving your arrow the best chance for a total pass through. Backing up the pivoting fixed blade are two bleeder blades on the sides that open in a jackknife motion; they have a 1 1/8-inch cutting diameter. The NAP Dark Knight will be available in both 100- and 125-grain offerings. As for the broadhead’s name, the shape of the main blade does look like Batman’s cool cape.

Rage Hypodermic NC

When it comes to mechanical broadheads, Rage (www.ragebroadheads.com) certainly needs no introduction. New for 2019 is the 100-grain Hypodermic NC; the NC in the name stands for “no collar.” Previous users of Rage broadheads know all about the red-colored collars that hold the two blades in the closed position during the shot, and frankly they can be a bit of hassle. Other features of the Hypodermic remain unchanged, including the .035-inch-thick blades and 2-inch cutting diameter.

Ramcat Cage Ripper

With a 2-inch cutting diameter, the 100-grain mechanical Cage Ripper from Ramcat (www.ramcatbroadheads.com) features a Piston-Driven Mechanical System to deploy the blades on impact. Then, a Posi-Lock Plunger System locks the blades open to maximum cutting diameter. Cage Rippers have a pair of .032-inch-thick stainless-steel blades and a patented concave-scoop for added accuracy and penetration. This is one high-tech broadhead. Period.

Swhacker Levi Morgan #261

For 2019, Swhacker (www.swhacker.com) teamed up with legendary competitive shooter Levi Morgan. Of course, anything with Levi’s name attached to it must be a tack driver, so I’m excited to test the 100-grain Levi Morgan #261 later this year. The one feature I really love about this new mechanical is its innovative blade lock technology, which enables a shooter to lock the .032-inch-thick blades in the closed position during practice sessions. This means the blades stay sharp, and when you’re ready to head to the treestand or ground blind, you simply unlock the blades and you know that the broadhead will hit exactly where it impacted during practice. With blades deployed, the #261 has a cutting diameter of 2 inches.

Fixed-Blade Broadheads

G5 Outdoors Striker V2

I’ve killed numerous animals with a G5 (www.g5outdoors.com) Striker fixed-blade head, so I was excited to learn about the new Striker V2, which like its predecessor, is a replaceable-blade broadhead with a cut-on-contact, 100 percent stainless-steel design. The V2 has the same scary-sharp Lutz blades as the original Striker, but the newer model has an improved blade retention system. Cutting diameter is 1 1/4 inches, and like the original Striker, the V2 is available in both 100- and 125-grain offerings. Nice!

Muzzy One

Yes, I’ve already covered one broadhead from Muzzy (www.muzzy.com) in this article, but I simply can’t ignore the company’s new fixed-blade offering, the 100-grain Muzzy One. This cool-looking head is machined from a block of stainless steel, which basically means it’s bullet proof. It has a 1 1/8-inch cutting diameter. And for those bowhunters who like to save a bit of money, the Muzzy One can easily be resharpened on a flat sharpening stone. Kill, resharpen, repeat. Very nice.

QAD Exodus X Bow

QAD (www.qadinc.com) might be better known to you as an arrow rest company, but the company has earned a great reputation for its tough-as-nails broadheads, too. We’ve showcased QAD Exodus broadheads in Bowhunting World magazine and website in the past, and while I haven’t had the chance to use them (yet), I have buddies who swear by them. New for this season is the 125-grain X Bow (crossbow) offering. It has a 1 1/4-inch cutting diameter, and this is not a misprint: the blades are .040-inches thick, which is why YouTube is filled with videos of guys torture-testing the QAD Exodus into everything from 3/4-inch plywood to 55-gallon steel drums.

Wasp Havalon HV

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last decade, you’ve certainly heard of Havalon knives, which feature replaceable surgical scalpels for field dressing and caping big-game animals. Wasp (www.wasparchery.com) is a legendary name in the broadhead business, so when I walked by the Wasp booth during ATA 2019 and saw this striking orange-and-black packaging with the name Wasp Havalon HV, I had to stop and learn more. This 100-grain head features three surgical-sharp, .035-inch-thick stainless-steel blades and a stainless-steel Trocar tip that is the sharpest object I’ve ever felt. The cutting diameter is 1 3/16 inches. Final note: The Wasp Havalon HV comes in a three pack, but you also receive six replacement blades, which means you’re really getting five broadheads for the price of three. Sweet!