Slick Trick was built on quality fixed-blade broadheads. Known for its Super Steel ferrules, Lutz blades and the patented Alcatraz blade-lock system, the company combined quality materials, tight tolerances and innovative design to create dependable broadheads that exceeded expectations in the field.
So when we found out that Slick Trick was offering an expandable broadhead, we were excited to try it out. The new RaptorTrick promises field-point accuracy and bone-splitting penetration. Of course, a lot of broadheads promise those things. The big question is, can the RaptorTrick live up to those promises?
To find out, I turned to our resident broadhead guru, Jace Bauserman. Jace has shot just about every broadhead on the market, making him the perfect person to put this new expandable to the test.
Testing the RaptorTrick
The 100-grain expandable was designed to deliver a small-profile head in flight. It offers two .035-inch blades and a four-edge, bone-splitting tip. Both the ferrule and the blades on the RaptorTrick are stainless steel — Slick Trick’s proven all-steel design — something that impressed Jace right off the bat.
“The coolest thing that Slick Trick did with this broadhead is it’s 100 percent steel,” he told me after he’d had the chance to shoot the RaptorTrick. “So it’s very durable. I shot it through cow scapulas and horse scapulas, and it remained undamaged. The blades remained intact.”
So far, so good. But how did it shoot?
“The ferrule is very, very slim,” Jace said. “In fact, I think they call it a SuperSlim ferrule, which really boosts accuracy in flight. I found these expandable broadheads actually hit spot on with a field point.
“Now, that’s coming out of a perfectly tuned bow shot with a Hooter Shooter. My bow has been paper tuned. It’s been walk-back tuned. And it’s been bare shaft tuned. But what I found is these broadheads are match perfect out to a tested distance of 80 yards. So at 80 yards, these RaptorTricks will hit with your field point. These things are incredibly accurate. They fly exceptionally well.”
Jace also noted that the design of the ferrule aids in penetration.
“The head of the ferrule is needle-point sharp,” he said. “And because the ferrule is stainless steel and needle-point sharp, it’s able to punch a hole until the broadhead wings hit — I call them the wings because they’re the part of the broadhead that sticks out. As those wings hit hide — or in this case, foam — that is what breaks the rubber band and allows those blades to deploy to a full 2-inch cutting diameter. The broadhead has already entered into the animal or the foam when the wings are contacted, so there’s less energy loss. This thing had really good penetration.”
I then asked Jace about blade retention. After all, premature blade deployment can turn even the best expandable into a dud.
“The rubber band slides over grooves laser-engraved into the stainless-steel ferrule,” he explained. “There are actually three grooves. I ran my rubber band in the middle one, and I had zero issues with in-flight blade deployment or the rubber bands breaking.”
Jace also liked the fact that the broadhead seats up to the arrow shaft well. “There’s a little washer that’s included, so it really sucks down on the arrow shaft nicely,” he said.
So while Slick Trick made its name on fixed-blade heads, it’s pretty clear from the RaptorTrick that the company’s use of high-quality materials, tight tolerances and thoughtful design translate well to expandable broadheads as well.
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