Iron Will S Series (S100)

What vanes or fletching do I need to get the S100 flying right?

A standard hunting vane setup gets the solid-blade S100 flying right — it's among the more forgiving fixed heads, and owners report it grouping with field points from a well-tuned bow. Three or four standard 2-3" vanes with a little helical to stabilize rotation is plenty; you don't need oversized fletching. The bigger lever is bow tune, not vane choice — a head this well-made will fly if your bow is tuned.

Is the S100 really worth two to three times the price of heads like the QAD Exodus or Slick Trick?

That's the central debate, and the honest answer is it depends on what you value. Several longtime hunters can't justify paying two to three times a QAD Exodus or Slick Trick for similar field results. Defenders point to the 0.062" A2 tool steel holding an edge through bone, the eight weight options, and heirloom build. If you shoot a head a season and lose a few, the cheaper heads make sense; if you want a re-sharpenable head that survives shoulder bone and you'll keep for years, the Iron Will premium is real.

S100 or S125 — does the shorter blade and titanium ferrule actually change terminal performance?

The S100's solid steel ferrule versus the S125's titanium ferrule shifts where the weight sits, but terminal performance is similar — both use the same A2 blades and kill by penetration. The titanium-ferrule versions keep weight forward on lighter heads, which some shooters want for FOC. Pick based on your desired total weight and FOC, not on expecting one to out-penetrate the other meaningfully.

Why are my S100s hitting high or away from my field points, and how do I tune them in?

Hitting high or away from field points is a tune issue, not a head flaw — a fixed head amplifies any nock-travel or rest problem your field points hide. Bare-shaft tune or paper tune first, then walk-back tune to get broadhead and field-point impact together, adjusting your rest in small moves toward the broadhead group. Owners get the S100 hitting with field points to 60+ yards once the bow is tuned, so chase the tune, not the head.

Is the solid S-series actually quieter than the vented V-series, and do you give anything up by going solid?

Owners report the solid S-series flies noticeably quieter than the vented V-series, and you give up very little — the vents exist mainly to help some heads stabilize, which the S-series doesn't need from a tuned bow. If quiet flight matters to you, the solid head is the pick. The only thing you trade is the vented look; terminal performance stays in Iron Will territory.

How do I keep the A2 tool steel from rusting through a hunting season?

The A2 tool steel is non-stainless and will corrode — owners report rust even in humidity-controlled storage — so plan on maintenance: wipe the heads with an oily cloth, use a light protectant or coating, and dry them after any wet hunt. The same hardness that holds an edge through bone is what makes the steel rust-prone. A minute of oil per head per season is the price of that edge retention.

Hunters consistently describe these heads as scary sharp out of the package and report the A2 steel holding a usable edge even after punching through spine or shoulder bone, outlasting cheaper heads they compared against.

The recurring debate is whether a three-pack at this price beats heads like the QAD Exodus or Slick Trick at a third of the cost; several longtime hunters say they cannot justify it, while defenders argue the premium is cheap insurance on expensive elk or moose hunts.

The most common complaint: the non-stainless A2 tool steel corrodes — some report rust even in humidity-controlled storage — so owners resort to oiling or coating the heads, and the same hardness that holds an edge makes resharpening a dulled head a slow job.

From well-tuned bows, users report the solid-blade S100 grouping with field points out to 60-100 yards, flying noticeably quieter than vented designs, and being among the more forgiving fixed heads; a minority in one comparison thread struggled to get Iron Will heads tuned at all.

Field reports lean positive — pass-throughs on elk and deer, blades surviving bone impact undamaged — but the modest cutting width draws scattered complaints, including at least one account of a thin blood trail and a lost animal.