Slick Trick Magnum

Should I run the Standard or the Magnum for deer and hogs — and will the wider Magnum still penetrate enough?

For deer and hogs the Magnum's wider 2-1/4" four-blade cut is the pick and it still penetrates fine with adequate arrow weight — owners stack up pass-throughs and rave about the blood trails. The Standard is the choice if you're at lower poundage or want more penetration margin. For broadside whitetail and hogs, run the Magnum; if you're under ~55 lb or worried about bone, the Standard's narrower cut digs deeper.

Is the Magnum a good elk broadhead with a mid-poundage setup, or do I want a head with a longer, steeper taper?

For elk at mid-poundage, the community splits — plenty take elk with the Magnum and 400-460 grain arrows, but experienced western hunters argue the short, steep four-blade profile gives up penetration versus a longer, narrower taper. If elk is the priority, a longer single-bevel or narrow fixed head is the safer call; if you want one head for deer with the occasional elk and you run heavy arrows, the Magnum can do it. Match arrow weight to the ask.

Has quality really dropped since the company changed hands — are the new-production Magnums still worth buying?

There's a real QC complaint from the post-ownership-change era — buyers reported wobbling ferrules and out-of-spec blades needing mix-and-match. It's not universal, but inspect a new pack: spin each head to check ferrule run-out and confirm blades seat square. A good Magnum is still an excellent head; just don't assume every one off the line is perfect anymore. Buy from a dealer who'll swap a bad one.

Will the four-blade Magnum penetrate as well as a cut-on-contact head like the Viper Trick?

No — a cut-on-contact head like the Viper Trick will out-penetrate the four-blade Magnum, because four blades and a chisel-style tip take more energy to drive than two cut-on-contact blades. The Magnum trades some penetration for bigger holes and better blood. On broadside deer that's a good trade; if you're penetration-limited or hunting heavy bone, the cut-on-contact head digs deeper.

G5 Montec or Slick Trick Magnum for a stainless fixed blade at whitetail/blacktail ranges?

Both are solid stainless fixed heads; the split is cut style and tuning. The Montec is a one-piece cut-on-contact three-blade that resharpens as a unit and penetrates hard; the Magnum is a four-blade with replaceable blades, bigger holes, and famously easy tuning. At whitetail/blacktail ranges either kills cleanly — pick the Montec for penetration and a one-piece head, the Magnum for blood trails and quick tuning.

What vane setup stabilizes the Magnums best — three or four fletch, and which vanes?

Three or four fletch both stabilize the short Magnum well — its stubby profile keeps planing low, which is why owners call it easy to tune. A standard helical or offset vane setup (three 2" vanes is plenty) gets it flying with field points fast. For the widest four-blade in wind, a little helical helps it spin up; you don't need oversized fletching.

Can you resharpen the blades yourself and keep the heads from rusting between hunts?

Yes — the replaceable blades resharpen by hand, and owners do it routinely. For rust, it's stainless so it resists corrosion better than tool-steel heads, but still dry the blades after a wet hunt and a light oil wipe keeps them spotless between seasons. The four-blade cartridge design makes blade swaps and touch-ups straightforward.

The most repeated point across every venue: the short Magnum tunes quickly and hits with field points out to 40-60 yards for most posters, with several calling it the easiest fixed blade they have ever tuned. A 2023 Rokslide test found its flight essentially identical to the Standard's at all distances.

Hunters consistently credit the four-blade X-cut with big entry/exit holes and some of the best blood trails they have had, including one who switched back from Viper Tricks specifically for blood. A minority report occasional sparse trails, usually blamed on shot placement or a rib hit on entry.

A recurring complaint in 2023-era threads: since the brand was sold (posters cite the Outdoor Group era and claim offshore manufacturing), buyers report wobbling ferrules, out-of-spec blades requiring mix-and-match assembly to get a true spin, and even a pack shipped without ferrules. Defenders counter that blades are still German Lutz steel and tested very sharp out of the box.

Split verdict on durability: some call it among the toughest heads available with ferrules that never bend and blades that resharpen easily, while elk hunters in particular report rolled, chattered, butter-knife-dull edges after passing through bone or muddy hide, blaming soft blade steel.

On whitetails nobody worries, but for elk and moose the community splits: plenty have stacked up pass-throughs with 400-460 grain arrows, while experienced western hunters argue the short, steep four-blade profile is an inefficient design that needs real momentum and prefer the narrower Standard or a longer-taper head for the big stuff.

A small but repeated nit: a couple of long-time users note the wide Magnum is audibly noisier in flight than the Standard, though both describe it as a minor annoyance rather than a dealbreaker.