Video Reviews

From Down under I received a set of the TUSKER BROADHEADS to review. These are a very interesting concept in broadheads. The design shapes are very similar to a lot of our commercial broadheads from North America, but this is only the beginning of the attraction I have for the TUSKERS. The most interesting thing about them is that they are the most economical broadhead that I have seen., with costs at about $1.30 US per head. That’s $15.60 for a dozen broadheads. Everyone has to like this. But there is a catch to this deal. They are not sharpened from the factory at this price, and they are in glue on style only.{If you want to pay more they are available pre sharpened and with screw-in inserts installed.}The models available are the Spirit @ 100 grains with a 5/16" ferrule, the javelin at 125gr with a 5/16"ferrelefor the light weight models. The heavier models are ranging from the 155gr concord, 160gr Delta and finaly the 175 grain Aztec all with 11/32 Ferrell’s.

The 5 different styles I received had some with the screw in inserts and the rest were glue on's. This gave me an opportunity to see how well they would fly from a trad bow as well as some high speed testing in the 290FPS range. As expected they all flew well from all of the traditional bows that I shot them from. When I screwed the TUSKERS onto a carbon shaft and shot them from a compound I was pleasantly surprised. They grouped well and showed no signs of wanting to wind plane at speeds ranging from 170 to 300 feet per second, depending on the weight broadhead that I was shooting.

Tuskers are made with hardened steel blades,.9mm thick and hardened to Rockwell 48, sharpening is a lot easier than might be expected. This job will take a file to set the initial edge as they do not have any edge at all when you receive them. I used a 10" long fine bastard file and after about 6 passes on each surface they were sharp. We normally end up sharpening most factory broadheads anyway so this is not a big deal considering the time involved and the savings.

I have been shooting the tuskers from longbows and compounds at ranges out to 40 yards with the 54# ACS longbow and 65 yards with the compounds.In every case flight and grouping was not an issue, even at 280 FPS with the large Aztec weighing 210 grains when it had the threaded adapter installed.

Every model from the little Spirit to the Aztec spun true with the aluminum adapters installed and flight was always good.The Spirit is a model I find particularly apealing,due to its small size, strength and weight.It weighs 100 grains as a glue on , but when it is mounted to the 32 gr adapter it jumps to 135 gr. and should prove to be a great penetrator.For those of us that like the heavy weights Tuskers are available in 100, 125, 155 , 165 , and 175 grains.By adding the adapters the weights will increase by 32 grains Plus epoxy for a total of about 35 grains.This pushes the Aztec to a whoping 210 grains.

At a recent traditional shoot I was shooting the Tuskers at a rolling tire from a forklift. These are solid rubber and if you missed the center the broadhead was driven to its base in the tire. A few missed shots also tested the Tuskers on Northern Alberta Aspen trees. In both cases the tuskers were pried from their victim and recovered in like new condition. They did not bend or fail and the spot welded ferrule stayed intact. This is a lot more punishment than an animal will ever give your broadhead.

To sum it up I will say that these are a good investment for the hunter and stump shooter. They fly true and are tough. As far a economics goes they are the best deal going. To order tusker's you will need to contact John Teitzel on the tusker website. Shipping from Australia was remarkably fast, taking only 8 days to arrive here and clear customs. I feel that these are a good broadhead and I have been hunting Bears with them this spring. If I didn't have confidence in the tuskers I would not use them on something that could turn the table on me. With luck I will be connecting with a bruin and have some success photos to add here.

Pete Ward
“Welcome to my outdoor world”

These are real hunting video's from the outback of Australia , shot with a lot of footage of Ferrell boars that are a plague to Australian native wildlife. You will not see a video shot with a million dollar budget and state of the art equipment here . The footage is well edited from start to finish, wind noises are present and it is obvious that these video's are made from Johns outback excursions .This is real hunting in the Australian outback without the props we are used to here in North America. You won't find five hundred dollar camo suits and scent suppressing everythings. Bare feet and shorts are the order of the day here.

I got a very real sense of being there with the Tusker crew. Staging and rehearsing is not evident at any time. Especially when one of the guys is treed by a wounded boar, with his bow left on the ground during his flight for life. There are no baited shots, every boar is taken by stalking to within shooting distances. Sometimes the shot is so close I wonder where these guys get their nerve from.

As for a sense of danger, I find the scenes of sneaking up on a croc, or fishing from the bank of croc holding waters provide it. If that is not enough stalking to within spitting distance before shooting will.Also the scenes where the hunters stalk thru water and marsh to get within shooting distance are nerve-racking to say the least. There has to be something in that water that would eat you or bite you but these guys don't seem to give it a thought.

All of the hunters are shooting traditional bows ,so you know the shots are close. Life around camp on these videos is as basic as it gets. Meals are caught fresh and enjoyed over open camp fires. The fishing scenes are great with some nice tucker being provided daily. Camp is made where the canoe lands for the night with just the basics of necessities. This is roughing it at it's best.
You won't be overwhelmed by advertising of equipment. The endorsements are brief and just long enough to get the point across without taking away from the hunting.
I was surprised at the fact that the pigs were not eaten but after discussions with John and several other Australian friends I found out that these boars are not good "Tucker" as the Ausies say. They are prone to some nasty diseases that make eating them unwise.

Pete Ward
“Welcome to my outdoor world”

Video Review: A Taste of Australia
With a strong bowhunting tradition, favorable prices and a continent’s worth of wilderness and fascinating wildlife, Australia is rapidly emerging as a prime destination for adventurous bowhunters. These two videos from veteran Aussie bowhunter John Teitzel’s Tusker Productions provide an excellent overview of bowhunting possibilities Down Under.

Almost all Australian bowhunting focuses on species introduced during the early years of European colonization. While Australia currently supports six Eurasian deer species, their ranges are fairly limited. Feral goats and hogs, on the other hand, abound and are generally regarded as a nuisance because of their adverse effect on native wildlife. These two videos focus on wild boar, Australia’s most popular and abundant bowhunting quarry.

Teitzel, a highly experienced wilderness traveler and traditional archer, obviously knows his game and its habitat. In Backpack Hunting for Hogs, he and his partners make a long trek through the Australian outback on foot, while Boars and Barramundi documents an extended wilderness canoe trip through the remote York Peninsula. In addition to a lot of riveting hunting footage, both record lots of interesting notes on Australian wildlife as well as fishing, especially for barramundi, a highly regarded game fish unique to Australian waters, you will also see John catch a Crocodile and hold for you so see up close..

Because pigs are so abundant and there are no seasons or limits, there is a lot of shooting on both videos, even though Teitzel and his companions concentrate on large, trophy quality boars. The hunting is all spot and stalk, and almost all the archery tackle used is traditional. The footage includes some heart-stopping encounters with aggressive boars, and John even offers some commentary from a hastily climbed tree while an angry hog paces back and forth beneath him.

American viewers will have to adjust to the fact that the Aussies are obviously not salvaging meat from their kills, a troublesome point for those who enjoy eating wild hog here at home. This is because of numerous diseases that Australian hogs carry, but a clearer explanation of this point might have been helpful to American viewers.

Both videos are technically excellent, with a minimum of "talking heads" sequences and product endorsement. I recommend them for hunters interested in bowhunting Australia, or anyone who appreciates the flavor of wild adventure in a unique and fascinating setting.

Available from John Teitzel, Tusker Productions, PO Box 103 Tully QLD 4854,Australia