QAD Exodus Broadheads and UltraRest Arrow Rests

What QAD makes for bowhunters

QAD, short for Quality Archery Designs, covers three product types on this site:

• Broadheads: the Exodus line, in fixed-blade heads for compound bows and for crossbows
• Arrow rests: the UltraRest family of drop-away rests, in Integrate-mount and Berger-mount versions
• Nocks: the Tune-A-Nock, a standard-diameter nock

The grid above shows the QAD listings available on Amazon right now, with filters by type. It changes as listings come and go, so I'll write about the lines and what separates them, not about how many of each show up this week.

QAD's own site also shows target rests (the UltraRest TRi), metal string loops and rest accessories. This site doesn't list those. QAD doesn't make bows or arrows, so those live on other brand pages.

QAD Exodus broadheads: how the design works

The Exodus is one idea built several ways. QAD's page describes it as a "Blade Over Shaft" design: the blades sweep back over the arrow shaft, so the whole head ends up short and compact. The maker says the head is about the length of a field point.

Why would anyone care how long a broadhead is? Here's what actually changes. A long head sticks out in front of the arrow like a weather vane on the wrong end. A short head keeps more of the arrow's steering in the back, where the vanes are. (That's the kitchen version. The physics version has more words and fewer weather vanes.)

QAD also says tight machining tolerances keep spin and weight consistent from head to head. Its page claims the Exodus tops the market in penetration; that's the maker's claim, and I'm passing it along as one.

Exodus grain weights and blade shapes

Per QAD's Exodus page, the standard Exodus comes in 85, 100 and 125 grains. The site shows two blade shapes: Full and Swept. The page doesn't spell out the difference in words, so I won't invent one. Look at the photos and the listing.

Grain is a small unit of weight, 437.5 to the ounce. Archery 360 explains why it matters: the heavier the point, the more it weakens the arrow's spine, which is how much the shaft flexes. Arrow makers build their spine charts around a 100-grain point. Move off 100 grains and the chart moves with you.

The Exodus listings in the grid include:

• Exodus Full Blade: a fixed head, 125 grains per its listing
• Exodus Swept Blade: 100 grains per its listing
• Exodus Deep Six: 100 grains, 3 per pack and a 1.25-inch cut per its listing
• Exodus QBE100S: listed under a part number, with no specs in its listing

What Deep Six means

Deep Six is a thread standard, not a blade shape. American Hunter explains that Deep Six inserts use 40 threads per inch, about 25 percent more than conventional inserts. That's why the system was built for small-diameter arrows.

The practical part: a Deep Six head needs a Deep Six insert in the shaft. It won't thread into a standard insert, and a standard head won't thread into a Deep Six one. Check what's in your arrows before you order. (I write the thread type on the same tape label as the spine. A label is cheaper than a second pack.)

QAD's page lists the Deep Six Exodus at 100 grains only.

Exodus Crossbow heads

The Exodus Crossbow page lists 100 and 125-grain heads, shipped with a 22/64-diameter washer. The crossbow heads in the grid include:

• Exodus Crossbow Full Blade: 125 grains, 1.25-inch cut, marked crossbow-rated in its listing
• Exodus Crossbow Swept Blade: 100 grains, crossbow-rated per its listing
• Exodus BC125-S Crossbow: a fixed head at 125 grains per its listing

The rule for crossbow heads is the same as for bolts: your crossbow maker's manual decides what weight it wants up front. Wisconsin DNR's safety advice is to use only the bolts and arrows the manufacturer recommends. Crossbow seasons and broadhead rules vary by state, so check your state wildlife agency. More options across brands are on the crossbow broadheads page.

QAD UltraRest arrow rests: Integrate vs Berger

Every QAD hunting rest is a drop-away. Archery 360 describes how that works: the rest falls away from the shaft and the vanes before the arrow clears the riser, so nothing touches the arrow after release. The same article notes that drop-aways take more work to tune than other rests, and that most archers have a shop set them up.

QAD splits its hunting rests into two groups by how they bolt on:

• Integrate-mounted: the UltraRest Integrate MX2 and Integrate R2
• Berger-mounted: the UltraRest HDX, the UltraRest LD and the UltraRest Hunter

Pick the mount before the rest

My one opinion on this page: decide the mount first, and only then compare features. The reason is on QAD's MX2 page. Integrate rests clamp to the Integrate Mounting System on the riser, and the page lists the bow makers that use it: Mathews, Hoyt, PSE, Bowtech, Prime, Athens, Darton, Bear, Xpedition and APA. QAD also says the dual dovetail clamp gives twice the hold of the Berger mount method.

A bow without that mount takes a Berger-mounted rest. No feature on the spec sheet fixes a rest that doesn't fit the riser. More on rest styles across brands is on the compound bow arrow rest page.

Integrate MX2

The MX2 is the Integrate rest with the most adjustment. QAD's page lists:

• Micro-adjust: each click moves the rest .0019 inch
• A launcher machined from 7075 aluminum
• Replaceable launcher dampers in custom colors
• An 80-degree capture position that holds the arrow on the rest

Quick math: .0019 inch is about half the thickness of a sheet of printer paper. Per click. That's a tuning tool, not a field adjustment.

The listings show the MX2 in right-hand and left-hand versions; the left-hand one is its own listing in the grid.

Integrate R2

The R2 shares the mount and the capture bar. QAD describes a different way of tuning it: a single vertical locking screw. You loosen it, tune, and lock it down. The R2 listing marks it without micro-adjust, which matches the maker's description.

QAD describes the R2's drop as "Velocity Drop-Away", driven by speed and timing rather than inertia. Its launcher sits at 0 degrees (dropped), 80 degrees (capture) and 90 degrees (full draw). A Lock Down feature keeps the launcher from bouncing back; QAD says that lets you run higher spring tension on bows shot over 400 fps.

UltraRest HDX and Pro HDX

The HDX is the main Berger-mounted rest. QAD's page lists the same three launcher positions, a capture bar, laser-cut felt for a quiet draw, Lock Down for bows over 400 fps, and three valley heights on the launcher. The valley is the notch the arrow sits in; a choice of heights lets you match it to your shaft. QAD lists the HDX in seven colors: black, red, blue, orange, pink, green and purple.

The grid also carries listings titled Ultra-Rest Pro HDX, in right and left-hand versions, plus an Ultra-Rest HDX under a part number. The specs for those come from the listings: drop-away, and the hand each one is built for.

UltraRest Hunter and the PSE-labeled rest

The Hunter is the plainer Berger-mounted rest. QAD's page lists the capture bar, three valley heights and a clamp that the maker says needs no serving or bow press to set up. The felt is listed as an add-on. Its listing marks full containment and sound dampening.

One listing in the grid is titled Ultra-Rest for PSE, in a left-hand version, with full containment and sound dampening per the listing. Read the listing title against your bow before you order it.

The timing cord

All the UltraRest pages describe the same cord: a tight braid, .078 inch thick, that QAD says resists stretching. It comes pre-cut and burned for installation. The cord is what tells the rest when to drop, so its timing is the setting that matters most. QAD's pages say the full-draw marks should line up with the 90-degree position.

Here's the thing about drop-away timing: a rest that drops too early or too late shows up as a tuning problem, and it looks like an arrow problem. If you're not set up to tune at home, Archery 360's advice stands: a shop has the bow press and the tools. More on how drop-aways compare is on the drop away arrow rest page.

The Tune-A-Nock

QAD's nock is the Tune-A-Nock. The maker says it fits standard-diameter shafts that take internal components, with an inner diameter of .246 inch. It describes a wide mouth that guides the nock onto the string, a short body and 360-degree rotation for lining up the fletching with the rest.

QAD claims the nock adds about 4 fps (feet per second, arrow speed) over other nocks, which it puts down to low weight and low string friction. That's the maker's number. The listing in the grid is a 12-pack in fluorescent green. Fit across brands is on the nocks page.

How to choose within the QAD lineup

For broadheads: thread, then weight, then shape

• Thread first: Deep Six or standard, matched to your inserts
• Weight second: 85, 100 or 125 grains, matched to your spine chart
• Shape last: Full or Swept blade, by preference

A heavier head weakens the spine, per Archery 360, so a switch from 100 to 125 grains can change which shaft your bow wants. Shoot your broadheads before the season, not just your field points. Background on fixed heads is on the fixed blade broadheads page and across all types on the broadheads page.

For rests: mount, hand, then adjustment

• Mount: Integrate or Berger, set by your riser
• Hand: right or left, set by your bow, not by which hand you write with
• Adjustment: click micro-adjust (MX2) or a locking screw (R2, HDX)

("Which hand" is a surprisingly common question at the bow counter. The answer is whichever hand holds the string. Walt once argued it was the hand holding the coffee.)

For crossbows

Start with the crossbow maker's manual for head weight. The Exodus Crossbow comes in 100 and 125 grains, and the listings mark which heads are crossbow-rated.

Care, safety and warranty basics

Handle broadheads like the blades they are. Carry them in a covered quiver; Wisconsin DNR's archery safety tips say a covered quiver protects you and the points. Never thread or unthread a head with your fingers on the edges.

QAD's warranty page lists a limited lifetime warranty on its TRi, Integrate MX, Integrate R2, MXT, HDX and LD rests, and on Exodus ferrules (the ferrule is the body of the head the blades sit in). The UltraRest Hunter carries a 90-day warranty. QAD describes a "Repair First" policy for warranty work done directly with the maker.

To start a claim, QAD asks for an email with the rest's model, color and hand, your contact details, the serial number from the rest housing, and a description of the problem. Customer service sends back a repair order number. Write the serial number down the day you install the rest. Future you will not want to unscrew it to read it.

Who's behind QAD

QAD's "Inside QAD" page lists Dan Summers as president and founder and says the company makes its products in Madison Heights, Virginia. The home page says QAD has made archery products since 1992 and carries the line "Quality Crafted in the USA." The Exodus page says the broadheads are designed and manufactured in the USA.

Thread, grain, mount, hand. Four words on a label inside your bow case, and the next order goes right the first time.