2 Blade, 3 Blade, 4 Blade question

[Cavalry Scout]

I am experimenting with broad heads. I have found two blades have much more penetration than my three blades, from my bow. Now, looking at some four blades, Zwickey, muzzy, etc... I understand they have an advantage with wound size and blood trails. I have not taken an animal with traditional gear, YET. I have taken game with 3 blades from a wheel bow. I would like to ask some first hand experience. What have you noticed from taking animals with the different set ups. Is there a noticeable difference? (I know shot placement is the key). Thanks

 

[John Cooper]

What weight bow are you shooting? What arrow combo are you using?

 

[Cavalry Scout]

50lbs@28, GT 35/55, 29.5in long, 100grn brass insert with 125 grn broadheads. I shoot fairly well, just wondering about the affect on the game itself.

 

[Todd Cook]

I shoot 160 snuffers, or a magnus 1. You'll find people on both sides of this discussion. The truth is , theres no wrong answer. Deer don't really require a lot of force to shoot through. Big hogs are tougher by a bit. I shoot 57-60 pounds and usually get 2 holes. Having said that, 45 pounds will usually do the same thing. To me. a bigger broadhead is a good insurance policy.

Arrow flight and sharp broadheads are probably more important than which broadhead you use. If you get it flying straight it will penetrate deeper. I think some people forget that. I'm not a fancy sharpener, I just use a file and a piece of leather, but they are SHARP.

One more thing(sorry for being so long winded). A hit low in the chest will outbleed a high hit every time. So there you go, back to what you said, shot placement matters most. Good luck.

 

[John Cooper]

You could probably shoot a wensal woodsman 3 blade with good results...... remember it will penetrate better on game than it will on a target..... I shoot 165 snuffers with no problem out of my 50# recurve

 

[Slasher]

hmmm both will kill critters!!! more cutting areawill kill them quicker given a hit in the same place!!! But, there was a thread that Lance Coleman made response about the H-Bomb effect a few years ago...

H-BOMB EFFECT- Defined as deer that RUN HARD WITH TAILS HIGH TILL they die... puncture type broadheads... that tear through the hide and animal tend to turn them to running for the state line... till they fall over dead!!!!

While 2 blades kill just as well... but leave less blood... but cut on contact 2 bldes... They tend to do be more like a yellow jacket bite or bee sting, but have had deer take a jump, walk back and smell the arrow sticking in the ground and go back to eating acorns... or eating in the food plot.. and die wihin 15 yds of where they were shot...

I say 2 blade!!! But I like BIG SHARP ONES!!!!

 

[John Abbott]

What Slasher and the others said is right on, I like the stinger head its sort of a both...big cut on contact with smaller bleeders..they come sharp are easy to resharpen or just replace the blade, and they are guaranteed for life.

 

[Stump Shooter]

Most of my kills have been with a two blade Zwicky Eskimo, no issues with performance at all. I have kills with the Wensel Woodsman, after two kills learned how to snip the tip so that it would not curl up and very satisfied with it. I've also got two kills with a bear style head and found that the older style heads seem to hold up better than the newer ones, In my opinion. NOW I'm very impressed with the MUZZY PHANTOM 220 stainless steal and will possibly be giving the Eichler model a try. I am very impressed with the performance and accuracy of this head and do believe it will be my go to head in the future. Shooting Traditional is so hard to stay with one head I still have Grizzly heads and a couple of Snuffers just waiting on a kill. I think there are a couple here growing fond of the MUZZY Phantom.

 

[Cavalry Scout]

Awesome Info!!! Again, my only experience is with a target. Having said that, the two blade Eskilites seem to have really good arrow flight -vs- my Woodsmans. I think from here, Im gonna drop the 100grn inserts and try some heavier broadheads, see what I get. Going 100% traditional this year. Gave my thousand dollar wheel rig to my son. Thanks again for the information.

 

[dm/wolfskin]

As long as you don't hit shoulder blade or leg bone with any of them , you should be alright. Now if you got a big boar hog 200lb plus, I'd go with a 2 blade. I keep one Woodsman in my quiver but all others are 2 blade. 190 & 160 Grizzles and 160 Land and 190 Interceptor Simmons Sharks on GT 3555 and GT 1535. Mike

 

[Dennis]

Muzzy Phantom for me

 

[John Cooper]

Also don't over look the VPA broad heads..... they make the woodsman elite....... no tip curl worries and easy to get hair popping sharp!!!!!! They have 2 & 3 blade heads and are at the top of the list......

 

[Blueridge]

Shot Zwickey Eskimo's for 20+ years with great results. Two season's ago I decided to try Wensel Woodsman's and shot a buck and a bear,
pass through's on both and neither made it more than 40 yds.
I was so excited that I didn't follow the blood trail because I could see both go down. So I can't describe the blood trail at all.
I have been impressed by the pic's I have seen by guys using the Sharks and will try them this coming season.
I shoot mid 50's in my hunting bows.

 

[markland]

I have always been a 4bl fan and all I will and have shot for many years now for many different types of game. I am not a 2bl fan and much prefer larger holes in the animal and not slits. I setup my equipment so I get penetration on the animals I shoot and use heavy tip weighted carbon arrows with no problem off my 54# bows. My arrows normally weigh in the 500-560gr range and I expect complete penetration when I shoot a deer or hog with that setup. Have gotten pass thrus on elk, bear as well.

 

[sawtooth]

i have always liked two blades. Magnus is a favorite, both the I and II. I shot a hog not long ago with a big zwickey Delta and I really liked the result. Blood trails.... sometimes they are profuse, other times they are wimpy, that holds true for both two and three blade heads. penetration....same thing,sometimes it's good and sometimes not so good. What it's boils down to is this.... when you look at one of your arrows.. do you KNOW that it flies true? Do you KNOW that it is sharp? Are you CERTAIN that you can put it where it needs to go? It's all about confidence, and as you shoot different heads you will develop a confidence in one type more so than the others.. and that will be the one you want to cram your quiver full of.

 

[Blueridge]

i have always liked two blades. Magnus is a favorite, both the I and II. I shot a hog not long ago with a big zwickey Delta and I really liked the result. Blood trails.... sometimes they are profuse, other times they are wimpy, that holds true for both two and three blade heads. penetration....same thing,sometimes it's good and sometimes not so good. What it's boils down to is this.... when you look at one of your arrows.. do you KNOW that it flies true? Do you KNOW that it is sharp? Are you CERTAIN that you can put it where it needs to go? It's all about confidence, and as you shoot different heads you will develop a confidence in one type more so than the others.. and that will be the one you want to cram your quiver full of.

Yep, hit the nail on the head.