Best broadhead for blood trails

[HunterHawk]

Love the responses! And those are very nice bucks And timber!

I do love how sharp the Iron Wills are and have been wanting to try the wides as I havent yet!

Simmons are definitely hard to sharpen but I love how wide they are!

And I definitely agree the less impact you have on the animal...ie sharp broadhead/fix blade that zips through especially without hitting bone have shorter tracking jobs... mechanicals were awesome for pully bow but man would those deer take off when that mechanical hit them!

Everyone has about the same observations I have had with animals and shots and broadheads..

I was just curious If anyone had a clear winner but not looking like it.. im the same way.

As long as it shoots well, is sharp, and I'm confident with it I'm hunting with it. I have always had a pass through on big game except the elk but was very impressed the iron will at 35 yards broke through the opposite side shoulder blade!

 

[Beendare]

I like lower 1/3rd...but those heart shots can be erratic. If you stop the heart....blood pressure goes to Zero, so the only blood you get is what drips out.

It's rare but I've seen the no blood scenarios but most of the time they leave a great BT. I had one where 2 bull elk were fighting and I heart shot the one bull. He just stood there and was spurting pulsing blood out both side 6 feet plus- it was crazy...like one of those big squirt guns. He finally saw me [12y away!] after about 4-5 seconds, turned to run and was down in 20y.

 

[nnmarcher]

While I agree that shot placement is the single biggest factor, there are also variables that are just beyond our control and every blood trail is different.

These two bucks were as identical of shots as you could possibly get.

- Both 4-1/2 yr old bucks
- Both shot the 1st week of November
- Both bucks were alone and cruising for does.
- Both stopped for the shot on their own.
- Both shot between 10-12 yds away and broadside
- Both shots entered left side of the body and exited right side
- Both shot from the same height tree stand (Lone Wolf hang on with 4 sticks)
- Both shot with the same broad head, a shaving sharp VPA 1-1/4" 3 blade head
- Both complete pass throughs
- Shot placement, as you can see, was as near identical as you can get. Center of the heart

The first buck sprayed blood from the impact location to where he dropped 50 yds away. I had to walk to the side of the trail to keep from getting my boots and clothes covered in blood. Arrow was completely covered in blood.

The second buck didn't bleed a drop for 100 yds until he stopped, he then slowly walked another 50 yds before dropping. Arrow was almost completely clean with no blood on it.

All that being said, I like to play the odds and shoot the biggest cutting head I can confidently get a complete pass through with and make sure it will shave.

The similarity between your shot is remarkable. Great shooting!

I think your two scenarios are a great comparison between how different animals react to being shot when everything else is pretty constant. Thanks for sharing.

 

[varmint101]

I’ve had really good trails with Simmons. I’ve used the tiger shark and now timber shark. Once you figure out how they’re not bad to sharpen and get super sharp. I’ve had good trails with Woodsman’s VPA 3, Snuffers, Zwickey No Mercy as well, but as others have said it’s location. Such as I shot a doe with the Zwickey earlier this week and it did great, BUT my entry was higher (she was close) lodged in off shoulder which was then pulled out when she ran and almost excited thru the belly. Head was super sharp, but blood trail was practically nonexistent due to high entrance and no exit. Chest was completely full of blood. I had to walk the ridge where I last heard and found her by the grace of God. Shot a buck and doe with same head (literally) a couple years ago both low exits and blood was great. (Buck below) make a good shot and have a sharp head!

 

[markanderson12]

Ive killed deer, a hog, and a bear with different heads. Two deer with a 2 blade northern and one went down in 15 yards so I didnt even look for blood and the second was a buck i double lunged. Buck went down in 50 yards and i had a nice easy to fallow blood trail. With a Woodsman 3 blade I killed 1 doe without a pass through that went 50 yards into a thick nasty clear cut and I had decent blood for only one hole. My last two kills were with a cutthroat 3 blade. Hog i shot twice with pass throughs both arrows and both good hits with good blood, he did go more than 20 yards (he had no idea he was hit the first arrow). Last fall I killed a bear at 9 yards with the cutthroat, arrow stuck into the offside shoulder so I only had on hole but an amazing entrance hole and a lot of blood, he ran 60 yards and was done.

This year I am hunting with both the 2 blade northerns and the 3 blade cutthroats. Shooting a predator recurve with easton xx75 2117s.

Planning a moose hunt and I think for that Ill be switching to the single bevel ironwills with the bleeders.

 

[Gun]

That IS a bit weird to me GNDT with virtually identical shots. I have found over the last five years or so since I've learned how to get BH's scalpel sharp that I see critters die in sight. Also I don't aim to hit the heart. Just above, where more vessels are.