Broadhead recommendations

[1Canvas]

Back when I could pull some poundage I shot various Rage heads and all but one dropped in sight. I never had one fail, although I was vary selective on shots that I would take with them, I would only use them on broadside or slightly angled away shots.
I would always have Stingers in my quiver when I didn’t want to be selective on my shots.

Error in my response.

 

[UncleNommies]

I use a Magnus Single Bevel Left-hand 150g (lifetime warranty). I find it works very well on my set up and field points/broadheads have the same point of impact. I have taken deer and bear with this broadhead, furthest "tracking job" was less than 50. Excellent penatration as well.

 

[1Canvas]

I use a Magnus Single Bevel Left-hand 150g (lifetime warranty). I find it works very well on my set up and field points/broadheads have the same point of impact. I have taken deer and bear with this broadhead, furthest "tracking job" was less than 50. Excellent penatration as well.

That is a head I have been considering .

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I am not a magnus stinger fan. At all. The ferrule is too weak, at least on the four blade version I was using. I am also not a skinny two blade fan... Regardless of blood loss, I want the maximum chances of nicking an extra artery. Properly tuned, a 40-45lb trad bow will push 3/4 blades through critters with no issues.

*edit to add that for big animals such as elk I like Iron Will's/Day six/Magnus Black Hornet's in 4 blade configuration

 

[Beendare]

I am also not a skinny two blade fan...

I am a 2 blade fan.

They penetrate effortlessly. They go through them so fast and the arrow is skipping along the ground behind them- sometimes I think I must have missed. I get the least amount of animal reaction with 2 blades....thus most die in sight. It's a rare case when I don't get 2 holes.
I used to get animals running like their tail was on fire with mech and those short chisel heads- they knew they were hit.

Plus, they are so easy to touch up and reuse.

My blood trails are more dependent on shot location than the BH- a high hit with anything including a big head and most of the blood stays in them. I have seen some oil slick blood trails with 2 blades on center to low body hits.

I don't put much credence in the mental picture of a BH being turned a certain way and missing arteries. I want 2 holes in the chest cavity- preferably lungs....and the outside pressure collapses their lungs.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I am a 2 blade fan.

They penetrate effortlessly. They go through them so fast and the arrow is skipping along the ground behind them- sometimes I think I must have missed. I get the least amount of animal reaction with 2 blades....thus most die in sight. It's a rare case when I don't get 2 holes.
I used to get animals running like their tail was on fire with mech and those short chisel heads- they knew they were hit.

Plus, they are so easy to touch up and reuse.

My blood trails are more dependent on shot location than the BH- a high hit with anything including a big head and most of the blood stays in them. I have seen some oil slick blood trails with 2 blades on center to low body hits.

I don't put much credence in the mental picture of a BH being turned a certain way and missing arteries. I want 2 holes in the chest cavity- preferably lungs....and the outside pressure collapses their lungs.

I don't doubt your experience! In reality, our personal experience is always a limited sample. Here's Cody Greenwood talking about tuning and broadhead lethality across thousands of data points(broadhead discussions starts at 10 min):

In a nutshell, none of our arguments matter that much. Until the cut size gets huge, the average recovery distance doesn't vary significantly. I'm not more right than you are. I just lean towards larger cut size because I trust my arrow tune.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

I personally believe through experience (my own and others) that you can’t predict a blood trail with a broadhead design.

I’ve had animals that I’ve center-punched that never bleed much, but die in a hurry. Those were all with a 2-blade pass-through hit, so that’s what I stick with: either the Magnus Stinger buzzcut, or an Ace Standard, depending on the point weight I need. Most the time I’m using the Stinger buzzcut. It’s easy to find in any store, flies true, comes sharp from the package, and if you break it, they’ll send you another. The Aces are great too.

I agree on the above statement of the 4-blade Stinger though. The ferrule likes to bend on those.

In the end, I say shoot what flies accurately, stays sharp, and meet your grain weight needs.

 

[UncleNommies]

That is a head I have been considering .

I don't think you'd be disappointed at all! I keep them ridiculously sharp on my Work Sharp sharpener! I went left bevel because i fletched my arrows with a left helical. My Lift naturally wanted the arrows to come off the string to the left.

 

[BowTrout]

I haven't listened to this podcast about broadheads yet but it just popped up on youtube. Might be worth a listen?

 

[Beendare]

In a nutshell, none of our arguments matter that much. Until the cut size gets huge, the average recovery distance doesn't vary significantly. I'm not more right than you are.

Nor am I more right than you.

I would disagree with the common thought of many bowhunters that bigger is better.
I think what most guys don't factor in is Bigger means more resistance.
They focus on "More blood" which is not the mechanism that kills critters fast. Plus, I 've seen a bunch of the Big cut BH's fail to get much penetration.

2 holes through the chest is a proven mechanism to shut down a critter fast.

Guys think bleeding them out is the way to go? A buddy tracked one elk's blood trail over 2 miles and found another hunter standing over his elk that he had finished off. Those elk have a lot of blood in them!

 

[UncleNommies]

Nor am I more right than you.

I would disagree with the common thought of many bowhunters that bigger is better.
I think what most guys don't factor in is Bigger means more resistance.
They focus on "More blood" which is not the mechanism that kills critters fast. Plus, I 've seen a bunch of the Big cut BH's fail to get much penetration.

2 holes through the chest is a proven mechanism to shut down a critter fast.

Guys think bleeding them out is the way to go? A buddy tracked one elk's blood trail over 2 miles and found another hunter standing over his elk that he had finished off. Those elk have a lot of blood in them!

I agree with you, a full pass-through, to me is a requirement! I would also add, shot placement is critical, as well as having a very sharp broadhead. A razor sharp broadhead cutting clean on a capillary level will prolong clotting, fill a chest cavity, and pump out of, hopefully, two holes through the chest!

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Blood trails are great, but I lean towards what was stated above, which is I will sacrifice potential blood trails for a pass-through and better flight.

Don’t take this for gospel; but I shot a giant tom turkey a few years ago with a 60ish pound ASL and a 720 grain wood arrow with a monster Grizzly Kodiak broadhead on the end. It was the most blood I’ve ever seen come from any animal, and I never found that bird. Even the dog I brought out couldn’t find it. I didn’t even know turkeys had that much blood in them lol.

 

[Andrewlonghi]

Blood trails are great, but I lean towards what was stated above, which is I will sacrifice potential blood trails for a pass-through and better flight.

Don’t take this for gospel; but I shot a giant tom turkey a few years ago with a 60ish pound ASL and a 720 grain wood arrow with a monster Grizzly Kodiak broadhead on the end. It was the most blood I’ve ever seen come from any animal, and I never found that bird. Even the dog I brought out couldn’t find it. I didn’t even know turkeys had that much blood in them lol.


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That is one hell of a broadhead

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

That is one hell of a broadhead

It’s a beast. I never could get them to fly very well.

 

[Andrewlonghi]

It’s a beast. I never could get them to fly very well.

shoot any deer or elk with them

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

shoot any deer or elk with them

Nope. I never did with those heads. Killed an elk in 2024 with a buzzcut and a bear that same fall with an Ace Standard. Shot zero things in ‘25 besides a rabbit lol.

 

[Mtn_Nomad]

Ive become a big fan of Badger Broadheads. Theyre a smaller company but they're tough headed, easy to sharpen, and shoot really well