Change from Fixed Broadheads

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Mar 5, 2025
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I just got back from my archery trip this year and unfortunately, I made a bad shot on a bull and did not recover. I shot too close behind the shoulder, quartering away and I think I only got 1 lung. I have been rethinking everything about my set up and other than not making a bad shot, I am thinking about tinkering with my arrow set-up. As a traditional guy I have always leaned toward the heavy-arrow cut-on-contact SB side of the spectrum. On my componud, I currently shoot an Iron will broadhead. While I could never swing to the other side of the spectrum and shoot an expandable, I am thinking about shooting a wider broadhead or adding a bleeder blade.

Can you guys share some experiences of bleeders or wide single bevels that you have had? Pros and cons?
 
I just got back from my archery trip this year and unfortunately, I made a bad shot on a bull and did not recover. I shot too close behind the shoulder, quartering away and I think I only got 1 lung. I have been rethinking everything about my set up and other than not making a bad shot, I am thinking about tinkering with my arrow set-up. As a traditional guy I have always leaned toward the heavy-arrow cut-on-contact SB side of the spectrum. On my componud, I currently shoot an Iron will broadhead. While I could never swing to the other side of the spectrum and shoot an expandable, I am thinking about shooting a wider broadhead or adding a bleeder blade.

Can you guys share some experiences of bleeders or wide single bevels that you have had? Pros and cons?

Unfortunately, making a bad shot and losing an animal is part of archery. Some will claim they've never made a bad shot or never lost an animal, but that tells me they haven't bow hunted long enough. I'm not sure in this case a broad head change would have made a difference. If you were shooting a large cut mechanical with insufficient KE, sure but otherwise, keep hunting.
 
I mainly am thinking about if I had had a larger cutting broadhead it increases your chances of causing fatal artery hemorrhaging in the lung I did hit.
 
I mainly am thinking about if I had had a larger cutting broadhead it increases your chances of causing fatal artery hemorrhaging in the lung I did hit.
I've been there a few times myself. Personally, I think a 1.25" 3 blade broadhead like the Exodus, Contact MD3, Annihilator XL is a great balance of flight and penetration and durability. I'm shooting a Terra Firma 3 blade single bevel - hopefully I get some results to show this year.

I wonder with a 2 blade what orientation I hit and how that affects what vitals you clip.
 
I think adding surface area to the front of your arrow just decreases forgiveness and increases chances of a bad shot. Just an opinion of a very mediocre archer.

I made a really bad shot on a black tailed deer last fall. Recovered it and credit it 100% to using a hybrid mechanical with wide cut.


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I think adding surface area to the front of your area just decreases forgiveness and increases chances of a bad shot. Just an opinion of a very mediocre archer.

I made a really bad shot on a black tailed deer last fall. Recovered it and credit it 100% to using a hybrid mechanical with wide cut.


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I agree completely. That's really just an objective fact IMHO. A head like the Evolution Hyde 150 might check a lot of boxes @Quailchaser410

Can run both fixed and hybrid heads in your quiver. In tight timber run a fixed
 
Stick with what you have. It is the bad shot placement that ended up in a result you did not want. The broadhead had nothing to do with it. Sometimes we like to make changes, just for the sake of making a change. I was not there, but can say with some confidence that a wider broadhead would not have changed the outcome of what you experienced. (To put it bluntly: the 1/8" or 1/4" wider head is irrelevant; you were off by half a foot or more.)
 
I like 3 blade heads, whether an original NAP Spitfire 1.5” mechanical or 1-1/8” replaceable fixed blade head way better than 2. And 4 blades, accomplished with bleeders are excellent too.

In my experience (extensive over 50 some years) blood trails are often not great with 2-blade heads (Zwickey, Bear Razorhead, VPA and even 1.5” original Ulmer Edge).

4-blade Zwickey heads (bleeders) worked very well for me.
 
2 blade with bleeder 3 blade or 4 blade.

I'm hopeful to shoot a couple doe with evolution Hyde this year.. single bevel w/ bleeder iw works well and will blow through a scapula
 
I think the problem is a lack of penetration not broadhead width or number of blades. Adding width or additional blades to the same arrow and shot placement does not in my experience increase penetration. On lung is still one lung. My suggestion is to check out the Ashby Bowhunting Foundation for information on how to increase penetration on actual animals. It has totally changed my harvest rate for the better.
 
Gonna echo blockcaver. I mean no offense today anyone. Let me be clear. Idc what you shoot. My passion is working a tracking dog. (I will get out of the deerstand to go track) I track 20-25 deer/bear a year. Tracked and recovered 3 in the last week. I hunt traditional now but hunted with a compound over 20 years.
All my findings are my observations, and anecdotal at best. Generally i believe there is no replacement for displacement. That said it doesnt apply to archery. There is no replacement for marginal shots in my experience. What i see is 3_4 fixed put the best "trackable" blood trails with the least amount of sacrifices. Penetrations, failures, etc. What i see in two blades, fixed or mechanicals, is vertically oriented cut esspecially in between ribs have marginal bloodtrails. Single bevels seem to come up short more times than not on blood. And the rotation is very minimal in reality. Blade orientation on entry is out of your control obviously. This is why i like 3_4 blades. I dont care if the deer goes 100_150 if i can follow the bloodtrail. I also only see problems..... People dont pay me to track there deer that paint the woods and fall in sight. I have tracked several that go a hundred plus yards with no blood then pour blood. But generally they bleed or they dont. The broadhead i recommended to my elderly father was the 3 blade cutthroats. (He loves sharpening broadheads). I really think specs rather more than brand and agree with all of those recommended above. Also i realize this was about elk, but if you are shooting whitetails, for godsake dont shoot them head down!
Good luck this season fellas
 
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