Switching to Single Bevel Broadheads

[MattB]

For me, I like having a thicker carbon wall – seems to be a touch more durable. But I'm fine with 5mm as well. I know how to tune, so I just tune whatever I'm using and put something sharp on it. I've seen some chatter about oscillation and stabilization, which sounds like nonsense to me.

That was my experience in terms of shaft durability, but some guys had issues with the Deep 6 ferrules breaking and various issues with the half outs/outserts which seems like a step backward.

 

[Wilderlife]

I've mentioned on here before that I love single bevel heads, but it's less to do with me believing they make a huge difference on game and more about me finding them much easier to sharpen.

I'm currently using the Aero 1 from Crafted Archery. A bit of a different looking head in that it's a little wider than most and very thick, but I can say they are incredibly durable. I've killed a few pigs and goats with them and I got my first deer with one the other day. It was a high lung shot and he left a blood trail that even I could follow - I'm red/green colourblind.

I doubt they'd be my first choice for a buffalo hunt but I haven't found any issues with penetration so far, and I do believe there is something to how thick they are as they seem to make a cut that opens more than other SB heads I've tried.

 

[Tilzbow]

One thing almost no talks about is the fact single bevel broadheads have an edge that’s more fragile than a double bevel due to the fact the angle of a single bevel is less than that of a double bevel resulting in a thinner cutting edge that can get damaged or fail more easily.

 

[Wilderlife]

Absolutely, but everything is a trade off for the most part. The broadhead I just posted went through a deer very easily but got a few nicks in it after it hit the granite dirt behind the deer. A DB broadhead may have done a bit better hitting that dirt, but regardless, the SB is re-sharpened now and back in my quiver. It was a quick job.

And I just like the idea of an S cute, more than a potentially stronger edge in that sense. Not saying one is better than the other and there are other factors that play into this, but it's just what I prefer in my mind.

I don't know that I'll ever lose an animal, or have the outcome of a hunt, come down solely to whether I ran a SB or DB broadhead, with all other things being equal. Other people may feel different and that's cool, too.

 

[TX_Diver]

I like cutthroats. Haven’t sent a single bevel through an animal but the 3 blades did great and my single bevels have flown well and been very durable shooting at the house so far. Bit cheaper than IW and the RMS group is a good outfit!

 

[Beendare]

One thing almost no talks about is the fact single bevel broadheads have an edge that’s more fragile than a double bevel due to the fact the angle of a single bevel is less than that of a double bevel resulting in a thinner cutting edge that can get damaged or fail more easily.

Yep. Thus they need to be made of higher quality steel to maintain a sharp edge.…similar to the Japanese slicers- awesome, but pricey.

Plus, there are some that say the twisting motion inhibits penetration in a critter…or that wound channels can be crooked.

I wouldn’t use them just because they don’t have the super fine point I like to align my BHs perfectly straight.

I have seen a bunch of guys that have sloppy arrow assembly with their broadheads- they don’t spin absolutely perfect And It shows in their poor accuracy and bad groups with BHs out past 40y.

 

[Wilderlife]

Yep, that's definitely the case.

I try to assemble my arrows as best I can, make sure they spin, and have all other aspects of my tune taken care of fairly well. For this reason, it doesn't really matter what broadhead I use, so I just choose to use what I feel confident in. I doubt I'll ever want for penetration with my setup on the critters I chase around here, but if I go up north chasing buff and scrubbers I might consider a few other things.

Fingers crossed I can put some arrows through a few more critters over this coming long weekend. Four days to hunt and the rut is about to kick off!

 

[mobohunter]

Cutthroat and Iron Will would be my top two contenders. Right vs. left doesn't matter as long as the bevel direction matches the offset/helical direction so both ends of the arrow are working to spin the arrow in the same direction. Some folks are going to advise you to "clock" a bareshaft then fletch to complement the natural spin direction. There's no harm in doing so but also no benefit IMO. Right bevel heads are more common than left, BTW.

Do you have experience with both of these? I have shot Cutthroat past 2 years... tough blood trails but dead animals. Was thinking about switching to the IW Wide just for better potential blood trails...

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Do you have experience with both of these? I have shot Cutthroat past 2 years... tough blood trails but dead animals. Was thinking about switching to the IW Wide just for better potential blood trails...

I've shot a few animals with Cutthroats. All were recovered and blood trails were decent. IME blood trails are influenced much more by shot placement than by broadhead design. For two pass throughs at the same location/angle, the head that makes a larger cut will likely put more blood on the ground, but it's more about where you hit the animal than what you hit it with.

 

[mobohunter]

I've shot a few animals with Cutthroats. All were recovered and blood trails were decent. IME blood trails are influenced much more by shot placement than by broadhead design. For two pass throughs at the same location/angle, the head that makes a larger cut will likely put more blood on the ground, but it's more about where you hit the animal than what you hit it with.

Totally agree. I have also shot a few whitetail with cutthroats and have had solid placement, (double lung). The blood trails were sparse, so much so, I ended up walking toward where I heard them crash, to retrieve. One of them the exit hole ended up getting blocked by the diaphragm and producing almost no blood. I was just thinking about swapping over to the Iron Will Wides to potentially alleviate this problem...

 

[wapitispokes]

Looking to make the switch to shooting single bevel broadheads. Also, going to building my own arrows to shoot with the broadhead. Best head out there? I am a right handed shooter. Looking for opinions on direction of bevel and fletching? Offset/helical/right/left all the things. Thanks in advance.

Bevel needs to match fletching. Right Bevel and right spin tightens screw in points on impact - that's enough reason for me to stick with "RH".

I'm not a fan of short, stubby, thin "modern caricatures" of "single bevel' broad heads. IMO, they do not meet the design objectives that Ashby settled on. If it were me, if I'm going to do a short stubby BH, like the Iron Will, I'm going double bevel. I have experience with the Abowyer Brown Bear Single bevel, which is very close to the Ashby supported design. I have experience with the 2 blade Magnus Stinger (double bevel all the way, none of that buzz cut stuff), and over the prior 30 years I've had unfortunate experiences with many other broad heads including Muzzy's which are apparently "bad with the bone", and I say that with experience.

I'm buying a new bow this year and I will probably try the Iron Will 125 gr two blade, double bevel for Rocky Mountain elk. I'm getting older and weaker and so my draw weight is dropping, arrow speed are falling and trajectory is becoming more of an issue. Thus I may drift away from 625 grain arrows with my 210 grain Abowyer Brown Bear single bevels, in favor of a little better trajectory with a slightly lighter set up but still excellent (double bevel) broad heads.

I think the double bevels are probably a better choice than the single bevel in the form factor you are considering (light, stubby and relatively thin blade thickness), but truth is it probably doesn't make much difference one way or another if using that particular design on an animal as small as an elk (point being, Ashby's focus was breaching heavy bone, and heavy bone was defined as a Water Buffalo Shoulder bone). On an elk, your ability to get a pass through or adequately penetrate a scapula probably is not going to change a whole lot if you choose an IW or Magnus single bevel over their similar double bevel designs. But in those short, stubby, thin packages I'd personally tend to lean double bevel. Because I don't think you get the "magic" of single bevel without the design parameters and weight...

 

[wapitispokes]

Be prepared, SB will EAT your targets up!

Which is why I'm glad I have a bunch of old styrofoam targets that let the arrow go halfway through, with the BH's exposed out the back, and the fletching not yet into the foam. I always unscrew my broad heads and then pull the shaft out. Even if they are not my single bevels. These days it is virtually impossible to replace those great foam targets of yesteryear.

I maintain contact with the guy that started the company selling them - it used to be a national name. - (really just a marketing company) but his suppliers don't want to make those targets unless they are gigantic and cost about $700 before shipping.

Long winded way of saying...we need more discussion about targets and how to get the "good old targets" from yesteryear. And trust me, I've tried the newer variants. They tend to be too thick / too hard so that the arrow will not stick out the back of the target. If the BH stops inside the target it is a nightmare situation especially with a single bevel. The objective is to have a target about 8 inches thick (4 layers) with a 10 inch center core for home / basecamp use. Ideally made with appx. 4 lb foam (not 6 lb, not 8 lb, but 4 lb). The friction from the foam on the shaft stops the target. I have a smaller target made out of 6 lb foam that is 2 or 3 layers thick with a thicker center core that I backpack or llama pack into base camp. It works, but is harder to pull the arrows out of. I have cords through each corner and I usually suspend it between two trees and tie off the bottom two corners to stakes in the ground. Definitely need to remove the BH's after the go through the back side.

 

[Jpsmith1]

If you’re a novice and don’t really know how to sharpen I would only get the iron will. That being said they are awful to resharpen so you may just want to learn. The Magnus, and Kudu are probably decent budget friendly options.

I have not had any issues sharpening my Grizzlystick Maasai heads on my KME system.

They come out extremely sharp and, for fun I'll often put a mirror on that nice wide bevel.

Match the bevel angle and you're golden

 

[Dennis]

You are own the right track with single bevel broadheads and right bevel seems most popular. Fletch the same as your bevel angle. You can review broadhead performance in the 2022 Ashby Supplemental Report online. The quality of the steel and the durability of the head is extremely important. Since the blade angle is much sharper than a double bevel the quality of the steel matters a lot. Learn the art of sharpening.

Heads you might look at are the Grizzly Stik Maasai, Tuffhead's Evolution or Ranch Fairy Series, and the Tuffhead North American. I'm not a fan of the wide series of broadheads. Good luck

 

[plebe]

Yep, that's definitely the case.

I try to assemble my arrows as best I can, make sure they spin, and have all other aspects of my tune taken care of fairly well. For this reason, it doesn't really matter what broadhead I use, so I just choose to use what I feel confident in. I doubt I'll ever want for penetration with my setup on the critters I chase around here, but if I go up north chasing buff and scrubbers I might consider a few other things.

Fingers crossed I can put some arrows through a few more critters over this coming long weekend. Four days to hunt and the rut is about to kick off!

First and foremost, hope your hunt was successful.

You mentioned you like the thickness of the Aero 1 heads you’re using. I’ve never seen them before, so thanks for sharing. Given your location, you may be familiar with Alien Archery. I have some of their heads but haven’t used them. They claim “world’s thickest blade all steel 125g broadhead”.

 

[Wilderlife]

I've seen the Alien Archery stuff advertised online but I don't have any personal experience or know anyone who uses them.

Ended up getting one more arrow away for the rut and my broadhead skidded along the ribs and never penetrated the vitals. I ended up shooting that buck a week later with a rifle.

Already super keen for next year but have plenty of pigs and goats to chase between now and then.