Total cut vs cutting diameter

[Beendare]

IME, More blades and more cutting diameter doesn't kill them any faster or leave more blood on the ground. Shot location is the determining factor. Lower half with any BH always puts more blood on the ground. On a high hit with no exit, I don't care if you are shooting a big mech head, most of the blood stays in the animal.

A "Big Hole" or more blades is not what I use as the most important criteria....because those heads are more likely to chop their way in, dull blades, inhibit penetration and not get an exit.

 

[Erussell01]

IME, More blades and more cutting diameter doesn't kill them any faster or leave more blood on the ground. Shot location is the determining factor. Lower half with any BH always puts more blood on the ground. On a high hit with no exit, I don't care if you are shooting a big mech head, most of the blood stays in the animal.

A "Big Hole" or more blades is not what I use as the most important criteria....because those heads are more likely to chop their way in, dull blades, inhibit penetration and not get an exit.

What do you consider your most important criteria?

Shot placement matters for sure, but being that I haven't ever had an arrow not at least put 2 holes, and very very rarely have I ever not had a complete pass through where my arrow ended up stuck in the dirt, I lean to bigger cuts to "utilize" more of the energy and momentum that comes from a long draw set up. I did have an odd very very poor blood trail with an exodus last year, but after looking at it more closely I believe it was 100% shot angle as the hole in the hide did not match the hole in the cavity.

In my head I figure, why not do maximal tissue damage for the situation in the hopes of not only a faster incapacitatation but also the potential for nicking something ultimately vital on a bad hit if God forbid it happens.

 

[Beendare]

First, don't be one of the big mech head guys claiming you always get pass throughs....they don't. I shot big mechs for years in an 80# bow. I helped test the Barry invented head, the pre cursor to what the rage is now. I know mech heads.

Mech heads work..... but they get less pass throughs than a tapered fixed head. Thats a fact. One of my criteria is a pass through- it's a devastating wound and puts them down faster.

After going all around on the different head designs, the best results I've had were from the 2 or 3 blade leading edge blade heads. They penetrate effortlessly with very little animal reaction and most animals die in sight.

A 2 blade head never has a blade pop out in from the quiver or in flight and cause a miss. I can shoot my 2 blades in practice, touch up easily and in the quiver knowing EXACTLY where it flies- no guessing.

These penetrate on shots that the mech heads stop...and sometimes that extra penetration gets me to vital organs. The taper puts less pressure on the edge...maintaining sharpness through the animal. I've had the short chisel heads chop hair and hide on the way in....not good to shoot critters with dull blades.

With a very efficient head, I don't need to shoot a high energy Bow. The 46# recurve I shot for a 2 year period had 10 or 12 pass throughs with 2 blades...big hogs...even a 700# moose.....2 through the moose as it just stood there not knowing anything was wrong. Neither of those arrows through the moose looked like they even slowed down. Moose down in 6 steps.

The 2 non pass were from qtr away shots in the off side shoulder...one was a Coues deer that shattered that shoulder.

 

[Erussell01]

First, don't be one of the big mech head guys claiming you always get pass throughs....they don't. I shot big mechs for years in an 80# bow. I helped test the Barry invented head, the pre cursor to what the rage is now. I know mech heads.

Mech heads work..... but they get less pass throughs than a tapered fixed head. Thats a fact. One of my criteria is a pass through- it's a devastating wound and puts them down faster.

After going all around on the different head designs, the best results I've had were from the 2 or 3 blade leading edge blade heads. They penetrate effortlessly with very little animal reaction and most animals die in sight.

A 2 blade head never has a blade pop out in from the quiver or in flight and cause a miss. I can shoot my 2 blades in practice, touch up easily and in the quiver knowing EXACTLY where it flies- no guessing.

These penetrate on shots that the mech heads stop...and sometimes that extra penetration gets me to vital organs. The taper puts less pressure on the edge...maintaining sharpness through the animal. I've had the short chisel heads chop hair and hide on the way in....not good to shoot critters with dull blades.

With a very efficient head, I don't need to shoot a high energy Bow. The 46# recurve I shot for a 2 year period had 10 or 12 pass throughs with 2 blades...big hogs...even a 700# moose.....2 through the moose as it just stood there not knowing anything was wrong. Neither of those arrows through the moose looked like they even slowed down. Moose down in 6 steps.

The 2 non pass were from qtr away shots in the off side shoulder...one was a Coues deer that shattered that shoulder.

Respect your opinion and your experience, but

I've never not gotten 2 holes, and out of my last 20 deer I have only left 3 arrows in the cavity usually hung up by the fletching on the offside, or in through both shoulders still with 2 holes. However, my sample size on elk is small, and I've had pass throughs or an arrow hung up on the fletch with 2 inch 2 blade mechanicals there as well.

I dont personally shoot rages, but did a long time ago and moved on due to my own set of experiences there as well.

I'm not a fan of smaller 2 blade fixed heads due to the narrow cutting diameter, but that's. personal preference based on my experience. I have shoot deer with magnus stingers, buzzcuts and I just prefer 3 or 4 blade options in fixed heads.

That's not to say that I haven't had annoyances from mechanicals opening in my quiver, that totally sucks. I have also never hunted moose, so I will trust your experience there and hope that some day I can test my setup on one.

If you had to pick your favorite current fixed heads, what are they?

 

[Beendare]

I missed the part where you just deer hunt. I mostly shoot hogs and elk.

Deer are thin skinned and easy to blow through even with mech heads.

I'm shooting a cheap 2 blade in my recurve and 3 blade Thunderheads [ 6 for $35/ Amazon] in my compound

 

[ozyclint]

I once shot a pig a little far back with a 2 blade and got the dorsal artery.
If the blade was turned 90 degrees I probably wouldn't have killed that pig.
Multi blades may increase the chance of a better outcome in certain circumstances like that.

 

[Erussell01]

I once shot a pig a little far back with a 2 blade and got the dorsal artery.
If the blade was turned 90 degrees I probably wouldn't have killed that pig.
Multi blades may increase the chance of a better outcome in certain circumstances like that.

I actually had the same kinda thing happen on a freak deal with a deer where 1 blade of the sevr 2.0 caught 1 small artery on the heart and it was enough that the animal died within 200 yards, but there was no doubt I was reallt close to not having gotten that buck.

 

[Erussell01]

I missed the part where you just deer hunt. I mostly shoot hogs and elk.

Deer are thin skinned and easy to blow through even with mech heads.

I'm shooting a cheap 2 blade in my recurve and 3 blade Thunderheads [ 6 for $35/ Amazon] in my compound

I know, I'm lame. I don't live in an elk state so I only get to go when I get to go.

 

[coast range]

That's a dandy bull in your avatar- what head did you kill that thing with?

Exodus, that’s a roosevelt

 

[Erussell01]

Exodus, that’s a roosevelt

Hell of a bull man. Looks like thick nasty country, I love it.

 

[TripleJ]

Personally, I prefer a wider cut with everything else being equal. If you dead center the vitals, it doesn't matter much what head you use as long as it's strong enough to stay together and its sharp. When you hit on the edges or outside the vitals though, that extra bit of cut can be the difference between nicking an artery or not. In my experience, if you hit solid bone (leg bones, not shoulder blade), it's gonna be a crap shoot no matter what broadhead you're using.

 

[Erussell01]

Personally, I prefer a wider cut with everything else being equal. If you dead center the vitals, it doesn't matter much what head you use as long as it's strong enough to stay together and its sharp. When you hit on the edges or outside the vitals though, that extra bit of cut can be the difference between nicking an artery or not. In my experience, if you hit solid bone (leg bones, not shoulder blade), it's gonna be a crap shoot no matter what broadhead you're using.

That's how I feel too, and I also feel that your bull elk in your avatar has me feeling some type of way right now

Just saying, elk season is coming

 

[180ls1]

I'll leave manufacturers names out but I like maximal accuracy and flight forgiveness while letting the other factors fall back as I am not convinced they really make as much of a difference as an accurate arrow does.