Why I like 3 Blade

[meangene1969]

Two blade for me. Ive never got good deep cuts with three blades. I understand why folks use them but I prefer two blades.

[TxAg]

Thanks for taking the time to post the video.

[MA ELite]

This hole looks a lot wider then the one in the video. Not saying that the info in the video is not accurate. Did you just poke a hole in the leather? An arrow in flight isn't just going to poke a hole. It will have a slight spin and cause the hole to widen or make it bigger.

[Bowhunter4life]

Live tissue reacts differently then treated leather also... When cut it retracts making the hole wider. The physics is sound, just not an Apples to Apples comparison...

Truthfully, I don't really have a horse in this race. I like wide 2-blades, wide 3-blades, and wide 4-blades... Well, maybe my "horse" is WIDE... Magnus-1 and Pearson Deadhead Wide, Silver Flame XL or DS, Big Jim Big-3/Snuffer 160, VPA 1 1/4" (special run Jim Babcock did with VPA...), and Zwickey Delta 4-blade. All have worked for me when I do my job... from sharpening to well tuned bow to shot placement... I shoot 60# to 80# with 540 - 740 grain arrows depending on the setup and 2 holes in a critter hasn't been an issue...

[RickBarbee]

Live muscle, and skin absolutely do retract when cut, but the attitude of the hole still changes from open of various degrees to closed as the animal is moving.

Fat on the other hand does not react the same as the muscle, and hide. It will plug up a gap in a hurry, and the thicker it is the better it will plug.

MA, your picture is a good example of a good 2 blade cut. If you look at it closely, you can see the skin is retracted to open, but not far into the slit from that, the tissue is completely closed together. How wide was that broadhead.

Heck, I've seen two blade heads make a 1 ft long gap in an animal on angling/quartering shots. Seen the same with 3 blade also, but that is the product of extreme angle, and really has nothing to do with the interior with some exception.

The wound in this picture was made by a 1 1/8" cut diameter 3 blade. Notice the hole, which is only being produced by two of the blade paths. The third blade path runs to the left of those.

Like I said earlier - I'm not knocking 2 blade. I still use them occasionally, but there really are no sound arguments that they produce as open of a wound channel as 3 or 4 blade heads do. Under normal conditions, they simply do not.

Rick

[RickBarbee]

Durn it, I got caught up in my train of thought (actually lost LOL), and forgot to address the "wide" subject.

In my opinion (yes just opinion) I believe that a lot of the time where folks with lighter tackle get into trouble with 3 blade heads is because they think wide is better. With a 3 or 4 blade head "wide" is really unnecessary after a point, and only produces more interference/restriction to penetration. A 1" to 1 1/4" maximum diameter is all you need to produce a wound channel that is more of a hole, than a slit.

I also am of the opinion, that vented blades create some penetration problems for some folks, so on a 3 blade I suggest you use non vented blades if possible.

Rick

[Night Wing]

With my light 421 grain arrow setups for my 42# and 37# recurves, I'm now using a 3 blade Muzzy 75 grain broadhead which is 1" wide. No problems getting a good blood trail.

[4feathers]

Rick,

And what do your think about the 4-blades are two with bleeders.

[RickBarbee]

Rick,

And what do your think about the 4-blades are two with bleeders.

Hey there my Friend.

First things first - How's the shoulder?

I personally don't like fooling with bleeder blades, but yes I believe they give close to the same effect as a fixed 4 blade.

The reason I say close to is - normally the bleeders provide less length in cut as do the main blades.

As far as how well the wound channel stays open, I haven't been able to tell any advantage of a 4 blade over a 3 blade.

All that in mind, and that 3 blade are so easy for me to sharpen, it (at least for me) makes perfect sense to use them.

Rick

[4feathers]

But it all goes back to being sharp. A dull 2,3 or 4 blade may poke a hole but it takes a sharp edge on a blade to make a blood trail.

[beads]

Thanks for another reason for me to get Snuffers this upcoming season

[RickBarbee]

But it all goes back to being sharp. A dull 2,3 or 4 blade may poke a hole but it takes a sharp edge on a blade to make a blood trail.

And that's a fact.

Don't any of them work well if they ain't sharp.

Rick

[caughtandhobble]

Does a ground blind shot effect blood trails, let's say like on a high lung shot? A good friend was cussing his trusty broadheads that he has used for many years after last season. He said he recovered both deer, but the blood trail was lacking from the norm. I asked him if he was using the ground blind that I gave him, he was... Just something else to ponder.

[4feathers]

High hits require the hole cavity to fill up before making an external blood trail, how fast do the animal leave the erea. A good lower third of the chest cavity hit should has good results on finding a blood trail.

[MA ELite]

Live muscle, and skin absolutely do retract when cut, but the attitude of the hole still changes from open of various degrees to closed as the animal is moving.

Fat on the other hand does not react the same as the muscle, and hide. It will plug up a gap in a hurry, and the thicker it is the better it will plug.

MA, your picture is a good example of a good 2 blade cut. If you look at it closely, you can see the skin is retracted to open, but not far into the slit from that, the tissue is completely closed together. How wide was that broadhead.

Heck, I've seen two blade heads make a 1 ft long gap in an animal on angling/quartering shots. Seen the same with 3 blade also, but that is the product of extreme angle, and really has nothing to do with the interior with some exception.

The wound in this picture was made by a 1 1/8" cut diameter 3 blade. Notice the hole, which is only being produced by two of the blade paths. The third blade path runs to the left of those.

Like I said earlier - I'm not knocking 2 blade. I still use them occasionally, but there really are no sound arguments that they produce as open of a wound channel as 3 or 4 blade heads do. Under normal conditions, they simply do not.

Rick

It was a Bloodrunner 2" cut.