A 4 blade doesn’t make a slit and can possibly give a better blood trail because of it.

I think it’s splitting hairs though.

 

I personally don't think the number of blades will give better blood trails. For example I shot the St mags for 7 years then went to qad exodus and killed over 30 animals with the exodus and over 30 with the St mags. the exodus I'd say 90% of the time left better blood trails then the mags.

Then I've killed 11 deer with a killzone 2" and the max cut ones and by far those had better blood trails, then both fixed heads even tho the "amount" of cut dang near the same.

 

I do not think it matters I have used 2 blade swickey and magnus out of my recurve and 3 blade thunderheads and Hellrazors in my compound and all good blood trails, well really not sure as I am color blind but others guys following the trails have not had a problem. Either that or I have watched them fall

main thing is a SHARP broadhead

 

I lean towards the 4 blade with 2 inches of cutting surface vs the 2 blade with 2 inches of cutting surface mostly because I think that 4 blade is a fixed head that may have a better blade angle and penetrate better when I hit bone. I have shot a bunch of deer with 4 blade Slick Trick heads, Rage 2 blades and other various mechanicals and have had some shots that didn't go exactly where I wanted. I feel that the rage may be a little better for mid body shots but the fixed is better if you hit bone. I shoot a lot during the hunting season to make sure my bow is in tune and test where my fixed blades are flying. I use the fixed heads most of the time and only shoot the mechanicals if something happens with my bow during the season and I don't have time to figure it out right before a hunt. As far as blood trails go I think it matters where you hit the deer and if you get both entrance and exit holes. I've got a few rage 2 blades lying around and once they are gone I'll probably switch to 3 blade mechanicals of some sort.

 

I think it does matter. No matter what people say veins and arteries are not the same in all deer...….just like they are not the same in people. Look at your wrist and then look at someone else's...….they won't look the same. The veins & arteries run in the same basic area but not the same place.

So when you shoot an animal just because you hit that animal in the vitals there is always going to be a little luck involved to some degree because the inconsistencies of the placement.

All things being equal more surface area = better chances to hit more veins & arteries. Also small two blades don't make holes like 3 & 4 blades and tend to not let the blood flow as well. But there are so MANY variables (and luck) involved it's not a given with any head.

I have git GREAT blood trails with two blades and bad blood trails with 4 blades......and IMO that's why you get so many opinions here. But as a general rule I really believe the potential for better blood trails are with 3 & 4 blade heads.

I have posted this picture I made here before and it's human lungs but it's the same thing...….if you shot a two blade where the black line is you will NOT get a blood trail anything like the red line that represents a 3 blade...…..on that same token if you reversed the two then the two blade would give a better blood trail. So I could make a great argument either way.

People say it's about shot placement here to nauseum and that's true but a good blood trail is also a based a little bit on luck too no matter how well the shot is placed. Don't get me wrong these are both lethal shots just one will leave a much better blood trail than the other.

 

Luck is an understatement.

I shot a little 90lb doe this year with a 2” Simmons Treeshark. Entry was high on her left and the exit was under her arm pit on the right side. She should have gushed. She ran about 80 yards as fast as they can run. Had I not watched her fall, it would have been a difficult track to follow. Very little blood.

 

I go two blade because I rather have pass through when hitting something unintended inside of the deer than have more cut without a pass through. One can always claim what’s better after they know the outcome but I’ve learned bowhunting is not an activity of things always going as planned.


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I kind of agree. Sometimes that 2” slit will help, sometimes that 4 blade cutting shape will help, it’s mostly all luck and I don’t see how it doesn’t come out in the wash.

 

As far as hitting veins & arteries it might be a wash between a "large" two blade and a smaller 3 or 4 blade for sure but many people aren't shooting the 2 inch 2 blades.

Even then they don't make a hole like a 3 or 4 does. Sometimes the slit of a large 2 blade will open up well (trust me I've seen the pics here) but not as routine as the 3 & 4 and not near as much with the smaller 1 - 1 3/8 inch 2 blades. Even with a small 3 or 4 blade head you still get that hole.....which IMO just lets the blood flow better.

I don't take a lot of pictures of broad head damage and actually hide it but once in a while I get lazy and don't but here are some examples of what I mean.

 

I shot a semi load of deer with a 4 blade muzzy 1x1 when I started hunting, thought the pathetic blood trails were normal. Shot crimson talons for a while and was blown away by the difference!

Now why a 2 blade two inch cut bleeds more than a 1x1 I have no clue, but it has been my experience.


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Only used Magnus Stinger 2 Blade 125 and every Deer has gone down within 75 yards or Much Less! It is More about WHERE you Hit the Deer and yet there is No 2 Shots the exact Same. as some take low percentage Shots and long Shots and that can always make a difference. I will take only a Broad side or slightly Quartering Away Shot within 30 Yards otherwise I have Passed! Maybe why I have not Lost a Deer Yet. But again some take poor Shots and miss the important spot and why they some times have a Poor Blood Trail. But again No 2 Shots are the Exact Same. Some get good penetraction while others Don't. It is just that Part Of Hunting. If you practice and Know Your Shooting Skills that could make a Big Difference as well as passing when it is a low percentage Shot but some won't Pass either... And Take a Long Shot......
Hunters Choice!
LFM

 

I go for 3 or 4 blades because of this. Slick Trick Grizz 2, 1 1/4” 4 blade, half of the hole is covered by the outer layer of skin. Humans have 7 layers of skin, I’m not sure how many layers deer have.. but they have fur coats which help blood coagulate.

All the of skin layers ARE NOT FIXED, they dynamically move and shift as the deer moves.

Humans can compensate for a 20% acute loss of blood, I’d imagine that deer can compensate for about the same.

 

IME, total cutting surface is a load of hooey. I prefer a 3 blade over a 2 blade if I have enough bow and arrow behind it....but the guys pushing total cutting surface guys haven't inspected a lot of wound channels.

More blades = more resistance.....especially when many of these 4 blade heads are wide and short....so they push and plow vs the leverage you get with a 2 blade.

Now this plowing a non factor with a powerful bow and decent weight arrow behind it and on thin skinned game like a whitetail....but it still puts a lot of pressure on the blade edge...potentially dulling them on hide and such.

......

 

Three is better than two, IMO. It is possible for a 2-blade BH to "miss a cutting opportunity" during pass-through. Not likely with 3-blade. Also, IMO, not enough gained by 4-blade over 3-blade. A well-placed shot using 2,3 or 4 blade broadhead will all result in a very dead animal.

 

it all depends on which direction a blade should have reached out.

Let’s say both arrows, the main blade hits vertical. Exact same spot.

Say an artery is 3/4” above the center of your arrow. The 2 blade 2” cut will sever it. The 1”x1” will miss it.

Say an artery is 1/4” to the right of the center of that arrow. The 2 blade 1”x1” gets the artery while the 2 blade passes by.

This concept can be taken and spun 360. This was just a simple way to put it...

In my own opinion, it only matters on marginal hits. And even then you don’t know anything beforehand to warrant which head should’ve been used... Put any broadhead through both lungs and you’re golden.

 

Here’s where a little extra reach of a 2” two blade nicked the heart and gave me an insane bloodtrail. Deer would’ve died regardless. But thee other heads we’re speaking of would not have touched the heart. Gave a pretty good hole also...

 

now we are talking about center punching lungs and not getting anything major. what is this world coming to? I'll shoot 2, you shoot 4 and we will all live happily ever after. Now Dead Quiet mind screwed you guys with his black line perfectly placed on a diagram and now the sky is falling. LMAO. You have a better chance at winning a 300 mil lotto than you do missing everything when an arrow is put through the pocket.

 

Ill take a big 2 blade expandable at 20-25 yards on deer. This buck was at 21 yards quartering super hard, smashed a monster hole in its chest. Its just hard to get a hole like that with a slick trick. With that being said if im in a field environment i go with a wasp drone or a ironwill, im looking for more penetration at distance. Its the beauty of a 6 arrow quiver got a couple choices based on where the treestand is.

 

I shoot Zwickeys out of all my set ups and use the 4 blade models. The bleeders are not that large and i don't think they hurt being there. The Bleeder blades do open the hide more on entry and exit.

 

4 Blade Rocky Mountain Razors have worked for me for over 40+ years. Bigger hole & more chance of catching more arteries & veins.

 

I used a big 2 blade nap for first time this year, took 2 deer with them, one made it 40yds and the other about 65yds, but in truth I couldn't tell one bit of difference in the blood trails if I had used a standard 3 or 4 blade cut on contact head, actually I was disappointed in the blood trails , especially this one , I mean they worked great, but i just didn't see any difference overall, i believe if its double lunged, then it's done, why not use the head that's guaranteed not to fail and will help a little on penatration, I'm going back to conventional next season.

 

I love the penetrating quality of a 2 blade coc head. In order to help with the blood trailing I chose a serrated version as well. I’ve been very pleased. The head I chose was a Magnus 125 gr 2 blade stinger buzzcut.

I only have two kills so far with these heads, I switched to them from a mechanical this fall. They left a great blood trail and neither deer ran, they trotted less than 25 yards and stood until they tipped over.