[RJH1]

I think you answered your own question. I know the hip thing right now is heavy arrows and fixed broadheads, but if you had much better blood trails and fine results with your expandables, I would just go back to them. People forget there are other reasons besides great flight that expandables are popular, one of them is bigass holes. Good luck

 

[eclark53520]

A small fixed blade isn't going to paint the floor red like expandable. You're going to have to really pay attention to where the deer goes and possibly even track without blood...following their actual tracks for a while until the bleeding picks up. Find the shot site by the hair, now follow his tracks.

Unless it's REALLY thick, you should be able to watch the deer run at least 50 or so yards before they get out of sight. Get on that trail and follow it, deer will usually take the path of least resistance so look for trails and follow them always looking for blood. I know some people that have a really difficult time finding blood on leaves, I seem to have a knack for it while some of my friends don't. Maybe get another set of eyes possibly some more experienced eyes.

If the arrow hit where you say it did, that deer isn't more than 100 yards away. Grid search it if you have to.

 

[Beardedbowhunter]

2 blades definitely take a little more time for to start bleeding heavily.

Sent from my SM-G988U using Archery Talk forum - Apps on Google Play

 

[kjboudreau14]

I think if the fixed blade head for performance on bone is important to you, that you can find a good compromise with that and blood trail. For instance I think the QAD exodus would be a good one to meet half way. May not perform as well on bone as a two blade (although I find they do quite well) but they will have a better blood trail in my experiences (again, heavily dependent on shot placement).

 

[GFL]

Use what works for you. Plus and minus for both.
I use 2 blade only on elk and expandable heads for deer.

 

[APBT]

Like others have said, shot placement is everything. Doesn’t matter what arrow weight, FOC or broadhead you shoot if you make a bad shot. I used 2 blade fixed heads on pigs and they never run more than 100 yards but I tuck that head tight behind the shoulder. I use 3 blade fixed heads for everything else and I’ve never had a deer go further than 60 yards. That doesn’t mean anything but the shot placement was correct.

 

[168p&y]

Sounds like dead deer. I d still be looking. I know the two blade curl on contact has a cult like following but it makes no sense to me to stick a arrow 8" into the ground and lose a deer unless your a vegetarian hunting leafs.

 

[Schleprock1]

Small 2 blade heads just do not open up enough of a wound channel. Yes they do penetrate very well. But when you have a deer with a good layer of fat, that fat will block the small slit and blood will not flow. There is a reason they added bleeder blades to the old bear razorheads many years ago.
You are giving up the benefit of a better blood trail on well placed shots for the advantage of being able to get through the shoulder if you make a bad shot. Use a reasonable broadhead that provides a good blood trail and only take good shots.
For whitetail I just don't see the reasoning of risking losing animals when making good shots to compensate for a bad shot you will hopefully never make.

 

[dtrkyman]

I killed a truck load of deer and a few pronghorn with 90 grain muzzy, 1 inch 4 blade, it was the norm to not find much blood for a good 50 yards for the most part. First animal I killed with a crimson talon was an eye opener, it was a blood bath!

I know guys will argue about shot placement and I agree with that slightly, however on average big hole means more blood on the ground!

The benefit with a 2 blade is many deer will hardly react to the shot, take a few leaps and stand there and just tip over, most hit with mechanicals are outta town like a scalded dog!

 

[Mc1990]

A brief story and a question for you all.
I shot a buck 6 or 8pt not sure. Anyway, grizzly two blade single bevel, shaving sharp plus. Broadside, shot looked good arrow went straight through and stuck 6" in the dirt. Arrow was covered in broken bubble blood end to end. No bad smell. I looked for 3 hours and never found a single spec of blood or a body.
My brother in law shoots the same type of head only a single bevel Zwickey. He had the same experience twice. I went heavier, 620 grain arrow, and two blade in case of hitting bone. My old NAP spitfire three blade 1.5" mechanicals always left a great blood trail. My old arrow was only 420gr.
So my question is, have any of you had this experience with two blade heads? If you have shot two blades and also shot three blades or two with a bleeder. What has given you the best blood trails and reliability in case the shot is not all you hoped for or the animal moves? Thanks for your help. It's great to have the wisdom and experience of many.

I shot a 6 point last week 20 yards perfect shot well broadside clipped a artery it was early in the day I watched the buck swaying back and forth blood coming from it mouth gushing blood so I just kept on hunting since I have a doe tag also anyways 2 hours go by I decided to take a break went to look for the buck he jumped up took off running a pool of blood everywhere tracked him another 500 yards stopped gave him another 2 hours and finally found him dead idk how he possibly survived blood trail was insane I never seen anything like that

 

[James803]

A brief story and a question for you all.
I shot a buck 6 or 8pt not sure. Anyway, grizzly two blade single bevel, shaving sharp plus. Broadside, shot looked good arrow went straight through and stuck 6" in the dirt. Arrow was covered in broken bubble blood end to end. No bad smell. I looked for 3 hours and never found a single spec of blood or a body.
My brother in law shoots the same type of head only a single bevel Zwickey. He had the same experience twice. I went heavier, 620 grain arrow, and two blade in case of hitting bone. My old NAP spitfire three blade 1.5" mechanicals always left a great blood trail. My old arrow was only 420gr.
So my question is, have any of you had this experience with two blade heads? If you have shot two blades and also shot three blades or two with a bleeder. What has given you the best blood trails and reliability in case the shot is not all you hoped for or the animal moves? Thanks for your help. It's great to have the wisdom and experience of many.

I shot 2 deer early season this year with a 2 blade VPA, both were good broadside hits. I found both deer pretty easily because neither ran too far and I heard them fall, but there was ZERO blood trail, I mean none. Both were complete pass throughs with good blood on arrow.

so I bought some iron will wides and the doe I shot with that one had a very good blood trail. Before this year I was shooting rage and they usually gave a great trail, I just wanted to try something new

 

[spike camp]

With VPA 2-blades (1 1/8”) and Whitetail bucks, I’ve experienced little blood for the first 30-50 yards, but it picks up and is then a typical blood trail.
However, the last 3 bucks/bulls I’ve shot with these VPA’s only went 50-100 yards.

I’m not concerned with tons of blood on the ground.
And, it’s impossible to shoot a deer though it’s lungs and for there to be zero blood trail.
The blood is there, albeit sometimes not a lot at first.

That said, I’m moving to a 2 blade single bevel with bleeders next year (mostly for elk).

 

[Dbolick]

i shot one this past weekend, perfect double lung at 20 yards. i saw her crash but took up the blood trail just for practice. the arrow was painted with blood but there was barely a blood trail to be followed

 

[454casull]

2020, the year of the Zombie Deer Apocalypse!

 

[arrowpuller]

I used to use the Game Tracker First Cut 90 grain 2 blade...awesome broadhead...blew through deer like butter...60 lbs...i either saw or heard them go down...good thing, because there was never any blood trail....i switched to a four blade with two small bleeder blades...much nicer blood trails now

 

[XxOHIOARCHERxX]

This is why I use heavy arrows and rage extremes .125 grain. Only shooting in the high 270’s speed wise but I blow through every deer and the blood trails are awesome!

 

[pinwheeled]

I have shoot a bunch of deer and pigs with a 2 blade head. There have been a few that have not had a good blood trail. Others look like a rage went through. All shots looked to be the same but there obvious was some difference between them. The only thing in common is non of them have went very far.
If your shot is good 2 blade or expandable the animal will not go far it it’s not a good shot you will be looking. It’s pretty much that simple.
there are threads on here i put a good shot on the deer and i have tracked for several hundred yards and nothing. Your shot was not nearly as good as you think if your tracking that long.

 

[Joedirt199]

Doesn't it usually help to have a hole closer to bottom of the deer for the blood to drip out? Two holes up high takes a while to fill the chest cavity to the point of running out. Now if the deer lays down then the blood may pool by a hole and run out. Unless you punch an artery near an entrance or exit, there shouldn't be a squirting blood trail.

 

[not on the rug]

With VPA 2-blades (1 1/8”) and Whitetail bucks, I’ve experienced little blood for the first 30-50 yards, but it picks up and is then a typical blood trail.
However, the last 3 bucks/bulls I’ve shot with these VPA’s only went 50-100 yards.

I’m not concerned with tons of blood on the ground.
And, it’s impossible to shoot a deer though it’s lungs and for there to be zero blood trail.
The blood is there, albeit sometimes not a lot at first.

That said, I’m moving to a 2 blade single bevel with bleeders next year (mostly for elk).

Same experiences here with small 2 blade heads...hardly any blood at all. The deer usually don't react much though and they end up just standing there and tipping over. Like others have said too, with expandables the opposite happens. The deer take off like a bat outta hell, but they paint the woods red.

It is possible to shoot a deer through the lungs and not have a trail though, especially if you're hunting from a blind and the shot is high. The deer will bleed out and the lungs and cavity will fill with blood with almost none coming out and getting on the ground.

I have found over the years that I like Viper Tricks and Black Hornets because the bleeder blades help keep the wound open and you get a good blood trail.