Well, we have 8 Michiganders heading down to Wild Things in a little over two weeks. I was planning on equipping my arrows with 2-blade broadheads, but honestly I'm much better at sharpening 3-blade heads. So I'm leaning towards tipping my arrows with 175grain VPA 3-blades.
So hog hunters, who's used 3-blades on piggies? What was your setup like? Were you happy with your choice of 3-blades?
Honestly, this thread is as much about having another reason to talk pig hunting, as I'm ready to HIT THE ROAD and get on some hogs!
I have pushed 160 Grain Snuffers from a Thunderstick III longbow 62#@28. I draw about 27 3/8" so was pushing 60# and they worked well.
:thumbsup:
I've only killed one hog with a 3 blade WW Woodsman. It was a mature boar. 240 gr. up front of a 55/75 Gold tip. 65# Sunbear. It was sharp and flew true. Buried fletch deep in the pump house. Wouldn't hesitate to use'em again. Never did find the one I killed him with....
(http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n32/papsblueribbon1/rasorkillers.jpg)
Todd
Had a 160 snuffer barely dent the shield on a good sized boar broadside, shooting low 50's in poundage I will stick with 2 blades as they have done well on the bigger fellows.
I've not hunted pigs but wouldn't hesitate for a second to use a 175 gr VPA
I have killed a bunch with WW pulling 49 lbs. with a 550 gr. total weight wood arrow. The last 7 or 8 I have killed though have been with same setup except I used 135 Gr. Tigersharks. Main thing is sharp head and shot placement.
Killed a nice boar with a 200gr. VPA out of a 54# LB hunting with True South Adventures. Shot was a little high into the spine - dropped in it's tracks
I normally shoot snuffer three blades and did shoot two javelina with them. When it came to hog hunting I switched to the 175 grain two blade Eclipse. Did shoot a very nice boar through the heart not hitting the shield. Piled him up in about 80 yards. This was on a Texas hunt two weeks ago with the Wensel brothers. I have no idea how to post a picture or I would show you all.
QuoteOriginally posted by Pokerdaddy:
Well, we have 8 Michiganders heading down to Wild Things in a little over two weeks. I was planning on equipping my arrows with 2-blade broadheads, but honestly I'm much better at sharpening 3-blade heads. So I'm leaning towards tipping my arrows with 175grain VPA 3-blades.
So hog hunters, who's used 3-blades on piggies? What was your setup like? Were you happy with your choice of 3-blades?
Honestly, this thread is as much about having another reason to talk pig hunting, as I'm ready to HIT THE ROAD and get on some hogs!
That would be a very good choice! :thumbsup:
Rick ****** shot 21 hogs with one 175gr 3 blade VPA!
Have only shot one hog. I shot it with a 250 gr. VPA 3 blade out of a 52# MOAB. Complete penetration, a bit high on the hit. Top of the lung on the "hit" side and about center of the opposite lung going out. The hog wasn't huge by any means though, 115# dressed. Good luck!
Killed 3 big boars 200#ers with a 3 blade VPA out of a 46# @ 30" Dryad Orion a couple of years ago. 1 pass through and 2 buried in the off side shoulder.
150g WW or VPA out of a 51lb at 28" longbow. 570gn total arrow weight. Used that on this big boar this year. Shot placement is more critical. I think a 3blade leaves better blood trails.
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h166/aggie1993/35C1B4C4-7AEE-4B47-A48D-0E926B3CBC85-904-00000110496B1E70_zpsb13e456f.jpg)
I have a friend that runs a pig outfit here in TX. He has stats on everything. When I showed up with 2 blade heads he showed me his study on number of blades and recovery rate. The three blade heads out recovered the two blades by 45%. I use Woodsmans for pigs after that.
Mike
That's interesting and enlightening, Mike..
And 21 pigs with one broadhead is simply amazing.
I'm very impressed with the 3 blade broadheads. I shoot 47-48# at my draw and have killed several with VPAs using 500-550 grain arrows.
QuoteOriginally posted by wingnut:
I have a friend that runs a pig outfit here in TX. He has stats on everything. When I showed up with 2 blade heads he showed me his study on number of blades and recovery rate. The three blade heads out recovered the two blades by 45%. I use Woodsmans for pigs after that.
Mike
That's an amazing stat Mike. Very interesting indeed. I wonder if any African operations have kept similar records? It sure would be interesting to get more data like that on a wide variety of animals.
Mike, this is interesting indeed. Are wheelie bows and mechanical heads counted within the two-blade group? I'd think QUALITY two blade and three blade stats would be more similar than this.
Andrew, if you've got a good flying arrow with a broadhead you can get wicked sharp, go with that!
I can't wait for this trip! I haven't hunted hogs in two months and I'm starting to get a little twitchy!
Thom
I killed two with 3 blades, a Woodsman and a Razorcap. Both were broadside, the Woodsman was with the lighter bow (51#) and it was sticking out the other side about 12" but I did not get a "pass through". Both were recovered in about 60-80 yards with good but intermittent blood trails (good splashes, nothing then another good splash). After that I switched to a 2 blade with small bleeders (Eclipse or Zwickey) but never killed one with those and I haven't been hog hunting in way too long now. :( Probably what I would still pick if I were to go again, that or a larger two blade like Simmons or a Delta.
Both the hogs I killed with 3 blades were in the ball park of 130-140 pounds. Best blood trail I ever got on one was with a 4 blade but shot placement happened to be absolutely perfect so I imagine anything woulda made that one bleed well.
I would think your VPA's would be a very good choice.
QuoteOriginally posted by wingnut:
I have a friend that runs a pig outfit here in TX. He has stats on everything. When I showed up with 2 blade heads he showed me his study on number of blades and recovery rate. The three blade heads out recovered the two blades by 45%. I use Woodsmans for pigs after that.
Mike
That kinda makes me wonder if his stats are bit skewed in regards to trad hunters. I bet he has alot more compound than trad guys come hunt. If he has alot of wheel bow shooters, I would be willing to bet, they shoot a 3 blade head. I like the woodsmans or VPA alot myself or a Tuffhead or meathead on the 2 blade.
That's all I use for hogs here in Hawaii. 55lbs at 26.5" 500-525gr arrows with a 200gr VPA. Here's the last hog that fell to my 3 blade VPAs.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/ryan/vpa.jpg)
I haven't shot that many but shot 2 this year and both had the best blood trails I have seen yet. I was using a A Bowyer 300 grain AD total weight 760 grains out of a Centaur 53#. Very impressed with the A Bowyer. One was a little pig sharp quartering away angle ended up in his lower jaw bone and only went 30 yards. The second was a 155# sow that went 28 yards.
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee178/sunstone/P1030312_zps6cc9021c.jpg) (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/sunstone/media/P1030312_zps6cc9021c.jpg.html)
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee178/sunstone/P1030345_zps6b77bc72.jpg) (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/sunstone/media/P1030345_zps6b77bc72.jpg.html)
Well I know that he has both trad and compound hunters and also know that he does not allow expandable broadheads. He is a trad shooter himself and I think the stats were for trad hunters. We managed to recover all our pigs hit with two bladed Tuffheads that hunt but one of John's took the better part of the day.
The key to any blood trail in my opinion is the exit wound. I could care less if the arrows passes through just give me an entrance and exit.
So if you have enough bow to push a quality 3 blade through both sides you will bring home the bacon more often then not.
Mike
Very interesting Mike, thanks,
What would you consider enough bow? at what draw length? for say 200# and under.
I usually use woodsman's and have put down a few hogs with them. They get my vote. :thumbsup:
300 xtremes here on every pig I have killed except 2 and those were 4 blades.
I've killed a bunch and have never used anything but 3 blades.
Woodsmans and Snuffers at first....but ever since I was sent a prototype VPA 3 blade before they were even on the market....I've never used anything else!
I've killed them with glue-on 160's on steel adapters, screw-in 250's, and 1 1/4" 250 screw-in's.
Here's two from last spring with 1 1/4" 250's....
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/bs13085.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/bs13092.JPG)
And 2 from the winter before, 160's glued on to 125 steel adapters....
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1090539bacon.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1090636bacon.JPG)
VPA :shaka:
Most of my hunts are for Russian WB they are very though,but a WELL plced arrow with a SHARP VPA makes the job,no questions! For my set up the 250 1-1/4" is the cure.you can't go wrong.
We hunted Ft STewart this past JAN and Feb. Six pigs killed and all taken with three blade Broadheads. 4 VPA 2 G5 Montecs
In fairness, I think the guy that shot 21 hogs with the same 3 blade uses fairly high poundage bows, but it looks like a lot of hogs have been shot with 3 blades. I have shot a few hogs with 3 blade heads, but I was using a 82# bow and had a complete pass through on all but one of those. I haven't noticed a much better blood trail with 3 blade compared to 2 for the hogs that I have shot, but I am sure that for all but the largest of hogs a 3 blade will do a fine job. That being said, I wouldn't use anything that gave me a worse chance of getting an exit hole. I would chose a sharp 3 blade over a dull 2 blade, but that isn't a necessary choice IMHO.
I'm with Pat, if two arrows hit in the same place, one with a shape two blade the other a sharp 3 blade and penetration is the same, so is the blood trail. Last hog I killed a few weeks back was with a 200gr VPA. I've killed them with stingers, tuffheads, mangus I, mangus II, tiger sharks, stos, older woodsman and maybe a few other BH's I forgot about. The only bad blood trails I've had were from my poor shooting.
All of my hogs were taken with multiple blade heads. Three blade elites or VPA and Four blade stingers. Some people I trust a lot said three were the way to go so that is what I did.
I am sure that your 3 blades will do the job for the hogs that you would encounter there. I guess what I meant with my earlier post was that for me there is relatively little difference in the blood trail when there is only one hole, but there can be a huge difference when you get 2 holes. That being said, I wouldn't hesitate to hunt with either unless I thought I might run into a monster hog. I know a guy that claims to have shot over 200 hogs and used to run a hog hunting operation who is a strong advocate of grizzly broadheads. I know another guy who has shot over a hundred hogs, and he uses only 2 blades, although he has dabbled in 3 blades. That guy has probably shot more monster hogs than anyone else has with a stickbow.
The only pig I have ever killed with my bows was shot with a 50 lb longbow a 550 grain arrow tipped with a wensel woodsman. The shaft buried up to the fletch and there was an incredible blood trail as the broadhead went straight through the top of the heart where all the arteries connect to the heart.
I have been experimenting with 3 blade VPAs and Woodsman Elites the last couple years and have shot multiple hogs and deer with them. To tell you the truth I am considering using them exclusively because I have never had a bad experience with them even with bad shots. I have had entry and exit holes in every animal. I shot one the other night with a 480 grain arrow to experiment and was very impressed! I normally shoot 530-550 grain arrows though. Take care, Jeff
I shoot three blade Woodsmans for the most part, but any sharp broadhead in the right spot will do the job.
Use what you can sharpen best and what gives you the most confidence. Lots of great heads to pick from. :archer:
Andrew ,Sounds like you fellas' are in for a good time! Use the broad heads you fell most confident in regards to getting it sharp and arrow groupings .
Good luck and shoot straight!