Blood trail 2 blade SB vs 3 blade woodsman

[joe ashton]

:confused:

[Pat B.]

What's wrong, Joe?

[BOHO]

I shot quite a few deer with a 2 blade head and I never had much blood to follow and I'm not color blind. I had much better trails with the woodsman. I also liked the 4 blade magnus II. for penetration, I'd recommend shooting at least 10 gpp and make sure the bow and arrows are tuned well to get the best arrow flight. you should be good to go. best of luck brother.

[michaelschwister]

I have killed a bunch of game with snuffers, woodsmans, and various and sundry 2 blades: this year 4 deer with grizzlies and one with a snuffer.  The snuffers leave 2x the blood of woodsmans, the woodsmans leave a very good trail, and the grizzlies leave a mininal trail.  HOWEVER, the grizzly trails are always VERY short, and I am using a 74# bow with 800 grain arrows. Last year I hit a very large buck in what should have of been a double lung shot instead got only a couple inches peentration because the tip curled on the angled rib.  I think the woodsman would work well for you, but ensure you snub the tip. I also think grizzlies would work well, but don't expect a great blood trail, you should see/hear them fall. I would not recommend snuffers for big game from your setup.

[champ38]

The only 2 broad heaads Ive used for the last serveral years are Magnus 2-blades and WW's. No comparison really, the WW in just about every case put more blood on the ground.

[mrpenguin]

Hmmm... this is an interesting thread, and a topic that comes up often, as it should, because, ethically, we are talking about a clean kill here.  I applaud this... I have been on some compound shooting forums where guys talk about speed and 'whack em stack em'... its refreshing to have a discussion about ethical hunting that puts the animal down as quickly and painlessly as possible.

For me, I have only taken one deer (2nd year hunting) and did so with the training wheels, a mechanical broadhead, and a 35 yd shot that put the deer down in 20 yds flat.  What I saw there was a BIG hole and complete pass through.  The broad head had 5 blades, 2 cut on contact, then 3 opening 'main' blades.  I had good placement high on 1 lung slights back and quartering forward to the 2nd lung.  Now, all that said, with my recurve (which I still have yet to kill anything with) I use 2 blade broadheads.  I have the Eclipse single bevels (which are HARD to sharpen due to the very think tip of the blade... infact, Sharpster suggested I put a double bevel on the tip and single on the main blade... easier said then done, yet certainly easier than trying get a single bevel all the way down with a file... shulda got that wheel sharpening system from Alaskanbowhunting!)  Right now, I have sharp tip, but sharper main blade.  I believe these will zip through a whitetail with a good clean shot, and the single bevel nature should give me a little extra punch.  If I get an opportunity to use one this season, I'll post the results!

[J. Adams]

I have always had good success with a sharp Snuffer  :eek:    

[amicus]

Bill said "The 2 blade vs 4 blade blood trail thing will always debated. Take two plastic bags and fill them with water. Puncture one with a 2 blade and the other with a 3 or 4 blade and see which empties the quickest. I wanna bet on the multi-blade bag!"

Bill your example is true, when it comes to plastic bags or any other type of empty container. But the anatomy of animal is nothing like an empty plastic bag. When it comes to blood on the ground, to use that analogy is misleading. I say this with all due respect, not trying to start anything.

I don't believe that there is a broadhead that will guaranty good blood trials 100% of the time. Too, many varibles are involved. Your best odds at getting a good blood trail are razor sharp broadhead, 2 holes, and shot placement. I believe your odds go up a lot if your exit hole is lower than your entry hole.
I guess the debate will go on forever and thats good. I think it makes us better hunters.

Just my opinon and some experince.

Take care

Gilbert

[Builder]

This is strictly a personal opinion. This is the first year in fifteen years that I have went to a three blade head from a two blade. It is the first year that I lost a buck due to lack of penetration when I hit him square in the shoulder. Now maybe that still would have happened with a two blade, I will never know. What I do know is from now on I will be shooting two blade where I get complete penetration and very short blood trails.

[LV2HUNT]

I have shot numerous different animals with 2 and 4 blade (bleeders) heads. I have never felt I had adequate horsepower (45-50) for WWs or Snuffers.

So I will not argue which head produces more blood from one hole as I have had mixed results even amongst 2 and 4. The only thing I will say is that in my experience animals with two holes left more blood on the ground than animals with one hole. Especially treestand shots where the entrance wound is typically higher.

[John Kennedy]

I have had the same results as champ,as far as blood trails. Properly tuned arrows and sharp blades are critical for reliable results. My 2cents.

[grizzlyxx]

Have always shot 2 blades, mainly magnus I and zwickey delta with good results.  That being said I shot a doe with a woodsman out of a 46lb widow this week and it was the most impressive blood trail I've ever had.  Stevie Wonder could have followed it.

[Fletcher]

I've killed deer with 2, 3 and 4 blade (Zwickey Delta) heads.  My best blood trail is a toss between the Delta and a 2-blade Ace Express.  Two kills with very sharp and well placed Woodsmans left very little blood, but neither went over 60 yds.  Sharpness, what gets cut and where the holes are is what makes the difference, IME.

[the longbowkid]

woodsman elite bleeds greeat, but never shot one with a two blade.

[jonsimoneau]

I think for deer, I'll take a woodsman or snuffer every time.  That is if you are able to get a woodsman as sharp as you can get a two blade.  I mostly use two blades for big stuff when penetration may be an issue such as with African game, and in this case I use an eclipse head that I sharpen with a KME sharpener. By the way, the best way that I have been told to get either heads sharp is to lightly heat them with a torch and then use a snuffer tamer.  3 rivers tells you not to use a snuffer tamer on woodsmans, but I'm telling you I can get them 3 times sharper with this thing than with any other method.  Killed two does this season and both went down in sight and left a gruesome blood trail.  I can get woodsmans sharp enough to shave my face with this method. Works great!

[coaster500]

I used 3 blades with my wheel bow and got good results. I also got good results with Magnus Stingers 2 and 4 blades with the same set up. Blood trail seemed more about the shot than the Broad head I used. If it was in the zone we got blood especially on a pass thru.
I have switched to Abowyer Brown Bears as my poundage has dropped way down and without penetration there won't be a blood trail. I am new to traditional hunting and this site has been a great help. I hope this set up will connect shortly and I can see the blood trail for myself.

One thing I have noticed for sure is that at least for me, I can get these Brown Bears sooooooooooooo sharp I'm afraid to look at them  :eek:

[RC]

If you got the pounds to push it ...Snuffers Rule. I killed this pig with a Pronghorn that if I remember right was under 50 lbs.But from the ground. From trees I would shoot a smaller head and I do.RC

[Earl Jeff]

that pig was what I call SNUFFERIZED  

[coaster500]

I've got some 125 grain Woodsmans but I think they are around 80 grains now(probably just my sharpening skills).....Just can't get them as sharp as I think they should be. My Brown Bears make great straight razors in a pinch.

I have heard what everybody thinks makes a better blood trail. It would be interesting if we new how many pounds of draw weight the bows shooting that preferred 2, 3 or 4 blade. That might show a weight that corresponded with 2, 3 or 4 blade preference in heads?

Maybe a survey    Broadhead preferences  

40#

45#

50#

Etc, etc..............

[varmint101]

builder, not to pick on ya but that wasn't the 3 blade's fault that was a shoulder shot!  Not a good shot with any head if you hit the wrong part of the shoulder.  But I hear ya, if you don't have confidence in it then you should stick with what you do have confidence in.

Myself, I am a 3 blade guy and I've always got fantastic blood trails and penetration, but I've also never killed a deer with a bow under 60# at my draw length.

Here's my Snuffed doe from earlier this year.  Short and well painted blood trail.