Two Blade Benefits

[Tim]

I do agree with your comments about the benefits of a two blade head at lighter bow weights.  This year rather than go with a two blade (or a 3 blade that I've shot for the past 5 years) I went with a small 4 blade Magnus Stinger. I know you shot this head for years.  I had great blood trails, perfect flight and their very easy to get sharp and keep sharp.

[Tim]

Worth reading again!!!

Originally posted by KentuckyTJ:
Another much often overlooked piece of the puzzle is shooting a bow that you can get tuned the best. Arrow flight is a major key in penetration. If an arrow is still in paradox and hasn't stabilized when it hits a deer it will greatly decrease penetration.

[Dry Creek]

Great info
Thanks

[Charlie3]

I used Grizzly 200 grain this year to take 3 deer. I believe I will use these heads for a long long time. Might try a tuffhead. Also, might buy a similar screw-in head. They are the perfect broadhead for me.

[KentuckyTJ]

Tim, I know you are a tuning/tinkering freak. Haha. I hope you didn't think my comments weren't directed at you, I was simply adding the tuning comment for anyone who may read this in the future.

The Magnus Stinger 4 blade is a great head. Those little bleeders are fantastic and less apted to impede penetration as a larger three blade even. I did have a couple of those little bleeder bend up on me though with a major bone hit. That's what got me off of them.

[Mint]

"Where some of the larger 2 blade heads and multi blade heads shine is with the less than perfect hits, especially hits too far back. If we do hit too far back the big heads will put more sign on the ground. On the other hand bigger heads with more blades do tend to penetrate less as a result of their design."

X2 - I've decided to use the Palmer Extreme Cut 4 blade for Deer and I used the Phantom Two Blades for boar hogs after this years results.

[Tim]

.

[JMG]

I have been considering switching from 4 blade broadheads to 2 blade, (Simmons Tiger Shark, 175 grains), this year. I have no complaints about my 4 blade broadheads, but just want to see what kind of performance I can get out of a 2 blade broadhead. I mainly shoot broadheads when practicing, year around. I have a set for practicing and a set for hunting. It's very costly when it comes to targets but well worth it. But what I found out is like you said Tim, broadheads get dull really fast pulling my arrows from my quiver, putting them back. That's why I take the time to sharpen them up every so often. But I also found out that I will have to retune my arrows again because I believe they get banged around to the point to where they are out of tune again. Great post and thanks for all the information.

[tracker12]

I use either VPA 3 Blade or Magnus stinger 4 blade.  To be honest I can not pick one over the other.  I usually carry a 3 blade on the ends of my 3 arrow EFA holder with the magnus in the middle.

[LB_hntr]

I agree with the 2 blade bennifits. Easy to sharpen, penetrate best, fly great, etc.
 I shoot the wide magnus 2 blades that are 1.5 inched wide and have killed probably 50 big game animals with them and never once wished I had more broad head or more blades. I can't punch thru a shoulder blade with them but the blood trails are great and the penitration is awesome. I have a short 26" draw as well. If I ever hunt moose or grizzly I'd probably switch to a narrower head, but on deer, elk, caribou, black bear, and hogs my go to is my 2 blade wide magnus for all the reasons you explained.... Great post!

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

Well k think you are full of ___ no not really I love my two blade heads , I'm going to get me some of the ones you are shooting. Have wanted to try the single bevel heads for a while now and now I blame you when my wife sees the bill. I have knocked over many a critter with two blade heads and do love em...

,,,,Sam,,,,

[KentuckyTJ]

I have had a question asking if the single bevel heads really keep turning inside an animal. The answer is yes.

I know this first off because when I shoot them at home into my foam target when pulling them out the shaft rotates in my hand as the head follows the path it made going in. I also know this because the outlet cuts/holes in critters aren't aligned with the entry holes.

As the shaft hits the animal and keeps rotating in the direction the fletchings are spinning the shaft instead of stopping the rotation when flesh is hit has to help with penetration somewhat. This is another reason I prefer a single bevel two blade head over a two blade double bevel.

[Slickhead]

I love a 2 blade.
I think a three may produce more blood, but I can get a 2 blade shaving sharp. Never been able to get a three blade shaving sharp

[Michael Arnette]

I'm with you Tom, I shoot about a little more wieght and longer draw but if I were under 50# I'd be shooting a good 2 blade.

[2bird]

TJ, what do you think about the Magnus stingers with the bleeders (4 blade), do you feel that the little bleeders would impair penetration or do you think they are so small it wouldn't really make a difference? Thanks for your input

[KentuckyTJ]

Sam, I used them for a couple years. I liked the smaller bleeders for better penetration over a larger bleeder, but gave up on the heads when I had a couple of them bend up as they hit bone. Not a huge deal as Magnus will replace them free if you send back a damaged head.

They are made well and all spin very true. I liked that the back of the blades were sharp. That has to be lethal when the head doesn't pass all the way through and is inside the critter as it runs off chopping and dicing up stuff.

I just switched as I wanted a more solid option. The day Magnus makes a single bevel I promise you I'm buying a pack.

[olddogrib]

TJ,
I share your preference for 2-blade broadheads, but not sure I follow your logic on the difficulty of sharpening 3-blades. With the possible exception of  the file, most 3 blade sharpening methods involve pushing/pulling the head from heel to point across the sharpening medium. As far as can tell, you are raising the "burr" that you refer to on 2 blades at a time and removing one each time you rotate.  I would agree that a two blade would allow metal to be removed at a more acute angle than the 3 will allow (basically limitations of an Isosceles triangle, 1/2 of 60 deg.)and that the single bevel reduces that potential even further.  I think the 3 blade may hold an advantage in facillitating the "sharpening challenged" that don't have clamp type systems to hold the exact angle automatically when it's laid flat. I'll concede a keener angle is possible on the two-blade, but I think it's easier/quicker to get a shaving sharp edge on the 3-blade.

[KentuckyTJ]

I am sharpening challenged and as hard as I've tried I've never been able to get any three blade head near as sharp as I can get a single bevel two blade because I can't raise that burr like I can on a single bevel. My reason to why is the only reason I can come up with as to why not. Not saying it can't be done, simply saying I have never been able to do it.

[acolobowhunter]

I have been shooting 2 blade Zwikee Eskimo for nearly 40 years.  Have taken Elk, deer, moose, caribou, grizzley, mt. lion all with complete pass through shots.  Bow weight is not an issue with me, as I have always shot 70 lbs.  Two blade heads are easy to sharpen as well.  I would really like to try some of the single bevel heads in the future.  
I have been researching an Africa hunt and all the outfitters I talked to only want you to shoot 2 blade heads.  I also saw some photos of several 2 blade single bevel heads with broken tips after hitting an African animal.  Makes me wonder which single bevel head is the best???

[Adam S. Daugherty]

Nothing real scientific with my post but what I have observed in the field.  I have hunted with 53-56 pound recurves for 18 years now.  Over that time period the data set is over 100 critters.  Starting out it was aluminum arrows (2016, 2018, 2117) and 2 blade heads (magnus 1 and STOS).  Had a few pass throughs (arrow buried into ground) many entry and exit hole shots and some no exit where arrow buried into offside shoulder or just didn't get broadside exit (rib, movement of deer upon impact, ??).  Then switched over to regular diameter carbon shafts with same heads.  Penetration noticeably increased.  Then came the smaller diameter carbon shafts (Easton axis, etc) with 2 blade head, unless I got into shoulder went through like butter.  Then came the Woodsman style head on small diameter carbons.  Unless get into shoulder every deer I have shot with woodsman or VPA 3 blade with Easton axis has been a pass through (all with 56 lb shafer silvertip).  If I was going to shoot wood, aluminum, or regular diameter carbon shafts out of 55lb or less bow on deer sized critters I would recommend a 2 blade head, how ever once you get into the smaller diameter carbon shafts the penetration will be better than with the other shafts no matter what head (assuming good cut on contact fixed blade) you are shooting as compared with the larger diameter shafts and blood trails on marginal hits have always been much better for me with a 3 blade exit wound.  I guess my opinion is if shooting lighter weight bows, I would be concentrating on the best arrow material and diameter for penetration first, then look into broad head design.