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Main Boards => Dangerous Game => Topic started by: Bowhunter57 on December 14, 2003, 08:42:00 AM
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I don't want to start a "war" with this, just a common sense approach for the best combination of good blood trails and penetration. :D
It's difficult to beat a 2 blade cut-on-contact broadhead for penetration. I prefer 4 blade broadheads, in a cut-on-contact design for better blood trails. :help:
What would you suggest for wild hogs?
Thank you, Bowhunter57
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Well, I've killed them with both 2 blade and three blade BH's. My favorite have been Magnus 2 blades weighted up to 260 grains. I shoot 47# and get great results with this set-up. I've found that the 2 blade will go around ribs and is more likely to generate an exit hole. The results for me have been good penetration, good blood, and dead pigs!
Good luck!
Claudia
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I'm a firm beliver in matching the type broadhead to the weight bow. If your shooting lower weight bows then by all means stick to a good made two blade. If your pulling anything above 55# them your in good shape for whatever style head you want to shoot.
I've shot just about every head made and I keep going back to the snuffer for hogs.
Now, when I manage to get enough $$$$ for heading down under I'll most likely switch to a good two blade. Sounds like those Buffs have pretty thick skin and for that I'll switch.
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Ditto on what Troy said, shoot the biggest head that you can be reasonably sure will get complete penetration on the biggest animal you are likely to encounter. Rick
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I shoot 64 lbs at my draw..I've shot two blade heads forever...Zwickey Delta, Magnus One, then Simmons Safari's (200 Grain) I have recently started shooting Wensel Woodsmans...they only come in 125 gr..and you weight them up with inserts, lead, whatever you like..bottom line, I dub the tip to make a chisel instead of a needle..and I file sharpen them...I am very, very impressed with the blood trails, and pass through shots I am getting on hogs up to 250 lbs couple weekends ago.
Going again this coming weekend..hope to get a real monster I saw last time that was too far away..if I do..I will take some post mortem shots of kill so you can see the effects of the b'head.
I like these three blade heads!
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Thank you for the informative replies, gentlemen!
I'm shooting a 64" custom recurve that's 56# at my draw length. My hunting arrow weight is over 480 grains.
As for Snuffers...about the time I consider using them, I'll have someone tell me about a broadside shot at 14 yards (on a whitetail), with a 55# recurve that didn't pass through. :rolleyes: No thank you, I'll pass.
I also believe that sharp broadheads and shot placement is the only way to go. :cool: However, my main concern with a 2 blade is getting a good blood trail. I shot a nice 10 pointer that weighed 240, broadside, through both lungs, at 12 yards that never left a drop of blood (2 blade Wolverine). The good news is that I witnessed him falling....at 103 paces. Yuck! I've never had a deer travel more than 60 yard with a multi-blade broadhead, prior to this.
How about a wider cut 2 blade? A Simmons Shark, perhaps?
Good hunting, Bowhunter57
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57,
Just what is "your draw"?
Big diff in 25 and 30.
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Terry Green,
My draw length is 28" and my bow is exactly 56# at that draw length on a bow scale. :)
Good hunting, Bowhunter57
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If I could shoot only one head for that weight and draw, and not be afraid to shoot a #300 boar....I's shoot a Wensel Woodsman.
Slight Chisled tip, and dangerously sharp.
Second choice would be a Zwickey Eskimo.
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I have shot alot of hogs with my recurve and all, except for 2 were with a Muzzy 125gr. or 115gr. 4bl. head. The other 2 were with the Phantom 125gr. I cannot say all were pass-thrus, but most of them were, on hogs from 50-250lbs. Shot placement is the most important thing next to a sharp broadhead. A little arrow weight does not hurt either. I normally shoot arrows around 500grs. out of 56# bows. Tight and low behind the shoulder will put them down very quickly. I have never liked 2 bl. heads due to the slit they cut and the less visible blood trails, but then agian I do not have alot of experience shooting them, but I do know what a 4bl. heads does to them and it leaves very nice, large holes. Mark
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I am a new member and find all of this very interesting. I have shot several large 200# plus Texas bush hogs and I find it is more important to have great shot placement than size, type or configuration of your broadhead. If you stick the arrow in the right place any good combination of broadhead/bow will do the trick. Before the current proliferation of broadheads some of our hunting forfathers did a lot of hunting with what they had. They just learned to shoot better, shoot at the right time and not to shoot when the shot was nor right. I shoot a 62#, 60" Heritage Archery Mountain Bow. It will take any game in North America if I just do my part. Concentrate on finding what works well for you then pick a spot and hit it.
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i saw a guy use muzzy phantoms on a wild boar and the phantoms are four pblade cut on contact
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Taken hogs with 2 bladed Magnus, SilverFlame, Montec G5, RazorCaps, Snuffers, and Wensel Woodsmans. Until this year, I shot a Black Widow recurve 68#@28", drawing 29". I am now (at age 66) shooting BW recurve 62#@28", drawing 29". I am a big fan of any of the 3 bladed heads mentioned above.
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I have hunted hogs only once.I can only say that I was well pleased with the modoc two blade heads and cedar arrows out of my 55# recurve.Troy expressed my feelings on "2 blades heads in light bows". I am relatively sure any head would have taken my hog with the bow I used.
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HOGS DONT BLEED MUCH ANYWAYS.TAKE THE PENETRATION. (2-BLADE)
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I believe Jim :goldtooth:
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What? They bleed ... like a stuck pig! :biglaugh:
Ed
TGMM Family of the Bow
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On the ranch I hunt in South Texas, the brush can be very thick and difficult to even crawl through (everything with thorns, of course) and you want all the blood you can get. Even a hard-hit mortally wounded hog can go 80-100 yards in that stuff and you will have a very difficult time finding them without a blood trail (and you'll loose some blood of your own in the process). That being said, use a 3-bladed head (I use Snuffers and Woodsman BHs). The outfitter that runs the hunting operation on this ranch tells me every year that they loose more hogs with 2-bladed BHs, because they just do not bleed as much.
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I have never had a problem with MAGNUS STINGERS 4 BLADE 150 GN.
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I have killed a lot of hogs, I have used MA3& MA2 heads, Magnus 2 blades, Zwickey 2 blades, and now Wensel Woodsman heads.
It has been stated earlier in this thread, if you are shooting low poundage, which to me is 55 pounds to 40 pounds, on hogs get a two blade head, razor sharp, in any configuration I have listed.
If shooting higher poundage, I have a hard time grabbing anything other than a Woodsman. I shot through the spine of a pig season before last at 18 yards. The head came out the chest of the pig, and there was plenty of blood.
Only broadheads of solid construction should be used, leave your replacement blade heads at home. Hog hunting requires the very best, and the toughest.
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i can only speak though experience with my crossbow (just switched to recurve). i use an aussie made 2 blader called a blackstump. these things are tough. you could literally go stumping with 'em. shot them into logs etc, good as new. and oh so easy to sharpen. i would use them with confidence on ANYTHING!
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Hey Hawgslayer,where can I find 150 gr stingers four blades.
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Delta, check w/ Braveheart Archery, sponsor here :thumbsup:
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I have had great luck with 160 and 190gn ribteks and tuskers [ 2 blade's] out of a 52@27" Hill bow on 630gn shafting. Last year i took a large boar with a 160gn snuffer...didn't penetrate totally like the two blades but the blood trail was very very short and probably twice as evident as the two blade trail. having said that, on marginal hits such as shoulder plate abd bone hits the two blade has never let me down
cheers
b
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I carry 2 and 4 blade Stingers. If I'm after a 200+ pounder, I'll put the 2 blader on the string. Anything less and I would shoot the 4 blade.
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I'm going Friday. Will have two blade stingers on the front of my arrows. I'll report back when I get home.
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German Kenetic silver flames are the best!!!!!pass throughs on my pig shots...I also have WW bheads...but unless Im shooting over 56# hard to get pass through
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Yes...hogs DO bleed, and they will bleed better if passed through with a 3 or 4 blade than a 2 blade. From all the tracking I've done and stories I've heard from 'in camp' hunts. Common sense will tell you that a slit will not bleed as much as a hole all things being equal....expecially on a bore hog sheild.
Not sure why someone would claim they don't bleed much, guess they've never shot em with multi blade heads?
I've shot them with Delta 4 blades and it looked like the broom straw, pine needles, leaves, etc, was painted scarlet with a mop....and the only one I have ever shot with a 2 blade, a wide 2 blade at that, blew through as well and ran 30 yards over a white sand opening and crashed...and there was NO blood trail at all. the only blood on the ground was under the dead hog.
Question is, do you have enough bow to pass through them with a multi blade?
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Soon after this post started in 2003 I went BACK to Grizzlies..160's specifically.
No problems with blood trails if you get an exit wound.
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I guess guys, we are always looking for the perfect broadhead, and that pig I shot last Friday with Wensel woodsman did bleed out great , and piled up quick....I prob need more bow also for pass throughs with a WW...Got try the 160 Grizzlies soon ...thanks marco
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I've had good luck on hogs using 4 blade Stingers,Phantoms, and Magnus two blades.
The best blood trail I've had was with the Muzzy Phantom 4 blades 125gr(480 grain arrow).
I haven't had much luck re-sharpening them, however. Two blade Magnus are great since they are tough, get scary sharp, and are easily re-usable.
For deer, I like a Magnus Snuffer 125 gr. which cut a big hole and leave a great blood trail.That is critical where I hunt in the Everglades.
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Terry you are correct again! The fat, course hair, and the characteristics of the hide on a hog creates all kinds of problems in tracking after even a great hit.
I hunt them near, in water, thick nasty green hells. A quick kill, with as much blood as I can get are important. My Fiancee' is stuck on two blade Magnus, she only shoots 40 -44 pounds, they do the job just fine, but leaves a little to be desired in the blood department.
Razor sharp, mult-blade(3blade)heads, do a great job. While I have used Wensels over the past three seasons, I used MA3s prior, no doubt about it, they are the toughest of any head on the market, affordable, they are hard, and therefore are tough to get sharp. When you get them there, they hold an edge.
Just some observations I have made over the past 30 years of hunting and killing hogs.
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looking at changeing from a two blade head to a 3 or 4 only i cant decide between the MA3, eskimo 4 blade or a magnus 1 4blade.
Will mostly be used for goats pigs and the odd red deer out of a 60# recurve.What are your thoughts cheers from New Zealand.
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Alicat,
Most of the guys above are talking about shooting American feral hogs.
If your New Zealand boars are anything like Australian boars with the thick, tough, mud-caked fighting shields, you will be way better off sticking with a two-blade head.
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Thanks for the advice rik thats a good point our pigs are prety tough.
Next question what do the magnus heads fly like with out the bleeder blades in.
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I've shot hogs with recurves and longbows from 50 to 65 pounds. I killed 19 hogs this past year and was also involved in trailing 15 more for my brother (he's a compound shooter). We hunt in low, muddy, often flooded swamps with cutdowns and cane breaks so thick that most of our trailing is done on our knees. A good blood trail is very important. We've used Steelforce, Buckpole Patriot 2 and 4 Bld, Zwickey Eskimo 2 and 4 Bld, Zwickey Eskelite 2 and 4 blade, Magnus II 2 and 4 Bld, Snuffers, Wensel Woodsman, Grizzly and Ribtek. Most of my hogs were shot with a Black Widow MA II 56#s at 29" with 540 to 550 grain arrows. Six were shot with a Black Widow MA II 65#s at 29" with 610 grain arrows. I've had some poor results with penetration with both Snuffers and the Woodsman. Even with the 65# bow. I dub the tip on these heads. Even though penetration wasn't great, the blood trails were pretty good. That said, I've had great penetration with Grizzley's and the other two blade heads but the blood trails for the most part were lacking. The slit they leave seems to close easily due to fat and that thick (often muddy) skin around the sheild. I do like to try different designs and configurations but I always find myself coming back to one broadhead, the 4 blade Zwickey Eskimo. I like 4 blade heads in general, especially those with smaller bleeders, but the Zwickey is my favorite. I practice and shoot 99 percent of the time with broadheads. Since the Zwickey's are all one piece, I don't have to worry about losing the bleeders in targets. The small bleeders don't seem to impede penetration but really help to open up the hole. These heads are a little more difficult to sharpen than a removable bleeder style. I also like the looks of the muzzy phantom and the magnus stinger 4 bld but I've never tried them.
Shot placement (as many of you have said) seems to be the most important factor no matter what head you use. Stay tight to the front leg and low, slightly quartered away if possible. Hogs that are hit right, go down pretty quick. If you hit high or a little far back, you might want to bring some extra flashlight batteries and/or a dog.
Turpentine
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If you hit them far enough forward they will bleed. If you look closly you can see the blood pouring out of this one
http://www.buffsblackwidow.com/videos/welcomehog.wmv
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The hog I shot this past weekend was with a G5 Striker Magnum. Looked like a scene out of a horror film there was so much blood.
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I killed 2 this past weekend with 125gr snuffers and they both had great blood trails. One was a high double lung and the other was a (blown) neck shot.
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All of my hogs were shot from tree stands. Hogs do bleed very well when hit right. In most of my cases, hits at or below the halfway point of the body bleed profusely, even in the absence of an exit wound. In my experiences with narrow cut 2 blade heads, the amount of blood spilled decreased substantially. Not in every case, but this happened enough with both deer and hogs over the years to make me start using the 4 blade versions and experiment with 3 blades as well. As a result of my experiences, i'm not a fan of 3 blades. I'm certainly no expert but I am fortunate enough to get to hunt in a target rich environment. Many hunters love the three blades and have good success with them. Confidence in equipment is a huge ingredient in the formula for success and if three blades give you more, then use them. The three blades I've used were deadly, cut a nice hole, and left a good blood trail. They just don't quite penetrate as well as a 2 blade or a 4 blade with smaller bleeders. People that shoot lower poundage (to me 55# or less) or bows of lesser performance, might be better suited with the 2 or 4 blade. One problem I had when I first started shooting hogs was shooting them too far back or quartered away steeply. My home made longbow (medium to low performance) just lacked the punch to get the wensel woodsman into the vitals on steeply quartered animals from a treestand. The Zwickey made the difference and were able to get there on similar shots in the future. Unfortunately, as always, I had to learn this the hard way.
OK fellows, gotta go pick up my 5 year old son. We have an appointment with nightcrawlers and bedding shellcrackers.
Turpentine
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Yep me too. I would venture to say I've killed as many hogs as anybody with a bow and have used 3 blade heads exclusively for the better blood trails. I've been on too many hunts where the two blade guys don't find their hogs. Granted, it could be shot placement, but even with marginal hits, I'd rather have the hole a 3 blade makes than a slit from a two blade.
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I shot a nice sow last weekend with a four blade Magnus 125 gr. It bled a lot at the initial hit and went down in sight about 100 yards away.
The tall grass it ran through looked like it had been painted with a big brush. The photo is in
"Highlights" section.
I'm leaning more towards multi-blade heads.
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I switched over the muzzy phantoms when they came out with the 4 blade 200gr model. They have worked great and leave a nice big whole that stays open so you get the best blood trail for the area you hit. That has helped me since sometimes the hogs can go in some thick stuff pretty fast down in florida and you need a blood trail to find them. I get my phantoms hair shaving sharp with the kme sharpening system in no time.
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I am going hog hunting in florida in a few weeks and plan on hunting with my 55@28 mahaska recurve but have a 26" drw so im at about 47 pounds and have the choice of using ace standard 2-blades, snuffers, or ww's [all 125 grain] what would be the best for me
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i forgot to add that ill be using carbons and cedars if that makes a difference
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I've had great blood trails with Muzzy Phantoms
(4 blades 125gr)and 4 blade Magnus(125gr).
I agree that multi-blade heads leave the best blood trails on hogs.
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89s Boy
I know this is late but at your poundage, I'd use the Ace 2 bld.
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Do the original muzzy 125 BHs perform well on hogs?The ones with the trocar tip.
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Why is there no mention about the Bear broadheads with insert blades? They seem to be a solid design and allows user choice of 2 or 4 blade cutting?
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I agree with Pinecone. The Magnus 2-blade have performed exceptionally well for me on hogs and javelinam here in Texas.
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Simmons Treeshark, Interceptor, or Tigershark if you can find them
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try the 300Xtreme it works
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/kingwouldbe/P1010050.jpg)
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/kingwouldbe/P1010046.jpg)
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iv used both 2 and 3 blades on hogs with good results, WW and Magnus 1s are my choice.
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145gr ECLIPSE 2 blade or 4 if thats what you like. Great penetration & bloodtrail from my experince. But again,shot placement & sharp heads is what ya need.
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I hunted hogs in Cal for 20 years, go for a sharp two blade. I like grizzlys, zwicky or magnus. Getting the arrow in deep is the important thing, hogs usually don't leave much of a blood trail. Good hunting
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if you can find them, the old school bear razorheads with the bleeder installed work great.
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Guess I might as well throw my 2 cents in too.
I shoot a 54# bow and like shooting 600+ grain arrows. A WW on the end is my first choice and a 160 grain STOS is my second choice. I don't have the experience some of guys here have(8)but I haven't had any penetration issues with my setup.
I think the most critical part is hitting them in the right spot. I don't shoot over 20 yards and much prefer 15 and under. That spot is right above the knee. If you can consistently hit a softball size area at what ever yardage you can use what ever head you want and get good penetration. If your bulls eye zone is bigger than that I would stay with a 2 blade.
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I shoot a Morrison Cheyenne, 52 lbs @ 31 ", 5575 Gold Tip arrows with Muzzy Phantom SS @ 220 gr total arrow wieght approx. 570g. I've had complete pass through using this setup on hogs.
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There always seems to be this worry abut 2-blade blood trails. I know the hole vs slit theory seems to sound reasonable, the best blood trail I have had was from a 2 blade Ace express 165 that was VERY sharp; the most perfectly hit deer I've ever had. I have been in on 4 WW trails, also very sharp, and only one left any blood trail to speak of, tho none of the deer made it over about 60 yds. I like WW heads, just wish they were heavier, but I don't hesitate to shoot a nice wide 2-blade. In my experience, shot placement makes a much greater difference.
This bear was killed with a 2-blade and left an OK trail. I'm not too sure a WW would have made it thru the breastbone like this old Glenn Parker Timberwolf did.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/Fletcher610/DSCF0398.jpg)