Quote from: Flingblade on Today at 02:07:49 PMRay, 
The Journeyman heads that I have seen are convex not concave.  Simmons sharks are concave.  Did you mean to say convex?  I've been shooting Simmons heads for about 10 years now.  Great flight, great penetration and great blood trails.  Win, win, win.
I've shot a lot of different broadheads over the years and the worst I have ever shot were the original Wensel Woodsmen heads.  Every time they contacted a rib or anything hard the tip curled over ruining the head.  I heard some guys were grinding the tip down to make it stiffer, but I just threw them out and switched to Simmons.  The high carbon steel of the Woodsmen sharpens easily but is too soft for a long lean design like that.  Interestingly, I never had that problem with the original Snuffer heads.  Similar steel but less acute angle at the tip is the reason I assume.
I had some Howard Hill heads but never did hunt with them as I couldn't get them sharp enough and finally gave them to a friend.  Very hard spring steel that definitely wouldn't curl.  They were 3 to 1 design.  The Grizzly heads are not 3 to 1 design, close but not quite.  I had some of those but wasn't good at sharpening the single bevel, so they never made it in the quiver either.

Gary (Flingblade),
YES, absolutely meant to say convex! Thank you for catching that (I edited).  I know Hill advocated that concave was best penetrating, straight edge second and convex was third best penetration performance.  It was interesting over time my two blade Zwickey Delta heads became slightly concave because of re-sharpening over and over.  They lasted me a long time. 

Chad,
Thanks for the kind words.  I enjoy doing articles for TBM. 

I've had the HH bug for two years now. Pretty certain it isn't curable. Northern Mist American. Hanging out hoping for a January whitetail.

I've had this Kodiak magnum for about 15 years. Serial number 9k101. How old is it? I put the skins on it about 10 years ago. Killed a couple bugs and one doe with it in the past.

Ray, 
The Journeyman heads that I have seen are convex not concave.  Simmons sharks are concave.  Did you mean to say convex?  I've been shooting Simmons heads for about 10 years now.  Great flight, great penetration and great blood trails.  Win, win, win.
I've shot a lot of different broadheads over the years and the worst I have ever shot were the original Wensel Woodsmen heads.  Every time they contacted a rib or anything hard the tip curled over ruining the head.  I heard some guys were grinding the tip down to make it stiffer, but I just threw them out and switched to Simmons.  The high carbon steel of the Woodsmen sharpens easily but is too soft for a long lean design like that.  Interestingly, I never had that problem with the original Snuffer heads.  Similar steel but less acute angle at the tip is the reason I assume.
I had some Howard Hill heads but never did hunt with them as I couldn't get them sharp enough and finally gave them to a friend.  Very hard spring steel that definitely wouldn't curl.  They were 3 to 1 design.  The Grizzly heads are not 3 to 1 design, close but not quite.  I had some of those but wasn't good at sharpening the single bevel, so they never made it in the quiver either. 

I should mention this obviously works best for instinctive shooter not so much for string walkers and aimers.     

Although a ton of advice has been offered for many years regarding solutions for target panic, the fact is,it continues to be a major topic of discussion. To me this suggests many of these "solutions" or "remedies" simply don't work for many or are simply too difficult to sustain over time. I would suggest one every simple remedy that has worked for me and that is SNAP SHOOTING. Come to full draw and let her fly.  It certainly worked for Fred Bear! Over many years of shooting, I have found that TP begins long before one ever places a hand on the string. It is a deep seated fear or panic if you will, that one will not be able to come to full draw and hold it for the time needed to acquire the target. Why not first acquire the target with a deep focus, raise the bow, draw and release. Over time and a great deal of practice my groups have improved dramatically and the fear of not coming to full draw no longer exists since I know the release will come immediately after coming to full draw. Just a thought.

Great info, Ray!  Thanks for sharing!  I enjoyed your recent article in TBM too. 

Chad

Take a piece of paper and stretch it tight, just printing or tablet paper. Now take a single blade head on a short piece of shaft and push it thru the paper. Now try a three blade broadhead and do the same thing and if both heads are sharp, tell me which goes thru the easiest. Now think of a low poundage bow which would be the best to use??

Orions right why do you need a pass through . Ive shot more than a couple hundred animals and in my experience pass throughs are rare, complete penetration almost always.  Maybe some are calling complete penetration pass throughs . To me a pass through is the arrow completely exiting the deer . My biggest blood trails the arrow stayed in the animal . I think your combo is right a small three blade like the Woodsman or VPA will maybe give you more penetration .

Quote from: Ryan Rothhaar on December 05, 2025, 05:52:46 AMI'd look at the broadhead before getting carried away building arrows. It's simple to test. Take a piece of medium thick leather and push your single bevel stinger thru by hand on an arrow and see how much force it takes. Do the same with a double bevel cut on contact head. If the single bevel more blunt head is lots harder to push thru then there's your answer.

When I was a kid Dad had guys do this at archery shows using a piece of deer leather and a pyramid type replaceable blade head. Then he'd give them a sharp Snuffer. That simple test sold lots of heads for him.
R

Many years ago at the Dixie Deer Classic your dad had me do this very thing - and you are right Ryan it sold me on cut on contact heads and especially Snuffer heads!