A question about bleeder blades.

[tomsm44]

It seems to be a consensus that two blades penetrate better than three or four blades, especially with lower draw weights.  But I have a question that I've been wondering about.  I have three bows that are tuned up with 145-150 gr points.  One is a 42# bow with a 425 gr total arrow, the other are 53# & 55# and both shoot the same setup, a 525 gr total arrow, really well.  

What I've been wondering is how do different 4 blade heads compare with each other as far as penetration goes.  For example, some heads, like Muzzy Phantoms have bleeders right at the full cutting diameter, while others like, Magnus Stingers and Zwickeys look to have fairly low profile bleeders.  Do the low profile bleeders really reduce penetration that much, or do those types penetrate similar to a two blade?

Right now I'm shooting screw in Bear Razorheads without the bleeders.  They're about 135 gr, plus I have two brass washers giving me 145 total.  Im set for this year but was kicking around trying something different next year.  I can get Stingers in 150 gr, and I think the 160 Zwickeys would tune up pretty easily without much work.

I'm not worried about shooting four blades on the 50#+ bows, but was curious how they would do on the 42#.  Maybe overthinking things, but I've been wondering about it since I saw a picture of a couple different 4 blades together and noticed the difference in bleeders.

[ChuckC]

Too many deer have been killed with 4 blade heads to worry too much about it.  Deer are not very thick or tough.  Perfect arrow flight at the time of entry and a sharp head will make more difference I think.
ChuckC

[Terry Green]

Don't know what you are planning to hunt/shoot with them....so I can't give an answer.

   

[tomsm44]

Originally posted by Terry Green:
Don't know what you are planning to hunt/shoot with them....so I can't give an answer.

     

Sorry.  I'm just hunting deer.  An occasional hog passes through, but we don't typically get very many big ones.  I just know that when I've asked for advice on getting my little 42# bow set up, most guys automatically say "shoot a sharp two blade and you'll be good".  I wouldn't shoot a four blade with wide bleeders, just to be on the safe side.  I was just curious if any of you guys had seen as big of an impact on penetration with the lower profile bleeders.  As I said, probably overthinking it.

[LittleBen]

Just to put into perspective how little it really takes, I killed my first trad deer (a spike buck) with a very steep quartering away shot, in behind the last rib and straight up the body into the heart. It was probably 18" of penetration.

I was shooting an old recurve about 43#@25" and I'm pretty sure I underdrew the bow at least 1.5". I was shooting a 23/64 wood shaft and a Zwickey eskimo 2 blade, coming in just at 500gr. Aside from the 2 blade, nothing in that setup screams penetration.

If you're drawing a full 28" on your bow I think a 4blade is probably fine.

At the end of the day I think the best setup is the one you shoot a lot and don't think about when you draw back on your quarry.

I shoot Stinger 2-blade and Stinger 4-blade off my 48-49# bows, and can't tell a difference in penetration.

Bisch

[Terry Green]

Ah....they make a perfect 4 blade head for deer with your set up....Zwickey No Mercy 4 Blade.....another good one would be stinger 4 blade....Z would be more durable IMO.

[Mint]

I shoot 47lbs and have a 26" draw so my limbs are not working as much as a 28" draw and I get pass throughs on deer with big 4 blade broadheads.

My thinking is that I'm not going to penetrate if I hit the shoulder bone so I might as well use a big four blade to make as big a hole as possible. Right now I use the Palmer Extreme Cut Broadhead.

[Michael Arnette]

I have had good penetration with the muzzy phantom and zwickey 4 blade both...this was with a 70# bow and 600+ grain arrows. Still have always gotten very poor penetration in bone with 4 blades mostly because of blade angle imo...even pushing high speeds and weight arrows. On flesh I haven't noticed much of any difference especially with the smaller bleeders

[KSdan]

All things being equal (like sharpness, 670 gr arrows, 53# bow, 31" draw, etc), I like the "holes" 4 blade Magnus give me in contrast to the "slit" that 2 blade heads have given me. I do shave the bleeders down to look more like Bear Razorheads.   Even without complete pass-thru I get some nasty big holes. Last month I shot a black bear quartering away and the arrow lodged in the front of the chest cavity (no exit). The blood at the hit and the trail was like someone opened a paint can through the woods.  Fairly typical of most of my Magnus 4 blade (modified) hits.  I shot Silverflames and had some awesome blood trails and some not-so-awesome.  Returned to decades experience with main blade and bleeders.

My 2C
Dan in KS