Razorheads...with or without the bleeders?

[buckeyebowhunter]

Hey all, lately I have been shooting some of the green bear razorheads because they fly great from my recurve, I plan to hunt with them this fall. I have had success getting them hair shaving sharp. However, my question is are they just as affective without the bleeders? I know that with the bleeders they would have more overall cutting surface but I also feel that maybe the bleeders could hinder penetration if they were to hit bone and bend since they are made of thin metal. Just wanted to hear some of your guys input before I take to the woods without using the bleeders.

[David Mitchell]

Well, depends on if you are a 2 blade guy or multi blade, I guess.  I shoot them as 2 blade heads, but when Fred designed them, he designed the bleeders to be thin and to break easily when they encounter bone.  The benefit of the bleeder is to open a bigger hole in the hide to allow for better shaft penetration and blood trail.  When I have inserted the bleeders, they often seem to crimp or twist just a bit when I snap them into the recesses in the ferrule and I wonder how much effect that may have on flight. They are still one of the best heads ever made.

[KodiakMag]

Preference. Some like 2 blade, some like 4 blade. Either will work provided proper placement.

[Zradix]

I'd say it would depend on your setup and intended game.

If you're shooting at whitetails with a low poundage bow, light arrows, longer ranges, short draw...no bleeders.

If you have a 55#+ bow or so, shooting under 20yds or so...at deer...with 11g/# or more with an average draw I'd THINK bleeders would be fine.

Maybe the best idea is to leave the bleeders off and kill something.
Look at the results and try to determine..
1. if you really need the bleeders.
2. if you think the arrow would have still gone thru the animal with the bleeders on ( arrow stuck 4" in the dirt )

my 2¢

[JimB]

I used 4 blade razorheads for a lot of years.They were designed supposedly to shear off if heavy bone was hit but I never saw that happen and don't personally know anyone who has.I did have one mangle so badly that it tore open the ferrule of the broadhead but still didn't break.

Several years ago I started leaving the bleeders off and noticed right away an increase in penetration.I noticed no difference in the killing power of the 4 over 2 blade but more pass throughs with two.The most notable was an antelope I shot,steep quartering away with an old,42 lb Bear Kodiak,using an old Bear cedar arrow and got a complete pass through.If anything,I got shorter recoveries on average due to more pass throughs.

[buckeyebowhunter]

Thanks for the input guys. i will most likely hunt without the bleeders. I have also found that most of the bleeders that came with my razorheads (EB@Y purchase) were pretty dull they also seem hard to sharpen. But I love how sharp I can get the razorheads, something that I have never been able to do with woodsmans, snuffers, etc..

[Night Wing]

Both 2 and 4 blade old Bear Razorheads will easily get the job done kill wise.

I prefer a 2 blade since I never liked the bleeder blade getting "lost" in the deer. Good way to get cut when dressing the deer.

[MnFn]

It is probably remote possibility, but what if the bleeder blade comes off inside the animal? Could you cut yourself when field dressing?
Oops - just read Night Wing's reply.

I had it once that the bleeder messed up my penetration, I still found the deer. If they are not mounted straight they can mess up the arrow flight a little. It may help to scrape the paint and glue out of slot and the paint from the pocket where the back sits to get them to seat better. Bear used to supply a tool for that.

[buckeyebowhunter]

Yeah the tool is for cleaning dirt from the inside of the ferrul as well. I was just looking at the back of one of the packages that the razorheads came in and Bear suggested never hunting without the bleeders, honestly im not sure why because from what you guys have been saying it seems like they perform just as well if not better without the bleeders   :confused:

[Bjorn]

Fred felt the bleeders were a good idea but the first ones were way too big...........about two inches! So he redesigned with a much smaller blade, and the 'tool'.
I have never used the bleeder, it may be a good idea, but I'm always looking for better penetration on big game and don't shoot over 50# much.

[eman614]

i use them with bleeders out of my 53# hybrid longbow. i personally have had no trouble getting pass throughs on any of the whitetails i've shot. i did shoot a doe last year and the bleeder didn't make it out the other side.

[two4hooking]

Can't beat that head for deer!

You guys that do not use the bleeders send them on over to me :-)

BTW they are easy to get sharp with the small round pen style diamond stones.

[doug77]

I use the bleeders all the time

doug77

[hardtimes]

I use the bleeders all the time. This is the only head I use period. I have had the bleeders break and stick in the ribs just as designed. I have never had a bleeder come out inside a deer. If the bleeder is not in the head after passing thru the deer then it has always been broken and stuck in bone.

[tecum-tha]

Use the bleeders, they'll  get you a much better bloodtrail. Whitetail deer with a good layer of fat can run quite a bit although they are already dead (they just haven't noticed it yet) and the fat can close the wound channel on a complete pass through. I had that happen 2 times without bleeders and the tracking job was not fun, although the shot was good (heart and double lung). If you have no trail tracking can be extremely tough especially in heavy thorny brush or thickets.
If you shoot below 45# leave them away.Above 45# don't shoot without.
Proper mass arrow is always important and a pre-requisite for success.

[yekrut]

i am going to use the bleeders! As the broadheads came with them and seem to stay in ok,