Length of broadhead?

[medic77]

Just wondering if there was an advantage that anyone has seen in using a longer broadhead to a shorter one besides more cutting surface.  Maybe less deflection possibilities?  I was just thinking about it a little.

[TxAg]

There is a mechanical advantage to a larger length-to-width ratio

[JamesKerr]

The length to width ratio is very important. All else being equall a longer broadhead will out penetrate a shorter one.

[Dr. Ed Ashby]

The advantages are several. (1) the Mechanical Advantage is higher, which means the BH can do more work with any given amount of applied arrow force; (2) the Angle of Attack of the cutting edge is better, whcih makes slicing tissue easier and; (3) the longer the cutting edge the greater the tissue to cutting edge contact time, which increases the edge's opportunity to slice the tissue.

The only one difficult to understand is the Angle of Attack. The best way to grasp it is to picture a steak on your plate and a really sharp steak knife. If you chop straight down on the steak it is still difficult to cut. If you hold the knife such that the edge is at a 45 degree angle it becomes easier to slice the meat. Lower the angle even more and the steak becomes even easier to cut.

Ed

There seems to be a growing disagreement on blade numbers and head width on an earlier thread that I am trying to fully understand. when the Grizzly broadhead came out orginally, I sharpened them like the instruction on the package said and shot them with right winged arrows, they worked great. then with one of my Hill longbows I had the cronic feather nick in my  left finger and went to left wing arrows the Grizzlies still worked great. Then I got an idea that the broadhead and feathers should turn the similar to what Dr. Ashby found and acquired a bunch of left wing ground Hills, even better. From that I went to sharpening some of my broadheads with the"what would Howard Hill do with this broadhead" mentality, easier to sharpen and they worked about the same and sharpened quicker. Now I have been reading that wide multiblade heads give better blood trails and for some there was a blood trail issue with the two blade heads. I have seen shaving sharp Deadheads give great immediate blood trails, but my other heads at times have matched with what I got with the few deer I shot with the Deadheads. I have not lost a deer in many years either way. I guess I am looking for the common ingredient to all this.

[medic77]

Interesting reading, thanks for the imput.  I have just been getting terrible blood trails this year and trying to weigh out all the options.  I'm not saying that it wasn't my shooting on the blood trails but maybe something that could give me an advantage if there was a "marginal" attempt