Loaded for bear

[Biathlonman]

Heading to Stickflingers the first week of June for my first bear hunt and I'm trying to finalize arrow selection.  Both are tuned perfectly off my 54@28 Toelke Pika T/D drawn 28".  What do you all think?

1. 29" Easton 2020 with 160 snuffer on glue in/on insert. 640 grains total

2. 29" GT Trad .400 with a 200 gr. Grizzly instinct with 100 grain steel insert. 630 grains total.

[smokin joe]

Sounds like you have things worked out -- perfect flight and good broadheads. If you are feeling a bit "old school" then the 2020 gets the nod. If you are feeling a bit more "up-to-date" then the GT Trad. Either way the job will get done. Good Luck!

[JimB]

Flip a coon.Either will work really well.Good luck on your hunt.

[Michael Arnette]

Man I'd go with the snuffer. I did use grizzly heads for my bear last year purely out of financial frameworks since I had some left over from deer season. I blew through that thing like nothing else. Snuffers will inevitably give a better blood trail and surely be adequate in the penetration department.

[YosemiteSam]

Flip a coin.  Let the fates decide.  Or ask a 5 year-old.  They're so close, you can't go wrong either way.

[Buckeye1977]

I like the snuffer myself but am also partial to carbons but either one should get the job done if you do your part. I'm hoping to go on a bear trip one day myself. Good luck!

[Pine]

I'm sure either one will get the job done .

[ron w]

Your ready.........have a good hunt.  

[Cyclic-Rivers]

You'll be fine either way. Good luck and bring back stories.

[Bill Carlsen]

Go with the best FOC for the best penetration. Having said that I haven't found penetration to be a big issue with bears unless you hit the shoulder. I've killed seven and trailed many more. Good luck.

[KodaChuck]

The GT that's the one I would expect to have the higher FOC....Agree with Bill's comment above.

[Fattony77]

I would go with the GT/Grizzly 3-blade option, myself. Only because of the carbon arrow's resilience. You never know when something might lean into your arrows during transport (or hunting) and cause a slight bend. The carbons will go right back to straight, whereas if the aluminum  shafts bend, you're screwed. Might be a longshot that something like that might happen, but better safe than sorry.

[kenneth butler]

I like the GT. 10 grains less weight with a higher FOC.  The bear won't know the difference though.
>>>------> Ken

[ermont]

That Snuffer may give you a little better chance at a blood trail. Either way you're set.

[huntingarcher]

I would go with the snuffer,they leave large holes.
Heck I would even change out one of those grizzly heads and put the snuffer on the goldtip.You will still be over 10 grains per pound,just to see how she flew.

[Biathlonman]

Not a lot of difference between the 3 blade grizzly and the snuffer...

[MnFn]

That is what I thought, they must be fairly close in size. Maybe over thinking this.
I will try and save a little bear for you, so it won't matter.

[Michael Arnette]

Originally posted by Biathlonman:
Not a lot of difference between the 3 blade grizzly and the snuffer...

Yeah I didn't realize you were shooting the 3 blade instinct...just figured it was the single bevel.

[KentuckyTJ]

Brad doesn't need help with trad gear, I think he just is rubbing in he is going to stickflingers!

[Dave Pagel]

I have killed 3 bears with Ryan.  1 at 13 yards with a 160 Snuffer on a Gold Tip.  1 at 8 yards with a 160 VPA Terminator on a tapered Surewood and 1 at 11 yards with a Magnus I 4-blade on a tapered Surewood.  My best blood trail was with the VPA.

That being said, there are a lot of factors to a blood trail.  The Snuffer bear was perfectly broadside and the arrow caught some fat and pulled it out the exit hole.  We trailed fat smears more than blood and found the bear 100 yards away.  

The VPA bear was quartering away and the arrow went in behind the right front leg and came out in front of the left front leg with about 4 inches of arrow sticking out both sides.  He jumped up on the nearest tree and it looked like he had a faucet attached to him.  Once he climbed/fell down and the arrow came out is was a ridiculous trail that only went 40 yards.

The Magnus bear was again perfectly broadside and the arrow went through very quickly.  The arrow was covered and there was blood at the site of the shot, but almost nothing after.  The bear only went 30 yards.  I still can't figure that one out since I had just put a new edge on that broadhead with my KME before we went out.

I would not hesitate to use either setup you mention, but I am becoming partial to non-vented heads as I don't think they will "catch" fat like my Snuffer did.  When I go up again in 2018 I will be shooting the 1 1/4 VPA Terminator.

Believe me, you will have a great time!

D.P.