Single Bevel Hype and The Missing Blood trails

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

I am so tired of hearing about single bevels, and how they are a magic cure all because they twist through bone!

Before you get your panties in a wad, hear me out! I'm a millennial with a propensity for click bait titles, all right?

Okay, let me be more reasonable now. I have read Ashby's work. I understand the benefit of being able to split heavy bone, and of an S-channel wound on a bad shot through guts. I get it. I realize some animals we hunt are big, tough creatures, and it takes a lot of tuning and effort to get two holes. I understand that, all things considered, a long, narrow broadhead will penetrate better than a short wide one. But the hype has gone too far! I consistently hear proponents of XYZ brand single bevel saying that "it gives better blood trails". That fallacy is rampant across social media and it needs to stop!

Every archer I personally know who uses narrower two blades, single OR double bevel, will tell you that some (or most) blood trails are pretty non existent, even on solid double lung hits. Heck, a lot of archers who uses big three blades or four blades could probably tell you a similar story about a critter that went forever on no lungs!

So, I propose we acknowledge that single bevels have a purpose, and they are good at it! That purpose is achieving deep penetration on tough animals, through heavy bone. Or doing the same on delicate animals, with a very low poundage setup. But it is not to give you a Ray Charles blood trail!

Let's use common sense here! It is plain difficult  for blood to leak out of a 1" wide slit! Wider broadheads, three blade broadheads, two blade broadheads with bleeders, and mechanical broadheads were all invented because narrow heads didn't yield satisfactory blood trails with consistency. I should point out that shot placement CAN yield great blood trails with more consistency. Low holes in the chest cavity tend to bleed better!

Anyways, I don't want to detract from single bevel broadheads themselves. Just don't kid yourself into thinking they are magic. Perfect practice, razor sharp broadheads, and good shot selection will yield much more consistent blood trails. And you will find that a lot of archers on this site use much bigger broadheads, even out of 40-50 lb bows, and have no problem with penetration on deer. 

[GCook]

Lol yeah me too. 

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[Charlie Lamb]

Well said and couldn't agree more.

[GCook]

Low exit wounds are nice.  Not everyone shoots from 20' up in a tree. 
I have some single bevel heads.  I like em okay. 
I like Rage heads better.

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[SAM E. STEPHENS]

I have only shot 2 hogs with single bevel heads and neither had stellar blood trails although both died within sight. In a tree right now with one on my arrow to try out ( prob going to shoot them for elk this year ). I think for me it’s just trying new stuff and I do like the benefits they offer in penitration. If it works out in the next few days I will post some blood trail pics. I shoot big 2 blade heads for 99% of my hunting and the TreeShark is my favorite, I guess I need a single bevel one of those..

,,Sam,,

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

I have only shot 2 hogs with single bevel heads and neither had stellar blood trails although both died within sight. In a tree right now with one on my arrow to try out ( prob going to shoot them for elk this year ). I think for me it’s just trying new stuff and I do like the benefits they offer in penitration. If it works out in the next few days I will post some blood trail pics. I shoot big 2 blade heads for 99% of my hunting and the TreeShark is my favorite, I guess I need a single bevel one of those..

,,Sam,,

Hey Sam! What poundage are you shooting? I use the Treesharks for elk, but I shoot a long draw, heavy arrows, and a heavy bow. I do get the wanting to try something new. I just can't bring myself to give up the big slashes offered by Deltas/Simmons/Snuffers, etc.

[J. Holden]

I'll agree with you on this.  I shot a bear this spring with a single bevel broad head, pass thru shot, double lung.  I saw blood spray out of the impact wound.  But I didn't find blood past that.  I did however see the bear go down within 25 yards.  That was nice.  The broad head shattered the ribs going in and coming out.  I will also admit my shot was centerline regarding top to bottom.

My son has shot 3 deer with his compound using Magnus broad heads, 2 blade, double bevel.  He doesn't hunt that high and his shots were high.  His deer died in short order.  But the tracking job was difficult all three times.  I've tried encouraging him to shoot lower and I'm sure that will come with time.  His bear he shot with a 3 blade this spring.  That left him a nice blood trail.  But he also had a low exit wound.

I too feel that the low exit wound is the key to all this.  However I also like knowing the science behind my choice and that it gives me some insurance for when I make a bad shot (which will happen someday).

-Jeremy

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

My bows range from 50-65 pounds at my 30in draw , I lean to the lighter bows for most everything nowadays. I just can’t shoot a TreeShark at elk , my buddy killed a bull with one though. I have killed several elk and for me the Shark is too big for elk size critters. My favorite shot is quartered away so I want to get deep as I can in em. Also I shoot from 600-750gr arrows so I love a heavy arrow also..

,,Sam,,

[HARL]

   Snuffers and VPA for me. Never had a problem finding a blood trail yet with a 3 blade.

[SuperK]

With my age in the mid 60's and my bow weight in the low 40s, penetration is a primary concern, esp. from tree stands.  With that in mind, last year I used Grizzly broad heads for most of my deer kills.  On some deer the penetration was better than expected while on others less.  Blood trails on some we're good while others less than expected.  I guess that is to be expected with just about any broadhead.  One thing I did experience that I wasn't expecting was the edge damage on nearly 1/3 of my broad heads I recovered.  I'm talking about a very pronounced rolled edge, wavy edge and the likes.  I have never witnessed that with a Zwickey.  Yes, I got the deer but I find that disturbing.  Anybody else have this problem? 

[tippit]

If I could shoot higher poundage, I'd shoot 3 blades...but at 72 and shooting 40#@28 I still get great penetration with most being pass throughs.  Three blades just won't give me the penetration or blood trail.  I mainly hunt hogs now...tippit

[Biathlonman]

I'm trying to warm up to the single bevel heads, but at my low 50s draw weight at 28" draw and 550-640 grain arrows I've had a hard time finding an animal that can stop my favorite Grizzly Instinct 3 blade.  Probably have to drop down to mid 40s this fall due to shoulder surgery, and may go 2 blade, but will have a hard time going out without my instincts.

[pavan]

I started using single bevels the first year the original Grizzlies came out.  File sharpened them exactly like the directions said on the package, it works.  I used them with both left and right wing arrows, the originals were only right wing heads.  We got good blood trails with either feather , but I was told early on to match the spin.  It did seem to make some sense, but on deer it was difficult to tell.  I wanted to shoot left wing feathers, so I ordered a bunch of pieces and parts to make Hill broad heads, with heat treated and unground blades and grind them with left single bevel edges.  We found that we got a bit more blood on the ground quicker with the single bevel Hill, plus, I could get them sharper.  As time went on I changed to a serrated edge on my single bevel heads.  I get them shaving sharp and then using a file with with the round safety edges that expose a single row of file teeth.  Pulling the reversed file from back to front on the beveled side of the blade, then gently cleaning up that edge.  I believe that works better yet.  Have never once seen a single bevel head not give a good blood trail.  Makes me wonder what folks are calling sharp.  If it is just a burr cutting hair, that edge will breakdown and not cut what it needs to on the inside where the real work is done.

[Keith Zimmerman]

Single bevel, double bevel, lw, rw, whatever.  They all kill the same for me.

[MnFn]

I have been using160 grain  two blade Stos, double bevel but was planning on using three blade this year, partially for better blood trail but also I seem to be shooting marginally better with them.

So at what weight is a bow too light for three blade heads?  I am going to use a 55# Stickflinger with Surewoods at about 600 grains total weight.

I was thinking about Delta four blades as well but have not bought any yet.

[Tedd]

I wonder if native Americans spent as much time debating broad heads as we do?! I bet they did.
  The single or double bevel doesn't have anything to do with it. It's the width. I've been saying that Grizzly needs a wider "whitetail" version of their head. 1 3/8" would be good. Some of my grizzlies don't measure the full advertised 1 1/8 wide. The first deer I killed with an 1 1/8" single bevel had a great blood trail, so I signed up. Probably a dozen later I'd say they have a fair blood trail most of the time. And very poor a few times. But I often don't need it as the deer is laying there dead in sight. Arrows whistle through with little resistance, deer have some tendancy to run less panicked if at all.
  I am probably using 200 gr 3 blade VPAs this year because of the blood trail. I take a trip to Wyoming each year, blood is very hard to see in the dry grass. Though last year I made a horrible shot on a nice buck as he wheeled away. Hit him in the lower ham, it angled forward through the body and out between the neck and shoulder on the opposite side. Not a great blood trail but a very dead deer. I'm thinking that the narrow grizzly saved me on that deer.
  I have lost deer because of a narrow single bevel and i have recovered deer because of a narrow single bevel.
  Last fall I got 3 Centaur Big Game Heads to try, but I never got them at the right weight to match my target points at the time. I am surprised the Centaurs don't have more of a following. They are wide, they fly good, tough as heck, they are single bevel and the really do penetrate in targets of all types better than a two blade and better than a 3 blade VPA, better penetration while cutting a larger hole. The rotation seems more obvious than other single bevels. Amazing penetration. I never shot a deer with one but I have to think they would make hellish blood trail. I just need to make them weigh 200 (screw on) grains.
http://www.centaurarchery.com/broadheadinfo.htm

[Bob Morrison]

Some of the best blood trails I have had where with 1.5" 2 blade Magnus and Swicky Delta. The worst with 1" 2 blade. Either put where they should be will make for a short trailing job.

[GCook]

That's one of my bigger issues with the Grizzlies is width.  I get it that the thickness makes the wedge effect that breaks the bone but dang.  Spread that steel out to 1.5" and put some vent holes to keep the thickness and weight. 
If I were gonna hunt cape buffalo maybe . . . but . . .
I won't buy them again.  I just think there are heads that will work as well in a price range that doesn't make me sick when they do pass through and hit a rock.

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[Bob Morrison]

Not a big fan of vented BH, They seem to fill up with hair and fat.. Heavy wide 2 blade BH will break bone, penetrate and leave a great blood trail.

[pdk25]

Yep.  Not the bevel, just the width IMO.  This soft metal single bevel Vandieman head put blood on the ground, but it can be hit or miss with hogs no matter what use.