2 blade vs.3blade for better blood trails

[SuperK]

Oh well, here goes my 2 cents worth!!!...Since 1973 I have shot deer with 2,3,4 and 5 blade broadheads.  I have gotten great bloodtrails with all of them.  I have also gotten little to no bloodtrails with all of them.  When I have gotten a passthru (at least the broadhead), I normally have enough blood to track the deer (assuming a vital area hit).  The worst bloodtrails I have had normally occur when the broadhead doesn't exit. If I can obtain a passthru with a multiblade broadhead I have normally had more blood on the ground.  I only shoot around 45 lbs. (at my drawlength) and mostly from treestands so it has been a challenge to find a multiblade broadhead that gives ME consistent passthrus.  That being said, the best bloodtrail I ever had was with a file sharpened 2 blade Ace standard that didn't exit the body!  Go figure!!!

[Hookeye]

Outside of shoulderblade or spine hits, I've always gotten passthroughs, prefer 3 bladed heads over 2 blade.

But with aging/injury, my # is less now.

Trying Stingers w bleeders this yr (used them in a compound a few yrs back).

[Hookeye]

Those pics were cool........hard running deer, or those that stay in one spot before expiring, can sure leave a lovely mess  

[DRR324]

Ok,my hypothesis on the Iowa buck.  Can't tell if shot was from treestand or not.  But, my take-
topside of right lung was hit, and from that high of a hole, the blood continues to pool in the cavity.  If the buck still had the left lung working, and heart still pumping, this would lead to longer time for death.  Death would occur upon the massive blood loss- but would take time.  At the scene, like many mortally wounded- he staggered around as he lost his mental capability and thus the large blood spots.  Once he finally fell over- the blood was forced from the entry wound.  Not sure why the penetration was poor- but if it only travelled a very short distance- spinal nerves may have played a role in that.  No medical experience, just 25 years of hunting and tracking....

[Sharpster]

David,

I think your explanation is very possible. I'm a honed edge guy because I believe that this type of edge produces increased blood flow and reduced clotting but even I was amazed by this particular case. So I sent the pics and story to a DR. friend of mine and this is what he said about it:

  The extensive external bleeding is no mystery at all. Obviously there was no lung collapse, so relatively little thoracic space was available for internal pooling. The aortic artery carries a huge volume of blood (it splits at the hips, forming the 2 femoral arteries, and you know how fast a deer bleeds out if just one femoral artery is severed). Even when merely nicked the volume of blood loss from the aortic artery would be large and, with the lungs not collapsed, much of the blood flow would be forced out through the only outlet available; the entrance wound.

Now, that would certainly account for the massive external bleeding... As for the lack of penetration, I guess we'll never know for sure what caused that. Thanks for the input,

Ron

[beyondmyken]

Sharpster, I am also an MD.   I believe that explanation is correct.  The aorta runs parallel to  the spine and in a deer would be just below the spine.  If the aorta blows out from an aneurysm or from a cut by a broadhead, there is massive bleeding.  Due to the location, you might have caused spinal shock as well to cause the deer to go down so quickly.   I believe this happened with my first deer with a recurve years ago.  I shot a little high,and the buck dropped right on the spot but still had his head up, so I put another arrow into the chest.

[S.C. Hunter]

I guess that is possible. I am looking at the shot and it was hit from the right side the vena cava runs up and down the right side of the spine and anterior to the spine and the aorta runs up and down the left side and anterior to the spine correct. The blood in the picture appears to be bright red which would be oxygen rich or arterial in nature. I just think a hit that high would have encountered the vena cava vs the aorta. I guess stranger things have happened. I have been in surgery and seen gunshot victims with multiple shots and minimal trauma and have seen single shot victims with massive trauma after deflecting off of bone.

[J-dog]

I am not about to say the same thing an MD just said but being a low level EMT I have seen arterial bleeding and it is scary. That arra took that big artery under the spine period or he'd a traveled.

J

I like both 2 and 3 --------- either 160 grizzlies - or WWs. Thinking about doing the 160 Snuffers a try? I only shoot 55 of 62#s depending on which bow I grab coupled with the fact I am shooting 100 lb WTs if I am lucky.

J

[kahunter]

Great thread!  I was wondering about this very thing.  Hopefully I can add my own info soon.

[Don Stokes]

I'm slightly color-blind, so I need really good  blood trails to be able to follow them. I get the best blood trails with big 3-blades.

[sagebrush]

I shot a deer about thirty years ago. I thought the hit was real poor. But it was high and took out the aorta along the spine. I couldn't believe the blood. To this day I have never had a blood trail that red. Gary

[mambashooter]

Looks fakey doesn't it, S.C. Hunter?  

[Jerry Jeffer]

I didn't read all the posts here, pretty long. I have used both 2 and 3 blade heads. Both make great blood trails if they are sharp and the hit is good. If you are tracking one drop of blood ever yard or some thing, well ya did some thing wrong. Other wise I doubt it matters. This is the hit site on a double lung with a 2 blade single bevel Tusker concord.
 

[the longbowkid]

ive shot woodsman elite and silver flame 150, both good double lung hits, and didnt find a lot of difference in the blood trail. maybe slightly more sparse with the flame, but he went 100 yds compared to the 50 yds with a woodsman. i would say they both do the job with a solid shot, ill have to stick a few more deer to make my judgement  

[Bonebuster]

I truely love bloodtrails.

[Friend]

On a pass thru shot, on average, a 3 blade will produce a better blood trail than a 2 blade. That being said, a large 2 blade such as the Simmons Tree Shark will rival smaller 3 blades.

Both 2 blades and 3 blades may yield poor blood trials depending on many factors. There are too many factors to ascertain which one is better than the other with just a handful of hits.

The objective is to have a set-up that may yield great or full penetration if something goes wrong. If your set-up is designed for excellent penetration even if the unexpected happens, my pick would be a 3 blade. If not, and my set-up is still robust, I would go with a 2 blade.