I've lost track of how many deer I've shot with arrows and I quit hunting with a gun some time ago. My nature somehow requires me to play with equipment and study the results.
In my gun hunting days I hooked up with some people and we published some information that at the time considered new and somewhat revealing and I'll just leave it at that.
When I started huntng with a bow I tried darn near every broadhead I could get my hands on. I shot deer and studied the results. I was a little surprised by some of what I learned.
My view of the results are that a arrow placed in the right location with a good 3 or 4 blade head is more effective (based on the number of steps taken from where it was shot to where it dropped)than both pistol or shotgun slugs. This does exclude structure hits, such as, those to the spine or shoulder.
For the last two years I've been playing with two blade heads. While this may not be a popular view on this site my findings at this point requires me to say they are not as effective as 4 blades when measured by the same standard applied above.
Both me and my friends have had deer travel farther than any other deer shot in our entire lives with well placed shots. We have had short follow ups but based on percentages the deer we've shot with two blades heads tended to travel 10 to 55 yards farther than those shot with 4 blade heads. Blood trails where also a little harder to follow on many, but we did get a few a good trails.
I believe books could be written trying to explain all of the differences in blade design and effectiveness. There are times to use two blade heads, cut on contact 3 or 4 blade heads, this design or that design, but for the most part it doesn't matter. All but the very cheap and poorest designs work if you stay away from big heavy bones. Any blade will punch thru ribs and lung. Cut on contact blade generally penetrate better as long as the point doesn't fail, and rounded profiles on points are a bad thing as is blades designed to help spin the arrow.
Heart shots tend to give better blood trails but often cause an animal to go on a death run of up to a hundred yards or more. A quarting or greater angled shot thru both lungs will always cause deer to pile up quicker than a pure broadside shot with any weapon including archery. This of course excludes shots with high velocity projectile that close to the heart that cause a blood pressue impulse bursting blood vessls in the brain.
Lastly no matter what you shot deer with the blood trail is often delayed for several yards. This can be due to no blood vessels near the outside of the animal being hit. Then you are depending on the lungs filling up or blood thru the mouth and nose until the volume reaches a point it can flow out the wound. This appears to occur more with shots taken from the ground than those from trees that have lower exit wounds. Some people also believe the hide soaks up blood too, but I remain neutral on that for now.
anywho...
Of the heads you ask about one will likely out pentetrate the others due to the 3 to 1 profile provide the tip doesn't curl. One would leave a slightly bigger hole due to width but may penetrate a little less and could have an issue with a curled tip but is less likely. One listed is rock solid on bone, penetrates well but may become a two blade on heavy bone hits. On deer failure with any of them purchased recently would be a fluke and I'd be surprised if you find any difference in the blood trail or number of steps taken to the downed animal.
I've never shot a pig (at least not a wild one) so I'll have to let someone else help you with that. I would guess that unless you're talking something really big or you're under bowed the same applies. I would also guess on really big hogs and under bowed cases two blade heads are safe bets.
Topic: Broadhead Question - Stinger, WW, Magnus (Read 893 times)
