2 blade for bears

[coconutdave]

I'll be using Ace two blades.

[Stixbowdrew]

Never shot a bear before, but I will be using centaur battle axes and abowyer boneheads, both in single bevel configuration thia year for my michigan hunt, I figure if its sharp, it should do the trick when placed properly

[Jesse Minish]

If you shoot a 145 grain double bevel Eclipse you will only need to measure your recovery in feet instead of yards.  

[JamesKerr]

I have never shot a bear but I am going to take for granted since you are hunting in Maine you will be after Black Bears. I have seen a few bears and know a couple guys who have killed some. If you are drawing over 55# and have an arrow of 9gpp or more I would go with the either a 3 or 4 blade head every time. I am a fan of the big chop and like to have a blood trail that I can follow. I lost a couple nice fat deer a few years ago shooting a 2 blade head that was razor sharp but I never got any blood trails. If a deer's thin fat layer, skin, and hair can clog up a 2 blade slit then a bears fat layer and thick hair certainly will. The only 2 blades I would shoot would be a simmons tigershark, interceptor, or treeshark.

[beaunaro]

Sean,
I haven't shot a bear yet, but might try this Fall. I'm glad you started this thread because I need to decide which head to use.
I started bowhunting with the Magnus Stinger and killed two Caribou and several deer with them.
I killed 6 animals in Africa with the Magnus Stinger Buzzcut. Most of these shots were straight into the vitals...heart...right behind the leg. The animals never went far and were good clean kills, but sadly they never had very good blood trails. Then again, most shots were not pass throughs.
I really don't know what to think. I might try a single bevel if I can find one reasonably enough priced, or some Simmons tree sharks. I use 145 grn heads, but I think 175s will work for me too. I liked the sharpness and toughness of the 125 Simmons when I use to use them. Wish I knew which was best myself.
Jim uses the Woodsman and loves it on hogs.
Irv Eichorst
 www.truesouthadventures.com

[Birdbow]

Sean,
  I've killed a few bears over the years with both Woodsmans and SB 2 blades. From a tree stand, I'm more interested in a pass through than anything else. A 2 blade exit hole is preferable to a 3 blade single, high entrance with no exit to me. Alot depends on what your equipment is - bow wt., arrow wt, arrow flt., etc. and while the average archery killed bear may weigh in the 120-150# range, there are enough 300# plus bruisers which could show up to make me want to be ready with...adequate penetration. Good luck! Todd

[Birdbow]

And Irv, BTW I've had VERY good results with the Zwickey No Mercy SB on steel adapters on bears. Good luck to you too! Todd

[Tim]

I shot one several years back in Minnesota with a 2018 and a small Magnus II 2 blade head.  I had a complete pass through and the bear only went 50 yards.   Very little blood on the ground, if any, and the understory was very thick.  

If I hunted them again I would most likely shoot a Snuffer or a  Razorcap.   I'm a big fan of the long narrow 3 blade woodsman / VPA but I still think I'd opt for the bigger Snuffer.   It would possibly put a little more on the ground with a marginal shot.  

I do remember being very selective on my shot and would only shoot if the bear was quartering and had its leg forward.  Good luck!

[Tim Finley]

I worked for an outfitter in nw manitoba for 16 years we took over 300 bears . I would never use a 2 blade head. I have shot bear with 2 blades, 4 blades and 3 blade, you need to find the animal after you shoot it, you need a blood trail you may get one with 2 blade and you may not, better chance with multiable blade of having a trail and better chance of finding your animal with a marginal hit. Penetration is not a problem with bears unless you hit the shoulder bones and then it doesnt matter what broadhead you use .I seen so many things happen,many shoulder shots, head shots, even ears shot off and complete misses at 10 yards. People get very excited when the time comes to draw the bow. Probably more bears are wounded than any other animal that is bowhunted. The worst thing I seen in broadheads was the long skinny single bevel, high loss rate, a hole that you could barely slide a nickle in and plugged with fat. A snuffer ,woodsman ,vpa, razorhead or similar multi-blade works best.

[2020]

Have shot number of bears all with 2 blade heads,STOS,bears from 150 lbs to 400lbs,all short blood trails,some OK blood trails and 2 of them were huge trails,all in what you hit.good luck!ask your guide if they have access to tracking dog,have seen a lot recovered that way.

[Sean B]

Got some pretty compelling arguments both for and against a 2 blade.  Well, I am going to have both on hand.  as I said, both my bears were taken  with complete pass through of a woodsman, so I know they work!!  I probably wont make a final decision til I load up my quiver to hunt!!

[damascusdave]

The only two blade that I would recommend is the German Kinetic...of course after you buy a dozen or so of those you will have to postpone your bear hunt for another year since you will be out of funds     ...two of our compound hunters from Slovakia shot four bears with them last year...I would guess the total distance those bears went before dying was less than 200 yards...a two blade will work fine if you hit them right and nothing will work fine if you do not...I shot my bear with a 3 blade VPA but next time I shoot one it will be with the 2 blade...all I am intending to use for just about anything...the truth is, if you hit them right, I would bet you can kill a bear pretty quickly with a field point...just remember the world record grizzly was killed with a .22 short in the right place

DDave