2 or 3 blade broadheads ?

[TX FLY CASTER]

I am thinking about hunting with a 48lb hill style bow that I built last year. I really like the snuffer 160's , around 511 gr. arrows @ 29". The question that I have...........Would it be better to run 2-blade grizzlies or would the snuffers be fine on whitetails.

[old_goat2]

On Texas deer I imagine you would be fine with the snuffers! Deer are one thing that aren't bigger from Texas;-)  Just get them sharp! I grew up hunting in West Texas so first deer I shot here in Colorado was a fork horn whitetail and the farmer said it was pretty small and I was standing there thinking that's the biggest dang deer I ever killed body size wise, it would have been a monster freak on the leases I hunted around San Angelo!

[Charlie Lamb]

Ordinarily I'd say to go for it with the big Snuffers. I would consider the two blade if you are hunting very skittish Texas whitetail.

Some places I've hunted in Texas have deer that can make you look like you have no skills with the bow and arrow. Considering that a perfectly executed shot can become a terrible hit, I'd opt for the deeper penetration of the Grizz.

[Scott E]

Im with Charlie on this one. A wise man once said to set up your hunting gear to perform when everything goes wrong not for when everything goes right. The grizz will give you peace of mind for penetration and won't leave you wanting anything during a blood trail. Get them sharp and hunt hard.

[awbowman]

At 48#s and possible hogs on the menu I'd actually carry both and let the situation dictate my arrow choice.

[Terry Green]

2 blade or narrower 3 blade would be me suggestion.

[LB_hntr]

I'm a 2 blade fan myself. Easy to sharpen, one less blade to sharpen, penetrate well, and put anything down that takes one in the vitals.

[TX FLY CASTER]

I tuned some arrows for this bow with  160gr. snuffers. How do the grizzlies fly ? Even though the snuffers are driving tacks ,I worry about needing the extra KE to get entrance and exit wounds. The stuff I hunt is thick and w/out a low exit wound that is bleeding good recovery can be tough. I believe in preparing for the worst .....and it always pays dividends!!!! Last season I shot some very heavy arrows, 700gr out of a 50lb r/d bow. They flew slow but they hit with authority. I made marginal shots on two animals last year and those heavy arrows made a major difference. The first deer dropped on release and I failed to compensate enough . This resulted in a spinal hit and he dropped in his tracks. I quickly followed up with a second arrow and that was it. The second deer was broadside at 12yds , he decide to take one step back when I released resulting in a pass through on both shoulders. I recovered the 2nd animal within 50 yards. Had I not been shooting those heavy arrows things would have turned out much different. I want to try the grizzles , just curious how they fly compared to the snuffers.

[Blaino]

Grizzle heads are long and lean = they fly great!

Your Hill bow should be SUPER quiet and I think everyone would agree that is a big plus while hunting spooky deer.

You said that a low exit would be needed for recovery.... I go with the Grizzle.  They are easy to get sharp and I bet you'll be surprised at how good the "S" or "L" shape wound bleeds!!!

In my experience, if your arrow is tuned well, you should be able to put just about any broadhead of the same weight on the end and get good arrow flight.

The only reliable way to know for sure is to get a pack and try them out at a target first.

Bisch

[Recurve50 LBS]

2 blade single bevel Grizzly is what I shoot.

[Bowwild]

2-blades for me.  However, I bought some 3-blades that look wicked. I believe they would be very effective (VPA I think-green). But, I don't want to leave something I've proven that works for  me for a trial.

A good friend who's judgement I trust more than my own just switched from 2 to 3 blades in order to get an additional plane of cutting. He made a good shot with a 2-blade and lost the deer.

[skychief]

For a long time, I was a proponent of two blade heads.  Last year I used  three bladed (Woodsmans) for the first time.  I took a buck and a doe with great and short blood trails.

I know what two blade can get the blood to drop, but, I have made lethal hits through the ribs enough to know that it can be sparse at times.   I plan to use three blades again.

The two deer taken last year were with a vintage Bear recurve that pulled 41-42# at my 29" draw length.   That provided enough horsepower for two holes on each deer.

Hope this helps.  Good luck, Skychief

[screamin]

Originally posted by TX FLY CASTER:
I tuned some arrows for this bow with  160gr. snuffers. How do the grizzlies fly ? Even though the snuffers are driving tacks ,I worry about needing the extra KE to get entrance and exit wounds. The stuff I hunt is thick and w/out a low exit wound that is bleeding good recovery can be tough. I believe in preparing for the worst .....and it always pays dividends!!!! Last season I shot some very heavy arrows, 700gr out of a 50lb r/d bow. They flew slow but they hit with authority. I made marginal shots on two animals last year and those heavy arrows made a major difference. The first deer dropped on release and I failed to compensate enough . This resulted in a spinal hit and he dropped in his tracks. I quickly followed up with a second arrow and that was it. The second deer was broadside at 12yds , he decide to take one step back when I released resulting in a pass through on both shoulders. I recovered the 2nd animal within 50 yards. Had I not been shooting those heavy arrows things would have turned out much different. I want to try the grizzles , just curious how they fly compared to the snuffers.

Earlier this year I picked up a couple of fresh cow shoulder blades from my local butcher. I then proceeded to test many of the heads mentioned here and some that aren't. My choice would be the Tusker Concorde from Tim at Braveheart.

[Bjorn]

With that bow-2 blade.

[Wheels2]

I love the Snuffers, but....
I got back into the traditional again this spring.  My current rig is 52# so like you I am concerned about penetration issues.  Not when all goes right, but when things go wrong and a shoulder is hit, etc.
I opted for a Zwickey two blade and take the penetration potential over the extra cut of the Snuffers.
I hope to let you know come October.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Though I'm kind of partial to Snuffers myself     I wouldn't recommend the big ones with your setup.  Dad designed those heads primarily for shooting whitetails out of treestands with heavy bows (at least by today's standards).  Back in the day 65lb bows and heavy arrows were the norm, that's changing today.  I tell guys that I'd consider around 50lbs and comparable arrows about the minimum I'd use with the big Snuffers, out of an efficient setup.  You are giving up a bit of performance with the Hill bow, so I'd opt on the safe side.  (I like to shoot Hill style bows myself, so I'm not knocking them, its just the reality that you give up some performance with them).

That said, the discussion between "big Snuffers" and "Grizzlies" is really the extreme on both ends of the spectrum.  You CAN go smaller than the biggest head WITHOUT going completely to the smallest one.

If I were in your shoes - hunting small bodied (relative to the Midwest) whitetails in heavy cover I'd use a bit narrower 3 blade or a big 2 blade with bleeders.  Woodsman or one of the similar heads or maybe the big Zwickey or Magnus with bleeders.

My experience may be atypical, but over 30 years of bowhunting I've not had "penetration problems" when things go wrong - more like blood trail issues.  My experience is that hitting a deer too far back (easy penetration) happens more often than too far forward (and penetration issues).  Too high (as in above the spinal cord) isn't lethal anyway, so penetration up there doesn't matter.

Just another opinion...and you know what they say...everyone has one!    

Good luck

R

[Bill Carlsen]

I just got my wife a half dozen of the new Grizzly 3 blade Instinct heads. I can't think of a better multi blade head for a lighter weight bow. Great geometry and built extremely well. If I didn't have so many Razorcaps, myself, they are what I would be using for any game.

[katman]

Originally posted by Terry Green:
2 blade or narrower 3 blade wold be me suggestion.

x2

[Slickhead]

I like a 2 blade
I think Im ordering som STOS today
They look mean.