Serrated Broadheads??

[Bullfrog 1]

Anyone use or try this. I remember an old article from Gene Wensel about doing it to the last third of the edge?  BILL

[ChuckC]

I myself am against serrated blades on broadheads.
Gene also compared cutting a nice steak with one versus a straight blade, to which I responded " when I go hunting a well done deer, I may very well go with a serrated edge, but for raw or very  rare deer, a straight blade is the key".  I think they are designed for different purposes.

Just my thoughts
ChuckC

[Charlie Lamb]

I switch back and forth. Usually my serrate blades are done with the edge of a file like Howard Hill did.
I have however used the Magnus Buzzcut with very good results.

Sharp is sharp and I don't think it matters much. I will say that regardless of what happens as it goes through a deer there isn't anything sliding past the serrated blade.

I always hone the edge to a smooth polished razor edge before serrating. Then very light polishing after serrating so as not to remove the serrations.
I've never seen fat/hair loading up the serrations as some say.

[LBR]

Check your state game laws--serrated aren't legal everywhere--at least the last time I looked (been a while).

Put it in the right spot, the deer will die with either one.

[jkm97]

I love the Magnus Buzzcut, though I doubt it makes much difference as long as its sharp. I used to avoid the buzzcuts because I thought it would be hard to resharpen, but I've found that you can get them shaving sharp, serrations and all, pretty easily.

[Bladepeek]

I've never used a serrated BH, but have cut a few steaks with both smooth and serrated steak knives.

A really sharp blade will cut through even the tougher steaks I can afford just as easily as a serrated blade. The only advantage I see to the serrated blade is that the high spots are the only thing that touch that hard, porcelain plate. The scallops don't touch the plate so stay sharp longer. I guess it would be the same for a BH glancing off a bone - the recessed scallops would still be sharp.  Still, for me it's a "shoot it - then sharpen it" thing with a BH. The edge never gets used twice without sharpening in between uses.

[Tajue17]

when Mike Sohm said out of all his broadheads he prefered the buzzcuts over all the others he sold because of the damage they did I had to try them!  

I still havent hit anything with them deer just don't show when I have those arrows but I'm very curious when I get a shot what the buzz's will do,,, if worse comes to worse I still have the plain blades.

[Ron LaClair]

For awhile back in the 60's I used 3 blade bodkin heads, MA-3 and Hills Hornet. The steel in those heads was not the best to get a shaving sharp edge so I filed serrations on the back 3rd of the heads with the edge of a file.

I've used other serrated heads made currently and I like them a lot. Like Charlie said, "there isn't anything sliding past the serrated blade".

[two4hooking]

I use light serrations made by the edge of a file as HIll did and Charlie described..

Schulz Said, "I want to kill 'em, not shave 'em"!  LOL!

 

[Ray Lyon]

In the late 90's there was a head (red in color and shaped like a Journeyman) called the Raptor.  I believe you were using those Ron, along with Brian Koche when he was coming to camp.  I believe Steel Force still has a large two blade head that is serrated.

[Sixby]

I have used serrated heads for over 40 years and killed a lot of animals with them. Killed a lot with un -serrate ed heads too. Don't know for sure if either has caused me to lose and animal or to kill an animal. Both kill if they are sharp and well placed.
I believe sincerely that blood vessles and arteries that could possibly get past a smooth head will be cut by a serrated head but cannot prove it other than I have tested both against  rubber bands and with equal pressure applied the serrated always cut them easier than the smooth.
God bless, Steve

[Ron LaClair]

I'm pretty fussy about the edge on my straight edge broadheads. I file them, then put them on a hone steel and sometimes even strop them on an old razor strap that I have.

I still wouldn't hesitate to use a serrated broadhead. I have serrated steak knives in my kitchen drawer that have been used hundreds of times over the years without EVER being sharpened and they still cut meat as slick as you please. I also have some old straight edged paring knives in that drawer that are as dull as a butter knife. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but when I wanna cut a piece of meat I know which knife to reach for...   :rolleyes:

[Hud]

Few honed blades will cut any faster than serrated Shark's teeth or fluted obsidian heads and that is why I prefer a lightly serrated edge.  They seem to stay sharp longer.

[ozy clint]

hud just beat me to it. The first broadheads ever used were serrated and no one can question their effectiveness.

[warbird]

I have used both. I believe a fine blade will give you better penetration due to less resistance and serrated blade will create a wound channel less likely to clot due to its saw like cut into flesh. I think you could use either-or with good results. Take a look at the pics on the Magnus Stinger posts. Plenty of good blood from fine and serrated Stingers.

[Bobby Urban]

Here is a old Journeyman with the Wensel trick I did to them years ago after reading his article.  I used a Metal checkering file like he suggested and it worked great.  Rarely use this type of head anymore so my 3 bladers just get honed and hunted but I believe this is a really effective way to get a two blade head deadly.

[Henry Hammer]

Last year I helped recover 2 deer with similar shot placement. Both of these deer were shot back and had broadhead holes in the liver. First deer went down in about 150 yards and was stiff when we found him 2 hours after the shot. The other was on his feet 4-5 hours after the shot and required another shot to finally end it. Upon me gutting and examining the broadhead damage in each deer I was suprised. The first deer had been shot with a file sharpened bear head and his liver was tore up pretty good so he bled out rather quickly. The second deer was shot with a razor sharp SS broadhead and he had a giant clot in the hole of his liver. My conclusion to this is that the file sharpened head had serrations left behind from the file which prevented the wound from clotting before he bled out....Henry

[halfseminole]

Serrations destroy surrounding tissue.  So effectively, in fact one of the first things that the Geneva convention outlawed in war was serrated bayonets.

[JamesKerr]

I myself have found that I prefer a rough shaving sharp edge, if that makes any since at all. I get all my broadheads as sharp as I am going to get them with either a file or course grit stone, then make a very few passes (maybe 3 on each side) with a smooth stone just to remove any small piece of burr left. It works for me and I think it gives me the best of both worlds. I get a very sharp shaving edge that is not really serrated but "grabs" at tissues and hairs. It leaves good blood trails to!  

[Tajue17]

Bobbys pic got my thinking,,,,, Bobby that Jounrneyman is it only serrated on one side??

I'm wondering if serrating only one side of the edge has an advantage over the other side like a single bevel broadhead.        

 I wonder if the arrow spinning into the serrations like a Left side serration with the correct LW fletching is better than say the the opposite side like say a right side single serration with the right wing fletching,, wonder if one tears better than the other..

had to get technical with this, ha ha..