Broadhead blade length vs. width?

A longer head should increase penetration compared to a short fat head. Think of it as putting in a finish nail vs a big nail. The fatter one is harder to penetrate. A wide head is nice as is makes a bigger hole but it will slow down penetration. I would ratchet have two 1" holes than one 2 inch hole. Penetration is key to me especially when hunting from a treestand where hits are typically on the upper part of the body. With one hole you get a bad blood trail. Although with 2 you should get a good trail with more blood because the blood will exit easier on the exit wound that is lower in the body.

Bow, I have had a similar situation with a broadhead last year. I'm shooting the Solid broadhead now and can't say enough about the durability and accuracy of it. I shot a doe this year, at 20 yards, right through the bottom of the heart. Complete pass through and I heard her crash 30 yards away. Between the arrow and where she fell, my buddy was asking me about the shot. I knew she was dead, but there just wasn't much sign. So whether or not these are isolated or not, who knows. It was my first season with these heads, and I'm going to keep on shooting them though, for various reasons, but it's the questionable shots that may or may not be affected. I'll find out more this year I'm sure. All this being said, if I can hear or watch them fall within sight, I'll never argue about being not being able to follow a blood trail.

Ill agree to a certain extent 57. The 10 point I killed 3 years ago left me no blood trail. Double lung shot and he was dead in 50 yards. Although it may not have been enough time for the blood to start pumping out of the holes. I have killed deer with 3 blades as well and had a good hit but little blood. I think it all depends on a sharp head and placement. They all do their job and will have there ups and downs

Jesse, I agree 100%. How sharp are they and how do they fly/can I hit that spot every time. These new heads are as sharp as any I've ever used, and I also know I'll get a pass through on every shot that's in the rib cage. Being a flat, 2 blade similar to a German Kinetic or a Magnus Stinger, I did get somewhat of a slit on the first kill, not sure if that is going to be consistent or if it was a one time deal. There wasn't much of a hole, but like I said.. she was dead before she knew it. If I continue to make clean shots, on properly positioned animals, I shouldn't have an issue either way. Blood trail or not, they're going down when they're hit right, and they won't make it far with a clogged chest cavity. I'm a fan of Solid broadhead on Facebook, and I've seen pictures of other kills where entry/exit holes were visible, so I'm not worried.

I am a fan of the Slick Tricks. That said, I am shooting a compound with enough KE to get pass thru shots. I am assuming you are thinking of your new bow? In your shoes, I might be rethinking my setup as well. Wish I had better experience to share with you but I don't. Nice topic to think about though.

broad head 1 represents a longer and not quite as wide head like a stinger. notice the blade angle and how the blue vector is perpendicular to the cutting blade. for now just notice the angle that it is acting at.

here is broad head number 2 mostly in the shape of a slick trick

for reference only...could also be a rage..

notice its resultant blue vector, angle only..

here are both side by side. i have skipped some back ground information on the analysis because of time and sheer impossibility at times to communicate clearly on the web in a limited amount of time.

the answer to your question is easy, its neither...concern yourself with blade angle and find one that gives you a good balance with the power your bow has. I tend to go towards broadhead one because i want my energy to go to cutting and damaging tissue than i want resisting arrow flight. the closer your blue or resultant vector gets to a parallel plane with your arrow shaft, the more resistant to penetration your setup gets. there are more characteristics that make a good broadhead but we will save that discussion for another time.

Great insight Eric! Glad to have you back a spell! What you say makes total sense to me. I also agree with Jesse that sharpness and placement are paramount in killing and recovering. Good stuff!

Flat out good info. Love it

What Milo said! Lol. Great info.

I want to try those Slick Tricks sometime?

Great post... Milo hit a home run with that one... With that being said, if we want the best penetration is there a way of comparing our current broad head with what you have posted for ease of penetration? How would a thunderhead compare too your example?

"J" said:

Great post... Milo hit a home run with that one... With that being said, if we want the best penetration is there a way of comparing our current broad head with what you have posted for ease of penetration? How would a thunderhead compare too your example?

Click to expand...

I do not have the time to go through all of it for you here and now. it would be easier over a fire and some beer. Most of it would more than likely confuse you more than help depending on your background.

Here is a simple thought; it is widely accepted a 3:1 broadhead is the best penetrating. 3"long x 1" wide. If you shorten or widen, you are losing penetration. If you have a really short head with a really wide cut, it isn't a great design for penetration. The super short, wide heads of recent years are a product of better bow efficiency. Broadheads such as slick tricks are a prime example of this. I wouldn't shoot one of them out of a recurve or a longbow at a critter bigger than a squirrel. They are made short for less surface area and reduced wind plane, but they are by design poor penetrators. They work because the rest of today's equipment efficiencies make up for their shortcomings in design....same as mechanicals.

Look at a side view of a broadhead like a ramp. If you imagine walking up the ramp, would you find the long gradual ramp easier to climb than a short steep one? Yes. Penetration with broadheads is the same.

This is actually something I have a pretty good background in, having worked with broadhead manufacturers and run a broadhead testing site for some years in the past. I have always put more importance on the broadhead than any other one thing since it is the head that determines the workload required from everything else.

I made up a chart a long time ago that sized the head size and design to the workload. That chart which has proven itself out over the years through the people that have used it to select the broadhead for their setups. Of course there are more and more factors being added to the calculation such as actuation and ferrule design but in general the chart works with all heads currently being sold.

Here is a link if you would like to check it out.
http://bowhunters.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=broadheads&action=display&thread=2310&page=1

My philosophy is to use a head that ensures penetration first and foremost in the worst case scenario. I am totally color blind so for me, a blood trail is very important. I need a heavy amount of blood in order to see it as a disruption to the surrounding area or a pattern that is distinct. I used to use a dog to blood trail my deer due to the fact that I couldn't see blood unless it was still very wet and thick but since the dog is long gone now, I use larger heads if I am alone. If I have my hunting partner with me I prefer to use low profile heads just because they work better.

I prefer the 2.5/1 Ratio heads and heads that are double bevel. Single bevel heads hold a great edge but retard penetration due to the fact that they turn into the work. 1/1 Ratio heads like the Slick Trick are good too but when using them I look for smaller diameter heads such as the Wasp Boss Bullet. I also prefer the chisel tips on those shorter ratio heads. For traditional I like C.O.C. heads such as the Silver Flame but I am also satisfied with the Zwickey Eskimo when the leading point is filed back into a chisel point.

The most important thing to me is that the blades edge cannot be eroded away when contacting hard bone. I will not use a head that carries a blade who's edge rolls over when contacting bone or who's edge gives way to the same condition. Arteries are like rubber bands and will roll off a dull surface due to their lack of adherence to the surrounding flesh in which they are carried. If a head with a perfect edge contacts such an artery it will cut that artery whereas a dull blade will push that artery out of it's way. Three years ago a heart shot went forward and the only reason that deer died was because an artery leaving the heart was cut 1/4 of the way through. The artery was intact except for a very small cut in the outer wall. Everything else had been missed and that's where a perfect head shines and saves the day :smiley_bril: