2 blade or 3?

[ARROW SLINGER]

Being new to the Trad seen and mostly self taught and book/internet educated on the subject. I have seen a few theories stating that a 2 blade broadhead is a better choice for penetration when using traditional bows.

Do the 3 blade snuffers etc: require more energy to penetrate ?

and whats your recomondations for BH weight to bow weight ?

[barryonly]

With blade length and broadhead diameter being equal for 2 or 3 blade designs, the 2 blade will penetrate deeper since there is less resistance on it to slow it down. The 3 blade will sever more arteries for the same depth, however if you're using a modest performing bow and modest weight arrows, where a complete passthrough is not likely, reaching the far side lung with a 2 blade should be a quicker kill than causing more destruction to the near side lung. But this is just theory as I haven't taken a big game animal with an arrow yet. I am sure others on here will have practical experience.

[POINTY STICKS]

I'm not sure if it would matter all that much. A properly placed shot with any legal weight hunting bow, should give you a pass through on deer. It's all about shot placement, once the arrow gets past the first set on ribs. Now for the BH side of the equation there are a couple of theories on those. Some will choose 2 over 3 because 3 blade tend to whistle when shot. Others will choose 3 over 2 because it will cut more and give a better blood trail. I use 2 for deer and have 3 blade fro bear. Thats my choice.

[ARROW SLINGER]

Yea I heard that the 3 are a bit noisier also, think I might get some 2 blades and practice shooting them. See how they react, only ever shot 3 or mechanicals!

[POINTY STICKS]

Very important to make sure your BH are tuned and ballanced on the shaft. Any wobble will greatly effect the flight of the arrow.

[archeryman57]

What makes a BH whistle is the vents in the blades. Two blades will do it and so will three or four. A small three blade will penetrate farther than a large two bladed one. Energy delivered from the bow will determin how much penetration. One thing to think about is the type of quiver that you are holding them in. A two blade will come out of a back quiver easier than a three blade. Some folks say that a bear isn't spooked by a noisy BH and yet a deer is.
Like PS said make sure that the BH you choose flies tru.
I plan to use a large two blade with an added bleeder blade on bear in a couple of weeks. I'll keep you posted on the results. BTW, we want a short trail to a bear with a double lung pass through. They do not leave much of a trail to follow.

[litekpr]

This is the type I have been using....

www.steelforce.com/pro.php

Got my bear with a 3 blade and have since switched to two blade.
In practicing I haven't noticed any noise and can't speak for any others as this is what George (Raven) set me up with at the start.
Hopefully this fall I will be able to let you know how they work on deer and another bear.

[POINTY STICKS]

Kpr those must be pre-sharpened BH's, are they? Is it expensive replacing the blades? I use either Zwicky or ribtec 2 blades or Woodsman 3 blades. I have to sharpen these myself.

[litekpr]

Actually I haven't had to sharpen one yet....
I have had one pkg of three, 3 blade and lost one firing at a deer, arrow blade the works not found in underbrush...grrr!, I was in a ditch when I fired and I suspect the angle it entered was almost level....I looked and looked but
The second one that is useless is this one, this would be about where it stopped on granite ledge...ruined the arrow too, put a real ruinin' on my evening as well



The third one passed through one set of ribs and brisket and almost cut the right front paw off of my bear season before last, it's still very sharp but not the first one out of the quiver.(practice arrow)
Switching between the two (2 or 3 blade) is not a problem they fly the same,hit the same ;D
The serrated edge really stays sharp,we have knives issued at work with them (Swiss Army) and even cutting polysteel rope (fine steel strands woven in for strength)they stay sharp.
The edge cuts in a differant fashion.
I have a small steel and a glass round file for sharpening the knife but it is too big for the B/H's but looking for a smaller dia. one, House of Knives probably next time to the city.

The two blades,
I had a deer duck my arrow this past season and it hit the dirt in a cornfield, I use that one for practicing in the haybail but I wouldn't hesitate to scare another animal with it...lol!
Only reason I got the two blades was because he had no 3's there at the time....if?...I buy another package this year it would be 3's most likely, they just look like they would do better.

[ironfistcanada]

I put a 4 blade Satellite hunter BH through a buck a few years ago . It was a quartering away shot. The bow was a 50# recurve at 18 paces.It took out part of the gut , The Liver, the diapragm, the left lung and lodged in bone at the opposite shoulder. If the 2216 arrow had not hit that soild bone it would have passed through with ease in my opinion. I use 2 blade Zwickey Eskimos on wooden arrows and 3 blade Thunderheads on Aluminium. John.

[ghostwolf]

When I started hunting with traditional gear I used a 3 blade broadhead. WW's. I used these heads and was extremely impressed with the results I got with them. With my 54# Caribow I got pass thrus on all the animals I shot with them even a 500lb+ woodland caribou at 25 yards. Got a second arrow into the same stag at 30 yards, passed thru the left shoulder blade, and ribs on the left and right side before stopping in the right front shoulder blade. After shooting my wolf with a 3 blade snuffer and having the arrow stop in the opposite leg I swtiched to the 2 blade magnus. Took lots of game with the 2 blades over the last 4 seasons here in AB including two moose and 2 bears. All pass thru's, all good blood trails... I should add that I shoot heavy, small diameter arrows total weight of 670 gr.

[POINTY STICKS]

welcome ghostwolf. Gald to see you found your way to the BANS site. Looking forward to hearing mre about your adventures...