broadheads and blood trails

[powderhogg01]

all right guys and gals, lets talk broadheads. What is everyone using, whats proving to have the largest blood trails? I am leaning towards either the montecs or maybe the rage 3 blade. I have used the rage on muleys before with great success.
We all know that placement is key, so lets consider both good hits and bad hits. I have had great luck with all but one heart shot, the deer I missed was a tad forward, nap killzone 100 grain, hit the shoulder and stopped. barely bled.. found her the next morning and put a second shot in.
I will be staying away from the big two blade style this season, 3 blades, cant decide if I want to go fixed or mechanical..

[Fridaythe13th]

Montec G5 for me have not shot an elk yet but they did well on whitetail. Can not use mechanical in Idaho

[elkaholic]

Not to throw a curveball your direction but have you considered a 4 blade? Cutting tissue and bone on 2 planes instead of 3?
I have had very good success with Slick Tricks. The blood trails are great and they are pretty tough heads. With a little practice you can resharpen the blades and reuse them.

[otcWill]

Sharp BHs put through the heart/lungs create good bloodtrails, not any specific kind or number of blades. Having two holes helps too. That said, I'd advise you not to try a 3 blade mech on elk. I am speaking from experience not bias. 3 blade mechs don't penetrate nearly as well as 2 blade mechs which don't penetrate nearly as well as any fixed blade head. Imagine pushing your BH through your hand, bone and all. Which one would go through easiest and which would take the most effort? Whichever head you choose be sure to sharpen it. There are none that come sharp enough out of the box.

[foxvalley]

Sharp BHs put through the heart/lungs create good bloodtrails, not any specific kind or number of blades. Having two holes helps too. That said, I'd advise you not to try a 3 blade mech on elk. I am speaking from experience not bias. 3 blade mechs don't penetrate nearly as well as 2 blade mechs which don't penetrate nearly as well as any fixed blade head. Imagine pushing your BH through your hand, bone and all. Which one would go through easiest and which would take the most effort? Whichever head you choose be sure to sharpen it. There are none that come sharp enough out of the box.

I agree with octwill,avoid the mechanicals on elk,there is a valid reason why some states don't allow mechanicals.A COC 2, or 4 blade heavy duty,razor sharp head is your best bet.All my broadheads get touched up out of the box,and if they don't shave the hair on my arm,ie,you start bleeding by just looking at them,they don't go hunting.

[elkaholic]

Sharp BHs put through the heart/lungs create good bloodtrails, not any specific kind or number of blades. Having two holes helps too. That said, I'd advise you not to try a 3 blade mech on elk. I am speaking from experience not bias. 3 blade mechs don't penetrate nearly as well as 2 blade mechs which don't penetrate nearly as well as any fixed blade head. Imagine pushing your BH through your hand, bone and all. Which one would go through easiest and which would take the most effort? Whichever head you choose be sure to sharpen it. There are none that come sharp enough out of the box.

^^^^ Absolutely regarding mechanicals. No go on elk.

[GobbleFarmer]

My experience has been with whitetails only. And only through a crossbow. 2 blade rages, double lung gets me no blood trail the lungs filled up with blood and dead deer within 50 every time! Heart-doublelung, some blood from heart but mostly filled up lungs, so not much of a blood trail, dead within 50! Lung, slight other lung, liver sliced in half and touched stomach, not the best shot but the liver left PLENTY of blood, stone dead in 130 yds! Broadside heart shot, no lung-just heart, amazing blood trail pumping out both sides 2-3 ft, I didn't see the blood trail at first because I just walked to where I heard a crash when I found her she was still alive unaware of me standing 10 yds away, not seeing the blood all over the place (I don't know how I missed it there was so much of it) I shot her again. But she was spinning and in the moment trying to finish her off quickly I gut shot her (made gutting fun ) she died 2.5seconds later from the heart shot I'm sure. I also have used the torrid mechanical three blade from Wally world with matching results. But being bolts fired from a crossbow they are all pass throughs and than some. Mechanicals from compounds on elk? You can decide. Sharp broadheads are key even if it means you need to strop them or flat out sharpen them.

[powderhogg01]

I am not biased to mechanical or fixed, as I know a well sharpened rock can get the job done if placed well. I am more curious on firsthand experiences with various broadheads out there and there blood trails. I am a decent tracker, though admitting not the best, any things helps, blood being the easiest to follow. I am really leaning towards montecs 125 gr (sharpened of course) or slick trick magnums 125 gr.
I have been shooting some montec pre seasons at 50 yrds and feel good with them. At 50 the montec and my field points hit same POI. I feel good this season, just want to get my broadhead figured out and then I am set.

[Vanish]

Elk have really big lungs compared to deer. They can go a LONG ways while their lungs are filling with blood. You really want that blood pumping out where you can see it.

[Stick]

As octwill said 2 holes. I shoot a plain old hundred grain Muzzy! Shot plenty of elk never lost one yet. Having said that, if you don't get a pass thru elk can be stingy bleeders. Especially if they are bleeding inside. That's a large cavity that can hold a lot of blood.

[Mike_Parson]

My Ramcats have never failed to give me a great blood trail even tho i rairly needed it as they fell witht in sight of me. Its the only broadhead i use for Elk and mulies.

[jmez]

Have had good blood trails with both the ST mags and the ST razor tricks. I attribute none of that to either broadhead.

[pointysticks]

as i hunt more and more, see more downed animals, more lost animals..from everyone. hear stories, read stories...whatever.

i think broadheads and blood trails are a moving target. too many variables. and with respect to variables, i think the actual broadhead is a small variable, and shot placement is a bigger (if not the biggest) variable. i'm willing to bet, even the best broadheads have lost animals..and even the worst broadheads have toppled them within eye-shot. case in point. i watched my slicktrick mag100 bury into the lungs of a big whitetail and the arrow dropped out the other side. i sat there unmoving for a long time. i did glass my arrow and it was bloody as heck!! i never found that deer. complete mystery to me.

my buddy on a tight budget bought a $20 six-pack of broadheads. some bargain brand..he crushed a big bull elk..it was awesome..his shot placement was magic.

last year, i hit a deer at 62 yards with a hypodermic..it spraypainted the desert with blood and tipped over. i dont expect it to happen like that every time..not even close. i do my part, and hope the equipment does it's part. elk..i am going with my montecs. they fly great like my slicktricks..just what i am going with, no rhyme or real reasoning.

[archery bum]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhoW_v1lEws

Here's a mechanical punching through an elk at 80 yards. Looks pretty good to me. It always seems to come down to 2 things imho. Shot placement and a very very well tuned bow. If you don't take the time to tune your bow and practice there will be a lot of lost animals no matter what you are shooting.

[MT Bound]

Broadhead choice is a personal thing, you should use what you personally are confident using and know it will hit where you are aiming. Your choice of using a montec or Rage couldn't be more opposite than those two.

I would also bet most people that bad mouth the Rage have never used one. I've tried many fixed and mechs. over the years and I know what I'm confident and successful using, so I will stick with my personal opinion and choices.

[powderhogg01]

I will likely be going with the montecs, for no reason other then I have some 100 grain practoce heads of theirs and im grouping 60 yards in a 6" area, all vital on the 3ddeer. I may find that I make a switch mid season if I find them to be lacking. I know from firsthand experience that my bow will send a 3 blade rage through a muley at 40, went through a shoulder and kept going... its that confidence in something that makes me consider switching back.. the only reason I left was because I switched to a 2 blade which just did not do the job..
this year I am going to spend a bit more time honing my broadheads, getting them as absolutely as sharp as possible. the rage always felt razor sharp to me out of the box, others were not that way

[WYO_ELK]

I switched to 2 blade Magnus stingers about 4 years ago and have never been more confident in my broadheads. Have shot numerous whitetails and an elk and all left great blood trails.

[Texasgamehunter]

When I used to have a wheeled bow I used Slick Tricks. They are fixed blade and always produced quick kills (with good shots of course) and blood trails that were out of this world. Meaning there was no question if you were on the trail. Always looked like someone took a 5 gallon bucket of paint and made a trail with it. I am not a fan of mechanical broad heads. With a properly tuned bow, your broad head will hit the same spot of your field points.

For trad I currently use Simmons tree shark. I have been toying with the idea of switching to German Kinetic Silver Flames.

[Kessler10]

Magnus Broadheads. Black Hornet. Very durable, tough. A type of braodhead when you hold it and look at it you can tell its made very well. They fly great. pack a punch.

[the weasel]

As many have said, personal preference... I switched to SlickTrick Mag 100's this season (really like the 4 blade hole it left), opening eve took a Mulley buck and it dropped within 30-40 yds. of impact. I could see the next blood spot 10 ft. down the trail, it was 7:30 pm and was getting darker by the minute in the thicker timber. My new broad head of choice!!

But totally agree with placement over everything!!!

[slick trick]

My name is my name for a reason

[swmoelk]

I use montecs and have so far only shot white tails with them. That said I shot a buck Wednesday morning with one and the penetration impressed me. He was quatering to me at 20 yards and I put it in the left shoulder and it blew out the right ham. However there was zero blood trail which wasn't the bh fault because it entered muscle and exited muscle pretty high. He ran 75 yards straight downhill and expired. His body cavity was plumb full of blood it had just never made it out. I've also had the montecs spray blood like a paint sprayer when put through the rib cage. It helps that they also fly great out to 70 yards with my bow and I use the pre season heads for practice all year.


Ps I sharpen the montecs right out of the package.

[powderhogg01]

I had the same experience. very little blood left due to the high quartering to shot, but it did the job. I also sharpen mine as best I can prior to use, I think I may be going back to a rage next year, the 3-blade rage as so far been my best blood and shortest recovery, that said any heart stick will surely do the job. I will say that with the CX piledriver hunter arrows and the 100 grain montecs, they are flying excellent and the arrow passed through, never found the arrow.. it had enough energy to just dissappear into the thick stuff. I have never seen an arrow hold its momentum so well

[Dr. Rx]

Magnus Broadheads.. Stingers 4 blade....love the small blades to cut bunch of little arteries as the arrow passes. The big blades well... you guys know what they do.

Kris

[Broken arrow]

Magnus, Grizzlies, bear greenies, bear razorheads, muzzy, Simmons interceptors, zwickey all worked well for me. Shot a big doe with the Simmons quartering to me went all the way from the front shoulder into the back leg went 50yds and not a drop of blood shot another doe 5 min after that one broadside complete pass through stuck in the dirty went 10 yds blood everywhere Shot placement means more than anything.