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Cutting Width Vs Penetration

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Cutting Width Vs Penetration

Postby Swede » 03 23, 2017 •  [Post 1]

I have been reading with interest some points made about different broadhead designs. Some cause a wider cut, while others will have more penetration. Which is better?
There is a tradeoff to a wide cut. Even with a super sharp edge the wide broadhead will not penetrate as far as a narrower one if everything else is equal. On the other hand the arrow that passes through an animal with half of its energy remaining did not cause all the damage it had the potential to do. Some will argue the narrow broadhead exiting the body will leave a better blood trail. Maybe, maybe not. So which is better?

I don't think there is a cut (pardon the pun) and dried answer. The veins and arteries in an animal are not oriented like a screen or even a series of screens laid back to back. They are not oriented like pipes and tubes stacked on top of each other. Regardless of the direction you shoot from, if you get an arrow into the heart lung area you are going to be severing a lot of blood vessels. So does a two blade, three blade, five blade or even my new Toxic Cyclone blades work better in an animal than another blade of equal sharpness?

My thought is that, the greater the cutting area the better, if you get deep enough to sever significant blood vessels.

While we are discussing penetration lets address "cut on contact" vs. a "chisel point". Which is better? Does cut on contact really give greater penetration? I don't think it is universally true. It is probably true if you do not hit bone. Does the question comes down to sharpening and re-sharpening?

OK, I have given some of my opinion, what do you think?
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Re: Cutting Width Vs Penetration

Postby olympushunt » 03 23, 2017 •  [Post 2]

My preference is for penetration BUTTTTTTT not at the cost of going under an inch in cutting width/diameter. There is a happy medium in there somewhere. My ideal is for a pass through shot (in the vitals) with at least an 1 1/8th cut.
As far as cut on contact Vs a chisel....I think that is just a personal preference to which there is no right/wrong answer.
Sheesh Swede are you trying for a bar room brawl? You might as well go onto a fishing forum and ask which is better single hooks Vs treble hooks. lol
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Re: Cutting Width Vs Penetration

Postby Swede » 03 23, 2017 •  [Post 3]

Swede wrote:Sheesh Swede are you trying for a bar room brawl?


Who me?
I am like a 3 blade broadhead: one part instigator and two parts agitator, and not always sharp.
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Re: Cutting Width Vs Penetration

Postby Beendare » 03 23, 2017 •  [Post 4]

Not 'Cut and dried'.....I like that one!

We know they all work to some extent. everyone likes a test....try this;

Take a BH and push it into a a chunk of hide....Dale on 3 Rivers did just that with different heads.

Do the same on a chunk of meat...push a ST std head vs the Muzzy 3 blade head......it tells you that blade angle matters.

Stretch 2 sections of manilla rope [or hide] across a frame and poke both heads through....and then try the meat again...blade angle REALLY matters now.

What you notice; you don't push your steak knife into a steak at a 45 deg angle.....you slice into it at a longer [more tapered angle] When you push....it moves tissue vs slicing tissue. Of course the test is exaggerated a bit due to the speed difference but I've autopsied animals where the less tapered designs did just that; PUSH arteries without slicing into them. I can guarantee you will see some of this pushing if you autopsy the wound channel on an elk shot with an over the top mech head.

I've seen it happen on the short heads. I shot a bull that was all muddy from wallowing 1/3rd up in the pocket 35yds perfectly BS. The bull stood there, fell, got up, fell again....this went on for 10 minutes until I could finally sneak in close enough for another shot to kill him at the 15 min mark. It was like I shot him with a dull BH. Little blood from the first shot....and the wound channel looked like it bruised him even in the lungs.

There is no question that the wider with less tapered heads push more than the tapered designs...and the chisel points create more push/resistance. I think if a guy has enough arrow behind any BH he can get it to work....but if you are trying to max it out, BH design matters.
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Re: Cutting Width Vs Penetration

Postby Barnesnbow » 04 12, 2017 •  [Post 5]

Fixed or mechanical
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Re: Cutting Width Vs Penetration

Postby Elkhntr08 » 04 12, 2017 •  [Post 6]

Pushing a broadhead through hide, meat or rope is not the same as shooting it through on an arrow. The arrow is still trying to spin the broadhead as it penetrates the animal. I've had square holes cut by 4 blade Muzzys. The arrow is also traveling faster than you're probably pushing it. Add those 2 factors together and your results will be different. There needs to be a happy medium between width and penetration. With a rifle, I don't want the bullet to exit. I hope to find it just under the hide on the off side. The bullet delivered all the energy and shock it had. A broadhead should penetrate as far as it can to cut as much as it can. I want the exit hole. Rage added the +P Hypodermic for the extra penetration.
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Re: Cutting Width Vs Penetration

Postby Swede » 04 13, 2017 •  [Post 7]

I tend to agree that there is a happy medium. In Oregon we are required to use fixed blade broadheads. I agree with the fixed blade requirement, and a width of about 1 3/16 inch seems to be about right. I can get good arrow flight, good penetration and good cutting width.
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