Moving from a 2 to a 3 blade?

[LimbLover]

#3329

Hey everyone. I know this topic has been covered SOOO many times but I want your opinions. Yes…I’m asking for your opinions. Especially those of you who have hunted with each type of head.

Last year was my first hunting season and I shot my first doe with a 2-blade 160g Ace Standard. I double-lunged her and had complete pass-through at 35 yards out of my 60# longbow.

I bought a pack of Snuffers last year and have wanted to hunt with them ever since. They are tough, I have no problem getting a razor edge, and they fly really good out of my bow when mounted on a 75g steel adapter.

I’ve seen several photos and countless threads on the effectiveness of a Snuffer, but I’m still a bit hesitant moving from a 2-blade broadhead.

Out of either a 56# or 65# longbow, would you guys stick with the 2-blade or try the three?

Be honest guys!

[ButchMo]

#18730

Limblover,
I’ve never used a 3 blade head but, a friend, Mickey “The Ferret” Lotz used them for years to kill just about everything you can think of in NA. He used 50 to 53 lb. bows. If I liked them & didn’t have trouble sharpening them, I wouldn’t hesitate to use them. JMO

[LimbLover]

#19044

Thanks Butch!

Well someone finally sat me down and showed me how to get a 2-blade nice and sharp as well. I’m really torn between using the Snuffer and the Zwickey Delta 2-blade.

[David Petersen]

#19648

Limb — My opinion is based on years of using both 2- and 3-blade broadheads. With a bow that stout you can probably rely on good penetration on deer with just about any solid broadhead. For bigger game I definitely recommend 2-blades. And then there is heavy bone. On elk shoulders I’ve seen 3-blades literally bounce back out, and I’ve had two-blades bend and break off at the tip (and then bounce or fall out). I personally won’t shoot any broadhead that doesn’t have at least a Rockwell hardness of 50, and last I heard neither of the heads you mention is there. The easier a head is to sharpen, the softer the steel and thus the greater the likelihood of failure (to one degreeor another) on heavy bone hits. The way I view it, there are SO many heads available today that fly well, why settle for soft steel? The old problems with hard steel being brittle have largely been solved by thickening the blades, which was difficult in the days when we all wanted to shoot 125 grains, but is easily done now that we are learning the many benefits of heavier heads. Again, for deer you’re likely just fine with either of the heads you name. My opinion. dp

[MontanaFord]

#20160

I used to hunt with the old Bear 2-blades without a bleeder, and they killed my first deer for me in short order. My 3-blade Wensel Woodsman head killed my second deer, also in short order. Which is better for deer? Not really sure. Both were does, both were with the same bow. The only difference aside from the number of blades? The 2-blade was on a 2018 aluminum with a total weight of about 525 grains. The 3-blade was on a 2117 aluminum with a total weight of about 590 grains. I’m planning to hunt with 2 blade single bevels this year (IF I EVER GET ONE SHARP ENOUGH!!!!) LOL. I also want to build some heavier weight forward arrows, too, but that’s a story all it’s own.

Michael.

[LimbLover]

#20220

Dave, what heads on the market today have a Rockwell hardness of 50 and how do you know?

[Buzzard]

#20225

My experience is simply this; I’ve shot critters for about 40 yrs. now. Nearly all have been taken with either Bear Razorheads or Zwickey Eskimos. HOWEVER, about 5 yrs.ago I bought a quart Mason jar full of MA3s at a garage sale, figure’in to use them on groundhogs, rabbits and such to save my good Eskimos from certain death in the rocks and brushpiles. RESULT, the most accurate, field point like, shooting broadhead I’ve seen to date, including all my buddies set-ups as well. I’ve taken 9 whitetails with them now have had flawless results. I still use my Eskimo’s for elk but east of the big river i’ve gone strickly to the MA3. I’ll take accuracy every time.

[DAbersold]

#20234

I have only killed half dozen deer and bear with my bow, so I’m far from an expert. With that in mind, I’m sticking with two blades and a bleeder.(Yes, I’m a bleeder boy!) I know without question I can get my Stainless steel Bear heads as sharp as anything out there, and the bleeders as well. I still buy into the same ideals Fred Bear had when he developed the removable bleeder. Ease of sharpening means you will most likely get a two blade sharper. With the bleeder you will get an X on entry, then it will either break if it hits bone, allowing the rest of the head to penetrate as a single blade head, or you will also get an X on exiting. It has worked that way every time so far, and I fully expect it will continue to in the future. As far as three blades, I can’t speak from experience, but as others have said, if you can indeed get them sharp (and many seem to be able to) they have proven to work very well.
Really, I know it’s fun to think about and worry about this type of thing, but in reality you could use any of dozens of two, three, or four blade heads, and the animals you shoot will never know the difference. It’s more about what you have the up-most confidence in. THAT is the head that will work best for you.:lol:

[Hiram]

#20437

http://www.africanarcher.com/snuffer.html

This statement echoes Daves advice.

: I have only limited experience with large/dangerous game, but I certainly would not recommend the Snuffer for use on such. The head was originally designed for use on whitetail deer being hunted from treestands. The broadhead was made to give maximum damage and maximum blood trail on animals for which arrow penetration is not a problem. We have successfully used Snuffers on animals up to bison and moose in North America, and I have friends that have killed eland with Snuffers in Africa, but I would recommend a high-quality two-blade head for armour-plated animals like Cape buffalo and larger. Heads like the Magnus, STOS and Grizzly have a good track record on dangerous game and the German Kinetics heads are clearly in a league of their own, qu

[bruc]

#20638

Is it possible to get a three blade broadhead as sharp as a two blade?

[MontanaFord]

#20735

I’ve shaved hair off my arm with my Wensels, Bruce. I like my knives and broadheads to be shave sharp. Otherwise, they go back to the stone, or back on the work bench (what little work bench I have).

Michael.

[LimbLover]

#20775

BRUC wrote: Is it possible to get a three blade broadhead as sharp as a two blade?

I sharpen a 3-blade easier than a 2 after about 2 weeks of dedicated practice. I finally have a system to get a snuffer hair-shaving sharp.

FYI..I’m not ever going to be hunting dangerous game or anything larger than a Michigan Whitetail so I think I’m going to be just fine! lol

[bruc]

#20847

I have some Snuffers and would use them if I could get them sharper. Have to keep working on it I guess! The 125 gr.that I have fly like bullets.To me the design looks like they should be as durable and strong as some of the more expensive single bevel two blade heads.
Bruce

[LimbLover]

#20908

My system is as follows:

1) I run the head backwards down a large 16″ file evenly, rotating after 10 strokes with light/medium pressure. I do this to reshape the edge to the angle I want for easier touching up later. I think Snuffer’s are originally at 60 degrees?

2) When there are no longer any dents or anything on the edge and it is sliding fairly smooth I switch to a wide 2-sided sharpening stone and lubricate with a sharpening compound. I run on the coarse side first then switch to the fine. I repeat until the head slides with ease on the fine side.

3) I finish with a Montec diamond stone which also has two sides of varying grit. I use the finer side until the head is shaving sharp.

I’m in the market for a hunk of leather for a strop right now. It seems tedius but all of this combined takes me about 10 minutes a head and I only hunt with 3.

FYI..my Snuffers are 100g but I use a 75g steel adapter and may add a 50g brass insert.

[bruc]

#23600

Thanks:) Sounds like a good technique! Gonna give it a whirl!
Bruce

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