Three vs Four blade broadheads

I like the rigid 3 blade design.
Montec is best.
Allen Beartooth is my choice. They're cheaper, but still durable.
The best part of three blade design is the ease of sharpening.
Two blades lay flat on an Arkansas stone.
Stroke
Flip
repeat.
Right on the arrow or bolt.
I use 100gr Allen Beartooth in both my recurve and crossbow.

My favorite broadheads are no longer made. They were Hoyt Top Cuts, a 4-blade, .040 thick blade broadhead. They downed deer faster than any other broadhead I ever used. Penetration seems only to be a problem with mechanical heads or when using a stick bow so I always opt for 4-blade wide broadheads. More cutting surfaces = more bleeding = faster kills.

I like muzzy 3 blade broadheads from my PSA Fang 350 Xbow. Plenty accurate, does plenty of damage to a deer. Also available at academy sports, which is the closest place to where I live (1/2 hour away) to buy archery stuff.

I've always been a big fan of fixed blade 2 and 3 blade broadheads like delma, magnus and woodsman. However bowhunting gear has really improved over the past 35 years. For deer sized animals I would strongly recommend a rage hypodermic. Good arrow flight, impressive cut, and haven't had a failure so far. Only downside is cost for real ones, though lots of people say the copies are close in quality.

Have used Muzzy three blade (100 gr) for years with my regular compound bow, but most archery shops recommend using an expandable with crossbows. Something to watch for is the cutting diameter when used in a crossbow, don't want a blade that is larger or may deploy in the window/tunnel that it passes thru where it could do damage. Make sure whatever you get is compatible for a crossbow.

Kevinq6 said:

I am about to buy a crossbow for archery season and am looking at different broadhead designs. Has anyone noticed a difference in performance between 3 or 4 blade broadheads, or small vs large blades? From my research so far, shot placement is king but the smaller blades allow for more penetration (as does 3 vs 4 blades or more weight). I think I am going to try a 1 1/8 three blade or a 1 3/16 four blade first to see if they shoot well.

I'll need to test for accuracy of course, just want to decide what to try first. I also know I need to match the total arrow weight with the broadhead weight to match the manufacturer's specifications. For me that will mean a 300gr shaft and a 100gr or 125gr broadhead.

Thanks!

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I've shot 4 blade muzzy's out of my bows for many years. I eventually tried 3 blade muzzys and never looked back. I get better accuracy with 3 blades because I put an "o" ring on the blade frame so I can rotate the broadhead to match my fletching. The "o" ring allows that.

@Kevinq6 you have the right idea to buy a few different types of heads. I have used both 100 grain and 125 grain three blade heads with different bows. The only four blade I have used was an old bear two blade with an insert (man I'm old). I have switched to Rage 100 grain for my Mathews and Rage crossbow for my Ten Point. I always have a arrow with a Muzzy three blade incase a second arrow is need to finish the job.

Good luck with the new Crossbow!

I use either a longbow or a crossbow. For the longbow I use old technology Grizzlies which are 2 blade and with the crossbow I use the same Rage as is pictured above by @Rembrandt

I honestly couldn’t tell you if there is a real world difference. I get pass throughs every time and recover the animal within 100 yds.

So far either of these results have been better than the 10 or so deer I have shot with my muzzleloader using a 240 gr XTP.

3 blade Muzzy's here too. My results have been so good I've never had a reason to try anything else.

I use 100gr Allen 3 blade with the chisel point. They are cheap and effective. These.

https://www.bobwards.com/the-allen-...0OWoW3g8PbEmLble-1UozZSDjuSS8DVEaApD7EALw_wcB

What I like about muzzy's is the chisel point and way they mount the blades into the ferrel. It can't come apart. Plus the fact that they come in a pack of 6 rather than three! I can't see myself paying 40 plus for three broadheads

I was taught, by a very avid bow hunter, that Three Blades are better because he taught that when the blades are opposite to each other, even though they are spinning in flight, they act as a surface which may be pushed by the air if a good wind comes along. Now he was talking about Zwickey two blade broadheads at the time, but he claimed that four blades would do the same. Now Zwickey are solid blades, while today a lot if not just about all of the broadheads have blades with an opening near the shaft (so perhaps he was right, back-in-the-day). The other school-of-thought is that the broadhead works by cutting and blood-loss..., so more blades are better.

I think that since this tech has been working well with a minimum of two edges per metal arrow head for several millennia, that whatever set-up you use simply needs to be as accurate as you can get, and your time spent in practice will be the key..., not the number of cutting edges.

LD

May I suggest a mechanical head, as I'm willing to bet more often than not a mechanical head is more accurate than a fixed blade. I don't have a lot of archery experience but last year I used my crossbow on my first archery deer. A 425 grain total weight arrow, using 100gr 2 blade Shwackers 1.75 in cut. My bow launches them at 353 fps and I broke through the onside shoulder and got full penetration through the offside rib cage. Doe ran maybe 40 yards with blood drops the whole way. Arrow and head are still in great shape and I'll use it again this year.

With today's broadhead designs and materials there IMO is just no reason to not shoot a high quality (not Chinese copy) mechanical head as they are never less accurate than a fixed head. As with my group of hunters I know they all say the have more harvests with mechanical than they do with fixed heads.

I figure, if people could hunt deer with two blade stone points and arrows going slower than the ones we shoot....it doesn’t really matter what broadhead you choose as long as it’s reliable.

I like the Montec G5 three blade because I like to keep things simple, from a reliability standpoint. I also like balance, so in my mind a three vein arrow gets a three blade broadhead. I doubt there’s any good reason for that outside of “it just matches” to me.

daniel craig said:

I figure, if people could hunt deer with two blade stone points and arrows going slower than the ones we shoot....it doesn’t really matter what broadhead you choose as long as it’s reliable.
.

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I will attest to that.

Deer are killed one of three ways (sometimes a combination).

1. Blood loss.
2. Bilateral Pneumothorax (both lungs collapse after having been penetrated) they suffocate, NOT bleed to death.
3. CNS hit (Central Nervous System).

Simple as that. Make a GOOD shot and you'll have your animal in a relatively short distance.

I hope to someday see a crossbow bolt with a knapped flint broadhead attached with sinew.

I still like Zwickeys, being as they are from my hometown. But of the modern designs, I will agree with AF, Montecs are the best.

I like these. Two blade.

@Flintknapper

I’ve heard obsidian can be crafted to be one of the sharpest edges known. Are there any other arrow head stones similar to this?

I doubt very much if a single blade one way or the other is going to make a difference between a clean kill and a lost animal. Cutting diameter and penetration should be the priority when it comes to broadheads and whitetail deer. Weight should be matched to bolt or shaft spine. Brand/Model of broadhead should be determined by accuracy. Don't give up accuracy because of the hype from friends or manufacturer, or because you invested $40 on three and you are going to use them no matter what. Fixed or mechanical? Again, many claim mechanical fly better, but some are prone to not always open or break. I've found many fixed blade broadheads that fly as good as my field points within my comfort shooting range. Many of those are a third of the price of mechanicals. Again, like riding motorcycle, one's confidence in their equipment and skill goes a long ways. Find something you like and something that works well for you. Hype from folks on hunting shows about amount of blood/devastation of tissue from "whammer-bammer" broadheads is because they are being paid. If your arrow penetrates to the vitals and retains it's blades, you will have a large amount of blood, regardless of how many blades or how much you paid.

The issue I see most from folks when they try a new broadhead, is they just assume it is going to fly exactly like their field point and because they spent $13 a piece on their new heads, they are reluctant to target shoot with them. While they may still be accurate, they probably are going to have a slight difference of POI from your field points. Then there is the chance they won't fly worth a dang from your bow on your shafts. Sacrifice some replacement blades tuning you equipment and knowing exactly where they hit. Doing so may cost you a little now, but it may mean you won't have to do it again until you make an equipment change.

I like 2 blade as I don't want tension from the rib cage to slow the arrow down.MHO

The broadhead must fly true and hold up on impact.

Blade angle, blade lengtho, number of blades, bevel type and angle, tip type .......then theres how that is all affected by any sideloading under stress (arrow FOC and type ).

I blow through deer w 125 gr heads. Cut on contact or chisel point.

Like the Magnus stinger 2 blade....w bleeders. Reg 2 blade.....on anything, no thanks.

Have killed deer w Montecs. Not impressed, think the 60 degree chops instead of slices.
Maybe at higher speeds it does better.

Like the G5 Striker for a replaceable blade head.

Fave trad head is the old Snuffer. But they are big and recommend a decent perf recurve of 55# min. My Widows blew em through deer.

Bloodtrails were big and immediate.

If going x bow Id go w a sturdy 125gr 3 blade.

My kid might hunt at some point and she will require an X bow. Shes 22 and cant draw a reg bow or handle tough weather.
So ground blind and x bow in early season about it ( we have no shooting shacks for her to gun hunt and recoil is to be minimal due to tissue disorder- shoulder and retina ).

I told her if she wanted a Mission x bow wed get one and a pop up blind, would set it on camera tripod for her.

Have G5 strikers for her is she wants to go.

I tune my wheel bows and recurves to perfection. BH hits w FP. Boringly repeatably good.

But I run helical feather fletch or Blazer vanes. And I run a 125gr head, sometimes w added weight behind.