What effects blood trails more, BH selection or shot implementation?

[Tom264]

I've bow hunted for probably 30 years and always used the plain Jane muzzy 3 blade with excellent results. With a good non mechanical BH shot placement is everything.
After a torn rotator cuff I had to switch to a crossbow and have shot a few deer. At crossbow speed I decided I needed to shoot mechanical and have been using rage. After taking a 20 yard chip shot at a buck I was amazed that he was still up at about 100 yards away. I was puzzled by the lack of blood on the bolt but there was a decent blood trail. After getting permission from the neighboring property owner I found him about 50 yards from where I last seen him.
This was not a super steep angle, less than 45 degrees. I will be shopping for a different BH for next year.

View attachment 615372

that's not broadhead error that's shooter error, ain't no magical broadhead gonna fix that shot placement.
That's a raking shot almost straight down on the deer, your lucky you were able to recover him.

 

[Tom264]

And I'd also add that they go hand in hand.
Placement and BH selection.

 

[birddog 68]

that's not broadhead error that's shooter error, ain't no magical broadhead gonna fix that shot placement.
That's a raking shot almost straight down on the deer, your lucky you were able to recover him.

You are incorrect. If you would have read the original post I mentioned the angle and it wasn't straight down! If this was shooter error I would own up to it.
Numerous others on this thread said that they have witnessed this with Rage BH.
Now I am one of them.
I have been archery hunting for over 30 years and have never seen this even at steep angles but I have just switched to mechanical BH.
You are entitled to your opinion on what happened but I have no reason to lie about the angle and performance of said BH.
Just 2 posts below.

The arrow hit the last rib skated up the side of the spike buck then turned into the chest cavity just behind the shoulder. I'd never heard a deer make a sound like that before. It looked like a sword swipe across its left rib cage

I have seen and heard of more failures from Rage than any other broadhead! Either deploying before impact this redirecting point of impact. Poor to terrible penetration, and what you experienced is deflection upon impact, fairly common

 

[sdakotaguy]

Recently, roughly 3 years ago I came around to understanding the advantages of great single bevel broad heads. Only have taken 3 deer with the COC single bevels so far. For the tree stand hunting I do I have found no down side to utilizing the 2 blade COC single bevel broad head. Current average is deer have went down within 60 yards of Impact & expire quite quickly.

Blood trails have varied from very little to the best blood trail I will ever see when using the 2 blade fixed head. Shot placement matters here in terms of blood trail.

I have taken a quite a few more deer with expandable broad-heads & my average for distance traveled after impact is similar with exceptions due to marginal shots made.

Reality of my experiences is that chance of shot location shifting a bit one way or another plays heavily into blood trails & distance traveled.

I could in good conscience recommend a few mechanicals to some archers. With COC 2 blade fixed heads I feel I could recommend these heads to anyone that is responsible enough to tune their bow properly & keep shot distances respectable.

Lots of options out there & they are not all created equally.

 

[Tom264]

I am not incorrect.
A wound that large and that long tells me less than 10 yds and most likely 5 if not straight down.
Green arrow is your arrow direction.

 

[southpa]

It's obvious that if you don't hit an animal where it is likely to bleed profusely its not going to bleed profusely haha. That being said, it been proven that 2 blade heads can but generally do not produce as much blood as a 3 or 4 blade that creates a "hole". Basically the question isn't as simple as it sounds. Any broadhead placed in a good spot will drop blood pressure and ultimately lead to death but if you want blood to exit the animal and end up on the ground (e.i. blood trail) a head that creates a hole over a slice (2 blade) your odds are higher with a 3 or 4 blade.