I agree and to up it another notch, a 2 blade single bevel is even more helpful in the penetration category.
I would have to agree with the shot placement factor. I shoot the RAGE Chisel Tip 100 grain 2 blade. My arrow/broadhead weighs 375, shooting 65 lbs and 278fps. I have more pass-throughs than not all the way out to about 40 yds. Arrow selection is also a factor to take in to consideration.
Also, tuning in general. An arrow flying sideways and flopping around has a tougher time passing through than one that flying well.
I used a Rage Xtreme for one doe last season. Got a double lung, complete pass through. The entry hole was 2.5" and the exit hole was about an inch. A big entry hole means nothing if the blades break when they contact the first set of ribs. Not sure what would've happened if I didn't hit her perfectly. Might have been a long track job. After that experience, I went back to my G5 Strikers.
I have to be honest. I ditched the whole expandable years ago and haven't looked back. I know shoot Slick Trick standards with a "tiny" 1" cut. But... they're four blades. Same amount of cutting surface as something like a Rage. Its not about size of cut folks. Have you ever hit hard bone with a Rage? I've seen one bent like a coat hanger on a shoulder hit. I much prefer the simplicity of fixed blade heads. I went to the Slick Tricks because of their all steel construction and very heavy thickness blades. Plus, their super short and I've been finding the ferral's to be extremely durable. If you make a perfect shot, just about any head will do fine. But if you don't, and I know I sure have been off on shots before, I like the benefit of knowing I have a head that is more than capable of blowing through some bone. With that said, heavier arrows are key for me as well. I went up some on weight this season, to a 450gr arrow. A heavier arrow, combined with a compact head like a Slick Trick did the trick on 4 deer this year. All pass throughs, all recovered within 100 yards. I feel my combo gives me that added insurance in case I'm off a bit on a shot, which is bound to happen sooner or later. Sometimes I think folks get in trouble with the expandables because they don't bother to really tune the bow. Expandables can lie to you and make you think the bow is tuned better than it is. You can't band aid tuning with most fixed heads. A well tuned bow and arrow combo will definitely increase penetration.
I went thru both shoulders of a 235 pound deer with a Rage titanium, mechanicals need heavy arrows to be most effective. Anybody that says mechanicals don't penetrate either has low KE or light arrows.
This is just plain false. Many mechanicals by the design, ,the length of the ferrule before the start of the blades and the steep angle of the blades on many mechanicals are self limiting in regards to penetrating ability irregardless of arrow weight and KE . By their design if they were made the exact same way BUT fixed open they wouldn't penetrate as well either. This is born from experiences using both fixed and mech heads , not a handful of kills, not a couple dozen kills ...I am talking lots of bow kills on several different animals. Get away from thin skinned game like Whitetails and out of the scope of just deer and it clear as day. All things equal a fixed COC will out penetrate mechanicals. Period.
I am shooting 58#@28.5" at almost the same arrow weight and both deer I shot this year had the arrow sticking 6-8" in the dirt behind the deer. But, there is always a but, I am shooting QAD Exodus fixed blades.
If you have KE and arrow weight you can put a blunt head thru a deer. I am talking KE over 85 and 450 grain arrows, the only argument is if the fixed or mechanical stuck further in the dirt on the other side of the deer after the pass thru.
Narrow scope ...again deer. Next all things being equal a COC fixed blade will out penetrate a mechanical ...or a blunt tip.
I hunt deer that's it, perhaps a bear again in the future, but blowing thru a deer is all that concerns me.
