Post by BT on Jan 9, 2008 8:47:40 GMT -5
Sorry for the late reply....business called yesterday and I was unavailable for the last 14 hours.
I am going to break it all down and then end with a summation so please read to the bottom.
5 blade heads have the least penetration potential and this is confirmed by the Ashby Report which was submitted to the African government for use in it's determination of where the bow would fit into it's game laws many many years ago.
That was the day of the Razorback 5 and that head was alot of trouble , even for whitetail hunters.
A bear isn't as hard a target on a broadhead as a cape buffalo , regardless of the bears size but personally , that wouldn't matter much to me
I wouldn't consider a 3 blade head at all in either situation
Personally I would go with a stepped 4 blade or a single blade.
Both have distinct advantages and disadvantages but either will outperform a three blade head which is designed on a chock principle.
The Montec , hell razor , snuffer (to name a few) are chock designs and although they are great at making holes , they eat up K.E..
The Bows weight has little to do with the decision but rather it is the bows speed and arrow weight that decided the day.
If you are creating 80# K.E. with a 400grain arrow then I would submit that the Hellrazor would be a good choice should you decided toy use it.
I would bring back the point some and reshape to improve it's ability to hold it's shape on hard impact though.
If you are @ 75# K.E. I would suggest either the Phantom or S.Flame.
Normally I would include the Razorshark but I have to keep in mind that the bear could decide to charge before or after the strike 
The razorshark is going to be the leader for wound channel but it will eat up alot of energy on a bone strike such as a scapula
The Phantom will have a lesser wound channel but still alot better than the silver flame while doing better on hard bone penetration than the razorshark.
Finally we come to the Silver Flame...
The Flame would be the Only head I would consider at 70# K.E..
The flame offers the highest penetration not only because of it's superior finished edge and single blade design but also because of the dynamics of the ferrule which minimizes it's own contact with bone while assisting to minimize the blades contact with that same bone.
A simple and perfect design.
The single blade design is also the only likely candidate to put down any animal the fastest if the lung closes on the wound (if the arrow passes through)
A lung collapse is not assured but is far more assured with the flame as opposed to the other candidates above.
Common Sense Conclusion :
Regardless of the bows ability....this is a potential disaster scenario
If the shot does not end up in the desired location (IE:Scapula) the only thing that is going to matter is cutting ability and penetration.
I know of one man among thousands who can finish an edge to match a silver flame....ONE!
Nothing is going to out penetrate a silver flame other than a smaller diameter silver flame
The fastest potential killer is a collapsed lung and the odds on favorite to produce a collapsed lung is a single blade head.
Add the three things all together and you end up with a silver flame
Bonus point** a single blade head is going to inflict the least bite on entry and thus will be least likely to piss that bear off
*** Keep this in mind....Grizzly bear have been hit with a full clip of magnum rounds and still have killed thier attacker before dying themselves.
Do what is best for the safety of your guide and yourself.
I am going to break it all down and then end with a summation so please read to the bottom.
5 blade heads have the least penetration potential and this is confirmed by the Ashby Report which was submitted to the African government for use in it's determination of where the bow would fit into it's game laws many many years ago.
That was the day of the Razorback 5 and that head was alot of trouble , even for whitetail hunters.
A bear isn't as hard a target on a broadhead as a cape buffalo , regardless of the bears size but personally , that wouldn't matter much to me
I wouldn't consider a 3 blade head at all in either situation
Personally I would go with a stepped 4 blade or a single blade.
Both have distinct advantages and disadvantages but either will outperform a three blade head which is designed on a chock principle.
The Montec , hell razor , snuffer (to name a few) are chock designs and although they are great at making holes , they eat up K.E..
The Bows weight has little to do with the decision but rather it is the bows speed and arrow weight that decided the day.
If you are creating 80# K.E. with a 400grain arrow then I would submit that the Hellrazor would be a good choice should you decided toy use it.
I would bring back the point some and reshape to improve it's ability to hold it's shape on hard impact though.
If you are @ 75# K.E. I would suggest either the Phantom or S.Flame.
Normally I would include the Razorshark but I have to keep in mind that the bear could decide to charge before or after the strike
The razorshark is going to be the leader for wound channel but it will eat up alot of energy on a bone strike such as a scapula
The Phantom will have a lesser wound channel but still alot better than the silver flame while doing better on hard bone penetration than the razorshark.
Finally we come to the Silver Flame...
The Flame would be the Only head I would consider at 70# K.E..
The flame offers the highest penetration not only because of it's superior finished edge and single blade design but also because of the dynamics of the ferrule which minimizes it's own contact with bone while assisting to minimize the blades contact with that same bone.
A simple and perfect design.
The single blade design is also the only likely candidate to put down any animal the fastest if the lung closes on the wound (if the arrow passes through)
A lung collapse is not assured but is far more assured with the flame as opposed to the other candidates above.
Common Sense Conclusion :
Regardless of the bows ability....this is a potential disaster scenario
If the shot does not end up in the desired location (IE:Scapula) the only thing that is going to matter is cutting ability and penetration.
I know of one man among thousands who can finish an edge to match a silver flame....ONE!
Nothing is going to out penetrate a silver flame other than a smaller diameter silver flame
The fastest potential killer is a collapsed lung and the odds on favorite to produce a collapsed lung is a single blade head.
Add the three things all together and you end up with a silver flame
Bonus point** a single blade head is going to inflict the least bite on entry and thus will be least likely to piss that bear off
*** Keep this in mind....Grizzly bear have been hit with a full clip of magnum rounds and still have killed thier attacker before dying themselves.
Do what is best for the safety of your guide and yourself.
