Single Bevel Broadheads. What you need to know...

The single bevel broadhead has demonstrated that it is superior to the double bevel or coumpound bevel broadhead when bone is encountered. There are also advantages in soft tissue. Even though the single bevel broadhead is not new to the archery scene new emphasis of it’s advantages has been brought to light and demonstrated by studies conducted by Dr. Ed Ashby.
 

Dr Ashby did extensive studies and experiments comparing broadheads of different configuration,  cutting edges and manufactures under real hunting conditions and on carcasses of large game animals. Most of the studies were conducted in Africa where he resided for many years. Dr Ashby’s studies can be read at http://tuffhead.com/education/ashby.html.

 

A single bevel grind is just as the name describes. Instead of the broad head being ground on both sides of a cutting edge it is ground on only one. Dr Ashby studies concluded that the single bevel out performs all others when bone is encountered. This statement says a lot as every bow hunter knows that sooner than later their arrow will hit a scapula or other bone .

There is significant damage done to soft tissue by single bevel broadheads that is not common to double bevels, such as mushing of lung tissue due to blade rotation and “L” shaped cuts in organs all of which can be demonstrated and proven by animal autopsies performed by the inquisitive hunter.

 

Dr. Ashby lists the advantage of single bevel broadheads over the double bevel. “there are several advantages, but the most obvious is when the arrow penetrates bone. The bevel-induced rotation tends to cause massive bone breaks; especially in the heavier bone; whereas a double-bevel broadhead simply forces its way directly through, rarely splitting any other than the very lightest of bone. Splitting, rather than piercing bone has demonstrated a major penetration benefit - it lowers drag on the trailing shaft; and test results show that shaft drag is a huge penetration-reducing factor”

 

Knowing that the single bevel will outperform other blade configurations why would hunters chose anything else?

This picture of the leg bone of a hog was split by a 225 grain TuffHead™ manufactured by the Vintage Archery Co. http://www.vintagearcheryco.com .

The Tuffhead™ first hit the closest leg bone, chipped a visible hunk out of leg, and proceeded through the vitals to split the leg bone on the farthest side which the picture shows.

Splits like this occur commonly with the Tuffhead.

It has been shown through many independent experiments that the single bevel blade configuration rotates when penetrating the animal. This rotation, characteristic of well designed single bevel broadheads only, is caused by the pressure of soft and hard tissue on the blade. The rotation creates an enlarged wound channel as shown in the  picture below of a hog heart that was shot with a Tuffhead™ single bevel broadhead.

A single bevel combined with a high mechanical advantage broadhead will provide the cutting action and hemorrhaging necessary to insure a kill. Single bevel blade rotation can be demonstrated by shooting a well designed broadhead such as the TuffHead™ (www.tuffhead.com) into a hard, firm, foam target. The rotation can be observed in the cutting or slicing action of the broadhead in the foam. It also can be seen and felt when the shaft and head are pulled out of the target.

A double bevel or compound bevel will not commonly produce cuts or damage to soft tissue as demonstrated by these pictures

The typical “S” cut of the single bevel as described by many hunters, can be seen as the exit hole on this moose carcass shown below. One advantage of the single bevel besides internal damage that it does as it rotates is a large exit hole that it creates for better blood trails.

 

Dr  Ashby, in his studies say: “besides bone breaks, among the single-bevel wound features that you will routinely see are: 
(1) Wound channel cuts that are considerable wider than the broadhead's cut-diameter, 
(2) L shaped cuts, which commonly appear on internal organs, especially heart, liver, renal and intestinal tissues and,
(3)'mushing' and bruising of lung tissue. None of these are exhibited with double-bevel broadheads.

The internal damage created by the single bevel is well demonstrated in the hog’s heart shown above and the enlarged hole in the lung tissue of this moose below.

The typical “S” cut of the single bevel as described by many hunters, can be seen as the exit hole on this moose carcass shown to the right. One advantage of the single bevel besides internal damage that it does as it rotates is a large exit hole that it creates for better blood trails.

One advantage of the single bevel besides internal damage that it does as it rotates is a large exit hole that it creates for better blood trails. Check out this YouTube blood trail video from a Tuffhead user in Alabama.

 

 

The rotation action of the single bevel has been demonstrated and discussed by Dr Ashby and other authorities in several articles. To read more on this subject visit the Ashby Educational Section on www.TuffHead.com

To insure the proper rotation of the broadhead shooters using left wing feathers should use a left bevel broadhead. Shooters using right wing feathers should use a right bevel blade. Attention should be made to broadhead and feather match up. An unmatched set up could retard or negate some of the rotational effects of the single bevel.

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