Single Bevel Broadheads
Bone-splitting rotation and S-shaped wound channels. The penetration specialists, scored and ranked.
A single-bevel broadhead is sharpened on one side of each blade, which makes the head rotate as it drives through tissue and bone. That rotation splits bone and opens an S-shaped wound that resists closing — the reason single bevels have a cult following among elk and traditional hunters.
They reward commitment: single-bevel sharpening has a real learning curve (a fixed bevel angle, usually around 25°), and the rotational force makes proper arrow tuning important. Done right, nothing on this site out-penetrates them. We rank them with extra weight on penetration and blood trail.
| Broadhead | Type | Cut Ø | Mechanism | Score | Best For | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Will S-SeriesIron Will · Best Overall | Fixed Blade | 1" | 2 fixed, single or double bevel (bleeder optional) | 9.1/10 | Elk, Big game | ~$130 / 3-pack | ReadAmazon ↗ |
| Iron Will WideIron Will | Fixed Blade | 1 3/8" | 2 fixed, back-sharpened single bevel | 8.7/10 | Whitetail, Elk | ~$130 / 3-pack | ReadBuy ↗ |
| Cutthroat Single BevelCutthroat · Best Single Bevel | Single Bevel | 1 1/8"–1 1/2" | Monolithic single bevel, 25° | 8.7/10 | Elk and big game, Heavy bone | ~$90 / 3-pack | ReadBuy ↗ |
| Kudu Point ContourKudu Point | Single Bevel | 1.07"–1.38" | .050" 420 stainless main + 17-4 bleeder | 8.5/10 | Elk and big game, Penetration seekers | ~$55 / 3-pack | ReadBuy ↗ |
Ranked by our overall 5-part score.
If your budget allows it, the S-Series is as close to a buy-once broadhead as the market offers: it flies like a dart, shrugs off bone, and resharpens for years. The only real question is whether you can stomach the price.
The Wide trades a sliver of the S-Series' bottomless penetration for a dramatically bigger hole and faster, more obvious blood. On deer- and bear-class game it is arguably the more practical Iron Will.
Outdoor Life's top-rated single bevel, the Cutthroat delivers exceptional bone-splitting penetration and a self-opening S-cut wound, asking only that you learn to sharpen a 25-degree edge.
The Kudu Point Contour delivers possibly the best penetration its testers had ever seen alongside excellent durability and value, with resharpening the only divisive point.
For elk, heavy bone and high-FOC traditional setups, many hunters say yes — the bone-splitting rotation and S-cut deliver elite penetration and strong blood. For whitetail at moderate range, a good double-bevel fixed head is easier to live with.
There's a learning curve because you only sharpen one side of each blade to a set angle. A jig or the maker's sharpening guide helps a lot, and once you know the angle they touch up quickly.