A percussive rock drill bit comprising: a head provided at one end of an elongate shank having an internal bore extending axially from one end of the shank towards the head; the head having a front face and a plurality of collar segments spaced circumferentially around a longitudinal axis of the bit and positioned at a perimeter of the front face, the front face being generally dome-shaped; a plurality of front cutting buttons provided at the front face and a plurality of gauge buttons provided at the collar segments; a plurality of flushing grooves extending in a direction radially outward from the axis at the front face and continuing in a direction axially rearward to define and circumferentially separate the collar segments, each of the grooves terminating at the vicinity of the shank; at least one fluid passageway connected to the bore and emerging as an aperture in the vicinity of the front face within at least one of the flushing grooves, the aperture being recessed axially from the front face within the at least one groove; characterised in that: a flow path length of each of the flushing grooves is generally convex in the direction from the front face to the shank relative to the axis of the bit; and the flow path length is aligned to extend continuously axially rearward from the region of the aperture towards the shank such that no part of the flow path length is aligned perpendicular to the axis of the bit so as to provide an unhindered axially rearward flow path for fluid to flow from the aperture towards the shank and between the collar segments. a head provided at one end of an elongate shank having an internal bore extending axially from one end of the shank towards the head; the head having a front face and a plurality of collar segments spaced circumferentially around a longitudinal axis of the bit and positioned at a perimeter of the front face, the front face being generally dome-shaped; a plurality of front cutting buttons provided at the front face and a plurality of gauge buttons provided at the collar segments; a plurality of flushing grooves extending in a direction radially outward from the axis at the front face and continuing in a direction axially rearward to define and circumferentially separate the collar segments, each of the grooves terminating at the vicinity of the shank; at least one fluid passageway connected to the bore and emerging as an aperture in the vicinity of the front face within at least one of the flushing grooves, the aperture being recessed axially from the front face within the at least one groove; characterised in that: a flow path length of each of the flushing grooves is generally convex in the direction from the front face to the shank relative to the axis of the bit; and the flow path length is aligned to extend continuously axially rearward from the region of the aperture towards the shank such that no part of the flow path length is aligned perpendicular to the axis of the bit so as to provide an unhindered axially rearward flow path for fluid to flow from the aperture towards the shank and between the collar segments. a flow path length of each of the flushing grooves is generally convex in the direction from the front face to the shank relative to the axis of the bit; and the flow path length is aligned to extend continuously axially rearward from the region of the aperture towards the shank such that no part of the flow path length is aligned perpendicular to the axis of the bit so as to provide an unhindered axially rearward flow path for fluid to flow from the aperture towards the shank and between the collar segments.