Just for fun I thought Id post this broadhead demo. that I used to do long ago and far away at our bowhunter Ed. courses. The whole idea was to show how different designs require different energy to get the job done. For this demo I used 2 unused heads, 1 which is a punch cutter, and the other a cut on contact head. Both were mounted on the same 1816 alluminum shaft.
Long story short, you stand the arrow upright on its nock and with a piece of tanned hide stretched between your hands you try to pull it down over the broadhead to achieve penetration.
 [/url] [/IMG]
Broadhead #1
 [/url] [/IMG]
Broadhead #2
The leather used for both
 [/url] [/IMG]
Now for the fun part! Take note of the way the shaft is bending while trying to force the punch cutter broadhead #1 through the leather, I was afraid of breaking the shaft so I quit and went to the cut on contact head. With the leather lightly pinched between my thumb and forefinger, the head slid through with very, very little effort.
 [/url] [/IMG]
 [/url] [/IMG]
Im sure some of you have seen this demo. before, and different heads will have different results but I believe that this demo. sure makes you think about broadhead design and and sharpness when it comes to hunting lethality.
 

Neat.  Thanks for that.

Tom

that punch cutter might work good for turkeys if you've got enough bow behind it. I seen where muzzy or magnus or some broadhead company is making turkey heads designed to penetrate just enough but also absorb alot of energy into the bird in order to knock it down or have the bird feel the full "punch" of the arrow. That head might work good in a situation like that.

When I took my Bowhunter Ed coarse they had a scale to measure the amount of force. My son still remembers that which could be close 18 years ago.
They used a coffee can with some leather warped over the opened end.
Abe

Abe, of all the demos that we done, It seemed like this one made the biggest impression, for sometimes the technical aspect was lost, but the " I seen it for myself" aspect really put things into perspective.

     

Most-excellent!

Shoot straight, Shinken

 

I watched that same demo at the UBM festival some years ago using a green cow hide.

I wish I could remember the exact numbers that were recorded. What I do remember is the 2 bladed broadhead was less than one half(1/2) lb of pressure to get through the hide.

Basically the weight of the hide itself was enough to cause the 2 blade to cut through.

Thank you for posting this as a reminder for me as to why I shoot 2 blade-cut on contact broadheads.

God bless,Mudd

I do not use punch thru heads, but, my first bow deer in 1981 was with a Wasp 4 blade much like the head used in this demo. Same conical tip. The blood trail was tremendous and she died quickly. The head was destroyed and all bent up. It did the job though.

Having said that, I MUCH prefer cut on contact.

Some of our more techno oriented hunters (read "wheel bows") could do with such a demo.  Specially if it included mechanical broadheads!

I think it was TBM many years ago that had an article using this same procedure for testing. I think they actually had the arrow resting on a scale to record a quantitative value. I was using the Wasp 4blades then, too, and quickly switched to a Zwickey cut on contact head.

Thanks for bringing that up again. I think that this is one of the best tests of a broadhead's ability to get to the vitals.

Actually its a great test, and it is scientific....

And the reason we should have pointy tipped heads...

   

Even though this is a simple demo. its always an eye opener when you realize how much energy is lost at impact with a head just cutting its way through the hide, much less tissue and bone before ever getting to the vitals. Be it 2, 3 or 4 blade, the key to success is a head that is ,SHARP,SHARP, SHARP! and speaking for myself, a cut on contact design.

Scientific: fairly
Interesting: definately
Unsafe: just maybe ... call me a wuss btu it makes me nervous just watching someone lean in over a broadhead on an arrow shaft.

Very cool to see theough. I've heard of this test before. Never actually did it. I have noticed in practice thugh that some broadheads (NAO thunderhead) for example althougha great head doesn't penetrate as well as say a muzzy with the trocar sharpened to a razors edge ... (i don't use either in a trad bow ... strictly 2blade COC)

I've never seen that before, interesting!  Thanks!

Yes, need to be careful no doubt....when I  demo that its with carpet samples...and I set on side of the sample in a chair and put my foot on it and hold it tight with my hand and have someone PUSH down with one finger in the nock....

That's a great demo. Similar test was done in my IBEP class as well.

Been a long time since I seen a cam lock.

I seen that same demo. on a video by Paul Brunner (the 8 dwarf). Don't remember which video but it was quite some time ago.

sometimes seeing something is worth all the words and experts around. We do that for hunters Ed as well.

It makes a point.  With all things though, remember,  some things are good, some things are better, some things are best, but if the "good" is good "enough"  we have to keep everything else in perspective.

ChuckC

I saw the same video with Paul Brunner.  I'm pretty sure it was at least 15 years ago.  I think it might have been on an old elk hunting video.  I think he used a Grizzly head when he did it.

Dan Quillian used to do this same type test back in the 80's at his
Archery shop. He was a big proponent of the cut on contact heads. In particular the Snuffers.