Which one do you think would penetrate better?

[jonsimoneau]

This is not meant to detract from either shaft, but which shaft do you believe would penetrate better?
   Lets say you have an axis shaft that weighs 500 grains, and an arrow dynamics shaft that weighs 500 grains, and both with the same broadhead.
  The hammer head has the FOC thing going on, but it is larger in diameter.  The axis is thinner in diameter.  Which one do you think would penetrate better?

[Mike Vines]

I would say hammer head, with all things being equal.  

Using the analogy of a front wheel drive car.  It just pulls a little car thru the snow.

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

I would say on foam the thinner, on flesh and blood probably doesn't make a lot of difference.. Blood is basically water which in it's self is an excellent lubricant. Since the hide and tissue are typically fibers under stress, the wound will open upon being cut..aka very little drag regardless of diameter of shaft.  My $0.02

[JimB]

I think there is probably only one way to find out.Doc Ashby said that the tapered shafts out penetrated parallel.i can't remember by how much but I do believe he was testing wood shaft arrows.FOC won't do much for you unless you get above 19%.I doubt if a tapered shaft alone would get you there if standard weight heads are used.

Finding someone who has shot a lot of game with both would help.Both shafts seem to have a lot of fans.

[Jim Wright]

You can get the f.o.c. thing on steroids with the MFX shafts by using brass insert/inserts, heavy field points, broadheads with steel adapters etc..

[Earl Jeff]

hammer head will penetrate. the broadhead is your widest point and Blood is a lubricant

[Cyclic-Rivers]

C.      :confused:

[katman]

I would think the arrow dynamics, assuming not a large bone hit. Shaft diameter is more important for bone penetration if I read Dr Ashby correctly. Since the hammerhead is stiffer in the rear less deflection on impact and it has a higher foc.

[Matt Green]

If both are tuned and hit "dead on" (no angle) the difference woudl be which sticks deepest in the ground on the other side of the animal.
I woudln't tend to think a ton of differnce - except maybe with foam target as someone pointed out.
good "ponderable" qustion though - maybe a physics professor will chime in eventually
mg

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Jon,

How far in the dirt beyond the animal are you looking to go?  

[Trad-Man]

I have arrow dynamics shafts.  My original set-up tipped the scales at 615 grains, 11% FOC out of a 53 @ 29" recurve with a double bevel 2 blade head.

On all broadside chest shots or quartering chest shots where I didn't hit anything more than ribs I have had complete pass throughs with a significant amount of arrow buried in the dirt on the far side.

On a couple of hard hits where I had to get through muscle, cartalige, sternum etc. I buried the shaft to the feathers but did not always get an exit hole.  The point just began to poke through.  I recovered all the deer as they fell within 20 yards but I still want the hole....

My new set-up with the same shaft sports a total of 700 grains 21% FOC with a single bevel 3:1 head. The arrow does recover faster, seems to be more forgiving, and they do group better than with my original set-up.

I'm hoping with these modifications similar hard hits will produce an exit hole.  Time will tell.

All I had to do was add more weight up front..no retuning was necessary.  Not certain how the Axis shaft would behave.  Hope this helps...

[huntnmuleys]

cant see there being much of a difference here...

[larry]

being as how I shoot axis shafts...the axis of course!

[Bobaru]

Facinating thread.  

Every one has an opinion.

Well, I've got mine.  My opinion is that there is but one way to know:  testing.  

So, go test it out yourself.

But, make sure you set up a controlled test, lest your efforts are for naught.

Have a good day.

[DuffyRP]

I would say that means your total arrow is well over 600 grains and thats plenty for anything in North America.

[mark land]

Have shot and hunted with both types of shafts and with the heavy tip weighted Beman I got better penetration then the standard insert AD arrow.  Now add even more tip weight to the AD arrow and not sure how that would affect it but I do know from way back when we shot those old pultruded carbon arrows, nothing seemed to penetrate better then a tip weighted, small diameter shaft.

[Friend]

Far too litle information to make an adequate prediction.

1. If FOC is not above 19% then there will be no difference. Actually could not personally discern a difference until approaching the mid 20's. Under impression the Hammerheads are signifcanlty heavier than the black axis.
The black axis could also utilize a weighted insert that may have an FOC higher than the Hammerhead.

2. If the BH ferrule is at least ~5% larger than the shaft then there will be no discernable penetration gain.

[vermonster13]

The one in the vitals.

[bayoulongbowman]

AD

[overbo]

Not enough noticeable difference IMO!