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Arrow Penetration Qualities
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<blockquote data-quote="Konrad" data-source="post: 706561" data-attributes="member: 26549"><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">I felt compelled to compose this missive this after receiving a weekly "tech tip" from an archery only web-site containing the prominent statement of:</span> "Shooting a heavier arrow (shaft + tip) will not necessarily give you more penetration (kinetic energy) over a lighter arrow. Check it for yourself ... take your bow and shoot a heavy arrow and a light arrow through a chronograph, then calculate the kinetic energy. I bet the values aren't much different."</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">So much sales hype circulates in the archery market touting arrow speed and really very little discussion time is spent on, what I have come to believe is, the more critical topic of actually killing game. After all, the vast majority of shekels spent in the archery industry are dedicated to deer hunting. Being able to hit a target at range, accurately is important; however, if the pursuit revolves around the ethical killing of game, hitting and killing are not actually the same topics.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Please bear with me if you've heard this all before.</span></span></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">An arrow's penetration (or lack thereof) is based on a number of variables.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">The current rage in archery advertisement centers on velocity. From a simple calculation using an arrow's weight and it's velocity at impact a number, kinetic energy (k.e. commonly a measurement in foot pounds) can be obtained. Basing conclusions about an arrow's ability to penetrate solely upon velocity, k.e. or a combination of both can be misleading and even cruel. If one were to base his decision on using a particular set up based just on k.e. he is missing large parts of the equation.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Killing with an arrow has little to do with actual energy transferred to the target as is commonly found in the firearms industry. If one stops to think about it, were the arrow to actually drop all of its retained energy into the target at point of impact, the arrow would not penetrate at all (as in the case of a small game "blunt" type arrow). An arrow actually performs better when less of its retained energy is shed in the target and penetration is affected by the slicing action provided by a well designed broadhead that maintains its shape and sharpness while performing its primary duties of destroying the vital circulatory and/or respiratory systems. </span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">One of the most overlooked factors in arrow choice for maximizing penetration is inertia. Inertia is a body's propensity to maintain speed and direction based primarily upon its mass. Yes, it takes more energy to start a massive projectile moving but it also requires more effort to change its direction or to stop that travel. In other words: We absolutely want that broadhead to penetrate as far as possible into and beyond (if possible) the target. The arrow's "impact" has little or nothing to do with its intended purpose.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">More massive projectiles may or may not strike with more kinetic energy but they tend to retain more of their initial velocity while in flight and during encounters with the target.</span></span></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Penetration is also affected by:</span></span></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Diameter of the shaft (smaller diameter equals less resistance and greater penetration)</span></span></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Number and angle of cutting edges of broadhead (i.e. a more gradual angle to the cutting edge provides less resistance and better penetration and two cutting edges require less energy to cut than three edges, three edges require less than four edges)</span></span></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Smooth transition from broadhead ferrule to arrow shaft promotes penetration (a larger ferrule with smaller O. D. shaft penetrates better than same sized shaft and ferrule while a larger shaft than ferrule penetrates more poorly than either of the above)</span></span></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Stiffer shaft penetrates better than a more flexible shaft (less energy is consumed in shaft flexing after impact and more is retained for forward movement)</span></span></li> </ul><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Of course, taking any one of the factors outlined above to an extreme (i.e. very heavy shaft but too slow to even find the target) does our goal of successfully harvesting game no good. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">My admonition to everyone is to be aware of the decisions you are making when choosing an arrow/bow combination. Be careful to filter the advertising propaganda possibly spread by the counter salesperson from the physics of what you actually need to do. There is no free lunch and the current focus on speed and kinetic energy as the end-all be-all to our archery problems is short sighted. While desirable for the 3-D course, that intense commercial focus on speed alone has actually produced a dramatically increased level of struck and wounded game escaping because of inadequate penetration. Merely being able to hit our target is insufficient if we can not reliably bring our intended quarry to ground in an ethical and humanely quick fashion. </span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Not to put too fine a point on it (all puns aside) but the broadhead needs to make it all the way through those vitals and hopefully out the other side producing a wound channel that allows maximum loss of vital fluids and/or gasses. On deer that can be reliably done at 200 feet per second at 20 yards with a sharp broadhead and stiff, heavy arrow every time the mark is hit.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Hitting a foam target is not the same as hitting one of God's creatures.</span></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Konrad, post: 706561, member: 26549"] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]I felt compelled to compose this missive this after receiving a weekly “tech tip” from an archery only web-site containing the prominent statement of:[/SIZE] “Shooting a heavier arrow (shaft + tip) will not necessarily give you more penetration (kinetic energy) over a lighter arrow. Check it for yourself ... take your bow and shoot a heavy arrow and a light arrow through a chronograph, then calculate the kinetic energy. I bet the values aren't much different.”[/FONT] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]So much sales hype circulates in the archery market touting arrow speed and really very little discussion time is spent on, what I have come to believe is, the more critical topic of actually killing game. After all, the vast majority of shekels spent in the archery industry are dedicated to deer hunting. Being able to hit a target at range, accurately is important; however, if the pursuit revolves around the ethical killing of game, hitting and killing are not actually the same topics.[/FONT][/SIZE] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Please bear with me if you’ve heard this all before.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]An arrow’s penetration (or lack thereof) is based on a number of variables.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]The current rage in archery advertisement centers on velocity. From a simple calculation using an arrow’s weight and it’s velocity at impact a number, kinetic energy (k.e. commonly a measurement in foot pounds) can be obtained. Basing conclusions about an arrow’s ability to penetrate solely upon velocity, k.e. or a combination of both can be misleading and even cruel. If one were to base his decision on using a particular set up based just on k.e. he is missing large parts of the equation.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Killing with an arrow has little to do with actual energy transferred to the target as is commonly found in the firearms industry. If one stops to think about it, were the arrow to actually drop all of its retained energy into the target at point of impact, the arrow would not penetrate at all (as in the case of a small game “blunt” type arrow). An arrow actually performs better when less of its retained energy is shed in the target and penetration is affected by the slicing action provided by a well designed broadhead that maintains its shape and sharpness while performing its primary duties of destroying the vital circulatory and/or respiratory systems. [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]One of the most overlooked factors in arrow choice for maximizing penetration is inertia. Inertia is a body’s propensity to maintain speed and direction based primarily upon its mass. Yes, it takes more energy to start a massive projectile moving but it also requires more effort to change its direction or to stop that travel. In other words: We absolutely want that broadhead to penetrate as far as possible into and beyond (if possible) the target. The arrow’s “impact” has little or nothing to do with its intended purpose.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]More massive projectiles may or may not strike with more kinetic energy but they tend to retain more of their initial velocity while in flight and during encounters with the target.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Penetration is also affected by:[/SIZE][/FONT] [LIST] [*][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Diameter of the shaft (smaller diameter equals less resistance and greater penetration)[/SIZE][/FONT] [*][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Number and angle of cutting edges of broadhead (i.e. a more gradual angle to the cutting edge provides less resistance and better penetration and two cutting edges require less energy to cut than three edges, three edges require less than four edges)[/SIZE][/FONT] [*][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Smooth transition from broadhead ferrule to arrow shaft promotes penetration (a larger ferrule with smaller O. D. shaft penetrates better than same sized shaft and ferrule while a larger shaft than ferrule penetrates more poorly than either of the above)[/SIZE][/FONT] [*][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Stiffer shaft penetrates better than a more flexible shaft (less energy is consumed in shaft flexing after impact and more is retained for forward movement)[/SIZE][/FONT] [/LIST] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Of course, taking any one of the factors outlined above to an extreme (i.e. very heavy shaft but too slow to even find the target) does our goal of successfully harvesting game no good. [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]My admonition to everyone is to be aware of the decisions you are making when choosing an arrow/bow combination. Be careful to filter the advertising propaganda possibly spread by the counter salesperson from the physics of what you actually need to do. There is no free lunch and the current focus on speed and kinetic energy as the end-all be-all to our archery problems is short sighted. While desirable for the 3-D course, that intense commercial focus on speed alone has actually produced a dramatically increased level of struck and wounded game escaping because of inadequate penetration. Merely being able to hit our target is insufficient if we can not reliably bring our intended quarry to ground in an ethical and humanely quick fashion. [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Not to put too fine a point on it (all puns aside) but the broadhead needs to make it all the way through those vitals and hopefully out the other side producing a wound channel that allows maximum loss of vital fluids and/or gasses. On deer that can be reliably done at 200 feet per second at 20 yards with a sharp broadhead and stiff, heavy arrow every time the mark is hit.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Hitting a foam target is not the same as hitting one of God's creatures.[/SIZE][/FONT] [/QUOTE]
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