Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Independent Boadhead test reviews

Thunderflight

Dignitary Member
17,770
167
Shermans Dale, PA
I'm sure we've all seen the youtube videos where someone does an independent test on a new broadhead. Normally they shoot them through plywood, cinder blocks, tires, steal drums, and occasionally a pork shoulder.

I'm always skeptical and I know they show how tough the head. I can appreciate that, but how many times are you going to be shooting an animal with steal belted radial or steal skin? I totally get the ideal that it simulates hitting bone, but for a whitetail deer (assuming you have enough KE in your set up ) I think it's a bit overkill. I saw one video where they gave the new G5 Havoc a poor review because it didn't go through the tread on a steal belted radial tire. Maybe he plans on hunting dinosaurs or whales, but I don't know of any animals (at least in North America) have skin that tough.

I think the test showing how durable the broadhead is are very good though. I can see how shooting through a piece of plywood could simulate hitting a bone and a cinder block could be a rock on the ground.

What are your thoughts?
 
Consistency is the key on those tests. If they are all shot through a piece of plywood hopefully they do it twice to insure that one didn't hit a soft spot over another. Same with a steel drum. Some of the tests that are out there are old rusted up drums that could have a compromised spot on them. Shooting a tire one head could hit a steel band square while another slips between. Take them with a grain of salt. Biggest thing IMO is if a head is shot through something and it stays together vs. one that the blades are sheared off.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
It does not have to simulate an actual animal to be considered valid though. As long as the test medium is consistent for each head the variation of results for durability should be the same no matter the medium tested against. This will hold true until a test medium is selected which the weakest head can survive. It's a scale with a curve. For example. Let's say we shoot layers of plywood with a .22 and a .223. The performance of the .223 over the .22 will be blatantly apparent. One could spect the same result if tested against steel drums. One could expect similar results is tested against an elk or a deer. As we continue to move down the scale of test medium we get closer to the max potential of the .22. Once we reach the level of say a single sheet of paper the 22 and .223 Will have similar or undeterminable effectiveness on the test medium. so at the end of the day it does not matter if it is a tire, a barrel, or a whitetail The durability and performance properties of the head will remain the same across the spectrum of test medium. That is unless every head is more than capable of performing flawlessly against the whitetail like the .223 and .22 did against a sheet of paper.
 

Thunderflight

Dignitary Member
17,770
167
Shermans Dale, PA
It does not have to simulate an actual animal to be considered valid though. As long as the test medium is consistent for each head the variation of results for durability should be the same no matter the medium tested against. This will hold true until a test medium is selected which the weakest head can survive. It's a scale with a curve. For example. Let's say we shoot layers of plywood with a .22 and a .223. The performance of the .223 over the .22 will be blatantly apparent. One could spect the same result if tested against steel drums. One could expect similar results is tested against an elk or a deer. As we continue to move down the scale of test medium we get closer to the max potential of the .22. Once we reach the level of say a single sheet of paper the 22 and .223 Will have similar or undeterminable effectiveness on the test medium. so at the end of the day it does not matter if it is a tire, a barrel, or a whitetail The durability and performance properties of the head will remain the same across the spectrum of test medium. That is unless every head is more than capable of performing flawlessly against the whitetail like the .223 and .22 did against a sheet of paper.

My brain hurts.....
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
My brain hurts.....

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1439691859.351160.jpg
 

dante322

*Supporting Member*
5,506
157
Crawford county
I saw a pic the other day of a Dirt Nap Gear brodhead that had hit a wood shovel handle. That's great but my first question was that on purpose or did the thing plane off to the side and accidentally hit it?! LOL!

If it planed, then it was a problem with the bow or the shooter. I use the dirtnap gear DRT and would recommend them to anybody.

Oddly enough, I tried them after seeing an independent test on you tube.