in rws scenerio...the fletching at both ends probably played into it a significant degree.
The stiffness at impact would be a factor as has been proven in videos that promote the carbon arrows.
I myself put more emphasis on arrow flight. Quality flight not only improves penetration, but puts that penetration where it is supposed to be...the kill zone.
Great debate has taken place on the balance of arrow flight. Here is MY opinion...which very well may not be correct, but it is my opinion non-the-less and anyone is free to disagree.
When studying archery I have come to the conclusion and common belief that the arrow is the most important piece of equipment as did many legendary archers. Howard Hill for example expressed this belief as did I believe Bob Swinhart (spelling?). Howard studied arrows extensively including arrow flight characteristics, balance, and many other aspects that we often think about such as spine, weight, straightness...etc. One of the things he expressed concerning balance was a statement that a broadhead should be no more than 145 grains and lighter may even be preferred, but because he used a much heavier head when killing the elephant with that ~2000 grain elephant arrow that was made special for that purpose it is obvious that he made exceptions based on the purpose the arrow was to serve.
There are two factors that go into my mind when I think about broadhead weight. At impact and during flight I think a heavy head would be good. The idea of the point dropping surprises me because if the point is heavy, then the nock is light and if the nock is light isn't it going to follow the point? Surely it would...so there would be an arrow/tradjectory drop, not point drop...but that is perhaps somantics. Anyway, the other aspect is upon the release of the string...the string pushes the nock. If the point is heavy, we all know spine needs to go up. Ask youself why. It is because the arrow wants to bend as the string pushes the nock. This push has two effects in my opinion. One is a commonly known flex of the shaft in which the center flexes in a manner known as paradox. The other is perhaps less considered but equaly important and that is an attempt for the tip to move out of line of this paradox/thrust in which the nock would then be pushed in a manner not to "pass" the point, but in a slight effect gain on the point in RELATION to the target by going with the path of thrust from the bowstring while the tip would be more likely to go offcourse as the tip becomes heavier. Therefore, ARROW STABILITY in my opinion has actually 3 different types of stability...1. take off from thrust in which a light point would be best (the faster the bow the more unstable a heavy point would become in take off), 2. flight in which moderate point weight with moderate fletching would be best, and 3. impact in which heavy point would be best...
so you go back te the famous statement..."Robbing Peter to pay Paul."
If you go to an extreme in either light or heavy, it is my belief that you will loose arrow stability at some point in flight. Therefore moderate weight seems to be the best. What is moderate now since "light, moderate, and heavy" are all relative terms. My guess is Howard and other archers already figured this out to be somewhere in the 125-150 grain range depending on how heavy your arrows are to begin with. At compound speeds this may be too heavy for stability at takeoff/bowstring thrust and you might expect to have to drop to 100 grains of tip weight to be able to travel stable and true at 300 fps.
In closing, let me say I am not getting stabilty at take off/bowstring thrust mixed with spine. I am talking about stability. Even a bow that is bareshaft tuned has a degree of sensitivity for this bareshaft to fly true. I think the best penetration will come from the truest flying arrow that hits the mark.
Topic: Physics Wizzard's...Riddle me this? (Read 3966 times)
