August 23, 2013
By Jon E. Silks
The hemorrhage test was a new addition to BOWHUNTING's broadhead-testing program in 2013. We've tested broadheads against sheet metal and concrete, but we wanted to add a new component. As the name implies, this test was created to simulate the ability of a broadhead's entry and exit wounds to evacuate blood from a body cavity.
In the hemorrhage test, we sealed two gallons of water (dyed red to represent blood) in thick, plastic bags. We then hung the bags on our test frame, using a reference mark to ensure the exact same positioning for every shot. We also drew a reference line in the same place on each bag, indicating the "stop point" for measuring elapsed time for drainage. And to ensure that each broadhead impacted its test bag in exactly the same spot, we fired the shots from a TenPoint crossbow that was secured in a Caldwell lead sled at point-blank range.
We started our stopwatch the instant the shot was fired and measured the amount of time it took each broadhead to drain the bag to the reference line. As you can see from the results, the best heads in our test drained the bag more than twice as fast than the worst performers.
Of course, there are a number of variables that will determine how heavy the blood trail will be in an actual hunting situation. Among them are shot angle, shot placement and orientation of the broadhead upon impact. And of course, in the real world there are times when your arrow will lodge inside an animal, leaving you without the benefit of an exit wound.
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All things being equal, however, the results of our Hemorrhage Test suggest that the shape and size of your broadhead's cutting blades play a significant role in determining just how much blood you will find on the ground.
Results:
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- Fulton Ramcat — 8.4 seconds
- Slick Trick Viper Trick — 9.1
- QAD Exodus — 10.8
- Flying Arrow Toxic — 11.2
- G5 Striker — 12
- Clean-Shot Spot-On Hollow Point — 14.6
- Â NAP Thunderhead Razor — 14.7
- Trophy Taker Terminal T-Lock — 15.1
- Muzzy Trocar — 15.7
- Wasp Boss — 16.9
- Rocket Ultimate Steel — 17.3
- Innerloc Falcon — 18.1
- Solid S30V — 20.6
- Carbon Express XT 4-Blade — 31.5
Check out more of our 2013 broadhead tests in the September issue of Bowhunting Magazine.
