I mean, most modern arrows are not designed for penetration but to slide as wide a hole as possible, this makes sense the bird punching tip did the best.
broadheads are for hunting/killing soft targets by making wide cuts and causing severe bleeding. narrow, chunkier tips with sharp edges are for penetrating armor. the blunt-looking one is surprising. if it hits armor hard enough to punch a clean hole, the rest of the arrow can then fly through without friction, but it wont go through soft tissue as easily. itll hurt like hell and make a serious dent, but probably wont kill anything bigger than a small animal.
It can depend. There are types that make use of plates, which can be basic kevlar (still resulting in what you mentioned), but can also be used with ceramic, metal, and other various type plates that can handle sharps much better.
The “cool” looking ones either the wide or expanding blades are broad heads. They are not intended to penetrate all the way through but to inflict wide wound channels in soft tissue that bleed profusely.
With the exception of the one “thumper” arrowhead, the ones that penetrated the shield the best are called “Bodkin” points.
These were originally designed in Medieval times to pierce plate armor and chainmail
arrows that penetrate metal armor are not new. but realistically, you'd want a crossbow with metal bolts. you want a long narrow point with as much weight behind it as you can fling, while still maintaining a high projectile velocity. crossbows are better at that than bows, and easier/more intuitive for inexperienced bowmen to handle.
Crossbows are easier to use than bows, sure. But bows are able to deliver much more force per pound of draw weight, and arrows generally are much longer and therefore heavier than bolts. Iirc a crossbow with a 175 lb draw weight has a similar if not weaker punch than a bow with only a 60 lb draw weight. Plus it takes longer to reload a crossbow, but as you said its easier to use
Bodkins - designed to go through armour, go through armour. Flesh cutters - designed to cut flesh and cause major blood loss, don't. Weird circular things that I have no idea what they are - fucking fly through.
Is that a standard riot shield because the holes look like aluminum? What was that round head? I haven't seen 1 like that. What was the draw weight & distance?
Nope, you can buy them on aliexpress. They are pretty decent for the money, about $45, but not police grade. They would work against batons, rubber bullets and bean bags most likely.
It probably just has to hit fairly square to punch a hole in the shield the rest of the arrow can fit through. The other ones cut a hole that will close slightly and grab the shaft.
When my dad died (was 1 yo) he left me a compound bow, and some arrows. At around like 16yo I brought the bow out to our backyard and was gonna shoot at a fence. Didn't want to mess the arrow tips (all the 3 point razor ones.) So I knocked an arrow with no tip, just the screw part up front, and shot it at the fence. It went right through the wood fence and out the other side. Left a perfect hole. Tried again, and made another hole. Step-dad was mad, but damn I was baffled they did that.
I mean. It's basically a hole punch that creates a clear hole for the rest of the arrow to go through with very little reaistwnce or friction acting on the shaft.
The others are spear points that spread the metal apart which allows the shield to smear along the shaft, slowing it down.
Engineer here. The energy required for the arrow to penetrate is basically proportional to the total length of the metal the head cuts, minus losses from friction. This is why the broadhead arrows struggled and the narrow heads performed well.
This style of head has a relatively low total cut length (the perimeter of the head) while also reducing the friction that long, heavily sloped heads experience. A lot of early anti-tank rounds used a similar idea.
It was devastating because it applied all the energy directed at punching a hole large enough for the rest of the arrow to pass through cleanly. Kinda a make or break situation against the strength of the shield. But amusing to think you would shop for “small game blunt heads” to have your best chance of shooting through a shield…
Looks like it was basically just because it made it through at all. The head was a bigger diameter than the arrow, itself. Once it was through, it was able to keep going, even if all the energy had been used in breaking through. The bodkin style heads (the longer skinny 3-4 edged ones not much wider than the arrow shaft) would probably be the best, still, considering penetration amount and damage potential afterwards.
The other problem is that everyone LOVES to talk a big game when they are anonymous online and not actually facing any danger, but when is the last time you actually saw anyone with the cojones to shoot an arrow at a police shield?
It just doesn’t happen—and it sure as hell doesn’t happen at scale.
People are all “bark,” and no “actually rising up, taking personal risk, and willing to engage in direct physical combat with their oppressors.”
No one wants to be made an example of, it's true, getting shot in the face is terrifying no matter how tough you think you are. And make no mistake, they're going to kill the first 30 people.
Likely original source was just medieval projectiles/modern variants (various arrow heads) vs a basic modern shield. All kinds of channels that have an interest in medieval weaponry that have tested how effective it was vs various equivalent era armors and modern armors.
Why it was shared now might have other contexts, but I've seen a large amount of "because we were curious and it pertained to our interests" type videos over the last decade, at least. Basically, because interesting and fun.
On one hand I get it, the current arc of American politics points directly toward violent clashes between police and civilians. On the other hand... I think going straight to armor piercing arrowheads may not be the right move.
Multipew
We're stretching the definition of "metal" with the construction of that riot shield
MAup
What bow were used? What was the distance and pulling strenght?
cuttlefishsticks
Anyone else go through the entire video mentally grading yourself on your predictions for each one? No? Just me?
whyowhyareallgoodusernamestaken
Don't bother with the fancy new ones, the old models do just fine. Except this one, that thing is rad.
JonWallace1985
I mean, most modern arrows are not designed for penetration but to slide as wide a hole as possible, this makes sense the bird punching tip did the best.
relsky
Bodkin arrow heads, designed specifically to penetrate armor, penetrate armor the best?! I'm shocked.
davyclam
Yes, as if centuries of development hadn't resulted in the best option.
CASchoeps
Wait, I thought Americans had ready access to guns? WHich bullets do NOT penetrate riot shields?
Huor
For entertainment purposes only
heyletsbefriends
broadheads are for hunting/killing soft targets by making wide cuts and causing severe bleeding. narrow, chunkier tips with sharp edges are for penetrating armor. the blunt-looking one is surprising. if it hits armor hard enough to punch a clean hole, the rest of the arrow can then fly through without friction, but it wont go through soft tissue as easily. itll hurt like hell and make a serious dent, but probably wont kill anything bigger than a small animal.
heyletsbefriends
i think there was a fishing tip there too, the one with the narrow wings and a blue tip
Columbus43219
My Age of Empires Tech tree LIED to me!
peterbozeman
I saw this one and was like, "oooohhh baby. that'll do it."
Gryphonosiris
The Classic Bodkin has been piercing armor since the middle ages.
sransbury
Sharps like arrows, knives, etc. also penetrate most bullet proof vests.
Bukoden
It can depend. There are types that make use of plates, which can be basic kevlar (still resulting in what you mentioned), but can also be used with ceramic, metal, and other various type plates that can handle sharps much better.
TechnicallyTrueIGuess
I gotta say, the coolest looking arrows were the worst performing.
ChickenNuggetNumber05
the same with dope looking bows
jjw9
The “cool” looking ones either the wide or expanding blades are broad heads. They are not intended to penetrate all the way through but to inflict wide wound channels in soft tissue that bleed profusely.
With the exception of the one “thumper” arrowhead, the ones that penetrated the shield the best are called “Bodkin” points.
These were originally designed in Medieval times to pierce plate armor and chainmail
Nykidemus
Those are hunting heads, for killing things made of meat, not metal. Big holes in soft targets.
ImtherealBandito
As a Mongolian, I love me some bodkin.
Maverickaura
arrows that penetrate metal armor are not new. but realistically, you'd want a crossbow with metal bolts. you want a long narrow point with as much weight behind it as you can fling, while still maintaining a high projectile velocity. crossbows are better at that than bows, and easier/more intuitive for inexperienced bowmen to handle.
Martraxz
Crossbows are easier to use than bows, sure. But bows are able to deliver much more force per pound of draw weight, and arrows generally are much longer and therefore heavier than bolts. Iirc a crossbow with a 175 lb draw weight has a similar if not weaker punch than a bow with only a 60 lb draw weight. Plus it takes longer to reload a crossbow, but as you said its easier to use
NotAtAllTheDoctor
Watching this I do wonder if that flat tip thing went through a weakened part of the shield or even through an existing hole.
Bukoden
It was because it pierced at all, and the head was larger than the shaft. Once it made it through, it was able to keep going with no resistance.
The others than had any good piercing peeled the metal open a bit, but left it still pinching the shafts, which is why they stopped, eventually.
TheSatanicFalcon
Aren't a cpuple of those meant for decapitating turkeys?
snafu999
Bodkins - designed to go through armour, go through armour. Flesh cutters - designed to cut flesh and cause major blood loss, don't. Weird circular things that I have no idea what they are - fucking fly through.
Imtheguywhogetsawaywithit
Apparently all of them, to varying degrees.
hyptosis
Problem is, these are riot shields, not ballistic shields. When real projectiles start flying the shields get swapped out.
FeloniousMonk13
I dunno shit about archery but I'd assume much has to do w the draw weight of the bow as well
Bojovnik84
https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1d3ZpZWZqaGEyMXptN29ndTBlbXE2ajVjbHphdDNid21yM2lzbjVkNCZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/RCXT2JWXa11QI/200w.webp
1kaura1
Thick and pointy against armor, thin and sharp against flesh (as a general rule)
rbudrick
Ok, but what's the minimum bow draw strength needed? Which 3 tips were best and what are the model numbers?
r0b0tc0rpse
Basically anything that looks like a spike and doesn't exceed shaft diameter is good to go.
CyberHexx
In these times of growing unrest, this is very important information.
YpsilantiRomani
Is that a standard riot shield because the holes look like aluminum?
What was that round head? I haven't seen 1 like that.
What was the draw weight & distance?
[deleted]
[deleted]
YpsilantiRomani
There is no sound
TheobromineAddict
Oops, try this. I'm deleting the error. /a/rBupuf4#V7JdHIz
YpsilantiRomani
Thanks for trying but alas there's still no sound
TheobromineAddict
Hmmm. When I click the link there IS sound. The latest version of Imgur has many flaws.
SubiBryant
Yo, look at mister archer ovah heeya.
Nykidemus
I've got a SEP you shit-ass.
TechnicallyTrueIGuess
This one was made in China
daeval
Pretty sure the round one was a small game blunt. Like a judo point without the arms, kinda?
RigoryMorty
Nope, you can buy them on aliexpress. They are pretty decent for the money, about $45, but not police grade. They would work against batons, rubber bullets and bean bags most likely.
YpsilantiRomani
Thank you
Imalwaysready
It’s a standard riot shield for underfunded departments.
Trunkmonkay
Riot shields aren't meant to stop bullets and anything penetrating them really. They're meant to stop blunt impacts and be used to shove people back.
hyptosis
Problem is, these are riot shields, not ballistic shields. When real projectiles start flying the shields get swapped out.
YpsilantiRomani
I just saw an Italian guy on YouTube & the ballistic shield didn't do much better
TheobromineAddict
I would not have bet on this one being so devastating.
ckmnstr
Was the only one I got wrong in my guesses. That hole-punch packed a bigger punch than I expected.
TheobromineAddict
Here's some info and some skepticism about that arrowhead. /a/rBupuf4#V7JdHIz
BarryTheCyborg
It probably just has to hit fairly square to punch a hole in the shield the rest of the arrow can fit through. The other ones cut a hole that will close slightly and grab the shaft.
Obviousplanter
https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1a3duZ2VwMmppNHpkNGpxZHNsNHhwZGZzb21yenpmdnRkMTNwY3IxbSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/5xtDarIN81U0KvlnzKo/200w.webp
genericanamoly
When my dad died (was 1 yo) he left me a compound bow, and some arrows. At around like 16yo I brought the bow out to our backyard and was gonna shoot at a fence. Didn't want to mess the arrow tips (all the 3 point razor ones.) So I knocked an arrow with no tip, just the screw part up front, and shot it at the fence. It went right through the wood fence and out the other side. Left a perfect hole. Tried again, and made another hole. Step-dad was mad, but damn I was baffled they did that.
Redshadow09
Really? Because after the first one went through and the second one didnt I had my suspicious that it would.
TheMurderousCricket
Don't believe everything you see - it was replaced mid-flight.
Imalwaysready
Actually, my friend Zeno over here is convinced it never even reached the shield at all.
warp10
What a paradoxical way of thinking
maincarrot
I mean. It's basically a hole punch that creates a clear hole for the rest of the arrow to go through with very little reaistwnce or friction acting on the shaft.
The others are spear points that spread the metal apart which allows the shield to smear along the shaft, slowing it down.
Agouti
Engineer here. The energy required for the arrow to penetrate is basically proportional to the total length of the metal the head cuts, minus losses from friction. This is why the broadhead arrows struggled and the narrow heads performed well.
This style of head has a relatively low total cut length (the perimeter of the head) while also reducing the friction that long, heavily sloped heads experience. A lot of early anti-tank rounds used a similar idea.
Camouflage79
Unexpected. Hammer broadheads are not made for armor penetration. Lucky shot, I guess. Or a mixup with the video cut.
Camouflage79
...also the shield seems to have a second layer where the hand/arm grip is. Makes the shots less comparable.
DiracsDelta
It was devastating because it applied all the energy directed at punching a hole large enough for the rest of the arrow to pass through cleanly. Kinda a make or break situation against the strength of the shield. But amusing to think you would shop for “small game blunt heads” to have your best chance of shooting through a shield…
Bukoden
Looks like it was basically just because it made it through at all. The head was a bigger diameter than the arrow, itself. Once it was through, it was able to keep going, even if all the energy had been used in breaking through. The bodkin style heads (the longer skinny 3-4 edged ones not much wider than the arrow shaft) would probably be the best, still, considering penetration amount and damage potential afterwards.
TheobromineAddict
Presumably would be less likely to kill the Nazi behind the shield.
hyptosis
yeah, if nothing else, they would be less likely to bleed out from the wound, which is something you really want.
Icanalreadytelliwillbepopular
This is useful information... For no particular reason.
hyptosis
Problem is, these are riot shields, not ballistic shields. When real projectiles start flying the shields get swapped out.
krielovas
Also, FMJ ammo is probably cheaper and harder for authorities to trace
Imalwaysready
The other problem is that everyone LOVES to talk a big game when they are anonymous online and not actually facing any danger, but when is the last time you actually saw anyone with the cojones to shoot an arrow at a police shield?
It just doesn’t happen—and it sure as hell doesn’t happen at scale.
People are all “bark,” and no “actually rising up, taking personal risk, and willing to engage in direct physical combat with their oppressors.”
hyptosis
No one wants to be made an example of, it's true, getting shot in the face is terrifying no matter how tough you think you are. And make no mistake, they're going to kill the first 30 people.
Imalwaysready
Which is why they keep winning and everyone else does so little to stop them. One side is willing and the other is not.
trouble4you
I am trying to understand the mind of the person who thought of creating this video. Its fascinating but, why?
mercmech
They desire escalation.
Bukoden
Likely original source was just medieval projectiles/modern variants (various arrow heads) vs a basic modern shield. All kinds of channels that have an interest in medieval weaponry that have tested how effective it was vs various equivalent era armors and modern armors.
Why it was shared now might have other contexts, but I've seen a large amount of "because we were curious and it pertained to our interests" type videos over the last decade, at least. Basically, because interesting and fun.
origosaved
Wrecking the nerves of law enforcement?
hyptosis
Inspiration.
PhailRaptor
On one hand I get it, the current arc of American politics points directly toward violent clashes between police and civilians. On the other hand... I think going straight to armor piercing arrowheads may not be the right move.
Columbus43219
I Cant Emagine