BEAR CONVERTA-RAZORHEAD Broadhead Test
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- This is a test of the 150 gr, 2 blade Bear Converta-Razorhead Broadhead.
Here is summary of my 2022 Testing Procedure & Scoring w/ the scores of the Bear posted in parenthesis as well.
Total Razorhead 150gr Score: 74.84 = 7 Golden Arrows
1. Flight Forgiveness (20%, 14 pts)
This is not just a test of how heads fly out of my bow, as it was in the past. With a well tuned bow, properly built arrows & good form, almost every head flies well. That's why in the past most heads got a flight score of 9 or 10. But that doesn't help those who may not have perfectly tuned bows/arrows/good form. So now I am gauging Flight Forgiveness. This is based on how the head flies for me, how well it spins, how "sensitive" the flight is to imperfections, & the exposed surface area of the blades. The max score of a Mech is 20 & the max score of a Fixed is 16. The Razorhead got 14 pts.
2. Cut Size (20%, 9.68 pts)
The more tissue being cut, the more lethal the head, all else equal. The entrance cut, total cut, & width of the cut (a crucial variable for bloodletting) are all scored:
The entrance cut size is compared to a standard of 2.5" then that fraction is weighted to 7% of the score. (1.125"/2.5" x 7 = 3.15 pts)
The max cut size is compared to a standard of 2.5" as well, then that fraction is is weighted to 7% of the score. (1.125"/2.5" x 7 = 3.15 pts)
The max cutting diameter is compared to a standard of 2.0", then that fraction is weighted to 6% of the score. (1.125"/2 x 6 = 3.38 pts)
3. Sharpness (20%, 18.53 pts)
Initial sharpness (9%, 225 grs=9.75/10=8.78 pts ) & Edge Retention (9%, +25 grs=9.5/10=8.55 pts) are measured using the Edge On Up Sharpness Tester. The pressure needed for a blade to cut thru a copolymer wire is measured in grams.
Edge Retention is the loss of sharpness after the head is shot in Penetration Test 1, thru 1/2" MDF and 2/3" rubber foam mat & Clear Ballistics FBI gel. For every 50 "grams" of sharpness lost, 1 point is deducted from 10.
What are some sharpness scores for common edges?
A butter knife takes 2000 grams of pressure to break the co polymer wire.
A new high end cutlery edge: ~ 375 grams of pressure.
A utility razor blade: 200 grams.
Based on the many broadheads I have tested, here is my scoring scale:
Out of the Box Sharpness:
0-200 gr: 10
201-300 gr 9
301-400 gr: 8
401-500 gr: 7
501-600 gr: 6
601-700 gr: 5
701-800 gr: 4
801-900 gr: 3
901-1000 gr: 2
1001-1100 gr: 1
1101+ gr: 0
Ease to resharpen or replace blades is judged & given 2% of the score. (6/10=1.2 pts) Use the Stay Sharp Guide "C" sharpener for quick, great results.
4. Penetration (20%, 15.33 pts)
There are 3 penetration tests:
Pen Test 1: 1/2" MDF, 2/3" rubber foam mat, Clear Ballistics FBI gel. Depth of penetration is compared to a standard of 9" & weighted to 9% of the score. (6" = 6 pts)
Pen Test 2: Layered cardboard. # of layers penetrated is compared to a standard of 70 layers & weighted to 9% of the score.
(57 layers=7.33 pts)
Angled Penetration Test: How effectively does the head penetrate 1/4" MDF covered by carpet at a 45 degree angle. This accounts for 2% of the score. (2/2pts)
5. Durability (20%, 17.3 pts)
Each head is shot thru 1/2" MDF 3 times. Its condition is judged 1-10 & weighted to 12% of the score. (12 pts)
If a head survives that, it is then shot thru 22 ga steel plate twice. Its condition is judged 1-10 & weighted to 5% of the score. (5 pts)
If a head survives that, it is then shot into concrete once. Its condition is judged 1-10 & weighted to 3% of the score. (0.3 pts)
Steel plate & concrete are certainly not "realistic" mediums, but they do reveal the outer limits of a head's durability.
BONUS: Heads will be rewarded bonus points for special, intangible features such as: rotation, no O rings/clips for mechs, extra thickness, hole size, other unique designs, etc.
(0 Bonus)
Price of Razorhead: no longer made; check EBay
Grading Scale:
90-100 10 Golden Arrows
85-90 9
80-85 8
70-80 7
60-70 6
Special Notes:
Please check out my sponsor, Stay Sharp Guide. staysharpguide... or @Innovative Outdoorsman They make excellent broadhead sharpeners. The support I receive from them has helped me improve my channel
I also have some Broadhead Discount Codes I can share:
SEVR: LUSKFIVE saves you $5 on any order & can be used on top of any online sales.
AFFLICTOR: LUSK10 saves 10%
Tooth of the Arrow: LUSK19 saves 15%
DEAD X BOWHUNTING Big Game Broadheads: LUSKFIVE saves $5 per pack.
Crimson Talon: LUSK15 saves 15%
John, I'm the one that sent you the heads. I'm glad you enjoyed them. It seems your audience did as well. It definitely made for great content. I'm actually thoroughly impressed at their performance even on the concrete. Also, I'm the one that resharpened them. They were a bit of a pain to get just right in my lansky but once I got it just right I think I did pretty well in that regard especially considering that it favored the 30° angle for the blade edge.
Thanks for sending them!
yeah thanks for sending them, i enjoyed the video. i also think you did a good job sharpening them.
Thank you Adrian! I really appreciate it, brother.
I scored some of these on eBay last week NIB unopened
@@LuskArcheryAdventures absolutely. I wish I had some different variants to send in
My first head I used on deer. It's a shame Fred hadn't foreseen the cinder block hunting season 🤪. Killing the big 5 just isn't good enough anymore for the merits of a good broadhead 😩
Haha. Thanks for watching & commenting.
Thank you for a blast from the past. These were the broadheads my dad started me on 40+ years ago. I remember those bleeders were sharp as the dickens, but not very durable. Always had to be careful when gutting due to the bleeder breaking in two. They were deadly for their time.
I always thought the same then was listening.to a meateater podcast and the original bleeders on heads like this were meant to break easily so they wouldn't impede penetration as much. I thought that was pretty cool i always thought they just sucked at making bleeders back then lol.
Yep--I have some of those same memories :)
I LOVE this idea. Keep doing tests like these! Old school seems to get a bad wrap. I’ll be anxious to see how they fly to a really tuned bow, and better shafts.
Thank you
Unless he suddenly got some sort of brain injury, John always keeps his bow extremely well tuned, and as far as the "better shafts", you will not find one better than a bishop, period
@@papajohnsy6659 - You completely misunderstood what my comment was. Because those broad heads are old, they were probably shot out of less tuned Bows and far less superior shafts than what John uses. It wasn’t a dig at John, it was wanting to see how they would perform with good equipment today, like John uses.
I literally just found that same broad head in the bottom of one of my other old bow cases. Shot a bunch of white tails with that head when I was a kid and teenager. Had fun watching the review brought back memories!
That's cool. I felt the same when testing them.
That was so cool, I hunted with those for years, still have some along with the newer Bear SS/Super Razor heads, you can Google and watch Fred Bear take every animal imaginable with those heads! I’ve been through his museum in Gainesville Florida on site at the Bear factory and I’d recommend it to anyone, it’s an unbelievable step back in time!
Thank you. Thanks for sharing that.
great test! love to see these old heads.
Thank you
Still cannot believe the strength of those arrows. Just absolutely mind-blowing how they hold up to close range shots into CINDER BLOCKS. I’ve accidentally destroyed about every carbon available just hitting tree roots and rocks in the woods!
Yeah, they're pretty impressive!
Oh man if there isn't a bear zwickey head to head grudge match I'll be dissapointed. I better find some.
That would be a fun old school battle.
Very cool idea to test old heads to see how they stack up!
Yeah, I agree. thanks
i have a pile of these. they are leftovers from my childhood. of all the heads i've used in my life, these are the easiest to sharpen, and they get wickedly SHARP!!! probably the sharpest heads i've ever found.
Nice.
I had some of these back in the 70’s! Never shot anything with them if I remember.
:)
These are what I shot starting out as a teenager in the mid ‘70’s. I have to admit it was painful watching the old point get crumpled on that concrete. We used to sharpen them by hand, and we always were told that was what was intended. I never remember these being adequately sharp brand new. Always used the razor inserts. I remember, having never yet actually shot a deer, that my friend and I encountered a poached beaver, skinned out with the carcass hanging by a stout wire from an apple tree in an abandoned orchard we were staking out for deer. We desperately wanted to test out our Bear Razorheads (that’s what we called them) on a real animal carcass. Standing back 25’ we let loose. Did we miss! How could we? The carcass didn’t even flinch in the least, even though it was hanging free dangling from the limb. Inspection showed the X marks on the carcass. The arrows had just passed right on through with less disturbance than going through water. That really impressed us!
Cool story :)
I remember getting Bear Razorheads as a youngster back in the 70's. They were 145 grains which is why there are field points even to this day sold at that weight. I purchased a weight scale many years later and weighed them and found out they actually weighed 138 grains. I felt like my entire childhood had been a lie.
Haha. That's funny. I think we all shot those back then :) Maybe our scales have improved :)
I’m excited! They’re making a single bevel also
Cool. I didn't know that.
Fun test
It was fun to do it.
Classic head. The one I started with. Couldn’t get them to shoot real straight but was a raw beginner at the time. Im sure i could get them to shoot now. Good thing deer are not made of concrete. Amazes me that some of these heads survive the concrete hit.
Thanks James.
Yes! Been waiting for this one!
Cool. thank you
I harvested many many animals with that deer/ rabbit/hog it served it's purpose very well but just like anything out with the old in with the new thanks John
Good summary :)
Killed my first few dear with these on micro flight arrows lol with a Shakespeare wonderbow which I actually still use 👍🏼
nice
That was awesome! Not bad for an old school head.
Right? I was impressed.
Bear re-released these heads for 2022. Single and double bevel.
$70 for a 3 pack. The single bevel version looks nice.
That's a crazy price!
I heard that. Cool. But there are still better geometric designs.
I love these heads been shooting them for 40 years . I am down to my last 6 so that is wonderful news. Thanks
These were originally designed for recurve and longbow. They fly better out of bows not going over 200fps. It was a decent design, probably took thousands of game.
Yep.
That head may not have killed a masonary block very well but you can bet your arse it has killed a lot of game. I used them in my early 70's long bow days. It will continue to perform as long as deer dont start stuffing cinder block armor slabs under their kill zone hide areas. Then everyone would have to use an Annialator head to even have a chance of popping a lung. Lol. As always great job sir!
Yep. I used them when I was a kid as well. Great heads. Thanks for the comment.
Sometimes the old design was the right design... great review John
Thanks
been using them since the mid sixties and still using them.
Nice
There is a Solid Version of the same head out now by Bear that is a single and double bevel two blade broadhead design.
Yep...just tested this one cause it was the one the viewer sent. Thanks for sharing that.
Bear released new Razorhead single and double bevels, with adjustable weight system in case anyone is interested.
I saw that. Thank you
I have a old tackle box of my dad’s archery stuff and I have about 12-15 of these! Both glue on and screw on. Unfortunately about 3/4 of them are rusty. All the ones that were loose in the bottom of the box but the ones he had in the shelf compartments are pristine. I just don’t have any of the bleeder blades that are worth a damn since they were all loose on the bottom as well. But I have his old string wax, tools, fletches, forearm guard and his leather and beaver(?) fur finger release. Pretty cool. Just waiting to get his old Bear Recurve and 80# compound bows! I’m in no hurry to get them tho! As long as he is healthy and kicking, I’m happy to be patient and wait! I actually wouldn’t mind being too old to use them myself by the time I take ownership of them! LOL The cool odd and ends found in an old green hunting/tackle box is just fine for now!
Nice. Love that.
Shoot em into a foam target. Cleans the rust off fast haha i got some too
Cool stuff.. I have killed a bunch of critters with those back in the day.. I still have a dozen or so in my BH box..
Nice
I’ve taken a couple of whitetails with that head, only I put an 1/8 inch radius on the tip, making it more durable from bending.
Thanks for sharing that.
That what my uncle does too. He uses Zwickey Deltas. He can free hand them with a mill bastard file. He use to sharpen all his buddies broadheads at deer camp because they didn't know how to. He recently gave me a wooden jig that has 2 files screwed into it making a V. It has really helped me with keeping a bevel! I suck lol. But yeah then he puts a bone breaking chisel tip on the end. I have a brand new KME jig and still haven't used it. I like the 2 files in a jig because it hits 2 sides at once. It sure is amazing watching someone get a head sharp with just a mill bastard file though! Then he puts transmission fluid on some whetstones to get it extremely sharp. Last but least, he wipes them off with a little sheeps wool with grease on it! He'll take a ready to hunt broad that you buy at a store, like a fixed muzzy or Magnus, and he'll run the edge across his calloused thumb very aggressively hard and go, "yuhp, that isn't sharp". Lol
Used those back in the late 60's.
Since they were mounted directly
To a tapered wood shaft it had
To be dead on. No ferrule on the
Original. Pretty fussy to tune as
As a rule. Heads like the 3 blade
Monolithic like Zwickeys were
Much easier to get to shoot.
Still.. a big step for broadhhead
Evolution. Definitely not as
Durable as the monolithic
Heads. Great video.
Thanks Bill.
John the broadheads that you show for bear is the old broadheads with a bleeder blade slide into two new ones they got now I don't have the slot and you need to do another show using that one I really would appreciate it cuz I want to see how they are thank you
Well, I am only testing what someone has donated. They bought them and asked that I test them without bleeders. If someone donates me a pack without the slit, I'll gladly test it.
Used these years ago. Killed a lot of critters with them from a recurve.
Nice
yes! more oldschool stuff, may i suggest Magnus thunder valley
Thank you. I'll test whatever people send me :)
Id love to see you do the new bear razorheads single bevel. Any plans on doing that one?
I'd like to. I reached out to Bear, but they didn't even reply.
Hey fellow archery nerds just found a really cool gadget this week it’s the KME broadhead sharpener , if your like me and try different heads all the time give it a try , if you like what you like and stick with it stick with the stay sharp
Thank you. I've used & liked the KME as well. Just prefer the Stay Sharp.
That did a lot better than I expected. No wonder why my grandpa put so many deer down with those
Yep; they're a decent head.
Hey John I love the tests it had made my broadhead decision process so much easier. Didn't you have a different video up last night about a hybrid head?
Thanks. Yes, I accidentally scheduled 2 at the same time. So I quickly took down the Crimson Talon Hybrid and rescheduled it.
These new heads also come with different inserts to change the weights I think it would be a great test to do another one with all three different inserts hello it's on the Bears state so you can look it up and it's up to you if you want to do another one with me I would like you to do one because I like to see how these new ones are going to work thank you very much
Yeah, I've seen that. Nice feature.
First I just really want to say I enjoy your videos I find it a little ironic though that the father of modern archery broadheads get a c they were the gold standard 4 years everything from elephants to Grizzlies and polar bears and a Bengal tiger who cares if it goes through concrete just my two cents
Well, it's not that it doesn't work...it's just that there are better heads nowadays. My tests are designed to reveal the outer limits of what a head can handle. Each viewer can decide how important those data points are to them. I'm sure Fred's camo clothing was good enough back then as well...but do I want to wear his camo today? Nope. There are better materials with clothing; better designs; better camo patterns. Doesn't mean his clothing was bad...it just means it's gotten better.
Man I remember hunting with old Wasp hammers back when. Wonder how those do in your tests
I'd be happy to test them if I get some.
Do you have two cape buffalos mounted? I noticed in old videos that the Buffalo was smiling and in this one it's not. 🤣
That's interesting. I only have one Cape buffalo---and he's never smiling when I look at him :) I've only had it for about a year and a half. I shot it in Feb 2020, and it took a while to get it back due to Covid.
I really thought the penetration would have been more than that , they are remaking these exact broadheads as we speak i wonder if those will be the same as these
Longer heads have more surface area and unlike the whole 3:1 ratio community thinks, they don't always penetrate as well as shorter heads with less surface area. The more the surface area, the more friction on the heads. And with a 2 blade head like this, there is not a wide enough hole to reduce friction on the arrow shaft as well.
I 100% understand your a broadhead guy... however ive searched the youtube, I cant find someone to do a really decent job covering outserts vs inserts. Id like you to cover this seeing if penetration actually helps using an outsert thats greater than a shaft diameter vs an insert with similar shaft diameter.
I just feel like you would do an honest true unbias review and do it in a way you can stand behind your opinion and results
Thank you. I may do that at some point in the future, but right now I have my hands full with broadheads. I have 13 heads that I'm testing right now and some more on the way. I'm pretty swamped.
John you need to add another show on the bear Broadhead because that's the one you got is not the one that convert the new one for 2022 is totally different from that head so you need to redo another show using the head that you're selling now thank you
Well, I don't really "need" to do anything :) Those were donated so I tested them. If you'd like to donate a pack of the new ones, I'll gladly test them as well.
Were you able to resharpen it after the concrete test? 🤪
Haha. Not this time :)
First Broadhead I shot as a kid also, still have some…
Nice
Are you planning on testing the two new heads Bear announced at ATA?
I don't have any yet, but would love to test them.
I also noticed that the feral seemed to have collapsed up to the aluminum insert in the head after the mdf/steel portion of the test. Do you have a PO box to send broad heads to? I have some Patriots that I would be willing to send to have you shoot them.
Great. I just need 3 new heads to do a proper test. 6159 Nottingham Dr, Johnston, Iowa 50131
Thankfully, there are much better designs available today
Yep.
They're not the converter razor heads to convert a razor heads or one piece no Vents and this lights work extra blade sorry you took me the wrong way but I know my broadheads and I've hunted with bear for 40 years it just come out of this new head where you can make it at 1: 50 at 175 or 200 and a 250 the true test will be on the new ones not the old one the old ones were tested what kind is me sending Black by Fred Bear himself
Thanks for the comment.
Technology has definitely made a difference especially with straightness and build quality. I will stick with modern heads.
Yep, no doubt.
Ill try to remember, when I go cement hunting to use a stronger broadhead.
I've seen heads hold up well to concrete and then bend terribly on a hard impact on a hog femur, especially at an angle. Animals can, at times, be more destructive to a head than a straight shot on concrete.
How do I send broad heads for you to test?
thank you. I just need 3 new ones to do a test. 6159 Nottingham Dr, Johnston, Iowa 50131
The concrete test is stupid. I shot through a deer length ways . Total penetration. Arrow lying on the ground just past where I shot him . Head was fine . So was the 2219 arrow
Well, it's not stupid--it's just designed to show the outer limits of what a broadhead can handle. I've actually seen heads get even more mangled by a hard hit on a hog's joint than they did on the cinder block. I think it's good to know as much about the structural integrity of a head as possible. I certainly don't think it's necessary to "pass" the concrete test in order to be worth using on a hunt--hence the good score on this head. It only accounts for 3 points on a 100 point scale.
@@LuskArcheryAdventures what was the hog made of ? I find that hard to believe.
stupid? no, i would bet that is most everyone's favorite part of johns testing methods......i sure know its mine. i get bummed out when i watch his older videos before he started doing the cement test, and realize its not happening.
Idgaf about shooting Cement. I do gaf about it slicing through an animal lol
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. The test is there for those who do consider the structural integrity on a hard impact important. For those who don't just overlook it :) But I wouldn't underestimate the damage a broadhead can take hitting a heavy bone or joint, especially at an angle. I've seen heads get mangled on animals when they did well on a straight impact into concrete. So I think the more durable the better.
Lol I have to apologize for what I said. I had a few budweisers in me and was a little wirey I guess. I enjoy your channel. You've got a lot more experience than I do with arrows going into critters I'm sure. Your reply was a really well worded reply as well. Again, I apologize
Can't replace them..... let's shoot it into concrete. I almost puked! A piece of bowhunting history..... GONE. Great testing up until the concrete.
man there is still millions of those heads out there, i bet you could go on ebay and buy as many as you desire. id just about bet i have some, if i go thru my dads old hunting stuff.
@@yourmomma2995 i didn't think about ebay. My dad used these also. I've always wanted to use them for a season. I remember the bleeder blades being SHARP!!! I saw Bear is releasing an old broadhead this year. Might be trying them.
Thanks for watching Mike. The guy who donated the heads knew what I was going to do with them. And yeah, they are all over Ebay.