The first test makes a lot of sense to me - increased spin through the tissue would be scrubbing more energy, so it make sense the mis-matched arrow with less spin through the tissue would penetrate more... but the second test doesn’t make sense.

Part of me favors the idea of mis-matching, as the spin of the arrow - its rotational inertia - would work against the bevel, putting more resistance into the cut against the tissue. Alternatively, part of me acknowledges that “working with a knife instead of against it” does cut smoothly.