Doug, really I tend to agree with you that some of the friction is negated due to the blades opening th path of entry. I think, though that tuning so that the arrow's momentum is stright behine that broadhead giving a better driving force. The number of blades doing the cutting, the weight of the arrow. The thickness of muscle where you hit, the angle of entry. There are so many variables that one can never get a picture of what happens in the real world. 3D targets are not flesh. Gel is not flesh. It's an imperfect scenerio.

I know I have shot deer years ago with aluminum producing 40lbs/ft of energy and a few years ago with carbon producing 39lbs/ft of energy and the results were very similar. All passthroughs with the arrow not going very far afterwards. But how far does it have to go afterwards?

I've also shot deer with both arrows and hit solid bone. Results, again, being about the same. The deer runs off with a slight flesh wound. I've shot deer with arrows weighing 300gr and blown right through. I've shot them with arrows weighing 450gr and not blown through. There are just no absolutes when in the hunting world.

I do often times shoot aluminum during our winter 3D league (outdoors). Those 2212's pull loads easier than most carbon out of McKenzies. Rineharts are another matter. They're a dream.