Kind of a dumb question ... but u never know. A bullet it a fragment of metal propelled by gunpowder and an arrow is a sharpened point with lots of force behind it when shot.
2007-07-26 15:22:28 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Outdoor Recreation ➔ Hunting
"Bulletproof" vests are designed to stop bullets. Nothing more. They do so by spreading the force out over a larger area. You can imagine it like a trapeze safety net....only the holes in the netting are smaller. A person falling hits the net and, being larger than the holes, is caught and stopped. If you dropped a baseball onto that same net, however, it would go through the holes in the net easily.
Standard "bulletproof" vests, being made from layers of fabric with holes through them (microscopic netting), don't work against any pointed or cutting object....icepicks, knives, arrows, razors etc...and the makers make sure you know that. The points go through the holes and they spread the fibers open. You can visit any website of any body armor manufacturer (do a web search) and they will tell you that.
Armor designed to stop pointed objects and cutting is called "special purpose body armor" and in most cases won't stop a bullet. Prison guards wear "special purpose" armor that stops stabbings and cuttings but won't stop most any bullet since they aren't threatened by them.
Armor that *does* stand up to both bullets and stabbing is called "multi-threat armor" and is more rare. It tends to be heavier, thicker, and a lot harder to wear comfortably.
Armor made to stop one threat always tends to be flawed in stopping other threats. Old plate armor could stop a cut etc but wasntt proof against impact weapons like maces and flails. Chain mail could stop any cut/slash, but was easily defeated by stabbing/impact weapons etc. Padded/quilted armor that was designed to stop injuries from maces and flails was easily cut etc. To make armor that stopped ALL threats, you ended up with a guy with a hundred pounds of armor that can't fight effectively....the same holds true to this day.
In response to JD (yet again):
"""So YES, a bullet-proof vest will stand up to an arrow NOTE **** I CHALLENGE ANYONE ON YAHOO ANSWERS TO PROVE THAT AN ARROW HAS PENETRATED BODY ARMOR. THE PARTIES THAT CLAIM IT , HAVE NO DOCUMENTATION TO PROVE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED.... """
To "prove this has ever happened" is garbage semantics, bud. Simply more of you twisting words. To "prove that it *can* happen", I'll simply copy and paste a paragraph off of a well-known dealer's site:
"Vests provide excellent protection against most SLASHING attacks - but are not as effective against THRUSTING attacks with daggers or ice picks.
Pointed and streamlined objects such as an ice picks, arrowheads, and knives, etc. can penetrate if THRUST with enough force. Because of the “pointedness” they can get in-between the Kevlar® or aramid fiber weave to penetrate. We do offer some of our models with a special aramid weave to provide stab-resistant AND ballistic protection. Also you can add Stab Resistant Inserts to regular ballistic vests."
There is a reason why *some* vests also include an NIJ Standard 0115.00 rating and why most don't. Feel free to read up on it.
2007-07-26 16:42:01 · answer #1 · answered by randkl 6 · 10⤊ 3⤋
Considering that vests are rated to stop certain bullets traveling a given speed with a given weight and that anything outside of those specifications is capable of defeating the vest, I would say it is possible.
Also, once in an archery class I took, I watched a video of two 5 gallon buckets full of wet sand get shot. One with a rifle (I forget the caliber, but it was around .30 or so) another with an arrow from a compound bow. The bucket shot with the bullet, stopped the bullet inside the bucket, the arrow pierced the second bucket and was showing on the opposite side.
I would say that since the arrow has a lower velocity and less surface area on the end impacing the vest, that there would be a good chance for penetration. The vest will not be able to disperse the force upon impact as well as if it were struck by a bullet.
2007-07-27 15:38:23 · answer #2 · answered by Matt M 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Depends on a lot of factors.
I shall not go into the vest design as others have done that.
If the arrow is a target arrow, with a tip that resembles a bullet, it will not penetrate soft body armor for the same reason a bullet won't. It gets bound up in the fibers and the fibers slow it down until it stops.
If the arrow has a hunting tip with a sharp point and cutting edges, it can penetrate soft body armor as it does not punch it's way through but rather cuts it ways through. It does not get bound up in the fibers because it simply cuts them and continues on its way. However, it will still have lost a lot of velocity and will not do near as much damage as if no vest had been used.
2007-07-28 07:33:02 · answer #3 · answered by forgivebutdonotforget911 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Bullet Tip Arrows
2016-12-12 19:32:13 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That depends on the type of vest. Most ballistic vests are NOT made to stop sharpened objects such as knives, shivs, arrows, etc. They make a vest specifically designed for such things that are often worn by correction officers.
But it has been a long time since I was a cop and they might have better vests out there now that protect better.
2007-07-26 15:27:28 · answer #5 · answered by reed7403 4 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Short answer: NO, it will NOT stop an arrow so don't even try it.
Ballistic vests are made to stop bullets which are 'blunt' objects. Enough said about that.
H
2007-07-26 22:51:49 · answer #6 · answered by H 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
A "bullet proof" vest is not "proof" but excellent protection against handgun ammo, most are not designed to stop large bore rifle ammo. those that are have plates installed.
Kevlar used in body armor today is NO protection against sharp objects. You can be stabbed thru one, and in fact I read in the newspaper about a military cadet who died because he had a friend stab him to check it out.
kevlar works by absorbing the blow from the bullet. It can be cut, and arrows used to shoot at animals have razor edges and points, and would go thru a "bullet proof" vest, like they were cutting the cloth to make it.
2007-07-27 08:04:27 · answer #7 · answered by glenn 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No, a arrow or any edged weapon with enough force will cut through a standard bullet resistant vest. this is why they have pockets for additional types of plate armor. If needed they do make stab vests. just for edged weapons.
2007-07-26 18:54:00 · answer #8 · answered by Jon 4 · 4⤊ 1⤋
I know from personal experience a knife can penetrate a standard Kevlar vest. If that is your challenge I have significant scars to prove it.
Wouldn't know a thing about arrows though. Why shoot them in the Kevlar, just aim for the neck or groin. Take em out everytime.
2007-07-27 06:14:22 · answer #9 · answered by coolhandven 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I admit I don't know. I'd have to go with JD on this, Second Chance did a lot of research early on. newer broadheads, cross bow that have 200lbs of pull weight? Who knows? My guess is they adapt the vests if something does penetrate a layer.
2007-07-27 05:31:56 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It may and it may not. I have taken my Flak Jacket or bullet proof vest and stabbed it with my knife, my knife goes through. I think the arrow would penetrate. I don't care what tests have been done, I've seen sharp objects penetrate a flak jacket.
2007-07-27 00:26:31 · answer #11 · answered by Matt 4 · 6⤊ 1⤋