dr. ed ashby
The man who influenced the design of the TUFFHEAD
Dr. Ed Ashby is an avid hunter and writer. In 1985, Dr. Ashby traveled to Africa and performed extensive testing on almost three dozen different broadhead designs. Testing included fixed blade steel, replaceable multi-blade heads, and also a few semi-custom heads. Dr. Ed Ashby has since completed 30 years of study of arrow performance and broadhead lethality. In his studies, he has strived to apply scientific principles to questions that have confounded bow hunters for decades.
Dr. Ed Ashby has hunted with both gun and bow. He began bowhunting big game in 1958 and has had the opportunity to meet and hunt with many of the great bowhunters of the past including Howard Hill, Ben Pearson, and Fred Bear. He has hunted extensively in North America and Africa and has shot several hundreds of animals with bow and arrow. These animals covered a wide spectrum of small game to white rhinos. His favorite longbow, a 94-pound bamboo bow he built in 1980, has accounted for over 300 big game animals.
Dr. Ashby has a wealth of bowhunting experiences to draw from. This is supplemented by an enormous database he has collected over the years on the effectiveness of various bow hunting equipment.
In 1985, Dr. Ashby conducted what is still the most extensive formal evaluation of broadhead performance on game animals in Natal Provence, South Africa. His research data is used by several of the U.S. States and foreign countries in hunter education programs. He is the author of numerous technical hunting-related articles that have been published in the U.S. and internationally.
In 1994, Dr. Ashby retired from the U.S. Public Health Service and moved to Africa to enjoy the continent’s spectacular hunting and to help expand the bowhunting opportunities in that region. After years in Africa, Dr. Ashby once again resides in the USA where he continues his research and writing.
Dr. Ashby is recognized worldwide as a leading expert on broadhead design and performance. By incorporating Ed Ashby’s findings and our own innovations, TUFFHEAD™ has resulted in the ultimate broadhead design. Dr. Ashby has graciously allowed us to publish his studies for educational purposes on this website.