Was Marty involved with the testing?
I seen set ups where guys were putting them together wrong and we’re having troubles.

At that time Marty said he had no way to test them. They were going off what the supplier said. He was called when they were going up twice plus what they were rated at. Marty was not in ND during that testing. Tell me how you put a S hook in a lock wrong?

Closing the S hook wrong can screw things up. Most already know this, but the odd guy just crunches it shut with what ever tool he’s got in his hand.
Marty’s supplier couldn’t give him a set number for his s hooks, they all varied so that number is a ball park figure. This has been discussed thoroughly in another thread somewhere.
We’re these tests done on his or Lightsout snare systems?

The tests were done with his S hooks and locks. I don't know what fancy name he has for them. I have never used any of his stuff. When a S hook busts the lock, there is a problem. The problem was the S hook fit to tight in the lock hole.

He’s got his own Senneker Shock Locks and a few others, BADs from his supplier and some from The Snare Shop. The heavier BADs are tighter in my locks which are Lightsout or a few Bridgers with teeth, but still loose enough to slip some 28G wire through it. I use my swager to get good control of the squish when closing the S hook (BAD). It’d be tough to get it right without one. The BADs function is also effected by the size of magnum kill springs, this is where he recommends the smaller breakaway device.
About 80% of my snares are Lightsout, but my fastest 80lb wolf kill was with a smaller Senneker Stinger.
Are these ND tests documented somewhere, or who & how were they done?

The tests were done by Wildlife Services. They were testing BADS for their own use and knowledge. WS built the hydraulic test machine for the ND Game and Fish and their own use. Up until then there was no where you could send snares to test them. It was documented at the time, but I have no idea if they still have it. They were not testing locks and S hooks for Senneker. I know they called him and told him what they saw happening. From what I remember he did not seem overly concerned from what they said. The S hook would be almost 100% straight and still be stuck in the lock. For it to come out something had to give other then the S hook. It was busting a piece out of the lock at the hole the S hook goes through. It seems like up over 600lbs.

I’ve always had issue with straight pull testing protocols.

Animals don’t just lean on it till something gives or they expire.

They jerk, pop and snap, introduce slack into the system than run at it again. Etc etc


Solidly leaning on it can cause components to bind.

NDs machine would sometimes cause the cam arm on an Amberg lock to completely straighten out before something gave. 20+ years of using those locks and I never once saw that happen in field use.

Tells me there’s a flaw in that test design.

That makes sense, could see that happening with the tighter fitting BADs. Marty’s Shock Locks have bigger more oval holes but have never tried them. I still use mostly Corey’s Lightsout system. I mainly like the trigger on the spring itself, and they seem to handle the bigger cable well.

Boone, I agree it is not the best. But at least there is something now. It used to be they said it could not be over 350 pound break away and there was no standard on how to test it. Now at least that is spelled out. If you call most the people have BAD's made, most of them have never tested any. They just go by what they are told and who knows if the guy making them has ever tested any.
Shakeyjake Does Canada have max break away weights? ND is 350 pounds. I would guess that Canadas is higher, due to wolves.

Here’s FICs page, Manitoba usually follows it but not sure about other provinces or Territories.

Here’s the page from our trapping regulations. Keep in mind that this is for fox/coyote. The wolves that wandered into my coyote sets didn’t know it. These snare systems should be good to go for wolves here this coming season so I’ll soon see what our BAD limits will be.

Any info on the BAD's usage on the coyote #2 Rams?...............the mike

I was always under the impression that the breakaways would release / breakaway from the cable and not the lock. Not sure how the tests were done but it would be interesting to see. I remember Marty saying he got a bad bunch of lightning locks from his manufacturer that were made poorly and would break on the eye hole of the lock. That was a few years ago. Marty has a few videos on how to crimp the breakaways properly. If I remember correctly Marty’s s hooks had one side bigger than the other but I might be wrong.


I know the breakaways on my power rams almost always come apart off the main cable and not on the end of the cable where there’s a small attachment loop and ferrel. Most times when an moose , elk,deer etc walk through they don’t even wreck the loop but if they happen to spring the ram it’s one hard pull and their gone