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Post by orionsoracle on Oct 17, 2012 4:39:59 GMT -5
Hey Guys,just my thoughts about the Rage broad heads. I shot a nice buck a few weeks ago and I was using the two bladed Rage. The deer was broadside at 24 yards and I did not get a pass through. Not even a exit wound at all!! I am shooting 63# out of my Mathews Switchback XT. That is not acceptable. Since then I have talked to numerous hunters and have heard many negative results about the Rages. I can say they worked great for turkey hunting the last two years. I shot two Toms and the arrow stayed in the bird. As for deer I will be going back to a cut on contact blade. Any other opinions,I would love to read them. Thanks for your time
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Post by sw on Oct 17, 2012 13:50:03 GMT -5
Either great or poor performance myself. My son just lost a large 150+" 10 pt - we tracked quite some time: arrow stayed with deer; however, he shot a 110 ish" 8-pt that went <30 yds, massive blood. This has been repeated a # of times for him.
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Post by lineman on Oct 17, 2012 14:57:34 GMT -5
I have good success with the 2 blade rage maximahunter arrows and 70 lb switchback xt all pass thru except when hitting opposite side shoulder.
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Post by tar12 on Oct 17, 2012 20:03:11 GMT -5
My son just shot his first doe with a 2 blade Rage using his Switchback XT @68 lbs @ 15 yds. The doe was facing away and slighlty quartering to. The rage hit a rib and created a 8-9 in. gash before entering and penetrating approx. 8 in. and stayed in the doe. She went approx. 75 yds and bedded up. While he was waiting she stood up and stumbled around a bit and laid back down and expired. The jury is still out on the rage but I am not liking what I am seeing and hearing so far. I may pull out the Steel Force cut on contact broadheads and continue to use them.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2012 21:31:50 GMT -5
Any shot other than perfect broadside is a roll of the dice from my research and two friends of mine losing two bucks last year using them on less than perfect shot opportunities......they aren't using them this year and I warned them last year about the mixed and mostly bad reviews.....On TV they make a paint bucket trail if shot just right in the right place......I'm using NAP HellRazors.....they fly straight and are Sharp ........ Greenhorn
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Post by huntmeister on Oct 18, 2012 6:18:01 GMT -5
Keep it simple is my approach, too many things to fail for me with the mechanical BH's...I love my slick tricks.
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Post by onthehunt on Oct 18, 2012 19:37:08 GMT -5
I use razorcaps,Stingers,deadheads. Strong COC broadheads.
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Post by tar12 on Oct 18, 2012 21:00:06 GMT -5
My son has yet to learn that not all is what it seems on TV... ;D
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Post by kevinbrian on Oct 18, 2012 21:33:45 GMT -5
I killed my third doe tonight with Rage 3 blade expandables. It was a normal chest shot, but she fell and dies right there in about 45 seconds. That the third deer this year with those 100 grain broadheads shot from a Strikezone 380 and Laser goldtip 20 inch arrows. I was always a 125 grain Thunderhead man myself, but this bow is so fast the Thunderhead fixed broadheads plane like crazy and accuracy is terrible. Anyway, back to the subject, so far (thumbs crossed) the Rage 3 blade expandables have been great for me. The first deer, a large doe, ran about 60 yards before piling up. The second ran about 20 yards. The third......fell in its tracks (which is a first for me with a bow or x-bow except for the time that I spined a big doe.....and she required a second killing shot).
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Post by huntmeister on Oct 19, 2012 5:58:32 GMT -5
My has yet to learn that not all is what it seems on TV... ;D Ya, you just never know when T-Rex will make an appearance while in the treestand!! ;D
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2012 20:40:07 GMT -5
I took close to 20 with the rage and finally went on to a better broadhead..the rage has its share of problems, my biggest was small exit holes on many shots. the heads were closing up after entry..large entry,small exit makes for small blood trails.. floppy blades are the other biggie....no more rage for me..
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ukwildcat
8 Pointer
No Smoking section please!
Posts: 232
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Post by ukwildcat on Nov 13, 2012 0:01:19 GMT -5
Hmmm,. That's what I am shooting... Hmmmm
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Post by dougedwards on Nov 21, 2012 11:35:44 GMT -5
I had one occasion where one of the blades came loose in my quiver and I have never shot a Rage broadhead since. I do have some laying around if anyone is interested.
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Post by adam75 on Oct 29, 2013 8:01:29 GMT -5
Shot 2 real nice 8-pointers with the 3blade rage 1stt deer shot was high and cut spine paralizing back half of deer had to finish him off. 2nd buck was a 60 yd broadside shot which double lunged him complete pass through so I have nothing bad to say about them, how many stories have you heard on every broadhead on the market i knoe myself i have heard alot, it comes down to shot placement. Its hard to shoot any deer with a broadhead through bone.
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Post by sw on Oct 30, 2013 6:30:23 GMT -5
I killed a few deer with the 3 blade Rages, no losses but varied performance. My son's only expandable losses have been with Rages. I think the Rage has hurt the Expandable reputation. VERY few Rage users remain Rage users for long, in my experience.
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Post by mshm99 on Nov 11, 2013 9:33:26 GMT -5
I believe that you are going to have failures no matter what head you use. All have their weakness. My buddy swears by one, but it does not leave much blood to trail. It's all a matter of what has failed you in the past. I shot Muzzy four blade 100's for a long time, but use the Rage in the crossbow. Had two failures with Wasp Jackhammer, but going to give them another try.
Mike
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Post by longbowshtr on Nov 15, 2013 17:31:19 GMT -5
Have a look a Grave Digger Broadheads. Best of both worlds. COC and expandable. Fly great from crossbows up to 385fps.
Benny
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Post by Harley on Nov 24, 2013 11:36:04 GMT -5
I haven't shot the Rage in the last two years, so maybe they've been improved; but, my experience was awful:
1. Blades failing to stay closed in the quiver 2. Broadhead falling apart on impact with a bobcat 3. Blades failing to open at all when I hit a deer broadside at 15 yards
I've had no complaints at all since I switched to the Montec G5 in the Z7, and to the NAP Spitfire in the SZ380.
Like others, I have a drawer full of unused Rage's.
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Post by xpert07 on Apr 4, 2014 7:45:31 GMT -5
Its definitely shot placement. Ive shot Muzzy 3 & 4 blade, Rocky Mountain's, Swacker, Spit-fire, Rage. I have alot of deer kills to test throughout the past 30 yrs or more. Ive killed every deer I put a quality shot placement on, and its a 50/50 toss up if you YOU, blow the shot, don't expect the broadhead to be your scape goat. Know it's up to how good a tracker you are, and that can be a mess for anyone in god awful cover, esp when you realize you laid down a poor shot but feel compelled to wait 1 hour to start jumping it up from property to property,,,,,, Bad shot equals a long death, 6-8 hrs if not the next morning PERIOD. I'll say the chisel 3 blade Rage's are impressive to say the least, 3 last year and none made it very far. I like COC fixed blade also, but way to erratic on flight path with these these jacked up rocket launchers we have as bows today. I don't like sighting in for field point work, then again for a hunting set up. JMO
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Post by hemicuda on Sept 1, 2014 14:37:26 GMT -5
I agree with several on here that shot placement is key. You can take deer with most any head as they don't have skeleton system of large animals, elk, bear, etc. It is always when you get a chance at a 150+ deer that you need the best you can get. I shoot snuffers but you can't go wrong with a solid 2 blade, Zwickey, Grizzley, etc. They may not look impressive but they work. Someone did a study on African game and the C on Contact 2 blade outdid everything by a large margin.
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Post by sw on Sept 1, 2014 15:13:26 GMT -5
The NAP FOC has provided unbelievable kills for my: most DRT and all within very few yards. Fly great, quiet, just unbeatable. Rages, IMO , help give expandables a bad name.
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Post by artjr338wm on Sept 21, 2014 10:39:37 GMT -5
I have been bow hunting for 26 years now and in that time I have shot 31 deer all with fixed blade broad heads. I have unfortunately only failed to recover 2 deer of the 31 I shot.
In both instaces the cause for failure to recover was poor, non leathal shot placement. The cause for my first instance of poor shot placement was mybow string snagging on my clothing after I rreleased the arrow. But that buck was lator confirmed as having survived my poor hit induced injury.
The cause of my second poor hit and failto revover deer was a result of my arrow glancing off a branch and hhitting a large doe in the major bone of her shoulder. I could see the arrow had only penatraited at the most 2 or so inches.
Of my remaining hits on deer 28 were double lung hits with all recovered, none traveling under 200 yards before dropping. I had one deer that thankfully I was able to determine without pushing it after I shot it that I had hit it in the liver and gut. As conditions allowed me to, I didn't begin trailing that deer, a big buck till sun up the next day almost 23 hours after I arrowed him.Recovered that deer easily as he bed down after only going about 250 yards from where I shot him.
I have used fixed bladed broad heads for all my bow killed deer. Have used BH's made by Rocky Mt., Thunderhead and now Wasp Boss SST's. I have shot deer if not from every possible angle thay could offer a hunter, I'm sure its well ovet 90%. Never once did any of my fixed blade broad heads fail me in any way. 28 of my 31 archery deer had the arrow go completely through, 2 had the arrow go nearly all the way through and came out as the deer ran after being arrowed.
The above doe was my only instance of a arrow remaining in a deer. Basef on my experience I have 100% confidence in fixed blade broad heads. My hunting partner and best friends experience using fixed blade BH`s mirrors mine. He has used 125 Thunder Heads to take over 99% of his deer, P&Y & B&C among his kills, he recently switched to 100 T-Heads as they are easier to tune. My friend has only failed to recover k3 bow hit deer, he admits all were a result of poor hits, and nothing to do with the BH he was using or any other piece of equipment.
A mutual freind and hunting patner of ours son's step dad has allowed this young man to buy what ever archery gear he wants. He shoots a uber fast bow and uses Rage mechanical BH's. He is also blessed with access to excellent private property. His hit and fail to recover is over 3x mine his dad's or my friends.
This fact becomes even more of a concern when you factor in my son's friend has only been hunting for less than half of the years I have and has such a high FTC rate. I
Now I realize a BH like a bullet in that it's the perfect scapegoat, but in my experience those I know who use mechanicals have lost more deer than those who use fixed blade. That fact is why I don't use them, because trust me when I say I would love to use a BH that flies like a field point, but has a 2 inch wide cuttin width. One need not poses the IQ of Einstein to know if you put a BH with a 2" wide cut all the way through a deers chest cavity it will most likely die in seconds not minutes virtually insuring recovery.
I now use four bladed 100 grain Wasp Boss SST BH's that have a 1-1\6" cutting width. Have taken six deer with them. All shots broad side all at some degree of a quarteting angle, all were a complete pass though all left what I affectionately like to term a "Ray Charles blood trail".
I shoot either a Darton Maverick or Tundra set at 58-60 lbs. My carbon arrows W/BH weigh over 380 grains.
Im sure a great many hunters have enjoyed successful kills using Rage BH's, and will swear buy their effectiveness.
MY EXPERIENCE, however is quite to the contrary.
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Post by killahog on Nov 2, 2014 21:51:13 GMT -5
I have used the 2 blade rage for just one deer. It was 20 yards broadside and was a very big bodied Ohio deer. complete pass thru with a 60 lb bow. It looked like I threw a small axe thru the deer. I originaly started using them because the deer I was shooting were almost a straight down shot and I was concerned I was only going to get a single lung shot. I am however going to stop using them because I have felt the dissapointment of losing a deer due to a misjudgement in distance, and hitting a little higher than I should have. I don't want to be a guy in the future who blames a broad head for a failure. I am now using the G5 Montect's
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Post by 1coyotemaster on Nov 2, 2014 22:09:54 GMT -5
I shoot 4 blade Muzzy 100s and they have worked really well for me. I too have heard a lot of horror stories about expandables--I won't use them as I am only drawing 56#s with my Switchback and don't feel there is energy to spare on mechanicals opening. If I were shooting a high energy xbow then the expandables may be a different story--but probably not a Rage.
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Post by hydrodog on Nov 3, 2014 5:56:12 GMT -5
I still have some brand new Rage heads in the package never used them. I still use my Dead Head 100's. Just shot my third buck with the same arrow and head,I did break a blade this time though so will be replacing them.
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Post by ramzilla on Jan 5, 2015 16:53:13 GMT -5
I shot the Rages for a year and did not care for them at all. I shot a 9 pointer quartering away and he dropped under 30 yards but no pass through and it was a 15 yard shot that didn't hit any bone. I also shot a black bear at 25 yards and arrow placement was perfect. Arrow only penetrated about 8 inches and bear was hard to track. Only got a complete pass though on a coyote. Shooting out of my 28" draw Mathews DXT 65# with Maxima hunter arrows. I have been shooting Schwackers for 2 years now and have had excellent results. Complete pass throughs with massive blood on several deer(even one shoulder shot), a black bear and a coyote.
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Post by smokepolehall on Jan 6, 2015 22:19:54 GMT -5
I have rages that the blades keep falling pen n my quiver. THey sit in abox collecting dust. I use swhackers/Hammerheads/Spitfire
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Post by smokepolehall on Jan 6, 2015 22:20:45 GMT -5
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Post by hankinsrfls on Jan 6, 2015 22:24:18 GMT -5
Broadheads are like bullets.. Shot placement is the key. I've shot many deer with many different kinds of broadheads and if shot into the right spot at the right angle your deer will fall quickly., if it don't go down and you can't find it, its not the broadheads fault.
Jeff
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Jan 7, 2015 6:16:10 GMT -5
Shot placement is the key for sure. Deer do not always give you a perfect angle and most angles, except facing slightly away, are a no-no. Several straight down angles are also marginal. However, if you are a very precise bowman and you stay withing your slam-dunk range, some of the bad angles offer a few square inches of opportunity. In those cases, I feel the broadhead that gives you the best chance is a one piece, solid 3 blade like a Montec. No blades to break, get loose, not open etc.
JMO
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