You mentioned blind. Did you shoot the Rage through mesh? You should have enough energy with your set up assuming arrow flight is good.

I blew thru the offside shoulder on a doe at about 15 yards earlier in the year. She made it about 60 yards while dead on her feet. I'll be using them next year with complete confidence.

 

I will never shoot Rage heads or probably any mechanicals ever again.

I'll take them off your hands...and pay the postage.

Big T

 

I'll take them off your hands...and pay the postage.

Big T

me too!

 

I also shot a doe earlier this year with a 3-blade Rage and only 1/3 of my arrow penetrated :sad:. Saw exactly where I hit her (again, the arrow was sticking 2/3rd's of the way out as she was running away. The only bone it could have hit to slow it down was a rib. Very little blood stopped after about 40 yards....Never found her.

60 pound Parker Phoenix paper tuned perfectly.

Went back to the Muzzy and the next doe I shot fell within sight after the arrow blowing through. Maybe 60 pounds just is not enough for an expandable? I don't plan on using one again unless I crank my bow up.

 

I have had many friends shoot mechanicals because the fly like field points and then they don't have to sight in their broadheads. Well they always have problems finding blood and their deer and these deer have been hit good. I shoot fixed blades, 85 grain Thunder heads and I have no problems finding blood when I shoot a deer. I have steered these friends to fixed blade broadheads and they have found their blood trails easier and recovered more deer than with the mechanicals. I would stay away from any expandable broadheads

 

Mechanical broadheads are just that,mechanical. Everytime you shoot one you have a little voice in your head says "will it open up".....Thats why i shoot fixed heads, Muzzy to be exact....

Congrats on your doe....But i would consider a different broadhead, maybe a fixed one, there's to much "hype" in mechanicals...

 

It's been just the oposite for me. I shot 100 gr thunderheads and didn't like the performance and switched to mechanical.
I've shot several types of mechanicals and once rage came out I should have bought them.
I saw the slice it left in my hunting partners buck, bloodtrail like a river with a double-lung shot
Never been more happy. I am buying Rage 2 blade BH's and will be shooting them next season.

 

If a deer knows something is wrong, like you being in the tent about to shoot it, sometimes the arrow wont go through. Of all the deer I have shot the ones that dont pass through are when the deer knows something is up or I hit a bone very solid, even a rib bone. I wouldnt blame the broad head for this. When a deer jumps at the shot, sheet happens. That broadhead is a good one. I dont think your wrong that it should have performed better but none are always perfect. I would try it out a few more times and get a better idea of how they usually perform. They make a huge hole and the bigger the hole usually means more blood

 

I have been using mechanicals (spitfire 2 blade) and I have not lost one of the four deer I have shot this year, but I have yet to have a pass through. The doe I shot tonight I put the arrow a little high and she was quartering away, the broadhead went all the way through but the vain was sticking out one side and the broadhead out of the other (she made it maybe 40 yards and piled up). Needless to say out of the 4 deer I have shot, the end result was a broken arrow every time:rant::rant::rant::rant:. I am switching to a fixed blade for next year because I will be hunting out of a Double Bull blind with the shoot through windows. I have not had a problem with the spitfires not opening up.

 

I have used mechanicals for years and have never had a problem. I have taken quite a few and have lost none. I do not know why you would have a problem with rage. I have never used them before, but I certainly trust mechanicals.

 

It's always the BH fault:lol:
No matter what head is used, never the shooter

Where exactly did you hit her? Being you do not know when you shot tells me it was pretty dark. Tells me there is a good chance it was a bad hit. Any pictures of a hit? A good hit looks like this with the rage

Produce a blood trail like this

This was just a good hit IMO. A little back from the shoulder, then again I did see where the arrow hit

 

I killed a 6 point earlier this year using a 3 blade Rage and watched the buck drop 40 yrds from my stand. I could not get the deer to stop so I shot it walking at 35yrds and hit him a little far back. I had complete pass through and the blood trail leading up to the deer was like someone took a red can of paint and poured it on the ground. I've shot spitfires before switching to the Rage this year and have never had 1 not open yet. I've heard horror stories such as yours, but I really like the way they fly coming out of my Outback. Good luck on your switch back to a fixed blade.

 

GREAT....Santa just dropped of some 100gr 3-Blade Rage heads of for Christmas this year!! After hearing all of this, I am begining to get somewhat skeptical now after hearing all this. Might have to stick with the Muzzy's.

 

put the arrow in the boiler room = dead deer no matter if its mechanical or fixed. practice and have confidence in your equipment,take the white coats off cause it isnt rocket science.

 

This was the post I knew would appear eventually. Someone who finally realized that these broadheads aren't magical, and a cure-all to bow hit deer. All good broadheads will leave good bloodtrails, and IMO these heads are good, but there is a lot of hype about them right now, too much hype in fact. My brother shot a doe x-mas eve with one and it left a great blood trail (in snow), but the deer didn't bleed for 30 yds. I've seen blood trails as good, or better with a lot of broadheads, (thunderhead, muzzy, satellite). I've said it time and time again, all broad heads will work provided you hit them in the right spot, and if you don't, you might as well be shooting a fieldpoint. Fixed blades are my go to weapon, they've always produced good results, so I see no need to switch. In my opinion 2" cutting surfaces do 3 things, and two are bad, obviously they've have a large cutting surface, but I see that as + and -. The large hole will leave good bloodtrails (on wellplaced shots) like all good sharp heads will. However, I think people get lulled into taking shots that are marginal with the thought the larger cutting surface might bail them out, it might, and it might not. We've got enough variables in bowhunting, without asking, will these blades open every time? Probably, but on fixed blade, definately. I also think these larger cutting surfaces also cause hunters to practice less because again, "its got a 2" cutting surface". The bottom line is, hit a deer good with any good broadhead, you'll have good results, hit them bad with a good broadhead, you'll have bad results. Plain and simple. As a sidebar, is it possible that the lack of penetration is caused by the large cutting surface slowing the arrow down once it penetrates?

 

Chuckinduck

Exact reason for my post. I have no idea if I am even going to use rage next year. I have used Montecs for the past 6 sesaons and I am 15 for 15 with them. 13 good hits, 2 not so good, but i recoverd all the deer. I hear the same story about all broadheads.

"I hit the deer good, the BH failed" Sorry I do not buy it. Like you said a 2'' dia is not a fix for poor shooting. Just like going to a Mech is not a fix for fix blades not flying well.

I will say the bloodtrail I have had with rage was the largest I have had.

 

Chuckinduck

Exact reason for my post. I have no idea if I am even going to use rage next year. I have used Montecs for the past 6 sesaons and I am 15 for 15 with them. 13 good hits, 2 not so good, but i recoverd all the deer. I hear the same story about all broadheads.

"I hit the deer good, the BH failed" Sorry I do not buy it. Like you said a 2'' dia is not a fix for poor shooting. Just like going to a Mech is not a fix for fix blades not flying well.

I will say the bloodtrail I have had with rage was the largest I have had.

I like the looks of those montecs, they look real solid. You're bloodtrail was a dandy, looked similar to my brothers, although it took a while for his to get pumping, but when it did, it bled great.

 

I will say this, if you happen to catch the thread about BH test the Rocky Synpers did the best.

Best penitration
Most accurate

Rage is the same head, just with 1/2 inch more cutting dia. It was this test that peek my interest in the rage.

I was shocked at the results.

http://www.prorelease.com/xring.aspx

 

E-Man is my brother and went over to help him track it that night.

The blood trail was very weak. We were doing circles to pick up the blood when we lost it. Even when we found the deer, there wasn't any noticable blood leading up to it.

The hit was great! Behind the shoulder, nothing but lungs.
The entrance hole was good size. No shattered ribs that I noticed (but I didn't have to clean it!!) The arrow just stopped short of poking through the other side. No ryhme or reason.
With bigger blades, there's more resistance and drag on the head. Maybe you need a little more torque in the bow or weight in the arrow to help push it through. Me, I'm sticking with my fixed blades.

For the record: He shot out of a slightly elevated box blind (about 6' high), no mesh to shoot through. He's been shooting fantastic groups this year. His confidence was very high. The shot placement was good.

I believe it should of went through......................but who I'm I.

Y.S.

 

Well

What KE is he shooting?
What is arrow weight?

Again I hit the doe I shot(as you can see from my picture) behind the shoulder.

Was the hit high?
Example I am shooting 73 ft lb KE

 

Just an FYI

If any of you are thinking of doing a guided, out of state or Canadian, hunt in the future, check with your outfitter re. broadheads.

A number of them no longer allow you to hunt with mechanical broadheads. Reason cited, is poor recovery rate and too many wounded deer. This tells me there were too many hours spent tracking wounded deer, with a poor recovery rate.

Penetration on a mature Canadian or Midwest buck is a lot different than on a 100# doe.

 

Entry. Doe went 60 yards.

Rage 2 blade 100 grain
05 Mathews Classic
64# draw weight(according to bow scale)
28 1/4" Carbon Express Terminator Shafts
4" feathers, right helical
375 grain arrow (without the head)

If you don't want those Rage heads, PM me and I will take them off your hands.

I've had nothing but great success with expandable heads, but I have only shot Spitfires (for about 8 yrs, I think) and this year I used the Rage 2 blades.

Can't argue with the fixed-bladers. No broadhead will fly identical to field tips, in my experience anyway. So find a head you like and you can tune your bow to shoot and stick with em! If you don't like them, don't shoot them.

Best of luck. Glad you found the deer!

 

I don't know what my KE is. Not sure what the grain of the arrow is. I find it hard to believe I don't have enough KE but maybe so. The bow is fast and I am comfortable with it. The reason I'm posting is because I've heard all this crap about how great this braodhead is and I think they suck. My opinion and I'm letting it be known.

The shot was well placed and the deer did die. It was a successful hunt.

Hey swoosh,
That blood trail is great, you're badass post it again. I'm simply posting that my one and only experience with them was not good and I won't be using them again.

 

Just an FYI

If any of you are thinking of doing a guided, out of state or Canadian, hunt in the future, check with your outfitter re. broadheads.

A number of them no longer allow you to hunt with mechanical broadheads. Reason cited, is poor recovery rate and too many wounded deer. This tells me there were too many hours spent tracking wounded deer, with a poor recovery rate.

Penetration on a mature Canadian or Midwest buck is a lot different than on a 100# doe.

I have no doubts about that, it has more to do with shooter than anything else A lot of guys go to Mech for a "Fix" to Fixed blades not flying well.

Ask Drury boys how they perform on midwest bucks:lol:

 

Penetration on a mature Canadian or Midwest buck is a lot different than on a 100# doe.

I've had success on both, but I don't go with an outfitter.

Notice the gaping entry hole high behind the shoulder on this mature Midwest (not Michigan) buck.

Rage 2 blade 100 grain
05 Mathews Classic
64# draw wt
28 1/4" Terminator shafts

12 yards, double lung, complete pass through
Watched him go down

Shot placement is key. Sharp blades will kill. The deer I have lost over the years are because I made bad shots.

Good hunting! 4 days left!