My Rage against RAGE Broadheads - With Video evidence

[David Middleton]

Field and Stream did a pretty extensive test on mechanical versus Fixed broadheads. Accuracy is better in mechanical on tests and other studies have been done on recovery rates of big game interesting reading. I had no problems with rage. I did bring Muzzy heads with me but didn't run into any of the trouble everyone was talking about. Not real stable but I would never use a broadhead a second time on an animal fixed or mechanical basically disposable.

 

[jeff]

I don't see any problem reusing broadheads as long as the're not bent and you replace blades or resharpen them, I've done that a lot, same with arrows.

 

[Nicholas Barcomb]

I have heard and seen lots of problems with the Rage 2 blade. I've also got a friend that swears by them. I have another friend that bow hunts and tries out the flavor of the week during the beginning of archery season, but always turns back to Grim Reaper mechanicals. I've always used Grim Reapers and will not trust anything else. My dad used to make his own until I put him on the Grim Reaper mechanicals. First deer he shot with a bow in almost 30 years and he nailed it right through the on side shoulder, through the tops of both lungs, and found the broadhead sticking in the ball joint of the offside shoulder. Deer spun-out in a circle maybe 10 feet away from where it was hit and died very shortly after hitting the ground. He still has the joint with the Grim Reaper stuck in it with one blade curled under the hardest part of the joint. So, I will stick with my Grim Reaper broadheads because I haven't found anything better yet!

 

[rookhawk]

Old thread but I agree, rage is terrible. Highly recommend ramcat broad heads. Very accurate. Fly like fixed blades because they are. Upon impact the blades loose slightly. If for any reason they do not pass through, they then become mechanical and move backwards cutting in reverse.

Great broad head.

 

[Brian G]

I have used the 125gr Rage 2 blade in Africa in 2016, with a Hoyt Carbon Spyder at 70lb with a 30" draw length. the 750 gr arrows were choreographing at about 263fps and getting good penetration on 12" of ballistic gelatine with a Plywood "ribcage inserted into the mould. They also shot and grouped well as one would expect from mechanicals.
In Africa....
* A Nyala bull at 24 yards.... Complete pass-through and 10yards beyond, animal drops within 35 yards.
*A blue wildebeest bull at 37 yards, complete pass-through and 26 yards beyond, animal drops within 45 yards.
* 3 large male warthogs at at 15-18 yards. 2 perfectly placed shots passed through and hit an embankment, they both dropped within 30 yards. the 3rd animal seemed a great shot with a pass through, but I only took one lung cleanly and it ran 600 yards.
* A Waterbuck at 35 yards gave a pass through that saw 3" of broadhead poking through the bone of the awkwardly placed opposite shoulder of the animal, it bled out at 35 yards.
On each of these animals I was present at the skinning shed to see results of my shots. I noted no defects in broadhead deployment, with clean, even massive wound channels throughout, where bone was encountered it was a surprisingly robust hit. seeing the results inside the animals, it was apparent that they were doing the job they were designed for.
Regarding potential problems with Rage broad heads.... in my opinion it may be all too easy to assume a clean hit when it is anything but that, and any long blood trails in my experience were more on account of my accuracy and often awkward animal movements.
I will say that care, attention and checking must be given to these broad heads, before, during, and after hunts, and also further that I have only ever rarely re-used them after a shot, preferring to have everything, perfectly aligned.
I have noticed that after a pass-through shot, the hard African ground that is familiar to us is very unforgiving to the alignment of the blades when it stops the arrow.
My 10 pence worth and no I don't get sponsored by Rage and I use a wide range of broad heads as required.

Weidmann's Heil Brothers!

 

[jeff]

That is fast for that heavy of a arrow, high KE!

 

[Brian G]

That is fast for that heavy of a arrow, high KE!

Yes Jeff! Carbon Express and tuned to hell!! lol. The KE is everything isn't it?

 

[Brian G]

Yes Jeff! Carbon Express and tuned to hell!! lol. The KE is everything isn't it?

And it should read Chronograph not choreograph.... I wasn't dancing.... honest!

 

[jeff]

I'm a big fan of momentum and you have lots!! I am also a tune freak, I won't except anything but a perfect bullet hole tear at two different distances!

 

[Brian G]

I'm a big fan of momentum and you have lots!! I am also a tune freak, I won't except anything but a perfect bullet hole tear at two different distances!

Yes, resultant momentum is probably the top final consideration I'm constantly surprised at how easy a tune is lost too!
In your opinion why do you think so may people have bad experiences with Rage, or was it predominantly with earlier types?

 

[jeff]

I think they do not perform well on lower KE set ups, I still like a fixed blade and for large critters a good cut on contact.

 

[Brian G]

I think they do not perform well on lower KE set ups, I still like a fixed blade and for large critters a good cut on contact.

Yes! valid point, a friend of mine with a short draw length and a 60lb bow has had a few problems with Rage Hypodermic on African plains game.
I also like fixed broad heads too for certain applications: Grizztrick, German Kinetic, Phathead

 

[Devin Twitty]

Tried out some and just shooting into foam the blades bent. I don't think you would ever see the difference in accuracy unless your bow is out of tune. I love fixed blade heads and I shot a 1" dia head too. Width of blade means nothing to me, give me a small dia extremely Sharp head.

 

[Lee M]

With 263 fps and a 750 grain arrow you could put a blunt through an animal -LOL. I got full penetration on similar animals getting 256 fps and a 450 grain arrow with slick tricks. One question though - is your carbon bow a turbo? If they make a turbo model? As the IBO is 332 fps for the carbon spyder and that wouldn't get you anywhere near 263 with a 750 grain pointed stick.

 

[Brian G]

With 263 fps and a 750 grain arrow you could put a blunt through an animal -LOL. I got full penetration on similar animals getting 256 fps and a 450 grain arrow with slick tricks. One question though - is your carbon bow a turbo? If they make a turbo model? As the IBO is 332 fps for the carbon spyder and that wouldn't get you anywhere near 263 with a 750 grain pointed stick.

Yes the Bow is a turbo, and the dealer went to a lot of trouble for me putting the right selection of cams, inserts etc to pull up the performance