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Hunting & Fishing RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have????

C

Centerfire1

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 4, 2009
153
1
54
Jackson,Tennessee
#1
For years I have hated the expandable broadheads and have sworn by the 100 grain Thunderheads until last year I finally fell into the media's hex and bought some three blade Rage broadheads....After these two deer I have to say I won't shoot anything else. The better picture I shot last year and then last week I shot the other doe. Both at 25 yards and neither went over 20 yards after the shot. I could just about put my fist in the entry holes and both were pass through's. Any of you had any experience with them?...Good?? Bad??

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#2
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have????

I just switched over to the two blade broadheads and spilled the first blood with them last night. I shot a doe at about 25 yards, the shot was a little high but it still did the job and opened her up like nothing I have used before.

My only real complaint with the broadheads is that they open up from time to time when the bow gets bumped around or when pulling them out of the quiver. I am not a very big fan of that and honestly I don't want to take the chance on one opening up at the wrong moment and it causing me to loose a shot or a deer. If anyone has a fix for the problem I would love to hear it because they work great.

The real test will come when I sling an arrow at a hog. I have never really had good luck with mechanicals on hogs and the 3 blade muzzy's are hard to beat.
 
#3
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have????

i've had great luck with the 3 blade rage. deer bleed out quick and don't run near as far as with the old fixed blades i've used. another bonus is the poi is the same as my field tips.
 
#4
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have????

I hit on a doe at 30 yards a couple of weeks ago with the rage 2. The Rage busted the first entry side rib, but bounced off the rib cage on the other side of her. As far as vitals, it only took out one lung. She ran about 60 yards and stood for almost 10 minutes before bedding down in a bean field. I gave her two hours, and thought for sure she was dead where she bedded down. Two hours later I found her 100 yards away from where I last saw her. There was a very small blood trail, and thank God for tracer nocks bc it helped me get on the right path when I found the blinking arrow. While waiting for the doe to die, I also killed a coyote at 20 yards. I hit him right between his shoulder blades, effectively severing his back in half but still did not get a pass-thru. And somehow...the bastard managed to bite my arrow and snap it in half just before it died! I'm still trying to figure that one out.. I know this subject has been kicked around forever, but I don't think the Rage will be in my quiver anymore simply because I like to get pass-thrus when I shoot deer. I'm running 60 lbs of KE, and with my slick tricks I'm confident I would have accomplished that. I know it works for some people, and it did kill what I shot with it, but when it wouldn't pass thru a 40 lb coyote that convinced me to stick with the slick tricks...

cbosshog79, yes the Rage can be a pain with it opening all the time, but there are quick fixes. One is to buy new O-rings from a hardware store. Sometimes the ones they are packaged with dry out and don't secure the blades like they should. The easiest solution is to buy the small rubber bands that people use when they visit the orthodontist and have braces. Simply place the rubber bands in the center of the broadhead so that it's squeezing the blades together. It works great, and does not adversely affect arrow flight or blade deployment. Hope this helps
 
#5
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have????

The rage has it's pros and cons for sure and does a good job. For those of you wanting to try something similar and REALLY good try the Meatseeker 3 blade!! it rocks!!
 
#7
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have????

I read all the pros and cons of the rage broad heads -"not going through bone", etc. I bought the 3 blade 100,s and shot a doe @18 yds from the base of my tree. I was up higher than usual and did get off the best shot. I spined her. She dropped in her tracks and I finished her with a shot double lung with complete pass through . The arrowarrow broke just above the insert. The broad head was later retrieved from the vertebrae it had become lodged in. Intact and functioning fine. As for the arrow it had a plug of flesh in the hollow core about 7 inches long and blood was visualized at the nock (inside). The shaft continued to travel through the spine and broke a rib on the far side. The second shot stayed together, functioned fine and remained intact.

I put the broadheads in the ultrasonic cleaner and it came out just beautiful. I also took a shot at a 6 pt later after dressing the doe and missed . The arrow stuck in the far bank of the stream the buck had came down along side. I retrieved it and it also cleaned up well... still intact and functioning.

What do I do with em now though???? I was thinking I could take em back to Dicks and tell I'm not happy as I cannot change the blades and get a new pack????? anyway they worked very well and not as fragile as they sounded in all I had read...just pricey as your're only gonna get one time use. $40 worth of broadheads and a $14 dollar shaft.
 
#13
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

I hit a doe in the spine with the Rage and she fell right there. It notched the bone the size of my thumb.
All others I have shot with the Rage I got pass-thru and lots of blood, short blood trails.
 
#15
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

Not my story personally but this last weekend a shooting partner of mine shot a nice 4x5 whitetail up in ND with a blade Rage and he was very impressed with it. He's been shooting expandable heads for years now and said it seemed to be one of the best performing heads he's used.
 
#17
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

I think they are the cats ass, that is until they hit bone. I have help track two different deer where for whatever reason the shot was forward, needless to say these deer were never found. My buddy and I did some penetration tests on deer front quarters there is no penetration when the scapula is involved..360 grn at 298 fps, two blade. I wouldn't touch em. Fixed blade G5 for me.
 
#18
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

They worked very well for me when I tried them last year. This year I had a nice 6pt walk right by me and stop at 15yds and stop. I must have bumped the broadhead and a blade popped loose while sitting on my bucket and the arrow took flight well off the mark. Made me rethink using expandables again.
 
#19
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

picked some up this year, but filled the deep freeze up with a first day rifle season elk.... pics of exit holes look great, and im really axious to try the rages next years bow season.
 
#20
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

Entrance with 2" cut Rage from mathewes switchback @ 70 Lbs from 20 yards!
IMG00053-20101103-2125.jpg
[IMG]
[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y251/sydbrad/IMG00096-20101107-1431.jpg




Broadhead lodged in the off side shoulder.
IMG00098-20101107-1431.jpg


One Blade ad closed some.
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Took 2 deer on this trip less than 20 yards and did not have a complete pass through on either.
 
#22
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: locked&loaded</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My arrow is AWAYS buried in the dirt after a pass through</div></div>

Same story here with 100gr slick trick 4blade. This idea of having the broadhead not penetrate well enough to come OUT of the deer disturbs me. The exit hole, low on the far side after a shot, puts a hole in the bottom of the chest cavity that conveniently allows blood to come out and hit the ground making tracking easier.

Rage sure has a marketing machine though. Man O man do they spend the money on marketing. It would seem that a lot of folks that I've met that use them, praise them simply to make themselves feel better about the money spent. Truth to the matter is I've seen more animals lost due to expandable broadheads than anything else.

Expandable broadheads are a solution in search of a problem. My slick trick's fly like field points and kill like nobodies business.
 
#23
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

i have heard some absolute terror stories about rage. whether they are due to mechanical failure or user error, i will stick with my grizztricks for now. the only expandable i plan to try are nap's bloodrunners-they cut no matter what
 
#24
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

I shoot a Carbon Matrix at 80lbs and shoot only Grizztricks. They fly the same as my fieldpoints all the way to 50yards. I shot the Rage the second year they came out and had one deploy in flight. I just dont like the way the blades are held together. If you want to try a mech use the Shwackers or 2" round Meatseeker.
 
#25
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

I've used the 2 blade Rage heads with success but only for turkeys. I like the large cutting surface for the small vitals on a bird and none have gone far after the shot which can be problem with turkeys.
I don't trust an expandable head on anything bigger and personally don't see the need for them on most hunting arrows at reasonable speeds from a tuned bow. I still stick with my 100 grain 3 blade Muzzy's simply because they've always gotten the job done.
I have also had problems with the blades on Rage heads opening up in a quiver. I was wondering if I just had a couple bad ones but it's enough to make me try another rear opening expandable for next Spring.
 
#26
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

Do not try them with a crossbow. They will open upon the shot and cause your arrow to go sailing off to God knows where and the nice 17 inch 8 point you just range at 30 steps hauls ass never to be seen again during daylight hours. Ask me how I know this? Montec G5's for me from now on.

Eddie
 
#30
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

I've heard alot of good things about these. They really sold me on em when i saw a guy on tv hit a big ass grizzly with one and it dropped.
 
#31
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

I have a friend that had a few deer get away from the rage not leaving a good enough exit wound. I have also seen alot of deer with great wounds from the 2 blade. I use pistonpoint broadheads and have yet to loose a deer. Sometimes the shot doesnt allow much blood to exit even in a perfect shot.
 
#32
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

i hit a doe last week with a 3 blade from 15 yards using my ten point crossbow i have a 3 power red hot scope on it and i saw the blood splater as it hit her. she ran 40 yards and droped. i dont think i will ever use any other blade
 
#33
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

I have heard ALOT of BAD things about rage. Quit a few People loosing deer with them. What ever you do DO NOT take a angling shot. Seems the blades have a hard time opening on angle shots. Kind of like shooting them with a feild tip? But when they work its ugly for sure. I just stick to wasp 100 grn. fly good alway got straight threw? But I'm staying awy form rage, just too many bad storys.
 
#34
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bubb</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have heard ALOT of BAD things about rage. Quit a few People loosing deer with them. What ever you do DO NOT take a angling shot. Seems the blades have a hard time opening on angle shots. Kind of like shooting them with a feild tip? But when they work its ugly for sure. I just stick to wasp 100 grn. fly good alway got straight threw? But I'm staying awy form rage, just too many bad storys.</div></div>

From what I understand, the Grim Reaper brand does not have this problem due to the design of the tip and the way they expand.

I've seen them (grim reaper) used twice. Once on a Bull Elk and it was a bad shot (shoulder blade @40 yards and in the thick part), and once on a speed goat @ 60yds quartering away and it punched clean through. I have seen 1 rage in use on a doe mule deer and it was essentially a broadside shot to the boiler room so I could not answer about quartering away for that particular instance.


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#35
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

Tried them in NM, elk hunting around the first of september 2010. I shoot a bow tech 82nd airborne 71 lbs 29.5 inch draw. With acc 360s at 30 inches 475 gr it shoots 306 fps. I guess you can say it has a good dose of energy. I was shooting the 100 gr ke 2 blade and had a complete pass through. The shot was only ten yards so not a unexpected outcome. I figured the arrow was still traveling close to 295 fps on impact. Missed the rib on the way in but center punched one on the way out. I thought this would be a good stress test, shooting an elk at that range. I found my arrow 30 ish yards beyond in perfect condition as well as the broadhead. It looked to me that if cleaned up it was good to go. BTW the elk made it 9 yrds had great entry and exit wounds. Rthur
 
#36
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

You either love em or hate em......Me, I hate them. But I hate all mechanicals. I have a couple sitting around that I'll use on turkeys or swans, but that's as far as I'd trust them. I have never personally shot a deer with them, but have heard waaay too many horror stories to have any sort of confidence in that head at deer sized game anyways.

Obviously, when they work, they work. The pics in this thread, as well as any other "Rage" thread show that. But I'm not risking critically wounding a deer only to never be found because the Rage didn't open up, or penetrate.

I'll stick with my 100gr Magnus 4 blade Stingers for big game.
 
#37
Re: RAGE BROADHEADS !!!! What stories do you have

I'll keep my muzzy's and thunderheads. cheap, and they work. i have a piece of backbone that a rage did not penetrate when shot from a crossbow at a good distance. I also have pics of a 200+lb 10 point whitetail that was spined from 30 yards with a muzzy fired from a 40lb stick bow that blew a hole in the spine, AND "X"'d the heart, passing thru the brisket to form a nice drain hole. if the deer didn't drop on the spot it would have bled out in seconds anyway. you can keep the mechanicals. I don't even want to talk about the guys with overdraws that have forgotten to put the blade bands on and had to go to the ER.
 
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