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Old 11-24-2007 | 10:06 AM
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Matt / PA
Giant Nontypical
 
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Dover, PA USA
Default RE: Forget the Rage-think I'll stick with my Muzzy

I have absolutely no loyalty to ANY broadhead or manufacturer, in fact I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who has used and / or killed at least one animal with as many DIFFERENT heads as I have in the last 10-12yrs.
I shoot what impresses me through practice or or after I try something that catches my eye based upon design and what I am looking for in a head.

I shoot mechanicals for one and one reason only probably 90% of the time. I have energy to spare in my set-ups, and I want to shoot the largest / best performing head I can shoot. To me there is absolutely no reason on earth why someone should pick a 1 1/8"- 1 1/4" expandable head when tehre are so many quality fixed heads on the market. You aren't gaining anything except maybe some ballistic advantage in open or windy country.

I want a minimum of 1 1/2" and preferrably 1 3/4-2" in cutting diameter and I cannot get that in a fixed head. I want to inflict as much tissue damage laterally in a wound channel as is realistically possible while still providing ample penetration.
I have killed literally dozens of deer with large "jacknife" style mechs such as the Rocket Mini-Blaster, Sidewinder, Slammerhead ,Hammerhead , NAP Spitfire, Shockwave, Scorpion etc but I was not always impressed with the entrance holes. On the rare occaision I would hit the off shoulder/ leg and not have a pass thru it could leave you in a pretty shaky position as far as blood trails went.

I always liked the Rocky Mt. Snyper head and how it worked but it really didn't give me the cutting diameter I wanted. I have basically found 2 heads that give me exactly what I want in a broadhead: Easy opening, sharp, 2" cutting diameter with extended cutting blade style tips to really accept a straight line of travel on angled shots,they both penetrate extremely well for their cutting diameterand they both fly terrific.

These 2 heads are the Rage 100gr 2 blade, and the slightly older design, Rocky Mt. Gator XP.
They penetrate great and although I only have 3-4 animals with these so far they have all been pass thrus with room to spare,the best entry and exit wounds I have hadand immediate blood trails.

I've been saying it for too many years now, if you are having trouble with today's quality mechanical heads then chances are you are not choosing the one that compliments your set-up to its fullest potential.
For many years I preached that most people should shy away from those 2" cut Hammerheads unless you were really pushing the KE/ momentum in your rigs.......but in the case of these 2 heads I truly believe that bar has been extended backward toward more middle of the road set-ups with regards to energy output. They use almost nothing to open and the 2 blade design really seems to penetrate well in spite of the 2" cut.

I don't care if a 1" fixed head with a bone crushing tip MIGHT get through the paddle of the shoulder a little better than what I am shooting, no head is going to perform consistently on the harder thicker ridge of that bone anyway. I chuckle everytime I hear someone say "It blew right through both shoulders", trust me when you finally see and HEAR an arrow hit the part of the shoulder area that you don't belong in you'll know it and you will NOT be blowing through both of anything.

Hitting the thick part of a shoulder blade is not really a consideration for me as I don't put myself in a position to hit that high and forward so I want the head that will perform the best on soft tissue and organs in the event of a marginal shot in any other direction, high in the lungs, low, back whatever........I want a head that reaches out laterally and damages more tissue and possible multiple organs/ vessels. I want a wound channel I can slide 4 fingers into vs a smallish nickle sized hole that could more easily plug with fat or gut on a marginal hit.
I basically want overkill within reason for any shot that finds intself in the body cavity.

If I don't trust it 100% it will not be in my quiver, I'm not out there to play games with these animals or use them as "test subjects" I carry what I feel will kill that animal the quickest and cleanest under the widest variety of possible shot scenarios. Bone crushing means NOTHING absolutely NOTHING to me based upon anatomy and shot selection. Bone chushing IMO is a bunch of nonsense. You are much more liklely to hit liver, one lung or guts than you are the single area of the shoulder that could possibly need BONE CRUSHING.

Choose your heads based upon how they perfrom for the 99% of the shot results you will wind up with.......soft tissue and ribs.
Shoot a quality head that takes full advantage of the energy output your personal bow provides...if you are on eth low end and you feel most comfortable with modest cutting diameters or cut on contact fixed heads then you are choosing smartly........if you are shooting 70+ft lbs of KE on a mid weight arrow and using 1 1/8" fixed heads IMO you are doing yourself a disservice.

Just my opinion on lots of animals taken with lots of different heads in the search for "The one"

For me I think that "One" might be the Rage 2 blade. Anyone who calls it junk is misinformed, misguided or biased.
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