Original:Matt / PA But the notion of "Holding back" on cutting diameter to possibly SAVE a animals lifeon a marginal hit is almost kooky IMO. So all of a sudden the very deadly head that you put through both lungs is going to keep an animal alive because you hit the edge of a lung, liver and guts? WHAT?
I am not nor was I referring to a "notion" to possibly save an animals life. Let us refer to the "marginal hit". Say you shoot a 12 point 200" bruiser and get a "marginal hit". Say above the lungs, deer ducked the shot. Now with the 2" rage you may only slice open the deer's back causing a frustrating tracking job and no deer, until infection possibly sets in and the deer unkowingly dies. Now, let's say you make the same shot and you are shooting the small, insignificant 1 1/4" cut fixed blade. Chances are, it will either be a complete miss or a hair shaver, from which the deer will likely survive to be hunted again. I am saying that I would rather have a dead recovered deer than a lost miserable, suffering, infected one. That is all. Yes, things can happen with both types of broadhead. The chances for something going wrong with someones broadhead of choice is their/my decision. No one else's.
Original: Matt / PA IF we are taught to shoot the most draw weight we can shoot comfortably from any position why too shouldn't we shoot the biggest sharpest broadhead we can also safely and reliably use that compliments that set up?
I am comfortable shooting a deer at close range with a Smith/Wesson 44 MAG too, but why should I do that when I can safely and efficiently do it with a 4 blade broadhead. I mean the 44 MAG "will" inflict "maximum tissue damage". We over analyze the effects of a broadhead I say. Quick's post pretty much summed it up. I do want a reliable broadhead, but to say the 2" cut is necessary to inflict necessary "maximum" tissue damage is absurd. I know a guy once who got cut up with a 1/2 knife blade so bad you would have thought a grenade hit him. I'm just sayin'.
What you're saying is that the Rage does too much damage and on a marginal shot that it will die but you might not find it compared to a smaller head that might not do much damage which might allow the deer to live
See above^.
LT