95Harley

OK, normally I'm just a lurker here but I thought this is worth a post. After reading all the "hype" about Rage BH's I decided to give them a try this early season on a Doe before the rut goes into effect in Nov.

After shooting the 2 Blade practice head so to not dull my blades I figured I was good. Wrong!

Pulled back on a pair of Does at 20 yards this Sat AMseveral times and the Rage came "unsprung" each time with 2 different arrows and heads.

Here is my feedback:

1. After only being in my quiver (not pushed into foam" for 3 weeks and only hunted for 1.5 days the O-rings are already showing signs of dry rock and cracking.

2. The cut on contact head is VERY DULL. Actually I didn't find any of the fold outs real sharp and sharpened them all before opening day.

3. The practice head has the rear wings of the blades cut off. Normally this would not be an issue but, I foundthat the rear wings on the actual blades stick out longer than the practice head and were actually hitting my riser on full draw on coming unsprung.

So after 2 arrows and multiple draws and let-offs I have decided that all the Hype is not for me and I'm going back to my proven Spitfire Pros. I mayloose some KE but they kill deer solid and I have yet to loose an animal with them.

It may be my bow (short ATA) or just my experience, but thought I would share.

mobow

I'll tell ya, I feel pretty much the same way. The blade retention SUCKS. I haven't loosed one at all, and to be completely honest, I'm not sure I ever will. Rage claims that no rubber band is needed.....Oh yeah? What's that black rubber ring then??? W/out it, the blades will NEVER stay closed. They need to include more than just 3 replacements w/ the pack, because the 3 that are on the heads are worthless. Mine were all cut when I opened the package, and I used the replacements right away. Like you, those are already showing signs of failing very soon.

I'm not a fan at all. Not at all.

Handles

Rages are the same exact thing as what Rocky Mountain used to call the Snyper (sold the patent or something). I had them and they sucked. Two deer, one at 25, one at 28, both broadside, rib cage hits. No pass through, and barely an entry hole, therefore almost zero blood. One lived and was shot three weeks later by gun, the other I found dead and eaten by coyotes. I also shot a doe 15 yards quartering away, it did pass through her and she dropped within sight, but had it not passed through there would have been zero blood trail as the entry hole was no bigger than the closed broadhead.

diehardhunter

Lets see your fixed blades do this!





Die Hard!

bigcountry

actually, thats a smaller wound than I see my muzzys or thunderhead fixed produce. Pretty typical of any broadhead except with fixed, I have a nice vertical tear to add to that.

diehardhunter

bigcountry-Now im not calling you a liar but I honestly dont think a 1 1/4" fixed blade will leave a hole that big. It doesnt look that big in the picture either but that deer weighs 175+ lbs and that slice is over 3" long. I have shot deer with fixed blades and never seen a hole that big. No offense.



Die Hard!

bigbulls

Just because they say it has a 2" cutting diameter that doesn't tell the whole story.

A fixed, 4 blade muzzy with a 1" cutting diameter has exactly the same ammount of cutting surface as these 2" two blade Rage heads do. A Slick Trick or Muzzy MX4 with 4 blades and a 1-1/8" cutting diameter has 2.25 inches of total cutting surface so they do in fact cut larger holes and cut 12.5% more tissue than the 2" rage does.

A 3 blade rage with a 1.5" cutting diameter has exactly the same ammount of cutting surface as a Muzzy MX4 and a slick trick. So, depending on how many blades and the cutting diameter a fixed blade 3 or 4 blade head can, in fact, cut larger holes than many mechanicals. They are just shaped differently.

Now I am not going to sit here and say that Rage heads are a bad product because I personally have never used them but lets keep things in perspective regarding cutting diameters.

Hereare a coupleof picsfrom Slick Tricks web site showig a great picture of the holes they make and other fixed blade heads of the same style.

The top picis a skinned bear.

mobow

bigbulls, correct me if I'm wrong, but the cutting DIAMETER of a Rage 2 blade is in fact larger than a 1 1/8" Muzzy. I understand exactly what you are saying w/ the 4 blade vs. 2 blade, you do get more cutting SURFACE w/a 4 blade, but the diameter of the cut is still smaller.

bigbulls

Yes a 2" diameter is larger than a 1-1/8" diameter but likeI said that's not the whole story. You can't simply look at the diameter of the cut with no regard to the number of blades doing the cutting.

dblunged

I just started using the 3 blade this year and i find the blades don't like to stay in place when in the quiver. I always make sure they are set before putting it in my bow but yeah if you had to make a quick second shot and the blades are loose then that will cause a problem. I shot a 6 point with the 3 blade and hit the back edge of the shoulder and arrow didn't pass through but got 14 inch penetration and huge entry hole but not much of a blood trail and he ran 150 yards. Then shot this 9 point showing entry hole and exited lower part of shoulder with exit being even bigger and the arrow zipped right through him and i watched him fall 40 yards away. I still have mixed emotions about this broadhead but if you hit the pump station then it's all over. If you make a marginal direct shoulder shot i think i may have some concerns still compairing it to a fixed head. Here's the 9 point with entry hole on rage 3 blade.


Im heading to Illinois next month so i've been debating whether im going to chance using these new to me broadheads or stick with my ole' faithful muzzy's. What would you guys do???