Yes they are cutting as they are opening. Rage and Snypers, Snypers being the first are the only head that open in this style. On impact the blades are at their widest and are cutting, thus the only explanation for the devistating entrance holes. The ONLY reason I tried Snypers to begin with after what has to be 15 years of using Muzzy's was 5Shots testing on the head. He rated the head every bit as high as Muzzy and previously I would have argued against mechanicals.

In the past I was in some elaborate debates against mechanicals so I think I speak with a certain amount of experience on fixed blade heads. In 15 years of taking game with Muzzy, sure blood trails are blood trails with the placement but that's not the point we're making. The what if shots that DO happen is where the huge holes come into play, for me. I've had whitetails fall within seconds of the shot with Muzzy as well as Snypers. The bull elk I shot with Muzzy went down in less than 10 seconds and had a blood trail that looked like an 18 wheeler blew a hydralic hose. Incredible....

In all those years using Muzzy, I have never seen the holes in animals like I have seen in the last 7 deer I've taken with Snypers. That personal experience for me speaks volumes.

There is nothing wrong with fixed blade heads, they have been doing the job for an incredible amount of years and will continue to do the job for an incredible amount of years to come.

That being said, if the Rage or Snyper went away, I'm strictly back to a fixed blade head exclusively and without getting into it, I'm not a fan of the jackknife heads that open through the impact.

Please explain to me ( no argument here) how the blades are actually cutting while opening, when there is no back-up pressure being applied until they are fully deployed. Or do they fit that tight in the ferrule that the hide of the deer is actually pushing them open from the front? If so, I still can not see how they have enough pressure when half deployed to be cutting. I am a little confused to how that works. To me, it looks like a knife blade that is only open halfway until it stops. In effect, if that is the case, they are probably doing very little cutting until fully deployed.

Fill me in.

LT

As the blades slam out sideways at impact the blunt shoulders of them offer more resistance than the cutting edge on the opposite side holding them in place briefly before they lock down in place.
They don't just freely flop open swinging like a gate.......they are levered with force outward into place with enough resistance to cut hair and hide before they lock down.

Its a similar principle to the design of the Rocky Mt. Gator if you look at it. There is no locking at all of the blades on that head and they actually free float. Its the blunt dull ears or shoulders of the blades that keeps the blades extended. If they tried to retract or fold up the greater resistance on the dull end would shove them back out again.
The free float design on THAT head is actually pretty nice because if you slide along a leg bone or rib with one blade the bone offers more resistance for a split second allowing the blade to fold until it clears the harder object and then extend back out as the tissue becomes uniform again.

I kinda see now. I guess.

Still looks like the blades would be forced all the way open by the blunt shoulders "at" impact. I guess I need to actually hold one in my hand and tinker with it to see for myself. I am not planning to use them at all. The Slick Tricks are on my arrows for now. I was just curious from looking at all the pics I have seen as to how they were cutting the full expanse of the blades.

Thanks, LT

I think some of the REALLY gnarly entrance holes you see from these heads (The ones that are 3-4" long) can mostly be contributed to the "Splash Effect" where the steep blade angle sort of "pops" the skin back even further than the cutting diameter would dictate due to hide tension against that flatter angled surface under that extreme energy.........angled shots can further exaggerate that effect.

Question Matt,

Once the head is fully deployed after entering the animal do they go to there 1.5 diameter or whatever the Rage diameter is the rest of the way through the animal? I would think they would.

That is what I am thinking too Steve. Once deployed in the animal, they can not open back up to 2" cut. So in reality you are only getting a 2" entrance hole. Correct me here if I am wrong Matt.

LT

Yeah once the heads like the rage or snyper are in their fully deployed and locked position that's it. If I'm not mistaken most guys are getting larger entrance wounds than exit wounds with these heads which pretty much tells the tale in how they work as they open?

I killed one deer with a Rage last season so I'm by no means an expert but the entrance was definitely bigger than the exit.

2"IS the Rage's deployed cutting diameter, not the width of their reach if you lay the blades out sideways (which is larger, I'll go measure one)

That makes sense Matt! Thanks.