Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

Rocket Miniblaster
Accuracy 5 points
Plywood 4 point
Steel drum 3 point
Orange 3 points
Blades 3 points
Cutting diameter 4 points
Total score 22 with a blade sharpness rating of C

The Rocket miniblaster is a 3blade swing open style mechanical broadhead. The cutting diameter is 1 ¾” and the total weight of the head is 75 grains. With a pathfinder point the head now becomes a 90grains. The performance difference with and without the pathfinder point is small, but I did find I prefer to use the head with the larger pathfinder tip. The larger tip gets through hard material like bone with less effort and less stress on the blades. The downside is that the larger tip will probably delay opening of the blades to some degree in what matters most, deer hair and hide. I tested the head both ways and the results changed only slightly and not enough to affect the “score”.
In the orange test the head opened fully by the time it exited. In the plywood with the pathfinder tip the head penetrated completely and with several inches of arrow shaft. Without the pathfinder tip the head still fully penetrated, but only by the slightest margin. I really had to look close to see if everything really made it through. In both cases two of three blades were badly bent/twisted and or broken off. To put it simply they were a mess. In the steel drum the head fully penetrated the first side with the tip sticking in the back. This time most of the cutting surface of a three blades was missing. Just as with the sidewinders the entrance hole showed that the head did not open full before the blades broke. I have mixed feelings on this. With the heads bending and breaking in hard materials they allow for more penetration. This would be handy in the case of heavy bone. On the other hand with every blade that breaks or twists the head looses cutting surface that reduces the amount of tissue damage it does. About the only kind of bone in a deer that could cause this kind of resistance would be the shoulder or hip. The bottom line, just as with the Rocket sidewinder/Cableas lazer Strike, I would have no problems at all in using this broadhead for deer size game with my setups. It would seem that Rocket has improved their broadheads over the last couple of years, at least the mechanical ones, and the miniblaster with or without the pathfinder point is a very good mechanical head.
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RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

i have a question 5 shot , i was gonna switch to miniblasters from thunderheads, i shoot an mt sport 55 lbs 27 in arrow 2114 only on deer , should i make the switch or stick with the thunderheads??

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

Between seven and eight years ago I used various (3, 4 bld) Miniblasters on 3 whitetails. The heads fell apart in every case...tips torn from ferrules, ferrules bent to 30+ degrees, blades bent or missing, etc.. In one case, the head only penetrated 4" into the chest of a buck on a simple broadside shot. Since bent ferrules impede penetration and bent/missing blades don' t cut, I felt fortunate to find the deer and quit using them after that.

Since I had also had occassional head failures even with popular modular fixed blade heads, I decided to try a more conservative one-piece/ cut-on-contact head. After I sent the first one through both shoulder blades of a buck and found the head sustained no damage, I decided to stick with that style. Eight or nine deer later, and with 275 fps compounds and 150 fps selfbows, I haven' t had a head failure or anomalously shallow penetration issue yet.

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

I can' t complain about the mini-blasters! When they first came out I used them! I shot a three pointer @ 30 yards and spined it. The shot was dead center in the thick of the spine & it passed through the spine. That is the head passed through before it stopped. One blade bent, one broke off into the spine, & the third blade was straight. I got five deer with them & never had a problem with them. I was amazed how well it held up in the spine. I now shoot Muzzy' s now, just like them much better. Just saying I never had a problem when I used them.

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

Xi I don' t know the exact Ke for your setup but I would think you would have to be on the border for using most mechanical heads and the Miniblaster would not be one I would recomend. If your thunderheads are shooting well for you I don' t see a reason to switch.
I think rocket has improved their heads over the last few years. They still are not the most durable on the market, but seem to have got better over time. While this is not my first choice in a mechanical, I would feel comfortable using it on deer size game with my setup.

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

i guess i' ll stick with the thunder heads, thanks 5 shot

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

This head had blades that totally broke off, partially broke, and bent to different degrees of severity. And it still scores a 22? I think you need to find a different way to score heads. How many times are some of these heads shot? I realize the most important shot is the first, but is a low number of test shots really an indicator of how good they are? Is each head only shot once? Are the same number of heads of each type shot? Is there any mechanical that opens fully on both sides of the orange? Didn' t there used to be a steel belted tire in these tests? I don' t shoot mecanicals so I' m not trying to protect this particular head over another. Guess I' m just curious why so many heads score between 20 and 25. A difference of 5 don' t seem like a whole lot to me.

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

I am sure, by now, that it is no secret that I consider it to be inappropriate to use plywood, steel, tires, fruit, etc, as a medium to determine penetration capability and durability of broadheads.

Broadheads are designed to primarily penetrate wet and lubricous tissue and certain bone that is living and somewhat hollow. Most bone will often break or fracture when impacted by a broadhead; plywood, tires, and steel do not.

Although I have no personal disapproval of " 5 shot," and although I believe he is trying to be earnest when evaluating and comparing the performance and durability of broadheads, in my opinion the tests might be entertaining but that is all they (tests) are. I personally would not choose or reject a broadhead using such tests or scoring.

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

THanks 5shot, I used the miniblasters for one year and harvested a buck with them. I just didn' t get the kind of penetration I would like so I switched to the smaller diameter steelhead.

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

C903, It' s tough to formulate a " home test" to evaluate broadheads. None of the media used actually provides likeness to game animals. Take 1/4" plywood for example. It would " seem" like plywood would represent a shoulder blade, and that good penetration through plywood would be an indicator as to how a broadhead would penetrate in an actual whitetail. However, nothing passes through plywood better than an ordinary steel blunt. Though a blunt would undoubtly score high, I sure would not want to use it for whitetails. Other scores such as those for sharpness, mean little me as I file sharpen my own fixed heads to a razor' s edge.

BUT, I think the tests do have " some" value beyond simple entertainment if you interpret the data under different terms. Penetration qualities can pretty much be inferred from broadhead design. (ie; long, narrow, 2-blds penetrate best; while short, wide, multi-blades will penetrate progressively more poorly.) So primarily, I look for durability issues. Do blades break, ferrules bend, tips curl, or does the head otherwise fall apart? " Scores" be damned, for instance, the fact that these particular heads fell apart in various media says alot about their durability to me. (My own experiences with them supports that.)

Anyway, 5-shot, I enjoy your evaluations. :)

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

Some other criteria I would be interested in is construction (one piece vs. multi-piece/aluminum vs. steel ferrule/ferrule extending (reinforcing) far out to the tip/blade hardness/blade thickness/ and welded blades vs. locking systems vs. spindley eyeglass screws holding blades that resemble something in my wife' s leg razors.) ;) Already, the plywood and drum tests are interesting from a durability standpoint. :)

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

Nub, the " score" really doesn' t tell the whole story. It' s just a starting point. I don' t shoot mechanicals into the tire becuase 90% of them won' t go through and they are a pain in the (^&()_% to get out! I don' t subtract points from a head unless the cutting surface is lost or the head just completly breaks apart. Alot of heads do " score" between 20 and 25, but like I said that' s only half the story. All of the heads I test will probably work on game with good shot placement, all I am doing really is seperating the cream so to speak. The higher the score the better the head probably is, but not always. When heads get up to the 24/25 range you are getting into the " best of the best" end of the tests, but again I have had one head " score" a 26 (bone busters) but I never could get it sharp, so even though it " scored" high, I don' t recomend it becuase of the sharpness issue. I try not to " judge" a head unless it just totaly proves unreliable, I provide the info and give an opinion, but it' s up the the man buying the heads to try them out for themselves to see if they preform like he or she needs them too.

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

I enjoy your reviews 5shot:)Have you reviewed the Crimson Talon heads yet?I have been seeing them advertized in mags lately and wonder how these score?.I love my muzzy' s,and have shot Thunderheads,Spitfires,and Koplin twister through the years and feel that muzzy' shave been the most durable of the bunch and reliable.Another great thing about Muzzy is the fact that they come with practice blades,I don' t know of any others that do.Anyhow great report.Bill D>

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

5' er: Any mechs open fully on both sides of the orange?

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

Myself and a hunting buddy have used them for the past few seasons.I started out with the hammer head and went to the miniblaster.Between the 2 of us we' ve killed about 15 deer with them.No lost or wounded deer.The wound channels on soft tissue are devastating.They are pretty much a one shot head,I' ve never had much luck changing the blades.My buddy is at about 62 ft/# ke I' m more like 57.
I' m only shooying about 250 fps and never any issues with the head opening.That being said I plan on swithcing to a muzzy this year.We have hogs on our place now.I would' nt want to shoot a hog with a miniblaster and my KE.For deer sized game they have worked fine,just not very durable.BTW shot thunderheads for years,one fine BH just don' t like the o ring set up.Chris I think your tests do have some value for refference,keep up the good work.Maybe some ballistic gelatin testing of wound channels like they do with bullets?I' d be willing to make a donation to help cover costs.

CB

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

c903, do you ever have anything good to say about anything? Get some help!

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

No mechanical yet has opend on the front, a couple had partial opening and the vortex line that I am currently testing start out with a 7/8" cut so the get credit for partial opening.
I have tested the CT' s you should be able to find the results on the back pages or at www.broadheadtests.com.

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

Capt Ray:

Rather than belonging to a fan club and vying for popularity contests, I am more into asking questions when the need for questions are raised. I want facts authenticated rather than facts indicated. And I want all the story not part of the story.

If, with tunnel vision, you wish to walk with the wind, rapidly and directly to a particular location because someone you know and like is yelling loudly " Hey, over here!" that is your right and your business. Do not try to make it a rule for others that do not agree or abide, specifically me.

Hope the term " Capt" is truly not indicative of actually being in command.[:@];)

RE: Rocket Mini blaster test results
 

Ok so c903 what say you devote some of your time and money with a real scientific test that be any benefit to anyone!!!! Seems like you have a habit of downgrading everyone elses work-come on and teach us something or go to a scientific forum and spout your stuff.[:@]