2014 RAGE Success Thread
Pennsylvania
Congrats to your dad Josh, I have not posted on this thread as of yet because I do not use rage heads, I did kill a doe in Ohio with a rage a few years ago later in the season the doe was close about 5 yards and the head performed well total pass through and as you know when their that close your aiming much higher, went right through the shoulder blade, blood everywhere but doe only went about 50 it was deader than a door nail in seconds.
Jeff I killed many deer back in the day with rocket miniblasters I never had any problems with them failing either.
I now use the G5 T3's and have taken a bunch of deer with them also I never had a problem with them till this season, I shot a doe in Ohio right through the goods and it lived 17 hours after I shot it because the blades did not open properly, the blades were given to me by a friend they had a different kind of spider clip on them than I ever saw before, I don't know why but they were much sturdier clips that the usual purple one that always come with my T3's all three blades had them, I inspected them and found that I could not gut the blade to open with that silver clip, not sure if it was ment for practice or what but I replaced all my broad heads with new T3's and will continue to use them.
I also killed a gang of deer with the Magnus stinger 4 blade, they just don't fly right with my setup that's why I switched to T3's I stopped using rockets because they stopped carring them at the bow shop I shopped at.
Mike
Mike, what a nice gesture. :)
Josh, once again, congrats to your dad! Hope you repost his picture and I started a broadhead thread concurrent to this one.......Maybe we can take the equipment debate over to that thread as not to derail this one.
O.k. I'll repost.... Doe I shot this year, rage extreme two blade. Hit her right about the last rib on the right side and exited through lower shoulder on the left side. Complete pass through, in the dirt. 50yd recovery.
Buck my son shot this year, rage extreme two blade. 3yd shot. hit him between the shouder blades and exited out bottom of chest, complete pass through, in the dirt,40yd recovery.
Buck I shot this year, rage extreme two blade.10yd shot, hit him a little behind the shoulder on the right side and exited low by his left front leg. Complete pass through in the dirt. 50yd recovery.
Sorry trying to figure out how to post pic and forgot to give details, shot Nov 5th with Rage at 2pm, 30 yd shot, went 40 yards and fell over dead. lungs were jelly and Ray Charles could follow blood trail. Many deer taken with this broadhead and never any problems. I just shoot the standard 2 blade, nothing special.
Thanks Rut, the pic is of the entrance side also.
Shot my buck in PA Nov 8th, with a Rage 2 blade, double lung shot, complete pass though in the dirt at 60 yds. My friend and I both use Rage, recovered all
Why do you guys give all this free advertising to Rage Broadheds? I wouldn't post squat about them, or any other product, unless they agreed to pay me. I'm just sayin'.
Seriously? When people ask you "what kind of vehicle you drive" you mean you don't tell them? They are going to sell broadheads regardless of what I say or anyone else on here says, although some on here think that they really have a say so in what goes on. I like the broadhead, have had great success with it and never had any problems with them, the thread was created and I wanted to comment.
Whatever Harv. Rage, and every other manufacturer, sponsors (pays) the hunters, on television, and, givives them free product , so they"lk push those products. I just find it amusing that so many hunters are willing to pay their own money for a company's product and then push those products without being compensated.
I wouldn't take Bob's comments so personal Harv. You didn't start the thread, just commented on it.
I do agree with Bob though. It's a bit silly to have one or two broadheads singled out for praise. I can see if someone asks for comments on whether others like or dislike broadheads but to have a thread with "Look what my Rage did" is kind of silly. If everyone posted what their broadhead did Pat would need more bandwidth.
If everyone posted what their broadhead did Pat would need more bandwidth.
Not with yours, Phil.. :)
LMAO
Touche. I think we're probably in the same spot. Or maybe I have a couple up on you.
But they weren't with Rage heads. :)
I started a Rage thread last year because they always seem to get bashed for not working or being junk.
That was not my experience with them.
I didn;t start it to "push" or praise them. Just wondered how many others had success with them.
What kind of broadheads do you shoot Bob? And why?
For the last 3 years I've used the same kind of broadhead as my good friend and mentor, RC.
We both affectionately refer to them broadheads as "dusty". :^)
That's right, Davey Boy....
And when our broadheads hit them deer, it blows the dust right off both sides of them deer:)
I shoot sharp one's. I use them for reasons you'll not understand. BTW, Papa's company hasn't made them for a long time,
BTW, relax Harv, I'm not looking for a whizzing contest. If you want to be an unpaid spokesman and advocate for rage, that' your business.
LOL,Sharp ones, no chit, and you're correct I don't understand the "you wouldn't understand" comment. And are you afraid to say Bear Razorheads for fear of promoting a brand? Just say it Bob...........
Bear Razorhead, see that easy. Oh then run to your mailbox and wait for a check from Papa. See that's how it works, easy. You just open your mouth and people will send you money because you are Bob and you said so. I understand you shoot an old nostalgic broadhead that has taken more animals than probably all Rages ever produced, but why talk chit on someone else's choice?
I like Rage broadheads, I will continue to use them, I will tell anyone who asks what I shoot and my experiences with them, and....... I won't get paid for it either.
LOL! :) Me too, Harv! ;-)
You're areal piece of work Harv, pretty thin skin too. I didn't 't put the broadhead down, if you actually read, and understood, what I wrote, you just may have prevented a lot of stress for yourself. As matter of fact I believe those broadheads are as good as any other. So I'll let you have it your way,...I agree with you, your success is due to the broadhead you shoot, not your ability as a bowhunter.
I disagree with Bob..
Because....
You couldn't pay me to shoot a rage head.. :)
I dont like advertising my broadheads as well. I shoot a cut on contact, super-penetrating, straight-shooting serrated blade broadhead that slices and dices and is designed to cut massive amounts of tissue for quicker kills and bigger blood trails!!! All this with a lifetime warranty for the low low price of $34.99!!! :)
By the way, I have thrown an axe at a few deer with great results as well....LOL
Carl Runkle, my father shot this buck on October 27th in WMU 5B. He was using 2-Blade Rage Hypodermics.
Mike- Thanks for reopening this thread, my friend!
Harv- If you want to see what Bob's broadheads look like, check out the "My Broadheads" thread. Papa would be proud! ;-)
Cool on Dad showing ya how to do it.. :)
Nice looking deer..
I saw the arrows PA and they are a work of art, I have made arrows in the past but nothing that could compare to those, for me, they are too pretty to shoot, I would keep them in a glass case somewhere. I have some old bear razorheads, I also have some of the stainless steel ones, at least I think they are made by bear,I have them in an old box I keep just in case I ever decide to shoot traditional again in which I would defintely go back to a fixed 2 blade resharpenable broadhead. I used to shoot 2 blade Magnus' out of my Dream Catcher............ oh no, more free advertising. LOL
http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2014/11/broadhead-test-fixed-blades-vs-mechanicals
Can I ask all you guys shooting Rage....what is your draw weight, arrow weight and draw length and lastly, are you normally getting pass throughs? Thanks!
Pass throughs? You got to be joking.. Those rage heads are lucky if they even break the hide on the entrance side.. :)
RC...exactly the reason I continue to shoot a fixed blade, but don't want to say the name for fear of being attacked for giving free advertisement...:)
Md I have a 28" draw and am pulling 66lb, shooting a 100 grain broadhead, I don't remember my arrow weight, I would have to go look. I can remember the last 3 deer have been pass throughs, 2 broadside (1 @ 30 yds the other at 17 yds),1 quarter slightly, all from tree, I will say that no, not every one has been a pass through, I have hit the offside shoulder etc. If I had to guess I would say I was 80-90% pass through, never lost a deer that I shot with them. Bucks and does included, biggest buck dressed at 200lbs on the butchers scale so add guts to that..... Like I said just my personal experience, I like them, my hunting buddies all shoot them, I know this year so far we have 6-7 deer shot with them, all recovered, the 2 I shot this year went under 50 yds.
Harv, don't you know guys only shoot Rage broadheads because they got sucked in by marketing??
Or, because they don't know how to tune their bows?
You'll find there's a lot of "chatter" on here from guys who have NO experience with them, just their stubborn opinions, and you'll never change that. Broadheads have always killed with massive hemmorage and if you haven't seen a blood trail caused by a rage, you wouldn't understand why someone would be so impressed.
My own personal experience with them on over a dozen deer killed is: Probably 80% pass thru. Average bloodtrail, 40 yards. 100% recovery. Can't say that about any other broadhead I've shot. If you got no "success" to post, what are you doing on here?
Watching, listening, learning... just curious to see who's keepin' it real, who's being objective... and who isn't. I'm a people watcher :^)
Harv and Bowjo...thanks for the info. I am a 27" draw and shoot 63 lbs...just worried about my KE with a big mechanical BH. I shot another doe tonight with my 125g fixed blades at 30 yards...complete pass thru and watched her drop after going 30 yards. Not sure why I'd switch other than I am always looking to tinker with my equipment.
Well said Bowjo, you learn to Lurk more speak less. I also had great success with the Rocky Mountain Synper, 2 blade slip cam, I think Rage bought them out, gave the broadhead another 1/4" opening and raised the price another $10 bucks a 3 pak, but they are worth it in my opinion.
md, IMHO it think that the earlier, over the top expandables were guilty of KE loss due to the nature of deployment. With the slip cam, there is very little if any loss of KE. If you are happy with your fixed blades, by all means, stay with them.
On a personal note, I prefer dead broadside shots and do not like a quartering away shot. You DO NOT want to run a Rage through the guts to get to the vitals! Man, is that a mess!!!
When I buy a truck first thing I do is break all the emblems Offen her, then I smash her up real good with a ball bat soes know one can tell iffen it's a dodge Chevy ford or one of those foreign jobies...they don't pay me to drive that truck! LOL
TREEBRAT
Agree with the over the tops mechanicals, I used to shoot the 3 blade Spit Fires out of basically the same set up and I would say my pass through percentage was definitely lower, probably as low as 50%, that is when I went to the Snyper, 2 blade slip cam. But as Bowjo says if you are happy and confident with your fixed blade keep shooting them, no reason to change unless like you said you like to tinker. I'm guilty of that also. I definitely don't like paying the higher price of my broadhead of choice but it is what it is. I'm confident in it and won't change until I loose that confidence. Md I know Rage makes a 40KE broadhead for lower kinetic energy bows, you could research them and make your own decision on whether to give them a try. Or you can just go to WalMart and get pink panties and a cross bow like I guess Bowjo and I wear..........
Tree Rat, I was doing some lurking and looked at your profile pics, you shot some really nice deer over the years. Looking at the dates of the pics you have shot 2 bucks consistently only a week or so apart in early November, that is pretty impressive and I'm glad I don't have your taxidermy bills. People only need to view those dates when asking themselves when they should hunt. Not asking for specific spots or anything but I see you hunt Ohio, just curious what county?
LOL Harv, your ok I guess:)
I've shot quite a few deer with rage broadheads and found they work great on behind the shoulder shots. I hit my buck this year through the edge of the shoulder blade and then through both lungs. I got the deer but not without a few anxious moments. Using GIS I figured he went 540 yards. The blades broke and twisted on entry and didn't put a very large hole in his lungs. There was blood the entire way on both side of the trail and I actually heard him crash a minuet after shooting (he ran a fishhook and died on the other side of the draw from where I was hunting). Dead is dead, but I'm not sure if I'd use them on bucks again.
I purposely stayed out of this one to ensure that I wasn't the one mucking up these "RAGE!" threads, as accused previously........Looks like the same ones do a good enough job on their own without this guy. :)
Jeff, me too. I like watching insecure people turning completely inside out in an effort to justify their means to an end. ;)
Mitch, I am glad you found your deer..
Any head that sustains such damage from hitting the edge of a shoulder is certainly not hunt worthy in my book... not even close. An adequately durable broadhead would have stayed 100% completely intact and continued to do what it's meant to do, cutting the lungs the full width of the head for the full length of the wound channel.
Junk.
Next!
Mitch, that picture is the mirror image of my experience with the "RAGE!". With "behind the shoulder shots" absolutely anything will work well. That being the case, I'm confused why some insist on using a head that has it's best chance of success the farther away from bone it gets. Logically speaking, it just makes no sense. Solid state heads will work just as well or better than "RAGE!" when center punching lungs, and when contacting bone there is no comparison - the fixed head has a far greater chance at full penetration. Having used both fixed and mechs extensively in the past, I can tell you without a doubt that fixed heads outperform mechs in every situation that I can think of........but whatever.
I shot a buck a few years ago through the scapula. I mean through the bone. Punched a hole through the bone, went through the front of both lungs, and then shattered the opposite front leg bone. Blades were rippled some but were in tact.
Oh, it was a Slick Trick. No way a Rage stays together in that scenario.
I once shot a fawn lengthwise with my Rage, hit and broke every bone in it's body, completely passed through and stuck in a tree 10 yds away, I picked it up, washed it off and shot 3 more deer with it never changing the blades, all using my 40 lb Bear take down signed by gosh almighty Papa.
Now where's my check. LOL..... just kidding!
I still stand by them.
Back in the 90's I was the saw man at a large scale deer processor, we cut 1200-1600 deer every gun season. I broke down all the deer and put them on the table for the guys boning the meat out. I saw lots of old injuries over that time that were scared up and healed over, I found both mechanical and fixed blades in deer, usually in the scapula but i also found them in other bone, I once found a wasp broad head and 18 inches of arrow shuck in the ribs, the arrow rode between the ribs and the hide, I also found a fixed blade in a scapula, I remember that one in particular because it was attached to a wooden arrow, at the time I didn't even know people hunted with wooden arrows. The scapula should not be an aiming point IMO but the arrow does not always go where we like it to, that said I've shot more than one deer through there with 4 blade Magnus stingers and G5 T3's so it can be done with both mechanical and fixed.
Saying fixed blades are better at penetrating than mechanical is just stating the obvious. Calling all mechanicals junk is a little over the top. Oh the drama!
Mike
Personally I've never called all mechanicals junk. I don't believe they're all created the same. There may be a good one out there somewhere.
I called THAT one junk... because of the circumstances and damage it sustained. Oh, and the Rockets I used were junk too. They sometimes came out looking like the one above... or worse... and not from hitting a shoulder either.
If upon entry there are blades missing and it is unable to cut and cause the massive bleeding and quick death it otherwise should have? It has no business being shot at a big game animal, period... what else is a responsible bowhunter to think?
From: mdjohns300 (mobile) ........ ....... Date: 06-Dec-14
Can I ask all you guys shooting Rage....what is your draw weight, arrow weight and draw length and lastly, are you normally getting pass throughs? Thanks!
63 lbs, not sure of arrow weight, 30.5 inches and yes, getting pass thrus.
But like Bowjo, always strive for a broadside shot
From: roger ........ ....... Date: 08-Dec-14
With "behind the shoulder shots" absolutely anything will work well. That being the case, I'm confused why some insist on using a head that has it's best chance of success the farther away from bone it gets. Logically speaking, it just makes no sense.
Roger, when I shoot at a deer I do everything I can to stay AWAY from the shoulder/bone. Always have and always will(even with a fixed blade! ;-)
I know this does not relate to "rage" but thought I'd share.
Last 3 years I have been shooting G5 T3'S. I have killed 4 deer and 3 turkeys with them and have not had a complete pass thru on any of those shots. While the arrow penetration has not been ideal on any of those shots, they all resulted in quick kills and recoveries. The damage these heads do to vitals is pretty nasty.
In the pic I have attached is a buck I hit early season this year. This buck was at 25 yards slight quartering away. Obviously I did not put the arrow where I needed to, but at times we all know that can happen. When the arrow hit at least 90% of the arrow was sticking out of his shoulder. I watched him walk away with the arrow still in shoulder for at least 80-100 yards. I knew it was not good. I looked for that buck the rest of the day and never found on speck of blood. Only some hair at point of impact.
I took this picture the last week of the season after I had killed my buck. I was hoping to get a doe. You can clearly see where I hit him. The wound was completely healed and he was not limping or anything. After seeing that I have decided to chuck the mechanicals and go back to fixed. I know it was not the broadheads fault I did not make a perfect shot but I'm pretty confident my old 4 blade muzzy's would have at least buried into the off side shoulder increasing my chances of a kill? I was not happy with myself at all after that shot, but things do happen.
I want a broadhead that will increase my chances if a marginal shot happens.
I know lots of people that use rage and have not heard many bad things about them. But I've given this mechanical thing a try and feel it's time to move on.
Sorry you didn't get him, Bogey. I respect your decision and what it was based on.
"I want a broadhead that will increase my chances if a marginal shot happens."
Yep, me too, and it isnt going to do that if its blades are missing or its penetration is hampered because of its design.
I shot a buck in rifle season once whose shoulder looked just like that one... the white spot may have been just a hair lower. He had been shot by a bowhunter who I got to talk to about it. The deer was completely full of infection, stunk, and had to be discarded. There was no broadhead left in him, and he had no fat reserves whatsoever. I don't know if he'd have lived through the winter.
Well tuned arrows with razor sharp broadheads along with a well tuned bow is what increases your chances on a marginal hit.
Stick...that's 30 counts of being an "irresponsible bowhunter". Good thing those deer didn't know it!! LMAO!! ;-)
My broadheads fly just like my field tips.
If yours do too, then I'm happy for ya...
Well that settles it, I'll never shoot those damn Rage broadheads again.
I for one, don't want to be known as an insecure, irresponsible bowhunter that shoots junk!
If the Jeff and Rog show agree, (and they always do) it must be true! Shame on us
Jeff how do you know the buck you shot with a rifle was shot with a mechanical broadhead? Did the guy tell you? What kind of mechanical was it?
LMBO!!!!!!!!! These Rage threads never cease to entertain! :)
From: Mitch ........ ....... Date: 07-Dec-14
I've shot quite a few deer with rage broadheads and found they work great on behind the shoulder shots. I hit my buck this year through the edge of the shoulder blade and then through both lungs. I got the deer but not without a few anxious moments. Using GIS I figured he went 540 yards. The blades broke and twisted on entry and didn't put a very large hole in his lungs. There was blood the entire way on both side of the trail and I actually heard him crash a minuet after shooting (he ran a fishhook and died on the other side of the draw from where I was hunting). Dead is dead, but I'm not sure if I'd use them on bucks again.
Mitch- first of all, congrats on the deer and glad to hear ya found it!
Just curious- which Rage head is that? Extreme, or standard. And 125 or 100 gr? There are so many variations now, just wondered which one it is?
540 yds x 3' = 1620' divided by 60 seconds = 27'/second. That deer was moving! Is that even possible?
Harv, that fella never said what kind of head it was... and neither did I. What I was trying to convey had nothing to do with mechanical heads... rather that just because such a wounded deer appears to be walking or running fine, as the one I shot was, doesn't mean they are ok, 'completely healed', or even that they will survive. They can be full of infection, run down, and show virtually no sign of it. They're just so tough.
The deer I shot only showed the white spot on the outside, which was hair missing over the very worst part, the puss-filled infection. The missing hair wasnt simply due to a broadhead scar... but his hair wasn't all mussed up like the buck above... so I have to wonder why that is??? Is it from puss leaking and drying on the hair?, or from him licking at it? Whatever it is, I have to wonder whether he's really out of the woods as far as that shoulder wound goes. Hopefully he'll be ok.
"Roger, when I shoot at a deer I do everything I can to stay AWAY from the shoulder/bone. Always have and always will(even with a fixed blade! ;-)"
Me too, Perry, but then again I'm sure Roy, Jeff, Mike, Ben, Phil, George and all the other experienced archery hunters here do the same. The problems arise out of what isn't in our control, like about half of what happens at the shot and after the arrow leaves the bow. I'm sorry, but if you hunt out of trees(I assume you do) and you've killed enough deer(again, I assume you have) then you will contact the shoulder blade, brisket, and/or the forward bones above the leg at some point; likely multiple times at that. Absolutely every time this has happened in my experiences and others who's opinions I trust, with "RAGE!" and other mechs like it, the head is trashed and impedes penetration.
The question logically then becomes "why", if we all agree that any head will work when center punching lungs, would we choose one that we know is inherently prone to failure if it impacts just a few inches outside 'the safe zone'?
Well, as I have said before................I chose to shoot the Rage for it's massive blood trails and quick recoveries/kills.
I can;t honestly say how many deer I have shot, because I have not kept track over the years. But in all the years I have been bowhunting I only hit the shoulder "squarely" one time with a fixed blade and did not get penetration and lost the deer(1st or 2nd year bowhunting). One other time I put one thru the shoulder blade. That was with fixed blades. Last year(first year using Rage) with one of the Rage kills I sliced into the shoulder blade about an inch and still passed thru. No damage to blades.
I guess maybe if I had hit more deer over the years in the shoulder, it might change my mind. But I just can't see ruling out a broadhead simply because it may fail in one specific and very infrequent scenario.
Jeff , I also hope that deer survives! He sure did look normal when I saw him the day I took the picture. No one in the area has seen him in rifle season but then again several deer have not shown face since the orange army has invaded. I do understand what you are saying though, I've seen some nasty infections myself.
My thought on this subject is shoot what makes you the most confident!
Well said Stick and String! We must have been posting at the same time. :) Our experience seems to be very similar. And I agree, what is good for one is not always good for all. AND conversely, what is BAD for ONE, is not necessarily BAD for ALL! ;-)
Perry - it's a 100 grain titanium
Harv - it may have been 2 minuets. I was kind of excited after the shot :)
All broadheads can fail. Here is a stinger that didn't hold up very well. I never recovered the elk so I can't say what it hit, but it looked like a good hit in the crease............obviously it wasn't.
A few days later I killed a bull at 55 yards and this is what I found......
I have to agree with what stick n string said above. I'll continue to use both mechanical and fixed heads depending on the situation. These debates will "rage" on forever, in the end shoot what ever head you're confident in. Good luck and hunt safely.
Nice Mitch, cool pic with the broadhead buried in a tree with the blood splatter, impressive at 55 yds. And sorry Jeff I misunderstood, I once shot a doe in gun season a long while ago, when I was gutting her out the hair was just coming off her in clumps, thought it was strange but didn't pay it much mind, got home and hung her overnight. Next morning I started to skin her and just about wretched from the stench, I got down to the backstraps and cut her down, the meat was a weird gray color and smelled terrible, never investigated further to see if she had any wounds because she smelled so bad I just wanted her out. Didn't have any visible wounds or puss, don't know what happened.
While it's true that all broadheads will fail at some point, it's also true that on average the fixed variety will "fail" far less often. So, I'm still not seeing the advantage(s) of the RAGE. And for those that think a two blade, 2" cutting width("RAGE") will necessarily provides more 'cut', they may want to think again. The Slick Trick Mag and Muzzy 4 blade(125gr), just to name two, actually have more cutting surface than the RAGE, just sayin'.
I had a Magnus 4 blade 100 grain break almost identical to Mitches picture above, bit to be fair I had blades twist and break on rocket sidewinder & miniblasters. I also broke blades on thunderhead 100 back in the day more than once. I've never had blades break on the G5 T3's yet and most of the deer I shot with them were complete pass throught, I did have a problem with the first deer I shot this year with my G5 not opening properly and was my fault. A buddy of mine who uses Rage with great success bought a pack of G5 T3's at some sports liquidation place he took them out of the package and never used them. He asked me if I wanted them this past spring. I never inspected than a quick touch to make sure they were sharp. I put them on for turkey never got a shot at a turkey. I shot a doe with one of those heads in Ohio and I mean right through the boiler room. That doe did not react like all the other deer I have hit at that same slight quartering angle behind the shoulder. I waited till dark just incase and backed out. I came back the next morning and followed a space blood trail to a very much alive deer a full 18 after the shot. I mean she jumped up and ran off a short distance and bedded again. I had to walk 3/4 mile back to my truck to get my bow. I never thought a deer hit through the lungs would be alive 18 hours later. By the time I got back and stalked up to where I saw her bed she was dead.
The head did not open until it got through the other side from what I could tell. when I checked the two remaining heads I could barley force them open. The spider clip that keeps the blades together on all three heads was at least twice as thick as any spider clip I ever saw on a T3 and it was a stronger steal not the typical purple spider clip that comes with every other pack I ever bought.
I do not know if my buddy somehow took them apart and assembled Them like a practice point or if they came that way or what but it was a lesson learned to not use broad heads given to me or bought at a huge discount, In the future I will always take my heads apart and check them myself like I did with the pack I purchased after this terrible mistake. Both deer I shot in PA were complete passthroughs and were dead in seconds. I'm confident this could have been avoided if I would have taken a little time to inspect those heads. I am also confident enough in the performance of the G5 T3's that I will continue to use them until I can figure out how to get a Magnus 4 blade to fly straight with my setup.
Mike
Entrance hole on Ohio doe
Exit hole much bigger slight quartering away.
Justin, wouldn't being open minded include not immediately discounting the first hand experience of other hunters who had the exact same heads fail in numerous ways?
Roger, I noticed nobody directly faced your logical question above.
Nor will they, Jeff......funny how that works. :)
Thanks Mitch. Wow- you would think the titanium would be the strongest of all.
That stinger in the tree is pretty impressive(especially after passing thru an elk at 55y! ;-)
I noticed the break point on that fixed blade broadhead is right wher the serrated edge started. I wonder if there's something to that, an inherent weakness at that point?
The bottom line is, chit happens. We have seen pictures of mechanical head failures and fixed head failures within this thread, and mechanical head and fixed head success. Failures are a fact that none of us like to see, but know that it is possible with either head.
But the argument will never end! And that's why I love these threads. Now I need some more pop corn:)
I would like to see the a picture of any deer shot with a rage where it went though the shoulder blade and exited.I've seen enough deer shot with them and other big mechanicals to know that ain't happening.There are no vitals behind the shoulder blade on a broadside deer unless it's an extremely steep angle and even then it's tough to hit a lung.
Ok Justin, that's fine. I understand where you're coming from. Good luck with those things.
Bob, I wouldn't use the Stinger because I think the vented blades create an unnecessary weakness. Perhaps the serration adds to it as well. Isn't the ferrule broken on that head too?
Used a rage 2 blade on my deer this year, for the first time, and I as impressed. But, the shot was a slam dunk and I think any broadhead, sans a dull one, would have performed just as well.
I used to shoot magnus 2 blades but, the last couple packs I had, I couldn't keep an edge on them, even the ones right out of the package. And when I did touch them up, they would rust exceptionally fast. So, rather than fighting with that, I decided to switch to rage last year. This year was the first opportunity I had to use them on a deer and so far, so good. I did get a complete pass through and the rage did take out the tendon and a chunk of the far leg bone on the exit. There is a small divot taken out of the one blade but otherwise, the rage looks to be in good shape with no twists. I won't use it again as it would be too difficult to touch up the cut on contact head but if it were a hypo. or chisel point and I replaced the blades, I would have no problem using it again. Hardware still working fine on it.
I think it's still moving, Dale! ;-)
Dang Dale, that's a BIG doe.
You get her with a Rage??? :^)
~(8o)
FWIW- Jared killed a 1/2 rack 5pt last Monday and today killed a "doe". Ended up being a buck that lost his antlers already. He saw 18 or 19 deer today. Virtually EVERY DEER or group of, he's seen, has come into the doe bleat can.
Fresh Bear tracks, fresh bear poop, Turks and fresh yote tracks. The snow started laying this am. Good signs eh? All public land.
I know where 6 different bucks are... Also in the chase phase. I have the next 2 days off:) and fresh snow. Taking the bow, either sex to hunt tomorrow:)
Did I mention one buck makes last years 140" look like a dink:))))))))) What were we talking about again?
Poor picture, Dale.
The tongue is hanging out:)
In the interest of full disclosure and fairness to all here, this is a Buzzcut that Junior shot in to a deer that was not recovered also. It's basically identical to Mitch's photo and experience. The serrations aren't creating the weak spot though, guys, it's the vents.....just not enough metal there, IMHO. It's a similar situation with basically all mech's - leverage and torque work against broadheads, and where there's a weak spot then that's where they'll break. Btw, the deer lived; Roy had pictures of it and it's scare weeks later.
Like Roy said, chit happens. Over the years, I recall folded over blades, broken aluminum furrels, snapped off blades, and various other failures amongst many different broadheads. Some animals were recovered, others were not. I have also made shots that my "minds eye" told me were perfect, tight behind the shoulder and center punched, that ended with a petered out blood trail, and an unrecovered animal. If your in this long enough, it happens. That's bowhunting, and the nature of the tough, resilient animals we hunt. What is important is that we use equipment that we think will insure a quick, clean kill and am positive recovery.
I'm sure a thousand years ago, someone was arguing the merits of flint vs agate or obsidian. I guess that's what we do :)
Ok, I've seen enough... DEFINITELY no vented broadheads for this guy.
Chit happens, but it is also caused. And it will happen and be caused more often if we make choices that allow it. Some things can happen that are beyond our control, but most aren't. The bad things we can control or minimize, we should. It's a matter of life, death, or much misery. I won't use "chit happens" to justify the effects of a choice, action, or compromise on my part... in the least... ever. I'll be the first to blame me :)
Bowjo typed "petered out". ~(8o)
I'm sitting In This blind LMAO so hard my glasses fell from my noggin! Gosh I hope nothing walks by:)
Bowjo- thats one of my favoritest sayins... Thanks I should get back to huntin now
Dale- put that dang cell phone down, forget about this thread and .....................HUNT!!!!!!!!!! ;-)
Good luck brother! Sounds like you have some great activity in your area...................wish I was out huntin' with ya! :)
"Ok, I've seen enough... DEFINITELY no vented broadheads for this guy".
Jeff, you've only seen 2 vented heads presented in this thread that failed as opposed to the thousands and thousands that do not. I can post a few photos of these same broadheads that went through deer and into the ground that can be put back in the quiver to balance the numbers out for you if you like...LOL
You are correct, chit can happen with anything Maybe everyone should give up wood shafts and shoot carbons because chit definately happens when you have wood (pun intended)...LOL
Hey Jeffro, what type, and brand name of broadhead do you hunt with, and why? :) LOL, I gotta head to the store for more pop corn:)
Roy, shoot 3 buttery fingers under.
Bowjo's last post sums it all up....perfectly. I think many times, not enough credit goes to the resiliency of the animals we hunt....we often forget that their will to live, is much greater than ours to take it. Chit happens....and I'll echo his words once again....when you've bowhunted long enough, you will learn that sometimes things just go wrong. Well said, Joe.
Jeff also brings up an excellent point, that we also have to man up when things go wrong, and first blame ourselves. None of us go into the woods planning on wounding or injuring an animal on purpose. We spend countless hours practicing, honing our skills, perfecting our setups, and hunt with what gives us the greatest chance of achieving a quick clean kill. When the chance arrives, and something goes wrong, most times we blame the equipment we use, and not ourselves.
I shot at a doe a few weeks ago, that I didn't recover. She was walking into my stand broadside. When she got to 20 yards, and her head behind a tree, I drew my bow. She continued on her way to my open shooting lane. About that time, a helicopter flew overhead just above the treeline...making quite a commotion. That doe intently watched that helicopter, flying slowly away. For what was probably only two minutes, felt like an eternity holding that bow drawn back. When the helicopter disappeared, the doe went back to walking...but only she changed course, and started heading straight towards me. As she closed the distance, I knew better than to force a frontal shot. She turned slightly at 8 yards, providing me with what I thought was an ideal shot angle. I released the arrow, and watched it follow the ribline downward, and stuck in the dirt. She jumped obviously, and trotted about 20 yards away. I could see a patch of missing hair, about six inches long...but no blood. She relaxed, ate a few acorns, and continued on to the edge of the field. She made her way out into the field, and joined another group of deer. After a few minutes I climbed out of my treestand and walked to my arrow. I found the hair that had been shaved off of her. I walked the same trail she took to the edge of the field, searching for even a pin drop of blood. I ended up at the tree where she spent a few minutes before going into the field, and found no trace of blood. That doe was fine, and was the recipient of a very poor haircut by me...but I felt relieved that I didn't mortally wound her.
The truck ride home for me was a long one. I felt horrible for taking that shot. I like to think that I've disciplined myself to only take high percentage shots, but that day proved otherwise. I doubt the results would have been different if I was shooting any other type of broadhead. As a matter of fact, I remembered having a similar situation on a nice 5pt buck when I shot Muzzy MX4s. I blamed myself... I forced a shot when there wasn't one, and luckily, that deer didn't suffer because of that. Simply stated, I blame me...it was my fault.
So it's settled, no wooden arrows no vented broad heads no mechanicals humm.... Maybe we should all give up bow hunting because something may fail and wound a deer. 7mm mag nly from now on for me.
Mike
i literally have a box full of used broad heads rummaged throught them and found three Magnus that broke on me. I used them for years and shot lots of deer with them so I cannot remember the circumstances of each failure, not sure if these all broke from hitting bone or after they hit the ground.
RC I'll use the big blue bullet on the right!!!!
Mike
Mike, look at my picture as well as Mitch's and compare them to yours - they're all broken in exactly the same place. I'd like to say "that's weird", but I guess it isn't given that there is an obvious pattern here. I wonder if all the techies on the main forum have hashed this out with Magnus......?
Yeah Roger, that's obviously a recurring, specific point of failure, and makes one wonder what the number of failed vented heads of that type REALLY is.
Mike, you guys go ahead and give it up. I'm not used to the sights and triggers and there's just too many things about a firearm that can fail too. Besides, I've already reduced my gear to the simple, solid, and reliable, and it's just so readily available... like it grows on trees... so, I'm good :^)
I can see it now..... 3 aboriginal natives sitting round the campfire gnawing on big chunks of deer meat...
Anichedurnellewa says to his brother "I call you "chip" from this day forwards. Your flint tips break every shot you kill deer with"
Brother kwachel-a-rattree replies back- "yes but frontiersman trade you whitemans evil metal tip"
Mother of the forest Jenahontas finally breaks in.... "Like little sissy-pants boys.... You sit and argue while food gets cold. Shut up and eat what you both have been given".
~(8o)
Jeff, yep, and it's a REALLY popular head too. Kinda like that's the fulcrum on this particular model/make. Jr's killed just two deer with it, but on those one's I was really impressed with the fact that they were pass-throughs given 40# of draw, 300gr arrow and just 24" of draw length. I'm thinking next year of going one spine size stiffer in his arrows and hanging the likes of the Magnus II 125gr on the end of it. In the end, the impact point of the damaged head pictured wasn't properly placed, so that is nothing more than operator error or the deer moving at the sound of the shot.......tough to tell in the blink of an eye. At any rate, I think the point that I was trying to make here was that most anything will work well on perfect shots, but when things go wrong or "chit happens", that's what separates great heads from poor designs......oh well.
Rog, I agree. Agree that the Magnus II is a better choice as well. It won't break.
The only real damage I've seen occur to one is the tip curled upon a solid rock hit. From then on the guy took the tips down a bit and sharpened them just like tips on those Stingers. I haven't bothered to do it to mine... yet.
I've hit bone with Magnus II's, (with 70lb bows and 700 gr arrows) right where those vents broke and they only required resharpening.
"I can see it now..... 3 aboriginal natives sitting round the campfire gnawing on big chunks of deer meat...
Anichedurnellewa says to his brother "I call you "chip" from this day forwards. Your flint tips break every shot you kill deer with"
Brother kwachel-a-rattree replies back- "yes but frontiersman trade you whitemans evil metal tip"
Mother of the forest Jenahontas finally breaks in.... "Like little sissy-pants boys.... You sit and argue while food gets cold. Shut up and eat what you both have been given". "
Just then, Latrobus-metikkihajas walks into camp after a long and unsuccessful hunt, surveys the food prepared by Jenahontas and exclaims, "What, no hotdogs??? :^)
From: Jeff Durnell ........ ....... Date: 11-Dec-14
Roy, shoot 3 buttery fingers under.
LMBO!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Magnus II is what I've used for years along with the old Bear Razor heads. The Magnus II's fly extremely well and are very strong solid heads. Sharpen up to a razor edge too.
Yepper, Roy. That's why it's been my favorite broadhead all these years. I should buy more. It never fails... ya find something like that... and they'll quit makin' it.
I have some here you can have, in trade for a nice hunk of Osage:)
I bet this guy shoots Rage...LOL
That's Phil's number:) LOL
Nice try Roy. My area code is 610. 724 is more like the North Huntingdon/Irwin area.
Put your specs on ol boy, that's YOUR cell number. :)
Roy, osage? Hmm, I'd rather trade ya the last of my prized Rocket mechanicals :^)
Justin, I LOVE it... you DO have a sense of humor.
But in all seriousness, I may have sold them all with my compound back in the day or thrown them out since, but if I uncover any as I unpack the remainder of my stuff following the most recent move... I'll send them to ya straight away. Just please don't wound anything with them or I'd feel partly responsible :^) lol
Justin, them some good looking burgers. Got me thinking too...is it coincidence that both them burgers and them Rockets got "o-rings" on them?? Lol ;-)
I hear ya, Justin, I do. I think in reality... we'd be good in person... wouldnt be 100% in accordance. .. but we'd be cool... just.. you know, cool. This here internet thing ain't all it's cracked up to be at times... some things are better done or said face to face, and I always try to keep that in mind as we 'haggle'... always with respect... cuz... well.... cuz of the internet phenomenon. I've been surprised too regular by 'regular' folks to want to approach it any other way.
Good lookin burgers ya got there. What time's supper?
6 jobs, 9 cars, 80 summers....
tick...
tick...
tick...
hunt hard
Time is our congruent foe.
Great post Justin....The Lord provideth, and yes I do feel blessed; no more so than when I am in His great outdoors :)
Too much archery. I do it all the time anyway; it's always there no matter what. If you keep waiting for what comes around then you never really go around. We should go fishing........yep, fishing. The forgotten link can still bind time. Been spending what little free time I have thinking about streams not visited since my youth. Remember how fun everything used to be? Lots of plans come spring for this guy. :)
I fish in here on occasion. :)
too much archery? Not possible roger! ;)
