hoosierhunter Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 (edited) So I've been experimenting with my first expandable since last year. I've shot 5 deer and here's the results: 1st doe was a high double lung hit passthrough at 35 yards. She went about 150 yards. She was recovered by sight walking out. I never found blood except where she crashed. I also had a undeployment on exit. 2nd doe was a entry behind the shoulder and exit through front of other at 26 yards. She went 55 yards and crashed in sight. The blood trail was extremely weak again. 3rd doe was a liver hit at 35 yards passthru. This is the arrow.. She went about 450 yards and bedded up. We lost the blood trail after about 200 yards. The blood to that point was horrible to follow. My dog recovered her. The entrance hole plugged and the blades completely undeployed and had a field point exit. 4th doe was a straight gutter ball with liver at 36 yards passthru. She made it 300 yards and we lost blood on her. Not recovered. 5th doe was liver and single lung passthru at 32 yards.. She went 500-600 yards. The arrow went in just under halfway down and exited up by the spine. The blood trail was horrible again and tracked through tall grass by her path and blood from the nose. The blades also undeployed on exit again. Also note the broken blade and where it broke at. Overall the point to shooting an expandable is for hemmoraging and recovery. All the deer were recovered but blood loss was so bad it's almost unthinkable for these hits. I also noticed that the holes were just like described by the T3 commercial. They were slits and did not tear open. I'm sure that's why the blood trails were so bad. In general I've previously found a liver hit deer to provide the best blood trail outside of a heart shot passthru. With the rage this hasn't been my case. I'm also extremely disappointed in the length of travel for these deer given the shots with the exception of the heart shot deer. Now I certainly understand these aren't boiler room hits but I also think using an expandable caused me to error back to avoid a shoulder hit. Even if the travel distance is acceptable for liver hits the blood trail certainly was not given the only one hole of 6 plugged. The only place the rage now has in the quiver is for varmints! Edited November 5, 2013 by hoosierhunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotashRLS Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Grim Reapers Pat...........you won't be disappointed!! My buddies, brother and I have over a decade of use to prove it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohiobucks Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 I gave up on the Rages a few years back. Tried the Montec for a year or so, then found the VPA vented 3 blades, these are almost indestructible...I don't see a change in broadheads in my future anytime soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WStreblo Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Grim Reapers Pat...........you won't be disappointed!! My buddies, brother and I have over a decade of use to prove it. I agree 100%! I was never a mechanical fan, shot the rage heads and threw them in the garbage... Went to grim reaper heads and love em Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smha6784 Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Me rage experiment is over! What head do you plan on shooting next? Are you going back to fixed blades or possibly another mech head? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted November 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Me rage experiment is over! I bought rocket sidewinders. They are an over the top which is basically like selling my soul. The reason I'm trying them is two fold. One is the field tip accuracy at long distance. The second is cutting diameter. It allows for a little more wiggle room right and left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted November 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Me rage experiment is over! I did look at the grim reapers but the broadheads were 40 and the replacement packs were 40 as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotashRLS Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 (edited) I did look at the grim reapers but the broadheads were 40 and the replacement packs were 40 as well. My buddy was able to sharpen his blades. I can vouch that they were very sharp. You should be able to get replacement packs for $20 no problem. In 2009 I drove my 1 3/4" GR right through my bear's near side shoulder blade making the coolest conversation piece. I have the shoulder blade with my bear rug. http://www.realtree.com/forums/big-game-exotics/90783-my-wisconsin-black-bear.html Edited November 5, 2013 by PotashRLS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inhuntr Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 GRIM REAPERS!!! best way to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 I'd say three of your hits you have a grip,... now, the ones you saw drop, other than not a lot of blood, the head killed the deer within a reasonable distance and was not an issue, since you saw them drop... IMO......I do have a question on the liver hits..is that from a severe quartering away shot or because of quartering to?....fair question,.. I was not there. I have shot Rage and for the most part the shots are at a fairly steep angle, my exit holes are at the bottom third of the deer. For the most part I have no issues with them. I also shoot fixed heads, Muzzy and Wasp chisel tips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted November 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Me rage experiment is over! The only deer at what I'd call a steep angle was the heart shot doe. The liver/lung deer was the most unexplainable result given she was broadside. The arrow entering mid to low and exiting high and forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 those are very odd results taken all together. I've had nothing but great blood trails as well as those my cousin has shot with the rage heads. both of us use the two blade heads too; cousin uses the regular ones and I use the titanium ones. now I did have one buck that had a low lung hit that missed the heart. that buck went 50 yards with no blood at all, then spotty until 80 yards, and then it opened right up. another person I talked to showed me a picture of the bucks chest cavity opened right up on the bottom. it expired within 60 yards but there wasn't a drop of blood. I'm going to use them though until I have a bad experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 bill winke takes shots will a mentality similar to yours. he uses rocket steelheads for maximum penetration for a mechanical. he's been using them a long long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straight Shooter Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 I have to admit, this has been the best evidence posted on Rage's. Most of the time it is a one shot deal and OP's are stating Rage's are garbage because the blades didn't open up. In all fairness, I have shot Rage's and killed three deer with them and have buddies that killed deer with them. I wasn't all that pleased with them myself and we all three went back to fixed bladed broad heads. Some or most hunters have great success, great blood trails, and recovered deer with Rage's. However, I have noticed that 99% of shooters will veer away from shoulder shots or the possibility of hitting a large bone with a Rage. Myself, I want a broad head that I have no fear on any angle I want to shoot my potential deer at and that is why I shoot fixed blade broad heads. They've never failed me and if they have, it is OP error on shot placement. I will take a straight down shot, directly facing, quartering too or away and have had complete pass through's on any of these shots taken with great blood trails. I can honestly remember when I came to full draw on the deer I took with Rages, it was int he back of my mind, "Please let the blades open up". I don't need a distraction when killing a deer in involved especially about my equipment. Before I get drug through the coals for my shot angle's, there are distance's I will only take these at and it is 25 yards and in. Nine times out of 10, you are only going to get a broad side shot beyond that. I have also caught grief because I still shoot by industry standards shoot a small head (Muzzy 75) with only a 1" cutting diameter. 47 of my 54 deer I have killed have been with the Muzzy 75 and I would say 80% of them I get to watch hit the dirt. Rage's are a good broad head and I can't take that away from them but with anything that move's there is a potential for failure no matter what you do. IMHO it is the simplicity of field point accuracy that have sold these heads because it takes a little more effort to tune a fixed bladed head. I have never posted against any one broad head or had anything negative to add about one but it just seems that the Rage is at the top of the list for complaints and failure's. Maybe because they are the top sellers right now and on most bow hunters quivers, I don't know but I do know that Thunderhead or Muzzy hasn't had the bad publicity that Rage's have gotten. I just don't believe a 2" + cutting diameter with field point accuracy is all its cracked up to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted November 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Me rage experiment is over! SS it's really a weird experience and most know I'm very detailed with what I hunt with. I've been a big critic if expandables for a long time from results seen on friends deer. Your exactly right about the mental thoughts I had when shooting them. It was a very conscious effort not to hit a shoulder and resulted in less than desired shot placement. I too shot Muzzys and purposely tried to tuck or hit the edge of the shoulder. I've never had issues with muzzy and passed through every deer except squirly who I spine shot two years ago. I have passed through shoulders on 3 mature deer as well. My concern was flight on a shot of distance which I consider to be 50-70 yards. With that said so much can happen at that distance. I learned on Splitter at 57 yards as I sailed his back in his reaction to the shot. He moved even though he wasn't alert and looking away from me when I released. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted November 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Me rage experiment is over! My thought process I think was flawed when evaluating a long shot. I thought that penetration was a concern on a shoulder hit at that distance so by expanding the wound channel I could aim a touch farther back and allow more room for error and still recover the deer. The positive side is that my buddy has gut shot multiple deer in the last three years and we have recovered every deer and he was using rage. I looked at it as it's basically like shooting them twice with a muzzy given the large cut. Now it seems I was looking for a reason almost subconsciously to take a shot I shouldn't be taking(70 yards). Yes I can stack up three arrows in a softball at that distance but that's not a live target. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 SS..and Pat...don't know if dragging comment was directed at me, but was just curious as to what angles the shots were. To the life in me, I do not understand why one would want to hit shoulder at anytime? If that's the only shot, I'd let it walk, even with a fixed blade chisel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 I have had very similar results. I switched to slick trick magnums and will never look back. They will fly exactly like your field points and cut a great hole. I also found that the rage exit holes seem small. So when shooting at a bigger angle, the blood has a smaller hole to exit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhine16 Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Me rage experiment is over! Grim reapers. Without hitting major bone you'll be able to reuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted November 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 SS..and Pat...don't know if dragging comment was directed at me, but was just curious as to what angles the shots were. To the life in me, I do not understand why one would want to hit shoulder at anytime? If that's the only shot, I'd let it walk, even with a fixed blade chisel. Not sure what you mean by dragging comment. As for the shoulders I'm shooting over 80 lbs of KE and shoulders haven't been an issue for me. Hitting a shoulder does break a deer down quicker by inhibiting their ability to run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotashRLS Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Good discussion here. One thing that seems to be common, especially on TV with the Rage is that deer more times than not run off with the arrow sticking out. I have always been a believer in 2 holes is better than 1, no matter how big the entry hole is. Bowhunting is also a game of confidence on various levels. If you draw back thinking about whether your broadhead will do it's job, problems are bound to happen. Nice to see Randy back!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maine Hntr Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 SS..and Pat...don't know if dragging comment was directed at me, but was just curious as to what angles the shots were. To the life in me, I do not understand why one would want to hit shoulder at anytime? If that's the only shot, I'd let it walk, even with a fixed blade chisel. Mathews, I will jump in here a little and say that I don't think it was a dig at you, I think he was just covering himself for what he was about to say in taking shots at all angles and deer being at different positions... I don't think anyone is intentionally aiming at a shoulder but to get a heart shot, depending on the angle of the deer, you're aiming very close to the shoulder most times, I think it's a comfort thing and not having to worry about a Rage head not penetrating or deploying when hitting hard bone like that. Just my 2 cents.. Good discussion though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNhunterr Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Grim reapers. I have only hit one deer with it - My doe that I was extremely lucky to get. The arrow bounced off a branch and entered right under her ear, dropping her in her tracks. I was able to pull the arrow out of the skull no problem and it works/looks like new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abear491 Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Im glad to hear the good things about the Grim Reapers I have just switched to them from rages excited to stick one with the Reapers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Not sure what you mean by dragging comment. As for the shoulders I'm shooting over 80 lbs of KE and shoulders haven't been an issue for me. Hitting a shoulder does break a deer down quicker by inhibiting their ability to run. OK, why not take a lung shot and not risk the chance of a deflection or poor results...I just don't get the idea of purposely hitting all that bone. Im not the most patient in most things, but one thing I will wait for is the right time, right position Before I get drug through the coals for my shot angle's, quote from ss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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