end of the debate? rage vs fixed

[vister]

After listening to much of the debate regarding rage broadheads, and their inability to penetrate deep and hold up upon impact with bone, I took it upon myself to do a little testing. With the results, even myself was a bit surprised at the outcome. The rage 100 grain 2-blade won the decision, if you ask me! I hope this may end some of the negativity some people display towards mechanical broadheads such as Rage. The proof is below. I compared the 100 grain 2 inch 2-blade Rage with a fixed broadhead by G5, the 100 grain Striker. Both of which I carry in my quiver, and very good broadheads.

used in my test was the following:

Diamond Victory at 71 lbs draw weight

carbon express edge 350 arrows

1" thick rough-sawn red oak

Both shot at distance of 20 yards

Once I was able to get the arrows out of the board, I checked them out to see how they held up. Both broadheads were completely intact. however, the inserts in both arrows had come loose, and they were epoxied in! Quite a blow to do that. I would say the rage was victorious, wouldn't you!!! the striker did crack the board almost in half, but barely stuck its ferrule out the back side. I could barely believe the rage cut 2 inches across from entrance to exit, in a 1 inch thick red oak board!! after putting a new o-ring on the rage, it was just like taking a new broadhead out of the package.

Looks like I will continue using rage with confidence

any questions?

[fish]

Vister,

You Rule! Thanks for that test! I have been shooting montecs with no complaint. I have been reluctant to switch to montecs. I won't switch this year but I will next! Sweet Pics!

Thanks Man

[ac777]

Interesting, I don't want to be the negative nancy, but I do think that to be more accurate it should be done more than just one time on a piece of wood. One reason is that the rage happened to line up very close to the wood grain, not sure how much that would affect it but it could be an issue i guess.

[Big Buck Buster]

That is pretty sweet. I just got back from Cabelas, and yes I purchased some Rage Broad heads. I got the three blade 100 grain. I can't wait to see what it does up at Ripley next month.

Wha-hoo, only three more weeks.

[Jameson]

Thanks for testing and sharing!

What is your draw length?

How about the same test with 60 lb draw?

Would you expect similar results if the Rage would have hit 90 degrees turned? Hitting cross grain instead of with it...

"...the striker did crack the board almost in half..."

I am curious how this translates into a hunting situation. Would it mean that the striker would break bone, where as the Rage would hope to cut it?

Oh, and how much of the Windsor in the second pic was consumed before the test??

[USPENAMC]

there is one on the YOU where they show like 4 different broadheads including the rage and he is shooting through a metal 55 gallon drum you should look it up the rage 2 blade did very well not so well for the 3 blade

[USPENAMC]

there is one on the YOU where they show like 4 different broadheads including the rage and he is shooting through a metal 55 gallon drum you should look it up the rage 2 blade did very well not so well for the 3 blade

[vister]

my test was by no means professional. I was just trying to prove that a mechanical such as rage, is built well enough to fly like a field point, and handle some abuse on contact. sure there can be a lot of variables while shooting through oak, but thats the same case as shooting at deer. maybe if it was turned 90 degrees results would have changed. but the point made was that a rage was shot through a slab of dry oak, and didn't break. It shot 2 inches wide clean through. I don't think some people may realize just how amazing that is.

my draw length is 28.5 and i'm guessing at 60 lbs, i would expect different results. but i would think they would end the same, just penetration wouldn't be as deep.

and by the way, the arrows used aren't my hunting arrows. they were my speed arrows, so they are rather light. the arrows i use in the woods are substantially heavier, so i'm guessing they would have altered results as well.

I guess my testing was done from a post a while back where someones kid tugged on their back pocket, while target practicing, and sent an arrow through 3/4 inch cedar, into another board behind it. well, someones comment was i'd like to see a rage handle something like that! well, i stepped up and did it. and 1" oak is WAY tougher than 3/4" cedar, which by the way, is some of the softest wood around!

By the way, had Mr. Right stepped out within range by now, that windsor bottle would have been in the garbage can!

[Rippinlip]

Thanks Vister,

I shoot the 2 blade Rage and will not switch.

Great simple, but effective test.

Mark

[ac777]

I would like to see that done with a Muzzy MX-3 and some other broad heads to see how well the perform. I think it would be interesting to see a similar test with about every broad head available including other expandables and see the results.

[vister]

if people wanna donate a broadhead or 2 of their choice, i'll gladly try my best to break them! i guess the results were about the opposite as what i thought they'd be. considering strikers are 1 1/16" cutting diameter, and rage is 2" across. I thought about trying the muzzy mx-4's that you can see in one of the pics, and even a field point.

[ac777]

if people wanna donate a broadhead or 2 of their choice, i'll gladly try my best to break them! i guess the results were about the opposite as what i thought they'd be. considering strikers are 1 1/16" cutting diameter, and rage is 2" across. I thought about trying the muzzy mx-4's that you can see in one of the pics, and even a field point.

Ya, I wasnt saying for you specifically but, if someone did it that would be pretty interesting.

[sparkyaber]

I did buy some 2 blade rage broadheads this year, just out of curiosity. I put them on some brand new arrows, as well as my fixed broadheads terminal t-locks. Shot them both and the rage sounded like a freight train flying through the air (not really, but way louder), while the t-locks are a quiet as a field point, both were as accurate as the field points, and the rage penetrated the target and inch and a half farther.

I really would like to have seen what would have happened to that rage if it hit at 90 degrees from where it is at.

Sounds like a new test is in order..

[Chad711]

3 deer in the last year, nearly lost because the hole was so big that the guts hung out and plugged the blood trail up. Granted these were maybe not ideal shots, but I'm just saying... Im sticking to Fixed...

[USPENAMC]

Okay type BROADHEAD TEST the name of the subscriber is mtnbikesteve he tests like 10 different broadheads fixed and mechanical at 20 yards 281 fps, on a 55 gallon metal drum. He posts pictures of the before and after for each blade some of the broadheads are as follow

tru fire switch blade (2 different ones)

Grim Reaper (75 and 100 grains)

G5 Tekan II

Piston Point

Rage 3 blade

innerlock stainless extreme

G5 Striker

Wac'em

Slick Trick

[jltimm]

Good thing to see! I have confidence in the Slick Tricks!

[mrklean]

thanks for the test vis

[slopmaster]

good to see someone do a test to show people what would happen instead of people just assuming. the post about if it was 60 lbs. yeah i believe it would be a different outcome becasue it takes more KE for the rage so they will perform better with a heavier draw weight. I shot rage for one year, shot one deer and the blades didnt open completely so i stopped using them and actually switched to the g5 striker this year. havent shot an animal with the g5 but cant wait to see them preform. more variables to go wrong with a mechanical butttttt when they do there job they cant be beat. I know vister was just showing people that they do perform as good as a fixed but i'd like to see them both be shot through a piece of wood 5 times a piece to see which will last longer and is more durable... then you would be getting closer to say the debate is over, but i dont think you can say that just becasue of one shot. Would the rage open up evertime? i dont know but i bet that fixed blade would stay consistant everytime. just my .02 cents

[james_walleye]

I've shot 4 deer with mechanicals and all were complete passthroughs. But man i've heard alot of horror stories in a short time about these Rage. I had some last year and switched for this year. My friend shot a nice buck last year and made a poor, but lucky shot. He hit the buck in the neck and hit the jugular and it bled like a stuck hog. But that arrow only penetrated about 3 inches..?? Thats scary to me....

[Powerstroke]

I would say the truth is decided by one shot.....That's how many chances that broadhead will have to bring down a deer.

Say you do the same test 10 times and the rage doesn't open 1 time....would that be good enough? If so then you risk it not working 1 time in ten It just so happened your one shot happened to be the time it didn't work.

I would say the test was more about durability and penetration than reliability. I've shot deer with bot the Striker and the rage 2-blade. I have two dead deer and two pass-throughs so they did the same job. I thought the Rage cut more, but neither deer went more than 40yds. I shoot a PSE Xforce at 60lbs so 60lbs works just fine, but my 60lb bow is a bit faster than any matthews or bowtech more than a year old..... I'm not trying to start something, I'm just saying that not all bows are equal so its really hard to get a broad analysis of broadheads to bows.

[DonBo]

I shoot a PSE Xforce at 60lbs so 60lbs works just fine, but my 60lb bow is a bit faster than any matthews or bowtech more than a year old.....

So, you think your PSE is faster than my Mathews? Well let me tell you...Sorry, just pullin' your chain.

My take on the broadhead debate? Moving parts and broadheads don't go together.

[fishmon]

End of debate?

No offence visiter but you shot a board from a straight on angle the only thing this proves is you have too much time on your hands or an excess of 1" oak that needs to be split. The main broadhead debate as I understand it comes from the mechanical broadhead hitting a convex surface (a deer hide)and not properly deploying, that or striking a deer where 1 blade hits flesh and one hits bone. I would wager that any broadhead or field point you care to shoot would perform as well in the test you performed.

[koonie]

Originally Posted By: Powerstroke

I shoot a PSE Xforce at 60lbs so 60lbs works just fine, but my 60lb bow is a bit faster than any matthews or bowtech more than a year old.....

So, you think your PSE is faster than my Mathews? Well let me tell you...Sorry, just pullin' your chain.

My take on the broadhead debate? Moving parts and broadheads don't go together.

He did say "more than a year old".

[harvey lee]

Well stated Powerstroke.

I personally have had no issues with mechinal broadheads and I have never seen another broadhead do damage like a 3 blade rage.

I have no idea how much damage they do to a garbage can but they work GREAT for deer.

[slopmaster]

I agree the damage done by a rage is non-comparable to most broadheads on the market, my deer even though i got poor penetration and not fully deployed blades it still left a massive entry hole. The problem is the risk of falure, yes everything we use has a chance to fail, but with the rage or any other mechanical you making those odds even better. Some guys love them and will contunie too until they have a bad experience i'd suspect. Companies will come out with more fail proof mechanicals eventually just like everything else they will only get better. If you shoot them and they work for you then USE THEM. confidence is the best thing you can have in yourself and your gear. To say that the debate is over is far from true as a whole, maybe for you it is, but for many it is far from it.