Rage Broadheads

[GreyGhost85]

i was fortunate enough this year to draw a unit 1 september archery bull, after 9 years of applying. i getting a completely new bow set up and was wondering if anyone has shot elk with rage broadheads...i like the idea of G-5 montecs, because there is absolutely no way that anything can go wrong with them, but the bow that i will be using shoots over 350 fps, and was contemplating on using a mechanical for this reason.... thanks, any info would be greatly appreciated

[TwoGuns]

I drew a bull tag this year as well, and there is no way that I would use a mechanical head. I have no experience with the Rage head.

 

Darren

[DubTee]

Grey, if your bow is tuned and you're shooting a correct spined arrow, don't worry about fixed blades out of a speed bow. The old myth of fixed blades won't fly out of fast bows is exactly that, a myth. I don't have much experience with montecs, but I know that shuttle t's and slick tricks will fly exactly like your field tips, used a shuttle t on my bull last year, pass through at 12 and 50 yards. The rages will kill and leave massive blood trails, no doubt. Although expandables aren't usually highly recommended with elk, sounds like your set up could be an exception to the rule with the speed you are getting and the corresponding KE, although I don't know the weight of your arrow. With the rages, it takes a bunch of energy to push that huge blade through an elk, you want to be sure of that exit wound (the one that usually is lower and bleeds better), some say it's too risky with the rage because most set-ups might struggle to push it all the way through. What worries me about the rage is a margianally forward shot, hitting some part of the elk's shoulder. My past experience with this head tells me it doesn't do well against bone, won't crush, and usually blows up. Although many heads won't go through an elk shoulder, I'd be worried about grazing one on the way in, and one of the blades of the rage breaking off. Having said all of this, the rage could possibly make up for it on a marginally back shot. My advice is to take the worry out and stick with the fixed, and good luck with that great tag.

[azhuntnut]

I have used a blade similar to the rage during a pig hunt. It seemed to work fine, but I would never consider using it on such a large boned animal in case of a less than perfect shot. Go with a fixed blade cut on contact broadhead. I have had excellent results using Magnus broadheads. They are scary sharp, and very strong. David

http://www.magnusbroadheads.com/home.html

[tjhunt2]

Fixed all the way!

 

TJ

[300 wsm]

I also recomend fixed blade broad heads. I have a 3B archery bull hunt this year, and I am gonna shoot steel force phat heads. They are a cut on contact, and are really tough. The rages would probably do fine, but I just dont trust a mechanical broad head on elk. I shoot feathers which stabalize my arrows better than vanes.

[tommat]

Rage = mechanical. nuff said.

[krp]

With the advent of accurate fix blade heads, there is no longer an advantage with mechs. You have a bow that shoots fast but now are going to lose penetration because of the mech head, just gave up any advantage. Might as well shoot a slower bow with a fixed, it will penetrate better.

 

Kent

[SO I HUNT]

Just love the haven't used them before, Well if you haven't used the Rage well than how do you know if they won't work????? I have used them and have friends that do Oh forgot not on pigs, but on ELK and they didn't even go 30 yards before bleeding out, but maybe the most important part is be comfortable with the your choice of head you plan on using! SHOT PLACEMENT WILL PLAY THE BIGGEST PART!! HUM!!

Sorry to vent just can't get over how BAD these rage blade are to people that haven't used them?

 

Guess if I believed everything that I heard and read about

work be alot better and money problems would be gone by now

 

 

JUST MY .02 cents

[krp]

The rage heads will kill an elk, in the 90's as bows got faster and fixed broadheads couldn't keep up accuracy wise out to the distances now attainable, mechanicals had an accuracy advantage and therefore a distance advantage. We killed elk with slower bows and not as good mechs than the rage.

 

The question wasn't can a rage kill an elk, it was, is a rage head better than a fixed head because of the speed I'm shooting. The answer is no, it's not.

 

And I have tested rages to slick tricks. If all someone had was rages I wouldn't tell them they couldn't kill an elk.

 

Kent

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

 

 

I have had friends and family use the Rage on Elk and that was enough for me to know that I won't use them. I did not like the penetration.... if they hit any bone at all they may not kill the animal in a quick manner. I would recommend large cutting diameter, fixed, three blade heads... I like the Thunderheads, or Muzzy 3 blades. Elk have long hair that can quickly clot the wound making blood trailing difficult. As mentioned before, shot placement is critical! Aim below the middle!!!

[dchamsr06]

I know if you watch the hunting shows many of them swear by the Rage. I seen several shows where they used them on Elk and the Elk went less that 100yds and died.

[azhuntnut]

I know if you watch the hunting shows many of them swear by the Rage. I seen several shows where they used them on Elk and the Elk went less that 100yds and died.

 

But, do you think those same TV shows getting payed BIG bucks(no pun intended) to use that product would show a bad shot, or an animal that was not retrieved in a short distance. The Rage broadhead is not a bad head. I just feel that it would not be as effeient as a fixed blade head if it were to hit a large bone. I know some people have used it on large animals, but I think you are taking a chance at losing your animal.

 

One test you might try when searching for a new head. First make sure your bow it tuned and then shoot the head to make sure it flys well. Next, shoot it through an old cow hip bone or something of the same thickness and see what type of penetration you get, and how well the blades or head hold up. I have even wrapped leather around a bone with material insided just to see how well in penetrates. Also check the blade sharpness. I spend hours each year trying out new heads just to see how well they would hold up in real world situations. Plus I look for companys that will back there product. If you break a Magnus broadhead, send it back and they will send you a new one with no questions asked.

 

I shot a bull in 05 with a Stinger between the last two ribs on the left side at a hard angle. The arrow traveled the full length of the bull taking out the heart and lung and then penetrated through the right shoulder bone and stopped at the hide. When he started to run, the arrow got pulled back into the body and completely tore up the vitals into jello since the blades are sharp on the front and rear. I just can't see a mechanical doing that type of damage. The bull went less than forty yards and died within 90 seconds or less. David

 

[soazarcher]

+1 on the Magnus Stingers, rock solid elk broad head.

 

azhuntnut, thats story sounds familar. In '06 I shot bull hard quartering on the left side with a Stinger. Not the greatest shot, he turned right and I hit him too far back, HARD quartering away. Buried the broadhead in his opposite shoulder, absolutely destroyed his chest cavity. He went a little over 100 yards and skidded into a pile

 

The Rage leaves a big hole, but are just not built for Elk. I had 5 hunters this year shoot rage heads for deer and they always seemed to be fixing the blades before they could take a shot, annoying and time consuming. They do leave big holes in deer, but for elk go a with proven fixed blade. Magnus, Muzzy, T-head....

 

Take a look at the this angle, Bad shot, good result.

The arrow completly disapeared, the pic was taken after it was fished out

[GreyGhost85]

thanks for the replies everybody... seems like most people are leanin the same way as me on this issue...i got a great tag and might as well take broadhead failure out of the equation.... has anyone shot a montec, shuttle T, or slick trick at 350+? these are the three that i am leaning towards, the montec just looks like a tough fail-proof braodhead but i am worried about high speed accuracy when compared to these other two...

thanks, Bridger H