Rage didn't make it into the cage.

snakeskinner

Twelve Pointer
Went post season scouting and found this. My son missed this deer with his recurve in mid November. (EDIT: Another hunter apparently shot this deer with a compound and Rage expandable after he missed it in mid November. I don't know when it died but I don't think the Rage had anything to do with it.) I am pretty sure this wound did not kill the deer promptly. It shows what appears to be a "pocket" of some sort surrounding the area where the Rage was. I have circled what I think is where the tip hit a vertebrae. One rib was broken for sure. How long do you think it has been dead?
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DarrinG

Six Pointer
What poundage was he shooting? Generally speaking, traditional bows and mechanical heads are not a good combo.
 

snakeskinner

Twelve Pointer
Sorry didn't make myself clear. He clean missed this deer with his recurve. He did not shoot this deer. Another hunter apparently shot this deer.
 

Bud B.

Eight Pointer
Trad bows and mechanical heads are not a good pair. A two blade cut-on-contact like a Magnus Stinger is much better. Simmons Shark heads are great. So are Zwickey Eskimos.
 

Bud B.

Eight Pointer
Sorry snakeskinner. Did not notice it was you posting. You know all that stuff. Hope to see you both at Barefoot in March.
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
In this case, could it have damaged the spinal cord? I would guess it did shock the spinal cord. One of those that get up and run while everybody is giving high fives? In that case infection. But if spinal cord injury then yotes got him.

I no longer shoot a Rage, not because they don't kill quickly but because they are less forgiving around bone then fixed heads. With a quartering deer, ribs will slow a Rage mechanical enough that I don't feel comfortable aiming ribs. You need to be patient with a Rage, or shoot liver on quartering away shots. Yes, there are plenty of instances where they break ribs, I get that, but quartering to or away shots they are less and less forgiving.

I have spoken with some of the best trackers in the country who have some of the best tracking dogs. Even they only recover 2 out of 10 one long hit deer. They are rarely dead within 24 hours and some live. Obviously if you get liver this changes things but you need the penetration of both lungs more then I need a 2 inch hole 5 inches deep.

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Papa_Smurf

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
i switched to shawcker 2.25" 125 grain this past year due to poor performance by the rage.

The way the shwackers open up the tip is ~ 1.5" inside the deer when the opener blades contact the skin....so when the big blades open they are already past the ribs. performance on the doe i shot this year was incredible. the exit hole was bigger than the large rage entry holes.
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
i switched to shawcker 2.25" 125 grain this past year due to poor performance by the rage.

The way the shwackers open up the tip is ~ 1.5" inside the deer when the opener blades contact the skin....so when the big blades open they are already past the ribs. performance on the doe i shot this year was incredible. the exit hole was bigger than the large rage entry holes.
Interesting, I've watched mechanical broadhead tests in which blades with smaller entry holes were given a worse grade. But in the case of ribs I'd say it helps and makes sense for blades to open later.

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snakeskinner

Twelve Pointer
I'll never know what happened in this situation but it's clear that the head didn't perform as desired. Do shooters of expandables still shoot them in lieu of tuning non expandable broadheads or do they shoot them because of the wound channel they create when they work?
 

DBCooper

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I'll never know what happened in this situation but it's clear that the head didn't perform as desired. Do shooters of expandables still shoot them in lieu of tuning non expandable broadheads or do they shoot them because of the wound channel they create when they work?

IMO, you have three camps:

Camp one is people who see the commercials, put the mech heads on and hunt.

Camp two is people who know they have enough KE to push a mechanical head and enough bow know-how to assure tune ensures proper arrow flight.

Camp three is people who can’t get a fixed head to tune and shoot mechs as a bandaid.
 

lbksmom

Banned
I'll never know what happened in this situation but it's clear that the head didn't perform as desired. Do shooters of expandables still shoot them in lieu of tuning non expandable broadheads or do they shoot them because of the wound channel they create when they work?
I shoot NAP spitfire serrated 100gr expandible in my Ten Point crossbow with 90% kill rate. Tried Rage before them and was only 20% kill rate? Expandible in crossbows shoot the same as target heads, fixed blades fly eratic for some reason. I have been using crossbows for over 15 years now with surgery, had to switch from that great compound to crossbow. Gets me out there hunting more even with 1st time youth hunters, no loud bang and recoil. I mentor kids and had some great memories, some even getting their 1st turkey with one, the furthest shot was 42yds. down on impact. Yes it is a shame some deer do not get found, been there? Good luck to you and son this year.
 

MyHrly

Six Pointer
Went post season scouting and found this. My son missed this deer with his recurve in mid November. (EDIT: Another hunter apparently shot this deer with a compound and Rage expandable after he missed it in mid November. I don't know when it died but I don't think the Rage had anything to do with it.) I am pretty sure this wound did not kill the deer promptly. It shows what appears to be a "pocket" of some sort surrounding the area where the Rage was. I have circled what I think is where the tip hit a vertebrae. One rib was broken for sure. How long do you think it has been dead?
View attachment 25425View attachment 25426View attachment 25427
I hit a Buck last year in the spine with the Rage Extreme, it Paralyzed the hind end, I had to
put him out of his misery or watch him suffer, it was poor shot placement, not the broadhead that caused the unfortunate experience. I try to practice in the "off season" in hopes to avoid these
mistakes.
 

perfectroadglide

Ten Pointer
Probably purely coincidence, but I've never lost a deer with a fixed blade, but lost three with mechanicals. 1 to a G5 and two to a Rage.
 

Steelshot

Eight Pointer
2 years ago I drilled a doe at about 35 yards with my crossbow and a rage. Never found the deer. That crap pre slit shock collar blade retainer was slit in one spot so only 1 blade opened and bent to hell. Never found the deer. Coyotes are good though I guess.
 

MAM3006

Six Pointer
I too have switched away from Rage. I always had good luck with them until a couple years ago. I shot at a doe and am almost certain the head opened before hitting the deer. Never did find her. That was with the Rage version that was supposed to be designed for crossbows. Switched to Shwacker 125's and have not had that happen again. The 2.25 inch cut on the Shwacker leaves MASSIVE exit wounds and very good blood trails.
 
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