Rage broadheads?

Has anybody ever used a Rage broadhead on a hog? I'll be hunting on Kauai in a couple months and was wondering if any of you guys have tried Rage broadheads? I have had great luck with mechanicals over fixed blades on several thick skinned big game species in AK and even when shooting at pretty long ranges too, but I recently bought a pack of the Rage 40KEs and thought I'd give them a try. I also bought a 3 pk of Swhacker (mechanicals) and a 3 pk of Crimson Talons (curved fixed blade) and wondered if anyone has shot either of those kinds into a larger hog too? Last year on Kauai I used Rocket Steelhead XPs for a small boar and goats and both worked good (just like they did in Alaska), but I just thought I'd try to get a broadhead that is supposed to have a little more penetration in case I luck into getting a shot at a tougher big daddy boar and get a marginal hit on his shoulder plate. Also curious for any opinions about effectiveness of 2 blade vs 3 blade broadheads for hogs? I bet 3 blades leaves better blood trail and of course I know proper shot placement is the key element, but just wanted to know anyone else's experiences with any of these broadhead types, or even other designs used on larger hogs. I commonly shoot beyond 50 yards and have found that most fixed blades do some planing, even from a well tuned bow. I did have a Montec onces that flew exactly like a field point, but another one that didn't. So in the past 15 years I have used mechanical broadhead because they truly fly like a field tip out between 50-75 yards and accuracy means the most to me.
Mahalos for any opinions you could share.
Aloha,
AK Andy

I am shooting Magnus Snuffer 125 gr and I have taken 2 hogs with complete pass thru @ 20 yards. The 2 Blade Magnus 125 gr are good heads also. And the best thing about Magnus is the LIFETIME guaruntee. My buddy sent in 4 damaged BHs and they sent him a new 6 pack. And finally they are pretty reasonable in $$

I have used the rage 2 125 grain broadheads and love them for still hunting. I get awesome penetration and the blood trails are very good. I do not like them for spot and stalk because it takes some time to get them out of the quiver and blades set before a shot can be made. For spot and stalk I used the Magnus Stinger. They have great penetration and good blood trails, however I like the flight of the Rage better. I was practicing at 70 yards with the Rage and they flew the same as my field tips.

Good luck,

Hunter Steve

Aloha AK ANDY,
I have used mechanicals with mixed results. At the time I was hunting goats and didnt have a problem with them. I loved them for their field point accuracy but after awhile I started encountering some problems when the game that I pursued changed. These however were the rockethead mechanicals. The very end of the blade when closed rested just under the tip and the rubber band slipped over it. I began to see that at hard quartering away shots, upon striking the animal one blade would deploy just before the other two causing it to open and actually push the arrow away from the animal for a complete deflection. This was on a shaggy feral ram. Maybe it was all the hair? I understand that blade deployment design has greatly improved over the years though.I also have a friend of mine who missed out on a Mouflon ram of a life time because of deflection that was with a rage broadhead just last year. Mouflons have short hair so I dont know whats up with that one. I'm not knocking mechanicals, they have their place, but for me, if it's not a textbook 90 degree broadside shot I would hold off.
Here on the Big I. I have an idea of what the boars body types are like in a given area and this would help me determine the head I'm comfortable with using on that particular hunt. For example we have dry open grasslands that I bow hunt. The boars are thinner, don't carry alot of bulk and the puna is relatively thin. A boar at 120# here is huge. So just about any broadhead mechanical or fixed would be fine and I wouldn't think twice about it as long as they are razor sharp.
Then there is the wetter areas or even rural farm areas where the food is varied and in abundance. Here I would find the "DOZAHS". Huge,healthy hogs, easily 200 plus lbs, lots of bulk and fat. I would expect some of these beasts to have 1 1/2-2" and occasionally more thick puna (shoulder cartilage shield) coupled with bone,muscle tissue etc. On these hunts I would choose a 100 grn or more fixed blade just to cover all my bases. I would want the peace of mine that everything is going to be broken into upon entry and maximize the damage.
Again I'm not putting down any broadhead. I've taken game with both types. If I had the opportunity to hunt Alaska I would choose a sturdy fixed blade just to be worry free about any type of mechanical failure happening at a once in a lifetime animal.
Just my 2 cents. Good luck on your up coming hunt and HAPPY HOLIDAYS to you and yours.
ALOHA - MAUKAKANE1

Mahalos Guys for the replies.
I heard stories about sharp angled shots and deflection/lack of penetration from over the top mechanical blades opening, like the ones on the rocket steelheads. But I whacked a lot of animals with them and had no problems, even had one small boar last year that was quartering away on a really sharp angle, the "over the top" mechanical blades of my Rocket steelhead XP poked right straight in and seemed to open up perfect and the arrow didn't stop until hitting bone on the far side by the chest near the opposite leg (I pull 72 pounds and it was from up a tree at less than 15 yards and the hog went less than 40 yards). The hog did not have much hair though and then again, hearing about the sheeps wool issue, I also had one bum experience with a quartering away bear up her in AK that the arrow changed angles slightly when it hit him and then didn't penetrate enough. he got away, but should have died a a swift death considering where the arrow hit behind the front leg, it was far back enough to not hit shoulder blade, so it must have been too much hair. Likely the first blade to hit was opening and caught up in hair and caused change of direction direction and consequent loss of kinetic energy(KE) creating lack of penetration likely the exact same thing happened with my bear that happened on your wooly feral sheep Maukakane1 (since this was a thick hided furry spring bear). The Rage heads though have the rearward deploying blades that supposedly will not deflect on hard angled shots. The new swhacker heads open after entry past the hair and hide and are also are not supposed to be affected by steeper angled hits. I'm glad to find out the 2 bladed heads have worked good for some of you guys, I was concerned about not enough blood trail as a 3 blader would make. But my Grandfather and Fred Bear both killed a ton of critters with 2 bladed broadheads. I guess accuracy is what really matters most, when you hit a vital organ or severe an important artery or vein. I hear ya, I too have whacked a lot of big game animals with both fixed blades and mechanicals I won't talk down either kind, but I like the mechanicals best for mimicking the long range accuracy I can get from a field tip, so I'm planning on trying the Rage slip cam blade head for boar. The rocket steelheads worked good last year and have done really well for me with deer and caribou and have proven way deadly on a few goats no matter what the angle. I honestly cannot find a fixed blade that doesn't wind plane at really long yardages, even from a well tuned bow. I hear good things about the new Woodsman Elite 125 screw in that 3 Rivers Archery just came out with though, maybe because it only has a 1" profile, but then again I even tried the 1" profile Sonics made by American Boradhead Co, but they planed past 55 yards too. I tried steelforce premium titaniums and they planed too, but I killed a few deer with them and kept all shots inside 50+yard shots. I do not advocate anyone shooting long range unless they truly practice enough, and sometimes I am obsessive about practicing, I use a 4x8 plywood backstop out at 80 yards and it really helps me dial in after weeks of practice at ranges between 60-80 yards. I commonly get one shot kills out between 60-70 yards but I only shoot mechanicals at those ranges. I would try the Rage's at that distance if the practice sessions with the practice tips prove they consistently group tightly. Oh how I wish there were a fixed blade that could do that at that range. A couple years ago I whacked a 60 yard bullseye robin hood (arrow into another arrow) and then last week I whacked a 25 yard robin hood again with the Rage practice tip- so I was impressed, though I was bummed to ruin the first arrow, it split right down the middle. I shoot 125 grain heads, so since the Rage's are only 100 grainers I have to customize my inserts with l25 grains of little screw in weights inside the shaft in order to compensate and make them 125 grains. Anyhow, mahalos for the info and replies braddahs. I can hardly wait to try for a boss boar with one of these new Rage 40KE 2 blade heads in a couple months when I make it to the islands from my home island in Alaska. If I luck out, I will surely post a pic or two
Alohas,
AK Andy

Howzit Guys,
A couple more questions/comments:
Hey Bakeplus- thanks for mentioning you shoot at 70 yards and the Rage's fly like the field tips. I got snow issues right now that make it hard for me to practice at long ranges right now, but keep an 80 yard range in my backyard- before I come to HI to hunt I will set up a 3D target at 70 and shoot my rage practice tips too. I'm making tight groups with them out to 40 right now and happy with it, especially after that robin hood.
Hey Maukakane1, Did you actually see that deflection your buddy had on the mouflan when he used the rage head? I'm baffled brah, I just can't figure out how that would happen? Do you know how many yards he was shooting from and what poundage bow he pulls?
AK Andy

AK Andy,

After I read your post today, I did a test shoot of the 100 gr Rage 2 blade and the 125 Magnus Stingers and the stingers were about 1/2" lower then the Rage at 30 yards. I shot several times to make verify. The Rage still fly much better, but I will never use them on a spot and stalk hunt again. I only practice 70 yard shots because I like to go hunt Elk in Idaho and Colorado sometimes and you can get some long shots out there. Here in the thick undergrowth I have never had a need to shoot that long of range. I guess you could shoot that range on the Big Island on goats or sheep, but I only hunt pigs on Oahu.

Someday I'd like to make the trip to AK and hunt Caribou. It's one of the "bucket list" things to do!!! I already killed my 355" Bull Elk so the Caribou is next!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year,

Hunter Steve

Aloha AK ANDY
I did not see my friends deflection first hand, he told me about it at the end of the day rendezvous point. If I remember correctly it was a 50 yd shot out of a 70 lb bow. It did however also stump me how that would happen but at the time I didn't really question it. Maybe it is one of those "the one that got away stories" ya know hunters are closely related to fishermen.
Sounds like you got your bases covered and ready to go. The confidence in our own personal gear is what matters most in the end. Here's hoping that you get a "DOZAH BOAR" on your upcoming trip!
Again ALOHAZ & HAPPY HOLIDAYS
MAUKAKANE1

I will shoot the rage 2 blade broadheads for the rest of my life! I absulutly love them! I shot the fixed Muzzy 3 blades for the first 12 years of my hunting adventures...only because in Idaho where im from originally you cant use mechanicle broadheads (Idaho has some wierd laws, but is getting better). But since living our here ive used the NAP BloodRunners, which works great for spot n stock with your quiver, but i missed a 15 yrd shot at a pig with them and blamed the broadhead instead of my shooting And have been shooting the Rage ever since and have not missed! Ive taking 2 goats, a mouflon and 2 pigs (one just yesterday, pics on the way!) And ALL of them have not gone more than 50 yards with blood trails a blind man could follow....so just get comfortable shooting them, which it sounds like u have with your robin hood, you'll love em! Good Luck
ALOHA

Right on guys, thanks again for the good info.
Yo hunter Steve, drop me a PM if you want, or a e-mail and we can talk about what I know about caribou hunting in AK. I have whacked a few on the north slope tundra and one out east in the woodlands- all with bow at long ranges 45-67 yards, haven't been hunting them in a few years though. Seems we got opposites, as a bow elk is on my bucket list. Hoping to go for an elk in the next few years. Got a friend in CO that is starting out hunting and trying to find a spot worthy of having me fly down for hunting, I hesitate to go until it sounds dialed in and he gets a few elk under his belt.

Hey Maukakane1, I agree 100% with you, confidence = success. I have found if a guy eliminates all the variables that can go wrong, or minimizes them as best he can, then the chance for something to go wrong is less likely and connecting will occur, this includes practicing to proficiency and everything to do with all aspects of gear and equipment, even target practicing in the clothes you plan to wear while hunting, then overall the likelihood to succeed is greater. I think a lot of guys hit the woods without practicing enough, or without knowing all their equipment well enough, and the result is less confidence and less success. Like self defeat. The power of the mind is amazing. I have found that if I get busted by a smart animal I can either be happy and thankful to have had the fun trying for him, or I can get all dejected and bummed out. If I let myself get down then my chances for the rest of the day are way less to succeed than if I keep my chin up. We create reality from whatever we believe. Sometimes a guy can be his worst enemy. I try my best to stay focused on the positive and to realize I am always on the learning curve. I have used at least a dozen types of broadheads successfully. I used all sorts of equipment, recurves, compounds, hip quivers, bow quivers, releases, finger tabs, too much stuff really, each thing seems to have it's merits for different circumstance. I like your stance about not dissing one type of broadhead over another. That's wise. lots of guys jumping to one side of the fence or the other leaves them with less diversity to cover more bases if needed. Whatever broadhead makes a hunter feel confident enough to make a one shot clean efficient kill into the vitals with the best accuracy will work best for him, no matter what kind. I am really glad to hear all you guys's opinions and experiences with different kinds, it helped me feel good about these Rage's even more. I am stoked to go try them now, and hope to get a crack at a bruiser tusker.

Instinct- I really liked to hear you dig Rage's so much. Similar to ID, Alaska has some funky laws too, can't use mechanicals for certain big game species like brown bear, musk ox, moose, or mt goats, all other species are fair game though. Mechanicals work great on caribou and deer for sure. I think the law was made before rear deploying slip cam blades were invented. Everybody's got an opinion, too bad some infringes on others right to use what they want sometimes. Maybe they just don't want guys taking long shots at furry animals - since the average guy doesn't practice at long ranges and likely has a set up that looses too much kinetic energy to penetrate regardless of broadhead type? I got a buddy in Fairbanks that whacks a moose every year, and he is only a devoted muzzy fan, never has used and never will use a mechanical, but then again he doesn't practice or shoot past 50 yards. I am anxious to stack up some experiences with the rage heads to see the blood trails for myself. It'll happen. Hopefully on a bog hog next March on Kauai. Or maybe a sheep or goat on Big Island. Thanks for the confidence boost about the 2 blade Rage's.

Mahalos guys,
Aloha and happy holidaze!
AK Andy = mclaughlinandy@yahoo.com