As promised, here is a review of my first experience with the Rage 2 blade broadhead (not the KE version).  I will present facts, not flimsy “campfire” theory.

From last Friday night:

17 yard shot broadside.

~75 yard bloodtrail with “Stevie Wonder” sign.

As advertised – a gaping entrance wound.

Vitals: double lung

However, both blades were gone from the recovered broadhead.  The buck carried the arrow for around 30 yards before the arrow backed out the entry side of the deer and fell out.

I wish I could tell you that the broadhead had penetrated through scapula and that’s why the blades were broken out, but that is not the case.  I inserted a dowel through the entrance and exit holes and you can obviously see it was well back from the danger area of the shoulder bone structure.

The broadhead entered the deer in a horizontal position and broke 2 ribs on the nearside.  Careful inspection of the exit hole in the deer revealed that another rib was broken, but that one of the blades was not present when the exit hole was made.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t find either blade while skinning the deer this morning leading me to believe that both blades ended up in the viscera which was left in the woods at the field dressing site.

Opinion:  Glad I didn’t hit shoulder blade.  Even with good penetration, that doesn’t do me any good if the broadhead isn’t cutting anymore.  You don’t have to worry if fixed blades are going to be still attached after penetration of a ribcage.  On the plus side, arrow flew true, great entrance and exit wound even without a blade on the exit side, great blood trail (one of the best I’ve followed).

But the jury is still out because I already have a second opinion.  That’s right – my arrow flew true again last night (Wednesday).  Another public land deer!  I’ll bring the hunt story and second part of the Rage broadhead review to you tomorrow.