Rage 3 blade deer recovery question?

[6x6]

Got a question about recovering a buck shot with a rage 3 blade. I have only used muzzy 3 blades so I am not sure how the rages react at a quartering away angle on ribs. I was helping a guy last night and today track a buck he shot midway up and down from a 20 ft high stand at a little over 40 yards. He said it hit 3 or 4 inches behind the shoulder quartering away half way up. He could still see the fletching as he slowly walked away and uphill into the timber, not much reaction to the shot, just walked away slow. No bubbles, just light red dripping blood from the entrance hole. When he got to the top, he just walked around in circles in a 50 foot area, never bedding, sucks to make heads or tails when he kept going back over the older loops. Finally I figured out where he went and found 2 beds with some of the same kind of blood. Never saw any gut material or smell. The initial blood was a little watery as well as the light red color. Honestly I think I probably pushed him off the last bed this morning. My question is, at an angle, would the rage 3 blade skip on a rib and go under the shoulder, rather than going thru into the cavity. That would be my guess, just not sure how that type of head performs in that situation. Probably went a good 250 yards before bedding, just circleing around in the timber dripping here and there. Sure looks like a muscle hit but just having trouble with where the arrow hit and was seen still sticking out.Myself I am sticking with muzzys and shots under 30 yards.

 

[bigbuckhunter88]

I've never been a fan of the 3 blade Rage's. I tried them once and had a problem with them not opening on target or opening in flight. The two bladers will drive through the cavity, but I can't speak for the 3 blader. Sounds like you said though, a muscle hit from deflection.

 

[kyleRupp]

It sounds like a muscle shot. I have shot two does with those rages and never found them. They had some nice blood trails but spooked both does out after two hours of letting them sit. I stick with rages now. Hope you find the buck

 

[kellyprymek]

I have shot several deer with the 3 blade rage and 1 at a steep quartering away shot which punched a fist size hole through the deer. Never had a problem recovering a deer shot with a 3 blade rage. My first ? Would what he shooting for draw weight. On a quartering away shot he should of been about 8 to 10 inches behind the shoulder depending on the angle. Sounds like his shoot might of been forward and hit the opposite shoulder blade. Hopefully a mortal hit but I doubt it. Good luck with the recovery

 

[DOR]

*insert Rage in the Cage Man* video

 

[jw_wildfire]

Here is a pic of my first deer with a 3 blade rage. You can see I hit him a little far forward, right in the shoulder. This was from 38 yards and penetrated well into the cavity, catching the heart. He only made it 50 yards from impact, but bled out completely internally. Thankfully I could see him laying dead from my stand as he didn't put a drop of blood on the ground. I have several friends that have killed many deer with them and swear by them.

 

[6x6]

He was pulling 70lbs, but just as I thought it did turn on the ribs due to the angle and went under the shoulder. I have seen the buck twice since then. He limps pretty bad and I am sure he is still carrying part of the arrow and broadhead. I sure hate to see that.

 

[Scooter1]

What is everyones take on mech vs fixed. Ive always been a firm beleiver in simple is good, so ive always shot fixed. This year 3 of the 4 deer I killed were pass thrus, 1 single lung, one double lung and a heart shot. NONE of them bled much at all. ALL of them went 150yds+ before dying or bleeding hard. Makes me think I couldve been using something better. Or it was a fluke...

 

[iatreehugger]

Scooter, What kind of fixed heads are you shooting? I have had some of those same issues when shooting some of the newer "micro" typed fixed head (meaning around 1 1/16" inch heads). They fly great, but I wasn't overly excited about the lack of blood. I never did lose a deer, and always had pass through, but after a number of deer and the same issue, I switched this year to a bigger fixed head. The head flys great, but the blood trail is much more impressive.

 

[Scooter1]

G5 Monteco and a 3 blade muzzy. All 100 grain. Im not wild about mechanicals, but I should say Ive never shot any either. Ive seen what they can do to a deer (golf ball size wound path) but I have had a hard time telling myself they are worth the money and hassle until this year. I might try one of the bigger 2 blade fixed ones before committing to mech.

 

[mudingbuck]

I shot the nitron by napp and shot 17 deer with them in four years. Usually got pass throughs but not much for blood trails. Found eneryone i shot within 200 yards. I switched to three blade rages in 09. I have shot four bucks and 11 doe. I lost one doe and a buck last year. Both deer I felt I put a good shot on them and did find them a month later. I have gotten better blood trails but they seem to go farther. Never had a shot reflect off or not open. But I have had a lot that didn't pass through so I only had one hole to bleed out of

 

[KSHUNTER]

The buck I shot last year had the broadhead skip off a rib, and embed itself it the shoulder. I shot him with a slick trick, quartering away at 20 yards, shooting 70 pounds, the arrow burried up to the fletchings, and looked perfect. He walked off and the doe he was pushing was still around the stand, he came back in and I put a second arrow in him. It wasn't until I dressed him that I learned the first shot was only a flesh wound.

So I think it is a possible that the arrow deflected off a rib. I don't think it matters what head you shoot, if you happen to hit the angle just right, fixed or mechanical head, you can get a deflection on a quartering away shot.

 

[loneranger]

All I know is I started with Rocket Sidewinders many yrs ago. I tried some others but always come back to Sidewinders. They are mechanical, but always do the job. If I hit anywhere in the front body cavity, they do alot of damage and drop under 100 yrds, usually 10 to 40.