Red zone time

[bgkyarcher]

After speaking to a couple experienced xbow users here, I ordered some Rage crossbow broadheads. They should be in tomorrow. Little FR said not to put the collars on very tight. When I shot them earlier with the horrid results, I screwed them down pretty snug. That could be why I had issues, or maybe I put the collars on wrong. Anyway...... I'm gonna get that xbow dialed in, and make a late season push for that biggest buck. He's still alive, and still nocturnal. Got pics of him Thursday morning. Nothing broken at all. I loaded up the old shooting house with corn yesterday, and gonna keep throwing the corn at them. I need some really cold weather, for several days. When that happened last year, he was in the corn several times before dark. Unfortunately, I had thrown in the towel. I put my Covert on that corn, so hopefully signal is strong enough to keep me abreast of the visitors. BTW, thanks Little FR for the tips on the X-bow.

 

[Little FR]

Good luck buddy.

I wouldn’t lead you astray if I can help it. Hope you get him.

 

[wolverine1]

Sounds like a good plan! Looking at next week, especially towards the end of next week, youre going to get your cold weather! Im like you, still holding the golden ticket and wanting to push hard until I get one down or the season ends, whichever comes first!

Good Luck!

 

[whitetail1971]

After speaking to a couple experienced xbow users here, I ordered some Rage crossbow broadheads. They should be in tomorrow. Little FR said not to put the collars on very tight. When I shot them earlier with the horrid results, I screwed them down pretty snug. That could be why I had issues, or maybe I put the collars on wrong. Anyway...... I'm gonna get that xbow dialed in, and make a late season push for that biggest buck. He's still alive, and still nocturnal. Got pics of him Thursday morning. Nothing broken at all. I loaded up the old shooting house with corn yesterday, and gonna keep throwing the corn at them. I need some really cold weather, for several days. When that happened last year, he was in the corn several times before dark. Unfortunately, I had thrown in the towel. I put my Covert on that corn, so hopefully signal is strong enough to keep me abreast of the visitors. BTW, thanks Little FR for the tips on the X-bow.

I am not posting to criticize you directly. Why would you use a broadhead that you have had “horrid results”. I like many people tried rage broadheads and I wounded a few deer and had some horrible blood trails. Yes I did have a few great blood trails and had some easy recovery’s. In my opinion expandable broadheads have issues. Sometimes they don’t open but more importantly they glance off bone. I tracked two deer this year with my dog both shot rage and both deer were recovered. The hit was behind the shoulder but the arrow deflected backwards. The blood trails were terrible. I personally switched back to fixed blade broadheads after years of trying different expandables I have yet to have an issue since.

 

[bgkyarcher]

I am not posting to criticize you directly. Why would you use a broadhead that you have had “horrid results”. I like many people tried rage broadheads and I wounded a few deer and had some horrible blood trails. Yes I did have a few great blood trails and had some easy recovery’s. In my opinion expandable broadheads have issues. Sometimes they don’t open but more importantly they glance off bone. I tracked two deer this year with my dog both shot rage and both deer were recovered. The hit was behind the shoulder but the arrow deflected backwards. The blood trails were terrible. I personally switched back to fixed blade broadheads after years of trying different expandables I have yet to have an issue since.

Because I think the results were user error. I shot twice, lost both bolts. I think I screwed the head on too tight which compromised the collars. If I have similar results, I’ll scrap these too.

 

[Little FR]

This doe was hard quartering away from me. Full pass through. I’d had the hyperdermics glance off bone before and threw them away this was a Chisel tip they don’t glance on bone

This was a small doe, chisel did not glance…. That was with a vertical bow too.

Another

These two are two different crossbows, with same head entrance/exits all looked the same.

I know broadheads are a touchy subject, mileage varies… but if your shooting a crossbow, step one is hitting the kill zone, step two is it working, so far they worked. We don’t shoot behind the shoulder unless it’s quartering away.

 

[257Wmag]

I am not posting to criticize you directly. Why would you use a broadhead that you have had “horrid results”. I like many people tried rage broadheads and I wounded a few deer and had some horrible blood trails. Yes I did have a few great blood trails and had some easy recovery’s. In my opinion expandable broadheads have issues. Sometimes they don’t open but more importantly they glance off bone. I tracked two deer this year with my dog both shot rage and both deer were recovered. The hit was behind the shoulder but the arrow deflected backwards. The blood trails were terrible. I personally switched back to fixed blade broadheads after years of trying different expandables I have yet to have an issue since.

I shot rage hypos out of regular bow for years. Had many a great blood trails but hit one high is shoulder this year angling down hard and don’t know what happened. Passed thru, blades were a twisted bent mess. Tracked for 400 yards (straight line distance) and never recovered. Deer never bedded down either.

Wasn’t the best shot selection on my part but should have been a dead deer. Switched to QAD exodus and been pleased so far. Blood trails aren’t as good as rage but not as worried about weird funky things happening and they fly excellent.

 

[hunt]

Trypan Crossbow is what I had fail on me, the set screw that holds the blades sheared on impact and both blades were history, along with the tip bending. I actually recovered the deer the following morning, so it is possible to shoot one through both lungs and recover it with basically a field point. I've had success with these heads in the past, but a total failure on a 75lb doe doesn't instill much confidence.

 

[hunt]

 

[hunt]

That's the exit hole

 

[hunt]

 

[whitetail1971]

These are great points and I know it sure is a controversial topic that people defend ruthlessly on either side. I’m glad he commented back about missing! I wasn’t thinking that. I have been bow hunting since 1987 and have a lot of experience with different broadheads. I have zero experience with cross bows and no nothing about them. I have shot a lot of deer with many different points and by far my favorite it fixed. I am currently shooting cutthroat two blade 150 grain steel broadheads. I have yet to kill a deer with them but a coyote didn’t take one step. They are also very consistent in practice. There isn’t anything to fail or pieces to them. I shot one that blew thru the target and into rock ledge with no damage. have done several deer tracks this year with my dog the only commonality, all were cross bows and all were rage. I should have mentioned this one on my first post,One of the strangest kills we recovered. A small buck the hunter swore was broadside he hit it right behind the shoulder. It was obviously slightly quartered away when I inspected it. The bolt hit the ribs and went up thru the outside of the ribs and out the deer’s neck. It was a vital hit but 6 hrs later buck was still alive when my dog found it and had to finish it off.

 

[bgkyarcher]

These are great points and I know it sure is a controversial topic that people defend ruthlessly on either side. I’m glad he commented back about missing! I wasn’t thinking that. I have been bow hunting since 1987 and have a lot of experience with different broadheads. I have zero experience with cross bows and no nothing about them. I have shot a lot of deer with many different points and by far my favorite it fixed. I am currently shooting cutthroat two blade 150 grain steel broadheads. I have yet to kill a deer with them but a coyote didn’t take one step. They are also very consistent in practice. There isn’t anything to fail or pieces to them. I shot one that blew thru the target and into rock ledge with no damage. have done several deer tracks this year with my dog the only commonality, all were cross bows and all were rage. I should have mentioned this one on my first post,One of the strangest kills we recovered. A small buck the hunter swore was broadside he hit it right behind the shoulder. It was obviously slightly quartered away when I inspected it. The bolt hit the ribs and went up thru the outside of the ribs and out the deer’s neck. It was a vital hit but 6 hrs later buck was still alive when my dog found it and had to finish it off.

That’s me in a nutshell. I’ve killed deer with everything from Zwicke black diamonds to grim reapers, and everything in between. But the Xbow is a new game I’m trying to figure out.

 

[Tankt]

Shoot a judo point and be done with it.



Or use a string attached never lose another deer

 

[bgkyarcher]

uncle Stevie tried a game tracker string once. Shot at a doe at 20 yards or so. Said the arrow gave up half way there. Lol.