I'm looking at picking up a pack of these relatively new (2019 they came out I believe) mechanical broad heads that do not require a shock collar or O-ring for my Excalibur micro 355 crossbow.
Everything I've read on the internet is very positive, outside of the price tag. However, if they reliably deploy, cut as well as advertised (2 inch radius) and have close to field point accuracy as most reviewers say, I'm more than happy to pay their price tag to avoid worrying about the shock collar and associated potential mishaps. Certainly I know a lot of guys who have liked the regular rage hypodermic heads, outside of the occasional mishap with the shock collars.
Does anyone have any experience with these no collar broad heads either in crossbow or compound applications?
Also any suggestions as to 100 grain vs 125 grain? That's lighter than anything I've run before, as unfortunately they don't make a 150 to match what I'm currently running on a fixed broad head. Obviously I'll have to re-sight in and then practice more before attempting a hunt.
I'm considering the switch as the fixed broad heads start to open up in their grouping outside of 40 yards, and if that was not the case I would otherwise feel comfortable taking a 50 yard shot in the correct conditions (little to no wind) and on a good broadside stationary target as I am accurate to that distance with field points in my practice. I'm hoping a mechanical head could help get me there, but only if its reliable.
Well the update to this is both positive and negative. I put these new broad heads on my new set of black eagle arrows and proceeded to shoot a 3/4 inch group at 40 yards, although the point of impact to the left (about 6 inches) and slightly below my field points though which was annoying.
The big problem was the last shot blew one of the vanes off one of the arrows and the luminock off the other and cracked it as well. Ugh. Expensive mistake.
Impressive accuracy though and the blades all held up very well, even the one that impacted the other two arrows.
Going to get a new set of arrows and try to sight in again... this time not aiming at the same spot on the target each time!
Different broadheads will always group differently. You have to tune everytime. I stopped using the rage broadheads even before they came out with the NC though...I found the penetration to be awful. After some research after the fact this is a known thing. I'm currently shooting slick tricks and they group fantastic...I'm shooting accurately out past a 100 with a compound. I also wouldnt trust any mechanical on very steep shots, flat ground I would absolutely use mechanical just not rage.
Woops 125 over 100 everyday for my setup. Ballistics is almost same same and gives me a more accurate FOC. For crossbow I'm not sure the FOC difference on a bolt though...that percentage will determine which you should be using.
Rage wouldn’t be my first choice for a broad head. The low angle of the blades I think would hinder penetration not to mention less structural integrity than a fixed blade.
I’d much rather shoot a low profile fixed blade that could punch through a shoulder blade if needed.
Not sure about cross bow tuning, but the bolts should be grouping close to the field points if everything is in “tune”.
With you broad heads hitting left it might be a stiff spine reaction? You could try a 125 grain point or some brass to weaken the spine.
I did the whole tuning thing with the fixed blade excalibur 150 grain boltcutters last year. they did work and I successfully harvested 2 turkeys with them, but I wasn't comfortable shooting past 30 yards as the groupings would open up considerably by 40 yards to about 4 or 5 inches (although the general point of impact was similar to the field points). a friend of mine has had great luck with the rage hypodermic mechanical heads in his compound bow for deer out of tree stands, so I thought I'd try something similar for my crossbow along with better bolts (the excalibur bolts are now made by black eagle). I'm going to try another session and see if I just need to adjust my zero, and if this bolt/broad head combo will consistently hit where I am aiming. the fieldpoints I had been shooting were on my old easton arrows, so that likely was a mistake on my part not to shoot the same set of arrows in my practice session.
I’m sure this will be an unpopular comment but man, with shots like that at 85 it proves the crossbow game is not the same as even the compound game let alone the trad stuff. I’m a decent shot with my compound but there’s almost no way I could come close to that at 85.