If my shoulder hadn't been bothering me, I might have used a compound bow rather than a crossbow, and I don't claim that a crossbow is as tough to use as other bows, but taking that whitetail with stick-and-string was still a milestone for me, and this is one hunt I'm not likely to forget. Afterward, I told my buddy John that I didn't think the feeling I had was the same that would come from shooting a deer with a compound bow... but it was certainly worthwhile.
I dragged the deer closer to the road, then went to fetch John, and together we loaded the deer in my truck. Back at camp, close examination of the deer only left us more impressed with the performance of the Rage broadhead. I do have some misgivings about it, in some situations.
I don't believe the Rage head is a good solution for long shots, nor for low-energy bows. Its incredible effectiveness in this situation proves that it's extremely good in some situations, but tales of poor penetration are not rare - and I have to believe that is due (at least in part) to long shots and slow bows. But for fast bows with heavy arrows within proper range, I think the two-blade Rage is very hard to beat.
The hunt went on. John hunted the ladder stand that afternoon while I remained at the truck attempting to nap in the heat. He stuck it out through a lot of rain, because of the two bucks that had come almost within bow range just before the rain began. The third time the bottom fell out of the sky, he called for an evac and we headed to camp. After a delightful supper of venison backstrap, rice, and gravy, we happily retired to our bunks.
(continued)
