The broadhead of your arrow is the first thing that contacts the game animal you’re after. They are the literal tip of the spear to take game, so it's important you get the right one. A very popular choice for expandable broadheads are Rage Hypodermic broadheads. In this Rage Hypodermic review you will see why they may be the most popular and loved broadheads on the market.
They are not without problems and still have the mechanical action that could fail during penetration. However, the Rage broadheads are the best on the market for reliability, and quality. They are the best you can get in the way of commercially made expandable broadheads.
Expandable vs. Broadhead
This age-old campfire debate will probably never be put to rest but the gaps between the two types of broadheads is shrinking quickly. The answer to give a realistic expectation of what both types of broadheads do and their shortcomings.
Fixed Broadheads
Fixed broadheads have the advantage of being totally reliable unless in the event of a catastrophic structural failure. They’re easier to maintain, stronger, and generally cheaper than a quality expandable broadhead. They’re more reliable, and stronger and that’s why they’re the runaway favorite with African hunters, dangerous game hunters, and western guides chasing bears, elk and moose.
The downside of fixed broadheads is they tend to catch wind and are hard to tune up and get maximum accuracy from. This limits their cutting diameter to around 1.75” They can also be difficult to dial in a sight when switching between field points and broadheads. It can be done but expandable do win, hands down with minimal point of impact shift between them and field points.
Expandable Broadheads
Expandable broadheads keep their blades retracted and close to the center line of the arrow and then expand upon impact. They fly just like field points and can offer up to a 4” cutting diameter because of they keep their blades retracted in flight. The biggest problem is if these blades don’t expand, you’re basically shooting an expensive field point.
If you’re going to take advantage of the benefits expandable broads have to offer, then get a quality broadhead like Rage Hypodermic broadheads that through intelligent design have overcome many of the short comings of mechanical broadheads.
How Rage Hypodermic Broadheads Work...
The Rage Hypodermic broadhead is not a cut on contact broadhead. Instead, this has almost a spear point on the front end that embeds the arrow into the animal, and the fins on the outside out of blades cam against the blades putting pressure on the shock collar. That shock collar works like a spring loader holding back the blades until enough force is put on the blades to pop violently outward braking the shock collar.
This delay of deployment is what makes the Rage broadheads so effective. The shock collar prevents the broadhead form opening in flight, then adds resistance to blades to make sure that when it’s the right time, the blades fly violently open to cut their way through the animal.
Rage Hypodermic Review:
*Rage Hypodermic Standard Broadhead
The design of the Hypodermic broadheads from Rage is a slip cam design. This means that the needle point of the broadhead buries its self into the animal and penetrates deeply. That penetration squeezes through the muscle and then deploys the cams, the tighter the entrance hole the more the blades deploy until the arrow passes through.
The downside of these broadheads is they’re only two bladed. This means that the wound can close if it exits evenly and little blood trail will be left. This isn’t a problem in open country when you can spot where the deer went, but in the case of a bad hit or heavy brush you may lose the animal because of this. This is a huge problem on thick skinned game such as bears and hogs.
If this is a problem you can overcome, these are great broadheads for experienced hunters and people who prefer expandable broadheads. The main selling point of these arrows is their reliability, which is second to none but is delicately balanced with durability because they are on the lighter weight side and can be fragile if they hit large bones or hard surface when thy exit.
The final caveat is that because they take energy to open up, recurve or youth hunters should steer clear because the bows these hunters use are already on the weaker side.
Value
Rage broadheads are on the expensive side for broadheads. There’s no doubting they come in at a pretty penny for broadheads and cost more, the more you use them. The good news is these broadheads are extremely high quality and should last a very long time. Partly, thanks to the fact they come with a practice head.
That allows you to tune up your bow without stressing your hunting broadheads. The other good news is that these broadheads are made up of parts that are fully replaceable. If something breaks on the broadhead, you can replace it.
That ability to prepare instead of replace, a good warranty and awesome track record make them a great value in the long run. Rage broadheads are great for people on a tight budget because if you don’t have a lot of money, you can’t afford to buy things twice.
Features
The best feature of the Rage Hypodermic broadheads is their expandable design. They have a large cutting diameter that expands adequately, albeit rarely completely. Their biggest downside is that it isn’t a cut on contact blade.
The large spear point penetrates and preserves energy as the blade opens, but it’s a little disappointing and doesn’t instill confidence in me. I’d shy away from new hunters using these because they lack a cut on contact feature. Their rugged stainless steel ferrule is a great design because it keeps the threads from binding while be threaded into the insert, and having them bind under impact.
Materials
The body of the Rage Hypodermic broadhead is made from a stainless-steel ferrule and .035 stainless-steel blades. These broadheads are tough but lightweight. Their small size means they’re available in 100gr and 125gr versions. One is not necessarily better than the other, just depends on your needs and set up. The replacement blades are interchangeable between each model.
The rubber shock collar is made from a premium rubber and they’re durable enough to last a reasonable amount of time but it’s prudent to have several tucked away so you’re not caught off guard.
Quality
The quality of the Rage Hypodermic broadhead is undeniable. These broadheads are the gold standard when it comes to an ultra-reliable and well-made expandable broadhead. They are really as good as it can get in both design and workmanship. These are some of the best made broadheads commercially available.
As mentioned before, these broadheads aren’t cheap and they use stainless steel where necessary along with very high quality rubber compounds for the shock collar. You can see it when you examine a Rage broadhead, the quality really shows through when you see the machining marks and how sharp they are out of the box.
These broadheads are very high quality. The problem is keeping them that way. They have nooks and crannies where debris and blood likes to hide away. They have surfaces that must be kept sharp and they need to be handled properly to keep them in the same quality they left the factory.
Uses for Rage Hypodermic Broadheads
Rage broadheads are good quality reliable expandable broadheads. But they’re still expandable. They don’t have extremely sturdy cutting blades, they aren’t as reliable as a fixed broadhead and you never know if they’ll go off or not because you can’t test the broadhead to see if you assembled it correctly.
They aren’t suitable for large or heavy game. Elk, moose and most large African game animals are completely off the table. Yes, they can be hunted with Rage Broadheads, but they aren’t a good choice.
They’re also a bad idea for thick skinned game with teeth or claws such as bear or mountain lion. There’s just too much risk of a blade shearing off and the prospect of dealing with a large angry predator is not a fun prospect to have.
These broadheads are however awesome for thin skinned medium game such as deer, hogs and antelope. They’re a better choice than light weight fixed blades because they offer a large cutting diameter and fly straighter than broadheads making hitting the smaller vitals of these animals much easier.
Bottom Line
If you’re in the market for new broadheads and are considering expendables, stick to a good quality broadhead like Rage Broadheads. They offer a great level of performance for the price, although they are a bit on the expensive side for broadheads.
Hopefully this Rage Hypodermic review as helped you work out what you need. If these seem like the right broadheads for you, then look out for sales after archery season, buy with confidence, and then take that confidence to the field.
