I recommend you shoot the broadhead you can group the best.

And if that's a fixed blade one, all the better.

I'm sure we'll still be having differing opinions over fixed vs. mechanical, and x vs. y years from now, but main thing IMO is to shoot whatever has the best overall balance of accuracy, killing ability, and reliability for you. Might also add "affordability" to that equation.

I've yet to see any mechanicals that didn't increase your risk of malfunction over a fixed blade. Not downplaying some of the benefits some can get from mechanicals, but with them does come increased risks that didn't exist with fixed blades.

Despite all the "rage" about certain mechanicals, you will find a surprising number of hunters who have seen a single bad experience negate most those benefits.

Here's over 190 customer reviews on the popular Rage 2-blade head. Note that many love them, and many hate them.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/reviews.jsp?productid=417471

Customer feedback on the Swacker:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/reviews.jsp?productid=419062

I'm neither recommending nor trashing any of these,
just pointing out what others have to say.
Seems the fixed blades get more consistent favorable ratings,
such as these regarding the "Slick Tricks" fixed:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/reviews.jsp?productid=418144

I have tried them all and to be honest I still go back to Muzzy 100 grain 3 bladed.

I just do not like a Mechanical broadhead,to much can go wrong,Murphys law raises its head enough when you are bowhunting.This is just my opinion,But every time I see a young hunter showing off his quiver of Mechanical Broadheads,I cringe

What can really go wrong?Its a pretty simple design.The blades are pushed backwards.I think people worry to much.

Having been an avid bowhunter for over 20 years, and never having a "Murphy's Law" issue with the Muzzys I had used for most of that time, I decided to give a very popular mechanical a try. I test shot them, and was impressed in getting a little tighter group than with my Muzzys. Adjusted my sights a tad, loaded my quiver with them, then was eager to drop a fat doe on the Archery Opener.

It was one of the best opening days (weather wise) I'd experienced. Right before legal shooting time, I nocked an arrow, and waited diligently on the breaking dawn. It was getting light, and I heard deer walking towards me.

I removed my bow from its holder, and got in position to face the approaching deer. That's when I noticed something hanging from the broadhead. One of the retracted blades was simply hanging down! I quickly put that arrow back in the quiver, and replaced it with another. But worse, two of those blades were sticking out! Something was bad wrong with all my broadheads!

Upon closer examination, I discovered the tiny screws holding the blades had come loose on most of my mechanical heads. I think this happened from nothing more than my bow being vibrated by riding in the truck. The blades were still being held by the rubber band, but were otherwise totally loose. I then discovered that five of my seven arrows had one or more blades missing (or unscrewed).
And here I sat, high in a tree stand, on one of the most promising archery openers ever.

Not to mention, all those deer got by me before I could find an arrow that looked shootable.

I left the stand at 8am that morning, vowing to never try another mechanical head. Went back to my Muzzys. That was about 10 years ago.

This past year, upon the advise of some very accomplished bowhunters who had been longterm happy with the Spitfire mechanicals, I gave them a try. Had no problems with the Spitfires, but I'll refrain from recommending any mechanical to anyone.

I have shot Thunderheads for many years ,even through the muzzy craze.To me the best thing out there. They are tough and easy to tune.Bone Crushers is what I callem

Thunderheads are great broadheads but a little "flimsy" IMO.
Muzzys are a little more expensive but are tougher made.

ex 1. First bow season I got a little bored one day. Had an armadillo making a ruckus all morning and decided to let him have it. WHACK> killed the dillo' but mangled my thunderhead. Bent the point and all the blades. Had to trash the head.

ex 2. Shot a muzzy at a deer and missed, hit the dirt behind it and got about 8" of penetration. Had to dig the arrow out of the ground. A rock stopped the arrow and my muzzy head was fine, just had a ding in the edge of the blade. Resharpened it when I got home and have killed a couple deer with it since. Still in balance and still flies and spin checks ok.

I take the time to tune my bow each year so the field point vs. broadhead issue doesn't bother me.

The chance that a mechanical head "could" deploy incorrectly is not another variable I want to worry about. YES they have gotten much better, but I still hear a LOT of stories each year about how a mechanical BH failed. Bow hunting is tough enough without loosing sleep wondering if my gear might fail.

IF I shot a deer and couldn't recover it, I don't want to wonder if it was my shot, or my mechanical BH that was the point of failure.

Different styles of broadheads have different advantages & disadvantages.

Fixed blades are less apt to give you an unexpected problem.
Fixed blades will generally penetrate better, and break bone better.

We all try to make the best shots possible.
But sometimes we're a little off, no matter what kind of broadhead we're using. Maybe the fixed blade is more likely to bust thru both shoulders; maybe the mechanical is more likely to drop the deer with a gut shot.

Shoot what works best for you, but don't assume more expensive is better, or that mechanicals are without disadvantage over fixed.

DM,
That tip WILL bend if it hits something hard like a rock or armadillo !

I keep my set-up very simple, fewer moving parts the better, JMO, rests, sights, everything.

Absolutely no question in my mind that if you make a good hit with the RAGE, and everything goes as expected, there will be a bigger wound hole than with most fixed blade heads.

But if you make a good hit, really won't matter much which head you are shooting, unless of course, you were to have some "mechanical" failure.

Seems several people have absolutely loved the RAGE heads until they experienced their first problem with them.

Rage 2 blade!!! Because i have killed around 10 deer with them and they are by far the most devastating and destructive broadheads on the market!I have killed deer with many different broadheads and these are definitely the best!

You are exactly right. but you will never convince some people of this for whatever reason. the is NO broadhead on the market that can do to a deer what a rage can do.

I believe that no other head on the market can do what the Rage can do and that is why I started this thread, because i wanted some feed back so i could decide if i wanted to start shooting them.

that doesn't make any sence ,....you already decide to start shooting them before you ever started this thread....but thats alright too,...have at it...

No it says i started this thread to get feed back so i could decide IF I wanted to start shooting them. I'm still trying to decide if they are worth the money. Have heard a lot of good, but now i have heard a lot of bad with the good.

. . . . . . is NO broadhead on the market that can do to a deer what a rage can do.

I appreciate everyone's feedback. I have been waffling and I swear i saw on here something about the Rage 2 blade deploying in the quiver or the o-ring busting on them, but i looked at them today and noticed that the 2 blade does not have an o-ring. I did see how they might could deploy in the quiver and i do not know how easy it will be to reset them, but if it is easy, I would think you could just reset it and knock it up.

Another issue i have is you get one practice tip per 3 pack. is there anyway to just uy the practice tips? so you can shoot them and not have to go to the target after every shot or two?

They are pretty bad to open in the quiver and also while stalking with one.Thats one thing I didn't like about them.You need to keep checking them to make sure they have not opened up.The o rings have been bad to dry rot and not keep the blades closed also from what I hear.

I do know that mechanicals will cover up tuning problems with your bow and arrows, maybe thats why mechanicals exist?

I shoot the rage 2 blade i love them they group as well as my field points they are a great all arround broad head yes they are a little pricy but are deffenently worth every penny. IMO

Everyone seems to have their own opinion and that's a good thing. Nothing beats an accurate shot, no matter what broadhead that you use. If you place it where it needs to go, then you will bring that deer home......

It seems like that as time goes on, hunters need better equipment and far more "killing" power than before.

why is that!?