In this review, I tested a really cool broadhead called the Trifecta.

I had gotten quite a few requests for this, and I was able to connect with Rob Schneider, the owner of Trifecta, and the designer of this broadhead.

I was super excited to test these out!

For the testing of the Trifecta Fixed Blade broadheads, I I used my Bowtech CP28 set at 72 pounds. I used a Bishop FOC King Arrows for most of the shots, and the Bishop FAD Eliminators for the really hard impact stuff.

The Trifecta Fixed Blade Broadheads Up Close

Let’s zoom on in here and check out this cool-looking Trifecta Fixed Blade.

Here’s a good look at the Trifecta head. Man, this is one wicked-looking broadhead! So much to go through!

First of all, it’s all steel construction. It’s all made out of 420 stainless steel and it has a super short overall profile.

You get 1 and 1/4″ of cut one way, which is a really nice size cut for a fixed blade…

And, then you’ve got the leading blade that’s 3/8 of an inch of cut. So, the total cut is over 1.68″. The leading blade is really small, but it’s a stout 0.040″ of thickness, which is good on the upper end of thicknesses as far as blades are concerned...

But, the main blade has a thickness of 0.078″. Wow! It’s almost twice as thick as the other blade. It’s more than twice as thick as most fixed blade heads on the market. So, I was really impressed with that.

The main blade of the Trifecta is pretty vented in the 100-grain model. But, in the future, they’re coming out with 125-grain and a 150-grain that are going to be solid. So, I’m really looking forward to that.

But, with the current version’s blades being this thick, even though it’s vented, I imagine they are going to be pretty durable. And, I imagine that tip, because is supported so well, and it’s so small, that it’s going to be pretty durable too.

The Trifecta has a nice, single beveling all the way around on both of the main blades and the front blade. So, they’re really easy to sharpen it because they’re at a really steep angle. I would imagine they are going to hold up well and not get much edge chatter because of the incline there to that bevel.

So, I love the fixed blade. But, what’s really cool about it is that you can just use the same ferrule and switch out the blades and put in a mechanical blade or a hybrid broadhead because there’s a fixed blade in the front, and then the mechanical blades in the back.

And, it either comes in this model which is 1.87″ of cutting diameter or this model that’s 1.65″ of cutting diameter.

Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener, Compact Travel Hunting Knife Sharpener Tool

$34.95

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

12/02/2024 10:58 pm GMT

The neat thing about the Trifecta heads is that you can switch out the fixed blade for expandables on the same ferrule.

So, you can just switch out the blades with the same steel ferrule, based on your setup and based on what you’re hunting. If you’re going after a smaller animal, you might want to use mechanical.

If you’re going after a bigger animal like a deer or elk, you may want to use the fixed blade or in between. There are all kinds of modularities to it. So, I love that!

But, for this test, I tested the fixed blade version.

Trifecta Fixed Blade Testing

Let’s see how the Trifecta fixed blade broadheads performed!

Flight Forgiveness (1 Field Point, Then 1 Broadhead At 30 yards)  

The Trifecta had very forgiving flight in this test, with both the fixed blade and the field point hitting on top of each other.

Initial Sharpness Test

For the out-of-the-box sharpness test, it took 225 grams of force to cut through the wire.

Penetration Test 1 (2/3″ rubber mat, 1/2″ MDF, FBI Gel)   

The Trifecta penetrated 8.5″ into the ballistic gel that was fronted with a rubber mat and 1/2″ MDF.

Shooter Buck 3D Deer Archery Target with Replaceable Core, brown

$119.99

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

12/02/2024 10:48 pm GMT

Edge Retention Test (sharpness after Penetration Test 1):

It took no additional force to cut through the wire which gives it a 10 on a 10-point scale!

Penetration Test 2 (layered cardboard):

It penetrated through 61 layers of cardboard.

Angled Shot Test (1/4″ MDF/Carpet):

The angled MDF test was no problem at all for the Trifecta.

Durability Test (1/2″ MDF max 3 shots):

The head is in perfect condition after 3 shots through the MDF.

After 3 consecutive shots through the MDF, the Trifecta head was still in perfect condition!

Durability Test (22 gauge steel plate max 2 shots):

And after 2 shots through the steel plate, it held up extremely well. There’s just a slightest little nick in the blades.

And then check out these holes on the steel plate. Man! For a single bevel like this, that’s one of the best S-cutting I’ve ever seen. You could see the rotation of the blades opening up a really nice wound channel.

Concrete Test:

I shot the Trifecta into a concrete block and it stuck!

So here’s a good look at the head after going through the MDF 3 times, the steel plate 2 times, and then embedding in the concrete. And man, it held together very well. These thick blades did the job. Even with the rotation, it held together.

Sometimes with a hard impact in a single bevel rotation, you get a bit of twisting, but these blades are thick enough to where that didn’t happen.

The tip got a very slight bit of a twist to it from that rotation, but very, very little. Ane, the edges just have normal wear from hitting the concrete, but very impressive durability.

Final Thoughts On The Trifecta Fixed Blade Broadheads

Well, what do you think?

Man, this is a winner of a broadhead!

There are a lot of broadheads that are kind of in the middle of the pack that you go, “Yeah, they did pretty good.” And, every once in a while, there’s that rare one that really stands out. This one definitely stands out!

I really was surprised. this head got the highest score of any fixed blade head that I’ve tested so far through 2022-2023.

The Trifecta fixed blade was the highest scoring fixed blade broadhead that I’ve tested to date!

So, these are really worth a look. I mean they flew incredibly well. I couldn’t believe how well they flew. Honestly, they’re just so forgiving.

The Trifecta penetrated super deeply, with super good rotation. I did a separate rotation test and it penetrated into the clear ballistics gel 13″ and rotated 90 degrees. That’s a lot of rotation in gel! And in animal, it’s a lot more than in gel because that’s pretty restrictive.

That little blade in the front held up super well and it adds a little bit of FOC to your setup there. The super thick blades did well even sticking in the concrete and blowing out the back, a back chunk of a concrete. I’ve never seen that before.

So man, I can’t wait to use this head on some hogs and really eager to see the 125-grain version and 150-grain solid. I look forward to testing those.

Fantastic job, Trifecta! This is really a winner and it’s definitely worth a look.

After receiving many requests to test the Muzzy Trocar HBX broadheads, I finally got to do just that!

This head has been around for awhile. It’s a 100-grain, fixed and mechanical blade broadhead combination; a “hybrid” broadhead.

For these tests, I used my Bowtech CP28 set at 72 pounds. I used Bishop FOC King Arrows for most of the shots, but for the really the hard impact ones, I used the Bishop FAD Eliminators.

The Muzzy Trocar HBX Up Close

So, let’s zoom on in here, go through some of the design features and specifications of the Muzzy Trocar HBX…

Here’s a good look at the Trocar HBX hybrid broadhead. It’s called a “hybrid” because you have a fixed blade, which is actually two separate blades that slide into ferrule with a one inch cutting diameter, and it doesn’t open or close, it’s just fixed.

There’s also a mechanical blade that in the closed position is 9/10 of an inch, and then the open position, it expands to 1 and 5/8″ when fully opened. The cut is 2 and 5/8″ when combining the cut of the mechanical blades with the the fixed blades.  

The bladed are 0.35” thick, and the the ferrule, chiseled tip, and the blades are all stainless steel.

The opening is a rear-deploying, gator style, opening system to where it’s the pressure on these two blunt blades that force these blades open.

Now, I will say it takes a lot of pressure, even just to pull the blades apart. And, they don’t lock open, but they remain open when there’s a pressure on that little gator end, that causes them to open.

So, I was a little concerned about how that opening was going to work and if it would stay open. But, even if it didn’t get the full cut, it would still be a lot of cut.

Muzzy Trocar HBX Testing

So, I was super eager to put this head to the test and see how it performed.

Flight Forgiveness Test 

For the flight forgiveness test, I shot 1 field point and then 1 broadhead at 30 yards.

The broadhead flew very true to the field point in the flight forgiveness test.

Initial Sharpness Test

I tested the “out of the box” sharpness of the head (the lower the number indicates that it takes less pressure to cut the wire, indicating a sharper blade).

The mechanical blade registered 200.

The fixed blade registered 300.

Muzzy Trocar HB Hybrid 4 Blade Broadhead, Silver

$37.09

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

12/02/2024 11:17 pm GMT

Penetration Test 1 (2/3″ Rubber mat, 1/2″ MDF, FBI Gel)   

I shot the head into ballistic gel that was fronted with a 2/3″ rubber mat and 1/2″ MDF.

The Muzzy Trocar HBX penetrated 8.25″ into he ballistic gel. But, I do want to note that while the blades opened very well on impact, (they open until almost their full cutting diameter even in the rubber foam mat), they quickly started to close as soon as they hit the gel and they remain closed throughout the entire penetration. So, it really wasn’t cutting its full tissue throughout that 8-1/4″, and that’s not uncommon with gator blades. It usually happens in gel with gator blades, especially with ones that don’t lock. Now, would that happen in animal? I’m not really sure. But, I want to make note of it because it does give kind of false reading in the penetration.

Edge Retention Test (Sharpness Test After Penetration Test 1):

I tested the sharpness again after the first penetration test.

Mech Blade: 225.

Fixed Blade: 325.

Penetration Test 2 (layered cardboard):

The head penetrated through 48 layers of cardboard.

SITKA Gear Bow Sling Optifade Subalpine One Size Fits All

$89.93

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

12/02/2024 11:53 pm GMT

Angled Shot Test (1/4″ MDF/Carpet):

I shot the head into angled MDF.

Durability Test (1/2″ MDF max 3 shots):

Man, this test was a shocker. On the first shot through the MDF, it broke a blade. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen something like that happen, and I certainly wasn’t expecting it to happen with this Muzzy.

But, it did.

In the first shot into the MDF, the blade just broke right off and embedded somewhere in my target, and that’s really unfortunate.  So, I was not able to shoot it into a steel metal plate, which is typically my next test. I also couldn’t shoot it into the concrete block, which is usually my last test.

Final Thoughts On The Muzzy Trocar HBX

So, what do you think of the Trocar HBX?

It has its strengths. For example, it flew very well, has a really good size cut, and a really tough chiseled tip. I also love the all-steel construction.

I was not, however, very impressed with the durability. Actually, it’s lack of durability surprised me.

The Muzzy Trocar HBX scored 74.10 out of a possible 100 points, giving it a Lusk Grade of 7 golden arrows.

I know these blades are pretty thin, narrow and not very supported, but I expected a little bit better there in durability.

Now, I’m sure it can get the job done in most situations. In fact, I’m sure many of you have used it very successfully in the field.

So, check out the score sheet and see it’s score out of a possible 100 and decide if it’s a good fit for your quiver.

I’ve got another Rage broadhead test for you… It’s the Rage X-Treme 4-Blade.

This head is a hybrid. It has a fixed blade, as well as a big, wide mechanical cut.

I was eager to put this head to the test to see how it performed.

So let’s go through some of the design features and specifications and then put this Rage X-Treme 4 -Blade to the test…

The Rage X-Treme 4-Blade Broadhead Up Close

Here’s a good look at the Rage X-Treme 4-blade. And man, this is a wicked-looking broadhead with all kinds of cut going on.

It’s a hybrid head, meaning it has a fixed blade component that has a cut of 7/8 of an inch. Then it has a mechanical broadhead that operates like a normal Rage.

The fixed blade thickness is 0.030” and the mechanical blades thickness is 0.035”.

Here’s a look at the fixed blade part of the broahdead.

The blades are held closed by this clip right here and this ring. The retention rings are normally great for this broadhead, but I have the crossbow model on there because the buddy that sent me these heads only had the crossbow model, but I’m sure it’s going to perform really well. (The ring on the crossbow model holds them a little bit more securely.)

As pressure is put on this end of the blades at one end, they slide back and then the blades fully deploy and come to a cut of 2.3” in the open position.

Above, you can see it is in the open position. You’ve got that full cut of the mechanical blades of 2.3” and the 7/8 of an inch on the fixed blade portion. So, a total cut of over 3.1”. That’s a really impressive cut.

The mechanical blades are a bit thicker than the fixed blade. They’re 0.035” thick. Again, the fixed blade is 0.030” thick. The blades are stainless steel and the ferrule is made out of aluminum.

Rage Extreme 4 Blade Arrow Archery Broadhead, 100 Grain - 2 Pack

$34.99

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

12/02/2024 11:53 pm GMT

So, when I think about this, the first thing that comes to mind is that this would be devastating turkey broadhead because you are just going to pull a big old cut through a turkey and that helps in hitting the vitals. But perhaps, it can be good for a lot of other game as well. I know people have taken elk, bear, deer and many other animals with them.

I really liked Rage in the way the blades deploy. I love the way they open and I like the design. I’ve just never been really impressed with the durability. And so, that was my big question mark going into these tests.

Rage X-Treme 4-Blade Broadhead Tests

So let’s see how this Rage X-Treme 4-Blade performed.

For the tests of the Rage X-Treme 4-blade, I’m going to be using my Bowtech CP28 set at 72 pounds. I’m using a Bishop FOC King Arrows for most of the shots and then I’m using the Bishop FAD Eliminators for the really hard impact ones.

Flight Forgiveness (1 Field Point and 1 Broadhead @30 yds) 

As you can see in this picture, the broadhead and the field point hit very close together.

Initial Sharpness

I tested the sharpness before doing the penetration tests. The fixed bladed measured 400 (the lower number the better).

The initial sharpness of the mechanical blades was 200.

Penetration Test 1 (2/3″ Rubber Mat, 1/2″ MDF and FBI Ballistic Gel)  

The Rage X-treme 4-blade penetrated right at 4″...

And like every Rage, it opened very well, even on this soft rubber foam mat. It expanded to the full open position.

Edge Retention Test (After Penetration Test 1)

The post sharpness of the mechanical blade was 350.

The post-sharpness of the fixed blade was 600.

DMD Diamond Whetstone Knife Sharpener | 3 Sides Grit Coarse 150|Grit Medium 325| Extra Fine 1200| Diamond Plate Honing Stone Hone Sharpener| Special feature and design

$49.99

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

12/02/2024 09:53 pm GMT

Penetration Test 2 (Layered Cardboard)

It penetrated through 45 layers of cardboard.

Angled Shot Test (1/4″ MDF/Carpet)

Here is the Rage X-treme 4-blade in the angled MDF.

Durability Test (1/2″ MDF Max 3 shots)

I shot the X-treme into MDF three times. Overall, it held together well. One of the blades bent back a bit and the other one bent too, but the bottom one bent the most. And then, you can see the base of the ferrule, where the blades bent back, they cut into the base of the ferrule.

Durability (22ga Steel Plate Max 2 Shots)

I shot the head into a .22 gauge steel plate...

So here’s the head after it has gone through the MDF 3 times, which it did fairly well through the MDF. It just got bent up a little bit, and the base got cut into a little bit. But, on the first shot into the steel plate, as you can see, one of the blades broke.

And then, the ferrule got pinched and squished a bit. I guess the steel plate got bent to where I can’t move the blade, so I can’t close them, and there’s no way I was going to shoot again like this.

Now, the main blade actually did really well. It held together very well. There’s just a little bit of scraped on it but the mechanical blades not so much. Still, it did pretty well through the MDF. But, it’s not going to make it on to the concrete round (where I shoot into a concrete block) because with that kind of damage, I just don’t want to risk anything by shooting it into the concrete.

As it is, I get shrapnel flying back near me all the time. And so, once something breaks or bends really significantly then that’s the end of the durability testing.

Final Thoughts On The Rage X-treme 4-Blade Broadheads

So what do you think of the broadhead? Hey, I tell you what. It did a bit better than I was expecting. It has such a nice wide cut.

I can see it having some really lethal applications in the field. The other main blade held together pretty well in the test that I did.

Vortex Optics Diamondback HD Spotting Scopes

$308.56

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

12/02/2024 09:27 pm GMT

Like most of the Rages, the blades are just the weakness. And, I know they would get the job done again in many situations, but I just wish they would make them a little bit more durable because I like a lot about the design.

I like the Slip Cam. I like the size of the cut, and I like how well they open on impact. They have a lot of good strengths to them. The durability is just always a bit of a concern.

But again, I know in many situations, maybe most situations, it’s going to perform really well. I know for a turkey, it would be a really good head because you’re getting that fixed blade and you’re getting that really wide cut. So I could see it being a really good choice for that.

But you check out the score sheet and see how it performed and see if this might be one to consider for your quiver.