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…

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

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.

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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.

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).

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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.

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

I tested the sharpness again after the first penetration test.

Penetration Test 2 (layered cardboard):

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Angled Shot Test (1/4″ MDF/Carpet):

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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) 

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Initial Sharpness

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

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Edge Retention Test (After Penetration Test 1)

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Penetration Test 2 (Layered Cardboard)

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Angled Shot Test (1/4″ MDF/Carpet)

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

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Durability (22ga Steel Plate Max 2 Shots)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

In this review, I test a classic mechanical broadhead… the NAP Spitfire 125 grain.

I’ve used the Spitfire in the field a number of times and have taken a lot of animals with it.

The NAP Spitfire | A Closer Look

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

So, you have three blades, and a 1-1/2″ cut, which is a nice size cut overall.

You can see that the blades are quite swept back too, which aids in penetration. By my measurements, the blades are 0.030″ thick, and they stay closed by a spring clip system. So, they’re quite secure in flight. It takes a bit of force to open them, but they’re kind of angled back to help them open on impact a little bit better. But, they are very secure in flight.

And then, as the blades open and penetrate, they will also create a nice wound channel and it may even cause some rotation within the medium due to those offset blades.

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NAP Spitfire Testing

I was really eager to put these heads to the test and see how they perform. 

For these tests, I used my Bowtech CP28 set at 72 pounds. I’m using Bishop FOC King Arrows for most of the shots. For the really hard impact shots, I’ll be using the Bishop FAD Eliminator.

Flight Forgiveness (1 Field Point And 1 Broadhead At 30 Yards)

Initial Sharpness (Out-Of-The-Box)

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

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Edge Retention Test (Sharpness After Penetration Test 1)

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Penetration Test 2 (Layered Cardboard):

Angled Shot Test (1/4″ MDF/Carpet):

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

Here’s the head after 3 shots through the MDF and it held together really well. The only damage is that one of the blades bent a bit. You can see that it kind of curved to the side, but it was just that one blade that bent.

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Durability (22ga steel plate max 2 shots):

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The Spitfire will not be going to go on to the concrete block round (where I shoot the head into a concrete block), because it only made it through one shot in the steel plate instead of two. And, with that kind of breakage, I just don’t want to risk anymore damage to myself in shooting it into the concrete.

Additionally, broadheads have to earn the right to make it into the concrete by staying intact through the steel plate as well as the MDF. But overall, again, it did well through the MDF.

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Final Thoughts On NAP Spitfire Broadheads

So what do you think of the Spitfire? Hey, you know, this head has been around for a long time and it certainly has some really good strengths to it.

I love the offset blades and I love the way they are pretty sharp out of the package. And, I love the way it flies.

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But, there are also some weaknesses to it.

I’m not a big fan of front-deploying broadheads because I want to get at least one big hole. If I don’t get a pass through, I at least want that first hole to be a good one. And, rear-deploying head typically tip the odds in my favor of getting that big hole, if I’m just going to get one.

Check out the scorecard below and see if the Spitfire might be a good fit for you.

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