Both the deer (does) I've shot with a rage have been pass throughs. Both were broadside less than 30 yards. Rage broadheads are not my first choice, only because of price. I shoot the Rocky Mountain Gators, which operate very similarly to the rage, leaving a devasting entry hole and penterating well. I've shot several deer with the gator, and with the exception of one spine shot doe(that deer dropped in it's tracks of course, so entry/exit wound was irrelevant), all have been pass throughs. All except one were does, but I did shoot one eight point with a gator, and got a clean pass through on a 10 yard broadside shot. The Gators cost about 1/3 less than the Rage, so I shoot them. However, if I'm out of sharp Gators (like I was this past Sunday), I don't hesitate to shoot a Rage.
If you haven't seen the performance or the entry hole they leave on a deer in person, you really shouldn't comment on how well they work or don't work.
You probably do lose some amount of penetration because of the huge cutting diameter of the Rage vs. a 1" or less fixed blade. But, the incredible difference in the wound makes up for it. I've shot deer with fixed blades and gotten horrible penetration. If you stick an arrow into a big, hard bone, you'll probably do the same with any broadhead, fixed or mecnanical. At least that's been my experience. In fact, I get better penetration now with expandables than I did when I shot fixed blades. That is because when I shot fixed blades, who knows where I was going to hit the deer. I had several run off with over half the arrow sticking out of them, with no exit hole and a high entrance hole. That made for very, VERY poor bload trails usually. Now that I've gotten better with shot placement, it's not like that anymore. I get a huge entrance hole, and on the far side of the ribcage, I get a huge exit hole. I get a massive blood trail, which I don't need half the time because the deer fall within sight. Deer just don't run as far with a huge hole in them as they do with a little hole in them.
I've shoot deer with Muzzies, Thunderheads, Steelforces, NAP spitfires, steelheads, Gators, and Rages. I've stuck with the Gators and Rages, and will until I find something better.
As for hunting steel drums, I find that regular field tips work the best. They are cheap, and the drums don't usually run very far. Of course, they don't bleed very well either, and taste horrible. But, I wish everyone luck in their steel drum hunting endeavors, and hope you find the perfect broadhead for it.
