# Grim reaper Broadhead



## pete2018 (Sep 24, 2018)

Is anyone using the grim reaper razor tip whitetail special Broadhead ? I shot a doe this weekend and the blades didn’t open and never recovered the doe I tracked it with little blood till I lost the trail. Anyone else have the same problem? Am shooting a Matthews halon 6 with 70lbs.


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## Whitetailfreak23 (Sep 24, 2018)

I decided to try something new and make a switch from Shwacker to Grim reaper. I shot a hog just like i would with shwacker and had little to no penetration plus had broken blade completely off. Need less to say i am sticking with shwacker flys like a field point and cuts like a razor. I never found the hog.

I shot a Mathews creed XS. 65lbs   

Also bought the off brand shwacker to compare and performs just a like.


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## OmenHonkey (Sep 24, 2018)

pete2018 said:


> Is anyone using the grim reaper razor tip whitetail special Broadhead ? I shot a doe this weekend and the blades didn’t open and never recovered the doe I tracked it with little blood till I lost the trail. Anyone else have the same problem? Am shooting a Matthews halon 6 with 70lbs.


Did you get a pass thru? If so, did it stick in the dirt after the shot? If so, when you pull the arrow out of the dirt the blades close back. I use GR broadheads and have never had 1 fail. If i lose a deer it's due to MY shot placement.


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## pete2018 (Sep 24, 2018)

Yea I got a pass thru and didn’t think about when I pulled the arrow out the ground. But my shot was good I was 15 yards away. I would of thought I would have a lot of blood but my blood trail was small to only drops. So that’s what makes me think the blades didn’t open. Plus I used some printing paper and it still didn’t open.


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## catch22 (Sep 24, 2018)

I Used them for several years and never had a fail.  Id venture a guess that the broadhead opened and the shot wasnt exactly where you wanted it.

Even if it hadnt opened and it went through the heart or lungs youd have a dead deer IMO


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## pete2018 (Sep 24, 2018)

Yea I guess I’ll give them another try but I was amazed by how far I tracked the trail and never found her, the trail never ended. I never had that happen with the rage I used even if I had a bad shot.


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## fountain (Sep 24, 2018)

I'm not sure its possible for one NOT to open with how they are designed.   Simply make sure the cup and blades are lined up and I always open them by hand to ensure they open easily.   Upon closing, they have a spring that snaps them back.


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## OmenHonkey (Sep 24, 2018)

fountain said:


> I'm not sure its possible for one NOT to open with how they are designed.   Simply make sure the cup and blades are lined up and I always open them by hand to ensure they open easily.   Upon closing, they have a spring that snaps them back.


This ^^^ You have to do your part with any piece of Equipment. I lost a doe 2 weeks ago. But, I know it was my fault.


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## JP536 (Sep 24, 2018)

Ive been shooting the Grimm reaper 1 3/4 for 2 years and haven’t had an issue yet. As stated by fountain make sure the blades and cup are lined up properly. Once you screw them in the arrow make sure you don’t tighten them down too tight. If you tighten them down too much it will make them much harder to open. Check them with your finger and they should only take minimum pressure to open.


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## lungbuster123 (Sep 24, 2018)

If I recall right they snap back closed after a pass through by design. Never had an issue with them when I was shooting them. Look at the cup and see if the blade slots are gouged a little from the blades slamming open. Bad shot would be my guess....it happens.


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## fountain (Sep 24, 2018)

Yep..the cup will reveal if it indeed did open or not.  Check it over well and you should see some small marks on it from where the blades hit it when they opened.  Let us k ow what you find there


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## Stick (Sep 24, 2018)

I’ve been killing critters with them since 2002. When assembled right, they don’t fail to open. Good advice above.


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## pete2018 (Sep 24, 2018)

Thank you for all the advice. I’ll shoot a milk jug later his week with water to see. But I do know she was 15 yards and saw the arrow hit in a good spot maybe a little back more than I wanted it but still confident of my shot. I was still stunned the arrow didn’t have much blood and the blood trail was not much. That’s what made me think maybe the blades didn’t open. If they deployed I would of think there would be blood all over the place.


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## Curvebow05 (Sep 24, 2018)

pete2018 said:


> Thank you for all the advice. I’ll shoot a milk jug later his week with water to see. But I do know she was 15 yards and saw the arrow hit in a good spot maybe a little back more than I wanted it but still confident of my shot. I was still stunned the arrow didn’t have much blood and the blood trail was not much. That’s what made me think maybe the blades didn’t open. If they deployed I would of think there would be blood all over the place.


This happened to me opening night with a Slick Trick (fixed blade). No blood for 80 yards and minimal on the arrow. Found the nice buck the next morning grid searching the swamp. 30 yards around where he died was covered in blood. Never had anything like it. That was a heart shot a smidge forward. Now as far as Grim Reapers go, many people have had trouble understanding the design. I have never had or seen one fail first hand. I've heard many people talk about blades not opening due to the spring back design. When you do your milk jug testing, keep in mind the thin flimsy plastic may not be enough resistance to open the blades. Use some duct tape and tape a piece of leather on either side of the jug to help with that. Double check your bow and make sure it's shooting correctly. I made the mistake many years ago and lost 2 P&Y bucks a day apart because something happened and my sight got messed up. I was hitting 9 inches forward and 8 inches low at 15 yards. Those fortunately were the only deer I've ever lost due to equipment problems and lack of due diligence on my part. Others were all bad shots on my part. If you hunt enough you will lose a deer. It happens and it sucks. I have become very skilled in tracking simply through studying what others have put out whether on YouTube or many books and articles over the years and practical application of what I learned. The more deer you track the more you learn to think like a wounded deer, and that they are almost all very similar in actions and dying decisions. Every deer that received one of my Grim Reaper broadheads only had a few seconds to make those decisions and they were not all good shots. I was shooting the 1 3/4 at the time.


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## fountain (Sep 25, 2018)

pete2018 said:


> Thank you for all the advice. I’ll shoot a milk jug later his week with water to see. But I do know she was 15 yards and saw the arrow hit in a good spot maybe a little back more than I wanted it but still confident of my shot. I was still stunned the arrow didn’t have much blood and the blood trail was not much. That’s what made me think maybe the blades didn’t open. If they deployed I would of think there would be blood all over the place.


No need to keep shooting to "test" them.  You're wasting good, sharp broadheads.  Simply look at the collar on the one you shot over the weekend for confirmation that it did/did not open properly.  Post a pic of the collar if you can.  In the mean time, go over your other arrows and ensure that the blades are sitting in the grooves in the collar and that they open easily when you pull then back.  Make sure they snap back closed and you are good to go.  I really dont see any way that they cant open.  The holes could have been clogged by gut if you think it was further back


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## pete2018 (Sep 25, 2018)

So for some reason it’s not letting me post the pics. But after listening to everyone and looked at the broad heads closer am thinking more that they did open and due to the springs they snapped back closed and I may of not gave the deer enough time to die and I kept kicking it up when I was tracking. But when their off the arrow the blades are super easy to open by finger. But when I put them on they take some  more force to open and they are inline with the groves. So is that normal or do I might have them to thight ?


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## Kris87 (Sep 25, 2018)

You don't have them screwed on too tight.  I'm sure it opened.  Sounds like shot placement was the deceiving point.  I'd be more inclined to say you hit the deer back, possibly in the guts, which wipes a lot of the blood clean.  How'd the arrow look again?


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## pete2018 (Sep 25, 2018)

Kris87 said:


> You don't have them screwed on too tight.  I'm sure it opened.  Sounds like shot placement was the deceiving point.  I'd be more inclined to say you hit the deer back, possibly in the guts, which wipes a lot of the blood clean.  How'd the arrow look again?


Looked pretty clean just a little blood and some hair on the fletching but it did have a gut smell but no fluid or so whatever. Only way I found the first sign or blood was when I walk the trail she went on.


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## Kris87 (Sep 25, 2018)

Sounds like a gut shot to me, and you had some belly hair still on it.  Nevertheless, the deer died.  Likely would have bedded within 100 yards of being shot, and expired within 6-10 hours if undisturbed.


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## pete2018 (Sep 25, 2018)

Kris87 said:


> Sounds like a gut shot to me, and you had some belly hair still on it.  Nevertheless, the deer died.  Likely would have bedded within 100 yards of being shot, and expired within 6-10 hours if undisturbed.


Ok thanks a lot


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## SCDieselDawg (Sep 25, 2018)

I’ve shot a couple of different animals with GRs. The worst blood trail I have witnessed came from shooting a coyote with the 2” Whitetail Specials. I don’t know if it was his fur or if organs clogged the hole up. But the blood trail was pitiful. He ran about 75 yards before he died.


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## pete2018 (Sep 25, 2018)

SCDieselDawg said:


> I’ve shot a couple of different animals with GRs. The worst blood trail I have witnessed came from shooting a coyote with the 2” Whitetail Specials. I don’t know if it was his fur or if organs clogged the hole up. But the blood trail was pitiful. He ran about 75 yards before he died.
> 
> View attachment 944098


Man that looks like a good size hole. I would think the organs would fall out


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## marcel ledbetter (Sep 27, 2018)

Ive killed over 25 deer with them in the last 15 years. 100 gr razortips  1-3/8”. Love em.


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## deast1988 (Sep 28, 2018)

I lost a deer last year on a forward hit. I quit using them. But just added some of the D6 back to my compound arrows they'll be up to bat this weekend if one ventures to close.


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## ffdenicourt (Oct 6, 2018)

Shot 8pt last year at 20yrds. First time using Grim reaper. Deer ran 7 yards in a circle and crashed.


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## deast1988 (Oct 6, 2018)

I took a deer with them last Saturday,
Grim Reaper Fatal Steel D6
Quartering away behind last rib out the shoulder. Wasn't a complete pass through arrow went in till I couldn't see the nockturnal. Deer fell 30yds away, was impressed with 1 1/4in cut. Blood trail was great wasn't needed.


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## pete2018 (Oct 22, 2018)

So I gave them another try and this time it was at 25 yards and a perfect shot with pass threw on a doe. She ran about 50 yards but the blood trailer was very impressive looked like something from a horror movie all the way to her.


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## fountain (Oct 22, 2018)

Yep.  They are some good heads.  Shot placement is key with any head, but the reapers work as advertised and cut massive holes.  I love a 3 blade cut over a a 2 blade


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## brownhounds (Oct 26, 2018)

My avatar buck was killed with grim reapor, but I went back to muzzys.  I lost a good 9 on a decent shot, and I lost all confidence.


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