Grim Reaper Mini Mag

[-bowfreak-]

For those of you with experience with this head, what are your thoughts? How did it work for you?

Also, I don’t see a specific practice head for the Mini Mag, does Grin Reaper make one?


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[wildwilderness]

I just bought a pack to try out. Heard a lot of good things. I have had good luck with the fatal steel so just trying something new. I am sure any GR practice head would work. I usually sacrifice one for practice anyway

 

[WBrim]

I adjust about got some of these last year, but went with the fatal steel. I’m curious to see what you find out. But, GRs seem to work pretty well every time I’ve used one.

 

[roosiebull]

How are you guys liking the fatal steel? Any deflection issues at all?

I want to kill a bull with a mechanical this year and I’m torn between the fatal steel and g5 deadmeat v2

 

[WBrim]

How are you guys liking the fatal steel? Any deflection issues at all?

I want to kill a bull with a mechanical this year and I’m torn between the fatal steel and g5 deadmeat v2

They worked great on a mulie last year. Zipped thru, no bend or break.

I did use a larger cut GR on an elk a few years ago that worked, but one blade did bend when it went thru a rib. It didn’t break, and did it’s job, but it did make me decide to keep a little smaller cut diameter.

 

[Zachh72]

I used them last year in a 100 grain broadhead and killed my deer with it at 80 yards. Full pass through I also took them to Texas with me on a hog hunt killed 3 pigs with the same broadhead, and killed two more with another.

 

[Zac]

How are you guys liking the fatal steel? Any deflection issues at all?

I want to kill a bull with a mechanical this year and I’m torn between the fatal steel and g5 deadmeat v2

Why would you want to do that?

 

[roosiebull]

Why would you want to do that?

A person has to form their own opinion or follow other opinions, it won’t bounce off, and elk (especially roosies) are the best broadhead testing medium that I have access to.

I have been all over the board with broadheads and arrow builds for a long time, if I thought it was risky, I wouldn’t do it, and my arrow/head criteria is poking out the other side if only ribs are encountered, I want to see if a 1.5” mech falls within my criteria.

It makes a lot more sense to me than a 1” 2 blade, I’ve been down that road, and makes sense in some context, like a low poundage, short draw archer, shooting big critters, but even at that, I assume go with a Valkyrie blood eagle for that scenario, that’s what I have for my wife and my recurves.

Just want to see if I want to dabble with some mechanical heads.

 

[quibton]

I've used the 100 gr pro series 1 3/8" GR on elk and had amazing results. Pass through at 40 and another at 70. Great bloodtrails and heads were in great shape. I wouldn't hesitate to use a minimag on an elk with the proper setup. I prefer the swept back blade angle of the 1 3/8".

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[Swampcruiser]

My only experience was with a very similar 3 blade - GR fatal steel. It was on a deer which makes it even worse. At about 22 yards I took a shot with a 70# Halon6 at 29” draw and a 500 gr axis with IW components. The hit was a touch high (from elevated tree stand) and apparently hit scapula as it was a hell of a smack. I found the arrow and a tiny blood trail but never the deer. It penetrated about 4 inch’s and broke off. I love my GR Hades but never an over the top mech again. I am pretty sure if it was my elk set up, Iron will 125, it goes right through. This was my first lost deer, guess I’ve been lucky but my last venture in mechanicals.

 

[-bowfreak-]

Thanks for the input guys. I think I will give them a try this coming year.


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[Zac]

A person has to form their own opinion or follow other opinions, it won’t bounce off, and elk (especially roosies) are the best broadhead testing medium that I have access to.

I have been all over the board with broadheads and arrow builds for a long time, if I thought it was risky, I wouldn’t do it, and my arrow/head criteria is poking out the other side if only ribs are encountered, I want to see if a 1.5” mech falls within my criteria.

It makes a lot more sense to me than a 1” 2 blade, I’ve been down that road, and makes sense in some context, like a low poundage, short draw archer, shooting big critters, but even at that, I assume go with a Valkyrie blood eagle for that scenario, that’s what I have for my wife and my recurves.

Just want to see if I want to dabble with some mechanical heads.

Doesn't seem like a valid reason at all, but it is what it is. I could see if you we're expecting shots over 70 yards, windy conditions etc. Also found this little youtube gem for you. Looks as if someone already did some testing for you so you don't have to test on a live animal.

 

[nphunter]

Doesn't seem like a valid reason at all, but it is what it is. I could see if you we're expecting shots over 70 yards, windy conditions etc. Also found this little youtube gem for you. Looks as if someone already did some testing for you so you don't have to test on a live animal.

I started using mechanical for elk when Oregon started allowing them and have killed my last 4 six point bulls with a mechanical. The first with a Trypan and the rest with a dead meat, for me I wanted a bigger hole with more blood. I’m color blind so tracking is nerve racking for me. With COC fixed heads which I shot previously I would just zip right through, I felt like I was wasting energy with that setup and would rather transfer that energy into the elk via a larger hole than into the dirt. I’ve zipped through all but one elk which spun at the shot and I went through the front side of his front shoulder and buried the arrow into the offside.

Every dead meat I have shot an elk or deer with has been in excellent condition when coming out and get cleaned up, the edge touched up and back in the quiver. My Solid Legend 100’s were less durable when killing elk. The dead meats are durable, have great penetration and do a ton of damage.


This one passed through my boys deer this fall on the end of a 420gr arrow, 29” draw and 40lb bow.


Here’s a couple of holes.
Entrance 60yds

Exit


Entrance, steep downhill shot, high ribs. 53yds


Exit

 

[roosiebull]

Nphunter, I’m pretty certain that’s the route I’ll go this year, the deadmeat is kind of the head that made me want to try a mechanical this year. I will still have fixed heads in my quiver, but I do want to shoot a bull with a mechanical this year, but if it’s solid salmonberry and I have a bull coming, knowing it will be sub 10 yds and frontal, I will be nocking an arrow with a GK XL, But if it’s not a calling scenario, it will probably be a dead meat v2, they seem to hold up pretty well.

I am intrigued by some of the grim reapers though, don’t hear much bad about them even from guys who use them exclusively for elk.

There are more and more mechanical heads that I would trust over some highly regarded fixed heads, still a bunch that I would not shoot, but there are a handful of mechanical heads that are well proven and tough enough.

 

[nphunter]

Nphunter, I’m pretty certain that’s the route I’ll go this year, the deadmeat is kind of the head that made me want to try a mechanical this year. I will still have fixed heads in my quiver, but I do want to shoot a bull with a mechanical this year, but if it’s solid salmonberry and I have a bull coming, knowing it will be sub 10 yds and frontal, I will be nocking an arrow with a GK XL, But if it’s not a calling scenario, it will probably be a dead meat v2, they seem to hold up pretty well.

I am intrigued by some of the grim reapers though, don’t hear much bad about them even from guys who use them exclusively for elk.

There are more and more mechanical heads that I would trust over some highly regarded fixed heads, still a bunch that I would not shoot, but there are a handful of mechanical heads that are well proven and tough enough.

I’m interested in hearing how the V2 does, haven’t heard much about them at all. I still have some of the Original T3’s G5 made Prior to the Dead Meat and they were pretty awesome, only ever killed a deer with one but they held up great as well.

I have some Original Tekans as well which were awesome looking, never have shot one but they were a super cool design, similar to the newer hybrid stuff.

 

[trevvamos]

I started using mechanical for elk when Oregon started allowing them and have killed my last 4 six point bulls with a mechanical. The first with a Trypan and the rest with a dead meat, for me I wanted a bigger hole with more blood. I’m color blind so tracking is nerve racking for me. With COC fixed heads which I shot previously I would just zip right through, I felt like I was wasting energy with that setup and would rather transfer that energy into the elk via a larger hole than into the dirt. I’ve zipped through all but one elk which spun at the shot and I went through the front side of his front shoulder and buried the arrow into the offside.

Every dead meat I have shot an elk or deer with has been in excellent condition when coming out and get cleaned up, the edge touched up and back in the quiver. My Solid Legend 100’s were less durable when killing elk. The dead meats are durable, have great penetration and do a ton of damage.
View attachment 528364

This one passed through my boys deer this fall on the end of a 420gr arrow, 29” draw and 40lb bow.
View attachment 528365

Here’s a couple of holes.
Entrance 60yds
View attachment 528366
Exit
View attachment 528367

Entrance, steep downhill shot, high ribs. 53yds
View attachment 528368

Exit
View attachment 528370

Unreal shot placement in the first bull pic!

 

[nphunter]

Unreal shot placement in the first bull pic!

Thanks, he ran about 30 yards and tipped over right next to my hunting partner that I was calling for when I shot him.

 

[-bowfreak-]

Doesn't seem like a valid reason at all, but it is what it is. I could see if you we're expecting shots over 70 yards, windy conditions etc. Also found this little youtube gem for you. Looks as if someone already did some testing for you so you don't have to test on a live animal.

I prefer to hear actual experiences on animals. Lusk does a good job with his testing, but great heads like the Trypan don't do well in his testing and they are proven killers on everything including elk.

 

[Zac]

I prefer to hear actual experiences on animals. Lusk does a good job with his testing, but great heads like the Trypan don't do well in his testing and they are proven killers on everything including elk.

So what's your reasoning with going with a very fragile mechanical vs something very robust like the Sevr? It doesn't concern you that blades break going through MDF? You just want to get by with just enough?

 

[nphunter]

So what's your reasoning with going with a very fragile mechanical vs something very robust like the Sevr? It doesn't concern you that blades break going through MDF? You just want to get by with just enough?

I’ve shot plenty tough animals and have never had a broken blade or other component. I’ve had blades bend and that’s it, I’ve also broken blades on fixed blade heads?
I also enjoy Lusks reviews but have to take them with a grain of salt. Not real world testing.
A high end fixed head will be way more durable than an expandable but in my experience, a good expandable with kill an elk faster and leave a bigger blood trail for me to follow.
I would 100% recommend a real Trypan anyday of the week for any big game animal with zero worry about durability. My only issue with the Trypan is that they deploy when I’m dragging them through the brush, I switched to a dead meat which kill elk equally well but without the blades deploying on me. I still use Trypans with 100% confidence in open country hunting deer or antelope where I’m not getting them snagged on brush.

Here’s a picture of the hole a Trypan put in an antelopes front shoulder last fall. A quarter toward shot at just over 50 yards.



The arrow laying in the grass 20 yards past where he was standing.


Here’s a clip right after the shot.