“You should try the Grim Reaper Whitetail Special,” advised Bruce Ryan, Manager of the Bowhunting.Net website. “They are Grim Reaper’s best-selling broadhead, and with two-inch blades, it makes a massive cut.” I had been successfully using a two-blade expandable but was happy to try the new head and tipped my TenPoint premium arrows with them.
Opportunity Nocks
I was hunting in West Virginia beside the Monongahela National Forest when a rutting buck passed my stand, hazing a herd of does. The 6-point kept moving and didn’t present a shot at first light. However, half an hour later, it trailed two other does and stopped 25 yards from my stand. The scope on the AXE was crisp and showed just its midsection through a patch of trees. At 400 fps, the arrow caught the buck just behind the shoulder on a slightly quartering-to angle. Despite the size of this large mountain buck, it wobbled a few steps forward and went down- WITHIN 10 YARDS.
Gaping Exit Wound
Usually, I don’t show images with excessive blood, yet to prove the point, I’ve included the lead photo. Note that this is an entrance wound. I found the arrow buried in the soil and the extensive 3-blade exit wound shown above. The Grim Reaper’s motto is “Watch ‘Em Drop,” and that’s literally what happened to me. This buck lived just seconds after it was struck by my arrow, the quickest and most humane demise I’ve seen in 50 years of hunting.
Tough as Nails
As the arrow passed through the buck’s ribs, one fletch was torn off, as seen in the picture above. Most mechanical braodheads are “one and done,” yet I wondered if the Whitetail Special would still fly true. After cleaning all the dirt from the head back at camp and closing the blades, I nocked the used arrow, stepped back 10 yards, and launched. Despite the two-fletch arrow and significant punishment, the head still flew true. I’m convinced this head is the most lethal a deer hunter can use, and I immediately became a fan. For the Whitetail Special and other Grim Reaper broadheads, click here. Crossbow users should go to the crossbow heading in the menu. Since crossbows have such high torque, the Whitetail Specials for crossbows come in 150 grains and have stronger retention springs to ensure against premature deployment.