Gkf Deadhead Reaper Field Test Results

[Bigpapascout]

Hello Guys
Using the same scoring system that 5 shot has developed I think this is the best way to be unbiased on my findings of the overall results and preformance of the broad heads that are being tested.

BROADHEAD TEST SCORING SYSTEM

Tests: Plywood: 5 points for going all the way through without damage
4: points for going all the way through, but with damage.
3: points for going most of the way through, no damage.
2: points for going most of the way through, but with damage.
1: point for going most of the way through, but head destroyed
0: points for bouncing off.

Steel drum: 6 points for going through both sides, no damage
5: points for going through both sides, but with damage
4: points for going through one side tip sticking in far side, no damage.
3: points for going through one side tip sticking in far side but damaged.
2: points for going through one side, no damage
1: point for going through one side, with damage
0 points for bouncing off.

Tire: 4 points for going through one side without damage.
3 points for going through one side with damage
2 points for sticking in tire, no damage
1: point for sticking in tire, with damage.

Orange: 5 points for opening on the front.
4 points for partial opening on front
3 points for opening on back side
2 points for partial opening on the back, side
1 point for not opening

Cutting diameter: 5 points for heads 2 inches or larger
4 points for heads under 2 inches over 1 3/16 inches
3 points for heads 1 3/16 inches to 1 1/8 inch
2 points for heads under 1 1/8 to 1 inch
1 point for heads under an inch

Accuracy: 5 points for flying like field points under all conditions
4 points for grouping with field points.
3 points for grouping well, but in different place than field points
2 points for not grouping well, but with stable flight.
1 points for erratic flight and grouping.

1 point is given to each blade the head has
2 points for a head not being mechanical
1 point for rearward opening blades on mechanical heads

Blade sharpness ratings:
A: heads will shave hair very easy, it almost jumps off.
B: head will shave hair, but it does take some effort.
C: head will not shave hair

GKF100 GR DeadHead Reaper Field test

shooting W/ Reflex Bighorn 70# DW, 30"DL on the end of Carbon Wolverine arrows chronoed at 269 FPS.
Accuracy 5 points
Orange 4 points
Plywood 2 points
Steel drum 4 points
Blades 3 points
Cutting diameter 4 points

Total score: 22, blade sharpness ratting A

Being a fan of fixed blades frankly I was very skeptical of the preformance of the GKF Reapers
and really did not have mutch faith that they would hold up very well.
However Despite my skepticisim I was plesantly suprised of the overall preformance of the heads. They fly exactly like a field point and hold very tight groups.
In the orange test the blade was completley opened before it exited out the back, and the blades will shave with ease.
However these heads held up through the steel drum and plywood test mutch better than I expected, I really thought that shooting through either would destroy the heads completley but to my surprise they held up fairly well, they were damaged but were repairable. the packaging information does not lie!
3 blade expandable+field point accuracy= Lethal results

I will say that improvements could be made by beefing them up a little but In all they are really good heads

I was so impressed with these heads that I am going to do some hunting with them this season

This now concludes the test of the Big Papa Scouts 5 shot Broadhead Field test.

THIS WAS ONLY A TEST. it is ultimately your desision whether to try them or not

My next test will be on the Dead head Demons

A special Thanks goes to 5 Shot for the development of this method of testing to which should set the standard for testing all broad heads on the market

[Myk]

The test sounds like a bunch of hooey to me.
Flight depends on the speed and set up being used more than brand.
Animals are not plywood, tires or steel drums.

But even though they have little to do with real life hunting, tests like this are fun to read about :)

[Bigpapascout]

MYK
would you rather know whether or not a Mechanical head will actually work or not, or do you just go by looks and blind faith alone?
These tests were developed to give the consumer something to go by when deciding on which head to buy and if a brosdhead will go through a piece of 3/4" ply wood and a steel drum with minimal dammage and will open on something as delicate as an orange It will sureley passtheough a deer with ease with sureity that it will work in the fashon which the manufacturers claim it is supposed to.
It dont really matter about your speed or setup If the product does not work in the manner in which it is intended.
HOOEY? maybe to you
but I hope this is helpful information to others that will think a little more than hooey of the time, effort and expense it took to provide everyone with this consumer information ::rasp) (ban

Have a Great Day!

[tcoop]

Bigpapascout,

I agree, the test is very neat and informative. Thanks for the time and expense.

MYK,

If you have never seen the 5 Shot Broadhead Test (http://www.american-hunter.com/broadheads/broadhead_test.htm) you ought to check it out. It is really neat and he has several broadheads that he has tested.

tcoop

[Myk]

I didn't say anything about the orange, in fact I thought that would be a fair test of mechanicals. But it would be better if you could track the opening of the blades. A green unsalted hide wrapped around ballistic gelatin would even be a better test. But if you had a green unsalted hide you could also test it out before you skinned the deer. That would be the real test.

But lumber and steel are not deer. Neither react like living flesh and bone. A cut on entry broadhead does not perform the same on steel as they do on flesh. It's an antlers to oranges comparison.

It does matter how things are set up. If you can't align a broadhead it is hardly the fault of the maker. If you push something with "wings" too fast, odds are that it's not going to fly right. If your arrows are not balanced right for a particular broadhead they will fly different.

Back when I was getting a very respected bow magazine they did tests much like this. They even tested the tests. Their conclusion was that tests such as this have little meaning in the field on animals. Where I do find tests like this useful is that I do practice with broadheads and sometimes I put one through my plywood shed, sometimes while hunting I take practice shots and hit a root. Tests like this do give me an idea of whether or not my practice head will live to be shot more than once.

[Mossyhorns]

I myself find the tests interesting.And get a good idea which heads will hold up better.I've read alot of 5-Shots posts on his tests.Kinda glad to see it carried over here at HuntSeek.

Papascout,my huntin hats off to you for the time and money you put into it.
I believe if a Mechanical or any other head,is going to break apart on a tire or drum.How could you possibly want to trust using it in the field!I lost two doe's in a row,a couples years back.Using Mechanical heads.Blades never open.Shaft sealed the entrance wound,and arrow didnt get enough penatration for a pass through.And they were brand new out of the box.

I now use the cut on impact heads SteelForce,Magnus,Zwickey,Bear.....And i will use them till i can no longer draw a bow.I have hit a bone they could'nt bust through yet.

[Elkein]

Myk take it from me I started bowhunting long before I switched to rifle hunting. For normal whacking and stack of white tailed deer there are a great many mechanical heads that more than get the job done anymore. I was using them as soon as they came out, but wasn't happy with their performance, but in recent years they have imporved a lot. I have been using rocket aeroheads mini blaster three for some time now, with plenty of deer taken.

[Myk]

Elkein, I'm not saying anything for or against mechanicals.
I'm saying the test is unrealistic.
Look at Mossyhorns' situation. Cut on impact heads fair very well in the real world test of hunting, many say they do much better than chisel points. But I know from reading tests like this that most chisel points do a better job on a 55gal drum than cut on impacts do.
I'm saying that arrow flight has more to do with the set up than it has to do with the actual head, unless the head is so far out of specs that it can't be tuned.

A realistic test would be to hang up a deer after hunting season and shoot the piss out of it. Shoot it through the shoulder blades, shoot it through the spine, shoot it in the head. Then see what broadheads fair well, and for mechanicals, do an autopsy to see how much penetration it took before they opened fully.

[tcoop]

MYK,

I can tell you when my mechanicals have opend on the 2 deer I have taken with them. One was a small button buck, the other an average IL doe, prob. about 90-100 lbs. On the button buck, I hit the spine, as it was just 7 yrds. away from about 35 ft. up in tree. The doe, no bones at all.

In both cases, I looked to see how soon the heads opened up. They both seemed to open as soon as the skin was penatrated. The hole was small in the skin, but the meat imediatly under the skin was cut nearly as wide as the blades will open. I was impressed with how fast they opened.

tcoop

[don in socal]

:huh: :huh: :huh:

here in the republik of kaliphornia the use of expandables is prohibited in the taking of big game unless the broadhead measures 7/8" before it "leaves the bow".

my personal preference: fixed 2 blades or fixed 3 blade.

over the years, i've had shots from them that severed spines, broken and cut thru ribs and completely passed thru skulls.

the basic design of all broadheads is basically the same.

the sharpness and shot placement still are the critical factors.