00:00:00 Speaker 1: All right, what was people? The season is going to be here faster than you can imagine. I know you've all been out there dialing in your archery equipment. Actually, there's a real world out there, and if you're anything like me and my friends, you've been taking your time getting your bowl ready. We'd never advocate for you being irresponsible, but we understand it's pretty easy to end up really busy this time of year. I've been busy building browning points. Since it work over well, we decided to call up some of the experts to get some of their ideas on some of the things that might help you be more successful this season. That's a good thing because my ten yard pen needs a little work. That doesn't work out there alright. On the show today, we have got Matt Bateman. He's the national sales manager for Grim Reaper Broad Hits. Matt, how are you today, man? Good? I'm doing good. How are you guys doing? Doing pretty good? I think it's a hundred and two here and I just ran two miles, which is terrible idea. You know, actually, don't ever do that if if you're down here. But I have a pretty big elk hunt that I've got to get ready for so you can fit it in when you can. And uh, I understand you're a pretty busy guy to you, right, Yeah, it's definitely definitely that time of the year on on my end as far as uh, working in the archer industry and the broadhead end of things. Um, we are crazy busy and and trying to get it all handled so that can get get out on some upcoming hunts myself. So things are happening fast right now, for sure. Yeah, for sure. And you've got some stuff come up a real quick right Yeah. Actually, you know out west here we're based out of Utah, um, and things open up super early. So our our mule deer and elk season opens this Saturday, and normally general archery for everyone in Utah opens this Saturday, general archery and limited entry archery, hunts, traw hunts, everything for year and elk um in the state of Utah. Super early opener, especially for elk opens uh, you know this coming Saturday seven um. So and generally I'm kind of that's my focus. I'm kind of a mule deer fanatic and easy focused on that. But this year we through Little King Kinnatt and and I'm leaving Sunday on a caribou hunt in Alaska at d I y drop in cariboo hunt. So I'm going to try and hike up and and do an overnight one day hunt in Utah for deer and then get on an airplane and head to Alaska. So have you have you ever done the dropping cariboo hunt before? Is this the first time I have? I've hunted caribou long, long, long time ago, and I actually did a a reindeer hunt classified as a reindeer on one of the islands in the Bering Sea on St. George Island, years back, dropping type of things. So, but I have an done an archery drop in caribunt for fifteen years. I feel like posting a picture of like on Instagram of like, hey, this is my reindeer I shot wouldn't go over too well with a lot of people, you know what I mean. Yeah, I gotta the fact that the guy went with made up a little Christmas card one year about how I was on the naughty list for shooting. Yeah. I was wondering what your kids reindeer? But essentially, I mean that's what caribou are there. Yeah, Yeah, reindeer that that So there's just some classifications depending on how long the hurt's been established or whatever. Um. At the time, it was one of the largest reindeer ever taken with the bow and arrow. But that's been, that's been. It's been a while back, but it was going to last because I always just an adventure, not just the hunting aspect of the logistics of travel and weather and rides and and different things. So yeah, yeah, it sounds awesome. Are you going with a couple other people that you know and do that kind of thing. Yeah, I'm I'm taking my dad and my brother on this one. That's kind of out of their element a little bit. So um. And then my my hunting partner I do most of my backcountry stuff and serious hunting with He's coming along. So the four of us or are are doing it. So I understand that in Alaska you can shoot anything, uh that is lesser on the tag that you have. I don't know how they classified lesser, but is there Are you going up there just to shoot cariboo or if something else comes out of you're gonna use that tag for that. We're just hunting caribou on this this hunt we do, the area we're hunting is is open for wolves. If we got lucky in and saw a wolf, I mean, the odds of that happening with the bone arrow or are slim enough, but that would be that would be pretty pretty cool. But no, this this round, we're going pretty early. We're gonna be right hunting the cariboo right as there getting ready to come out of velvet and rubbing the velvet off and and so it's not really a great time of the year for much else, but we'll probably run into and there's certain species up there that you can't hunt without a without an outfitter, such as you know, grizzly bear and sheep and those kind of species. But um now we're really just focused on cariboo on this round. And if we get lucky and see a wolf, we could we could try and kill wolf. But are you are you able to get the meat back? And how how does that work? You just flat back or what? Yeah? So, um, you know we were using uh, we hired an air service to drop us in. We're doing a one guy at a time and a super cub because it's tons of tire landing only. Um so they'll transport us in with our gear UM in a super cub and drop us UM and then essentially we'll be in communication with them. Uh we kill animals. We we have an in reach GPS unit that I can send since satellite text messages from the from the bush. And and if we kill animals, they can try and get in. We will pay a transport fee form to come in and carry our animals out. UM. And then actually there's a pretty cool service in Alaska if you arrange it in advance, UM called Alaska Trophy Express, and you you can actually um pretty arrange. They have certain cities they come through in Alaska at cold storage units and pick up whole animals, you know, quartered out animals, and you can pay a fee to have them deliver it to the Lower forty eight. They have a couple of different routes that they come down through um the Lower forty eight. And then you know, just you meet them, meet up with their truck, their their truck, they got your animal on board, and and it's pretty reasonable if you want to get a whole animal home all the meat and everything from Alaska. I mean, it's it's actually pretty reasonable to go that route. That's that's cool. I had a good friend of mine, um whose um brother in law is stationed in Anchorage, so they all get to go up there and and hunt when when they get a chance to. And his dad had gone up and killed two cariboo, I think, and they were doing a freezer clean out and had and he had given me the cariboo from two years past backstraps, and it was probably one of the best things I've ever eaten. And I've eaten a good bit of elk too, and I've always claimed elk because I mean, like the best. But man, that cariboo, I don't know what it was. It was just it kind of had freezer aged. Yeah, I guess that it was in the fre freezer. I don't know, but it's like it was that perfect mixture of what I think of like as a whitetail and an elk, where you have like that very dark, rich meat. But it was, uh, I guess, a touch less grainy than elk. I don't know how to describe it. But man, it's good and it's good eating. Yeah, I mean I've had cariboos, are I mean I've had I've had good caribou and I've had bad cariboo. Honestly, it's like anything. I do a lot of hunting, you know, out west, based out of Utah, and do a lot of Western stuff, and and I also hunt in the Midwest and hunt in Texas quite a lot, and all over the country and in a few places in the world. And really it comes down to any wild game by caribly or whatever. I mean, how you take care of it in the field is such a key part of how the meat um turns out, and uh, you know, and also how the animals harvested plays into it. But yeah, I mean, especially when you're you're dealing with trying to get an animal out of the Alaskan bush, kill it in the store, and then get it on a plane and transport, et cetera. Is just really important that Yeah, sure, so you do things right, No, you don't know how to take care of it and get it get it cleaned up and kept clean and take care of it right. So that's the key for sure. Absolutely. So is you know, is there a is there any kind of like, Hey, we're testing next year's broadhead, so we're gonna give a little business the subsidy here on that trip. I this for you or is it pretty much just straight out of your pocket? This one, uh is a pretty much straight out of my pocket someone put together. But I do well, I do do that pretty regularly the owner of grim Raper and myself UM is right hand guy, and I'm the longest tendered employee here, and I actually am pretty heavily involved with design and development and R and d UM and so him and I do usually do a trip or two every year where that's really what it's about. We're playing with playing with new broaded designs or blade designs or different things, and and strategizing for the upcoming year. So he and I will be and we're going to Montana after I get back sometime in September. We've got deer and analope tags in Montana, UM and so him and I'll do a trip up there, and and uh, that will be our that'll be our R and d UM trip you know, for the for the year at least to get started. So we do some of that. This one this one's just kind of something personal hunt I put together, and and I work with some other companies and and get some content pictures and things for him and testing out a few other products for for a couple of other companies while I'm on this trip. But yeah, and just mostly a fun, a fun trip me and my dad and my brother. Uh, you know, we we had a we we lost my mom in an accident this last summer and we just needed something to get away and spend some time together. And and so this is kind of a kind of that trip. We're just going on a kind adventure together and spend some time with each other. So yeah, that's great. I'm sorry to hear that about you, brom Man. That's that stinks, but it's uh, it's good that y'all are going to get to go and and do this. And there's something about getting real remote that kind of help cleanses a thing like that even more than what we just time spent together. You know, we we go back. You know, anybody that I've ever spent time in outcamp with or whatever, there's some kind of kinship there that's that's just different. And then to be able to compound that with family is pretty cool. Um, But that'll that'll be great, man. Yeah, there's no doubt getting getting lost somewhere where you're just literally just have no access to civilization really and yeah, and uh, you definitely can go find yourself by getting into that situation. So yeah, yeah, I know we're looking forward to it. And I've never I'm I'm the I'm the die hard archer hunter and the family never really um My dad and brother both not been on something quite this extreme, A drop in the i Y type trip and lock and watch the watch the super Cup fly off, and you know, you're on your own a couple hundred miles from anywhere. It's a it's a it's a little bit of a scary but awesome feelings. So something something you know everyone should get to experience is pretty cool deal. Yeah, for sure. And well ago you talked about, um, you know we're talking about eating cariboan whatnot. Uh you talked about it really depends on how the animals harvested on you know, what it tastes like a lot, and then of course meat care. But uh, I've kind of noticed that too because I usually end up doing some late season rifle hunting for those around here or we had to kind of central Texas and do that, and uh, a lot of times there's you know, pretty traumatic wounds involved with that and and you end up with a lot of you know, bleeding into the meat and stuff like that. Um, but do you find that, uh, amongst broadheads there are different types of broadheads that kind of affect that as well. Where you're talking you know, bigger blades versus expandables or or whatever it is, there is one better than the other for uh, you reducing kind of that. Uh, I don't know whatever you want to call the difference and taste, you don't truthfully, and I we have and I'm well versed and brought of all sorts, but just just because it's what I do. Relating to grim racer, we have broadheads, you know, one of the biggest election of broadheads that exists in the market right now. Um, one of the we I think we have the smallest mechanical broadhead that exists, and we have the largest mechanical broadhead that exists, and we have fixed and hyper broadheads all in between. We have a huge varying degree of broadheads. And it really I see no correlation to like game meat. It really comes down a shop place. But that's what I'm referring to. A good a good ethical you know, double lung or heart shot where the animal dies quickly and humanely and doesn't doesn't suffer run four miles or whatever. That's key where you shoot it with a little teeny solid steel fixed blade broadhead or a great, big mechanical broad head. Yeah, there's very I mean I've seen you know, there can be differences in how quickly that animal expires on certain shots or whatever. But as far as it was related to the meat, no, I don't see any correlation there. It really it really is shot placement and then selecting the broad head that fits your set up. I mean that's where a lot of people get lost With so many options out there, they get lost in how do I figure out which broadhead works from which product I should use? And there's not a there's not just a perfect answer for everyone. I mean there's so many options and so many variables that really, you know, there's some certain factors you need to consider and pick a good broad head to fit you and your hunting style and your setup, and then make an ethical shot. That's what it's all about. You know. People get lost in know that so and so says you gotta shoot this, and so and so says you gotta shoot this, and and really again it's it's it's known a few things you need to understand to pick the right broadhead for you and the animal you're hunting in the scenario you're hunting under and just making a good ethical shot. That's the key. Yeah, is there? Uh? You know, I feel like it's kind of like a you walk into a Mexican food restaurant and there's not any eight you know, menu items and you're like that, gumm it there it's ground beef, tortillas and cheese. You know, like, what, how can they do it this many ways? Is there? You don't understand the exactly we've We've picked up a few in Texas, so we've probably have a little advantage over the guy from Utah maybe, but we guys, I look at it. I'm in here and I'm like, what's that? What? What kind of meat is that? Exactly? So so I guess, you know, like for me, if I'm not on like an Elk shape diet or something like that, I mean, it's just kind of whatever I feel. So, you know, and when you kind of think about it in more of the broadhead selection, um, you know, how do you not just go with what you feel? Like? What what factors are you looking at and your hunting style and that kind of thing that that leads you to pick certain broadhead styles. Well, first of all, um, you know, archery hunting such a game of confidence and and a mental thing. You've got to have confidence and whatever you end up going with. So, like you said, Number one factor is, you need to understand you're set up. Um, you know, what kind of what kind of energy are you producing with your bow? What kind of speeds are your shooting? Some some just generalized information about your setup really plays in a broad at selection. Number two you need to factor in, Okay, what animal I'm hunting? Am I hunting elk? Or am I hunting hill country white tell in Texas? That waved twenty pounds or or eight hundred pound bow elk in Utah? You know, I mean there's there's those factors and variables to consider. Um, what are you shooting capabilities? Are you are you going to be trying to shoot something at sixty seventy yards or are you sitting in a ground blind or a tree stown at twenty yards? And and you know over over a feeder or whatever. And I'm not knocking any style of hunting, but those factors all played to what's going to be the best broadhead fit for me? And uh, you know, you gotta you gotta kind of know some of that basic information and then it's really easy to to kind of narrow it down to, you know, what broadheads best fit you in that scenario. Um, And there's there's a lot of misconceptions out there, and then some people are scared of a mechanical and some people you know, love a mechanical, and you've got to figure out what you're confident in and what works for you and and uh, you know kind of some of those general things we just just brought up, kind of those general things about your setup and you're hunting scenario and animal you're hunting, and then we can narrow down to what broadheads best. So you know, uh, something that's kind of become pretty common in the archer world is is I think people are starting to understand that if you're shooting a low energy bow, you know, maybe uh, somebody who's shooting you know, fifty pounds or whatever draw something like that. People are kind of starting to understand that maybe in a large expandable isn't the right thing, right, so to go to something more on a fixed blade side of things. Um, and my mom actually made that transition this year. Okay, so so you kind of have a disclaimer there, let's hear it. Well, so, yeah, that's that's true. But the key word right there was large, large expandable UM. And and there's a real misconception out there that that you can't shoot an expandable with lower k E. You can. And it's not even an argument of you know, there seems to be this generalized argument argument about expandable versus fixed blade broadhead. Um, that's comparing apples to oranges. It's not really because a fixed blade out penetrates an expandable on a general basis. It's all related to a couple of things. It's all related to to cut diameter and and late angle and uh, you know a lot of mechanicals out there now, so she you know some of our designs. Energy to open the broad head is is almost immeasurable. It's it's not really a factor. But once that broad is deployed, how much blade surfaces you're trying to push through the animal. How much energy does that take? So I have you know, I mean a big expandable. I absolutely fully agree with you that you know, someone with lower k e UM shouldn't shoot a big expandable broad head. But there are some really good options out there, UM that are smaller, cut down or mechanicals that have good blade angles when the when the broadhead blades are deployed and will actually really perform well on on lower kinnead energy. So you can't really you know, that's one of the things I deal with a lot of people generalize a fixed blade broad heads and mechanical broadheads. Well, again, like I brought up earlier, I've got an expandable broad hit in my line that has three and a half inches of len your total blade surface huge, one of the biggest mechanical broadheads that exists on the market. I also have an expandable broad head that it's a three blade inch and a quarter cut expandable broad head and it has like less than you know, one point six inches of total blade surface. UM. You know, huge disparity there and both wlabled mechanical broadheads, UM. You know. So and same with fixed blades. There's there's a lot of different factors that go into that. UM. So just to quit I mean two years ago, I had major shoulder surgery in um to my labor um before season, and I shot all year out west here. I shot a fifty seven poundbo at a twenty seven inch draw and successful successfully took multiple animals including UM, a couple longer shots with an expandable broadhead. I completely passed through and antelope at sixty seven yards with that set up with a mechanical broad head. UM, the selection that I would shoot at that energy expandable wise is very small. But but you can't rule out expandable UM, you know for lower moderate kinetic energy set ups depends on the scenario and again the broad head and the design of the broad head. So yeah, sure, yeah, and that totally makes sense. And uh, cut ameters cut ameter, you know it doesn't really ameter is and let me started to cut you out. It's one really misleading, one really misleading thing in this industry is is how cut outer is figured and advertise UM. And you know there's two different things of industry. Measures cut diameter by if you open the blades on a road head, you draw a circle around the outside of the blades and you measure across that circle. So, for instance, if you have a two bladed two inch cut broad head. It's a two inch cut diameter broad head. If you push it through a piece of paper, it's got two blades at two inches, it's exactly two inches of total cut. I have a inch in three eight three blade mechanical broad head that is labeled as an inch in three eight head, but it actually has just over two inches of blade because if you push it through a piece of paper, as a three bladed inchine trade, it's if you measure out how much paper was cut, it's it's just over two inches. So, in my opinion, the more important factor to consider not cut down or as advertised on the packaging UM, but actual total blade surface or what we call linear cut. If you push that broad head through a piece of paper, how much paper is it trying to cut? That really is what determines how much energy you need to push a broadhead through an animal. UM, So cut damer advertised on packaging and in the industry can be pretty misleading. UM, you had a four blade two inch cut head. It advertises a two inch cut daminter broadhead, but with four blades, it's four inches of blade surface. UM, huge, huge difference from a two blade two inch A lot of people don't understand that concept um, And I always tell people that's that's one of the biggest factors in penetration and total blade surface. Number two, another giant factor that a lot of people don't consider as blade angle. Um, what a broadhead's open? Uh? What what angle is that blade sitting? Is it a big flat blade angle that you're trying to chop things or is it a more swept back blade angle that slices. And that's why fixed blades have such a great reputation of penetration. They're small cut, and they generally have a really steep blade angle, or a lot of them have a steep blade angle, and so you're you don't have all resistance, whereas some of these big mechanicals you have great, big, long blades that are bumped at a flatter blade angle, and you're trying to chop through things versus life through things, and so that's where your energy is lost. But there are good mechanicals in between or that have really moderate cuts and sweatback blade angles that actually penetrate incredibly well. So there's a lot to take in, you know, when really looking at broadheads and understanding what goes into penetration. Um, you know, there's a lot to consider. Yeah, sure, do you do you feel like, um, if you went to other directional kinetic energy, is there ever a point where you're like, oh, you probably don't need to shoot an expandable because they're just not quite as strong as what the fixed are. Yeah, there's kind of Ah. I see that a lot right now. With the craze of crossbows the last the last five years, crossbows have just gone crazy, and uh, what happens is all of sudden you have these guys. Oh, I've got a hundred foot pounds of kinetic energy, so I want the biggest broadhead that exists. Well, it's just physics, right when we're talking the majority of broadhead cells, and I know the numbers because I that's what I do, is sell broadheads. A huge percentage of broadhead cells, even cross bows or whatever is hunter grain broadhead. I mean a gigantic percentage of it, um eight plus percent of everything I sell as hunter grain hunter grain. So if you take ten different hunter grain broadheads and one's this little small cut and one's this gigantic cut, which one is going to be the least durable broadhead? The bigger the cut gammer at a hunter grains at the last durable you know you're sacrificing durability because you've got longer blades and a longer ferrell and all these different things. So you run into that a lot with crosspols. These guys have a ton of energy, so they want, they think they need a huge broadhead. But at that point you sacrifice so much durability that you plow this giant broadhead into a bone or something at four defeat per second and things are coming apart. So there's there's definitely a threshold there in my opinion, when we're talking hunter grand broadheads, where you start getting going in a reverse direction, you gotta have enough energy to shoot a certain broad head or mechanical broadhead to push it through. But if you have a ton of energy and you're talking hunter during broadheads and you're shooting a shote broadhead, you're you're sacrificing some durability. So you know, those are all factors to consider what what's most important to you? Do you care if your broadheads damaged after you shoot it through it? Dear? Do you care if a blades bann or the Ferrell's band or tweaked or whatever. If you do, then don't go shoot a giant broadhead. Um. If if the ability is your largest, you know, your biggest, most important factor, then scale it down to something smaller, because we can build more um material or use tougher materials or whatever into that broadhead. Uh can make it more durable. So you know, there's a lot of things there to consider. And uh, it's not just cut and dried. You know, everyone, I talked to guys all the time because some guys want to shoot you know, I don't condone this. Some guys want to shoot ten ten animals with one broad and haven't look pristine. Well, be a big three inch cut down or hunter grain mechanical is not your baby, because you're probably you know, even if it's up to the task of shooting a gear, which it should be, it's not probably going to be up to the task to go for around two. Whereas you know, a little fixed plade or a more moderate, smaller mechanical head, you know, you have a much higher probability of shooting an animal and having it be in pristine conditions. So yeah, you know, well, again it goes back to what's important to you as a hunter, what factors are you looking for? Yeah? Um, you know, for me, I've kind of been steadily drifting away from mechanicals and uh pretty much strictly now only shooting mechanicals that are um non aluminum world because I really feel like I want that ferald to remain perfectly straight throughout the animal and that's gonna help me a ton with penetration. Am I right and really avoiding aluminum? Or is that kind of misguided? Well I'm not gonna you know, we just met, so I'm not gonna tell you your misguided. You can you can be blunt with me. Man, I promise it's cold again, it really well, I'll tell you my story on the flip side. Um, you couldn't. You couldn't. In my how I hunt and and the ride animals I hunt and out west here and stuff. I will not shoot a fixed blade broadhead, even though I have tremendous fixed blade head that just him so said on the features that the right mechanical offers me. Um, you know that unless I'm hunting in Idaho, which is the only state left that requires a fixed plade broadhead. Well, they don't have the internet yet. Up there, and they're still still using horse and buggy and everything. But the only state that doesn't allow mechanical broadheads. Oregon legalized them this year and they were called out in Washington did three years ago. But unless I'm hunting in Idaho, I'm absolutely hundred percent shooting a mechanical head. And that's for elk, that's for all species. I'd like the the accuracy, the forgiveness it gives me in certain scenarios and longer shots and wind et cetera. Um, Again, it's it's my personal opinion. And I've I've taken nearly two big game animals with an aluminum ferrel mechanical broadhead, and I've never tweaked a farrell. I've never had a broadhead failure. And but it's again understanding what I'm hunting, what scenarios I'm hunting, and and selecting a broadhead that fits that criteria. If I were shooting my great big two inch white cell special or whitetail extreme, I would expect at some point I'm gonna tweak or damage the farrel. But I shoot a more moderate cut. The gives me enough enough beef into the ferrel that I do. We do a ton of testing, and I'm not scared of an aluminum ferrel. But it depends on the design, and it it depends on the cut, damnter and the grain weight and all those factors. But we use top top quality aircraft quality aluminum solid machine, you know, machine out of solid bar stock, and and uh you know, it doesn't scare me one bit. And I shoot elk with it. I shoot all kinds of different animals with it. I get that some guys, you know aluminum, you know, you're thinking of pop can aluminum that you can crush with your hands. But there's a lot of factors that I really like in uh, in an aluminum ferrel. And but it's got to be the right design. So um no, you're not wrong. I mean again, it's it's a matter of confidence and what you believe in. And if you're the last thing you want is a bow hunter is to be at full drawn and animal and and have it in your mind. Oh man, I hope this product works. Oh man, I hope this broadhead doesn't bend. You know, you need to be focused on getting the job done and making a good shot, so you don't want to you know, I always tell you guys. Well, I'm not gonna argue with anyone. If you love fixed plates, shoot fixed plates. Um. It's the game of confidence and being confident in what you do and what you use. And I have total confidence in mechanical broadheads. I have total confidence in well, let me rephrase, I have total confidence in the right mechanical broadheads. I have total confidence in you. Because there's stuff out there I wouldn't use both in fixed and mechanical. Um. But you know, I know what features to look at, and I can look at a broadhead and say, Okay, that broadhead is going to have the integrity I require out of it. And and and again. If you're worried about durability, scaled the cutdam her back, um, because that just puts more durability into the ferrell and the broadhead itself. Um. But just just just again, it's just physics. If you've got a big, huge cut down or broadhead, you've got to take that weight from somewhere to get those big long plates, and it comes out of the ferrell and the caller and different things. Yeah, so what about the mechanicals, Um, what do you like in a in the tip of it? You know, I know, they advertise so many different bone crushers and then you've got the more like slicing tips and that kind of thing. What what do you prefer there? Um, you know, that's that's an interesting question. We for years. UM, we originally started with what we call our razor tip, a bone crushing tips um kind of like you know your your Muzzy troke oar tip and grim Raper's original razor tips just just bone crushing design that's super durable and designed to the best bone and hold together and been a really proven tip in this industry for a long time. And then the industry went through this crazy is of like a cut on contact that was, you know, designed to be my like a blade cut on contacts, right, and so a lot of companies came out with the razor tip or a razor blade in the front of their broadhead. And at that time, we we had an original razor cut and then we then went to our newer razor cup that's a kind of a machine bladed cut on contact sealth hit. But over the last few years we we came up with what we call our pro tip, which is my opinion, the best combination of the two it's extremely sharp tip, but it still has the integrity to to bust bone and and hold together and and so you know, I mean, I think I think the bigger factor is in a tips fish on a mechanical broadhead. One, it's got to be durable enough to to withstand impact, hit and bone or whatever. But two, you see a lot of mechanicals out there that that the tips even with the blades or whatever, and you see a lot of deflection issues. So my preferences is our new pro tip. It's extremely sharp and still got integrity. But um, if I didn't have that, I'd go right back to the razor tip, a really durable, tough tip that's extended out in front of the blades and and uh, you know, avoids deflection, but it's the first thing they hit the animal. You've gotta have something that's gonna hold together and not give out from the get go for ye, And you're talking about blade placement on the broadhead there too. You know how far it is up the head and whatnot. Um, you know your line way better than I do. But I think that grim Reaper is all front deployee uh blades correct, That's correct. Every every mechanically make is a front deploy and it's just a a key. I mean, it's a requirement on at the end that all of our broadheads have a minimum of of five eighths of an inch of tip extension in front of the blades UM, so that on an angle shot or whatever, that tip hits and and gets started on a path in the animal long before that a blade makes contact. UM just too, you know, And and it doesn't matter even our fixed blades have that feature. It doesn't matter mechanical rear deploy, front deploy, fixed blade. If you hit on an angle and the blade contacts and animal before the tip contact contacts animal. I don't care what you're using. It can be a fixed blade or whatever. You you can have major deflection. So you know it just while the why the uh, I guess drastic siting on a front deploy, I'm sure you've got you've got a reason why you're sticking with with just that. UM one of the one of the well one thing that we've had for one we've had tremendous success for twenty years. One of the most proven broadheads UM out there, one of the most proven deployment systems out there a lot of reason a lot of guys went away from a front deploy and is because people were getting tired of bands and O rings and etcetera. Well, we've never used one. We use an internal spring system. UM. So that's one reason a lot of people gravitated from that system is just strictly because they didn't like bands and O rings and having that liability in the field, you know, of of those coming off or breaking, etcetera. UM. And so then a couple a couple of big players in the industry, you know, really promoter and pushed the rear deploy system. UM. But there's a couple of other reasons. One, don't fix it if it's not broke. Our broadheads continue to perform and outperform so many out there. But too if you really look at it, UM, it's left the door open for us to create so many different configurations of broadheads that a lot of these rear deploy broadhead companies cannot do. You don't see good three and four blade mechanical broadheads with rear deploy configuration very often because it's just hard to build. So it's left the door open for us to do. UM. You know, we have three blades. We have four blades, we have two blades, we have hybrid configurations, and with our you know, there were faults with a lot of over the top dew ploy systems out there, but grim Raper has not had those same faults since. In fact, that's where grim Raper came from, the owner of grim Raper still the owner of grim Raper. When he invented grim Raper Broadheads and our our spring system, our blade retention system. He dissected what was on the market twenty years ago and figured out, Okay, here's here's what I don't like. You know, I don't like these tips being close to the blades. I don't like the rigid connection of the blade to the ferrell to where when it opens its a lever arm that pushes the ferrell to the side. And I don't like this, and this and this. He dissected it and then he won by one. He checked off a way to resolve that problem and created grim Raper Broadheads, still to this day, a unique proprietary blade retention system with a spring and each blade rights independently on that spring and can cam back and open independently without a rigid connection to the ferrell, and the tips extended out in et cetera. And it's just proven to be a performer for the last twenty years. And then as as the red deployed craze took off, we looked at it and nothing was out performing what we could do. And and then we've been able to add three and four blade configurations that other people can't do. And so you know, there's not saying that we won't ever have real deploy options, but UM and we're able to do a lot of things that that others can do with our design. Yeah, yeah, that's cool. I like, uh, I kind of like sticking to your guns. That's kind of that's kind of a good quality right there. So I'll tell you if we ever, if we ever do a really deployed because we feel it's better than anything that exists. Yeah, but not just to sell, right, not just not just a marketing ploy And that's that's you know, one thing we really preach as a company. We're we're kind of one of the last man standing UM established broadhead companies in this industry that are still under original ownership UM independently owned. We're not owned by being you know, a big conglomerate or investment group. We haven't sold out or changed hands. Um and we uh, we just make broad hits. You don't make ten other products. We make broadheads, and our focuses their passionates. There are expertise, is there, um you know, And sometimes that gets lost when it's interesting you look at these original owners and creators of products, they're just super passionate and the drive is to create a quality product because they just love it and they're invested in it emotionally and financially and mentally and all these different things. And then the company changes hands and and that gets lost sometimes. And that's what's really cool about from Raper is because we're one of the longest established broadhead companies in this industry that is truly still independently owned um under that original ownership, doesn't have a bunch of other things. We're we're getting pulled in different directions. We just do broadheads. That's why we have so many, and that's why we feel like we have the best. We just make products. Yeah, you know, you could write a hundred verses to that same song of man, this is a great product. I'm so glad that this is being made. And then they sell out to some big conglomerate and then it goes way downhill. You know. That's just the way it goes in in the hunting world. And it kind of stinks. And I'm glad that that y'all aren't there, so that's cool. UM, tell tell me this. Okay, So you said the reason you'll make something is the only reason you'll change something or whatever is because it's the best, um, and or it's gonna be the new the new best way of doing it or whatever. Um, what's the deal with hybrids? Because I feel like that's I don't know, I just can't see it being the best. I feel like it's more of a catch all, you know what I mean. Like it's just somebody just don't know what they want to do, so they just get a hybrid. They're like, yeah, it's got on contact, it's got a big head. But dnie'll go and get real big once it he'll hit something. Right. Yeah, I give that question actually pretty pretty regularly. And and uh again it's it's uh, you know, it's like you walk up to a uh, you know, into a gas station and there's four thousand different beverages in there, and half of them you're like, man, I would never touch that. But everyone everyone has a little bit different mentality and something they're looking for and and to me, a hybrid one. Yeah, it's it's there's those people out there that can't wrap their head around a mechanical and maybe it gives them some confidence to know that, hey, I at least have two fixed blades. Um and if you know, if the mechanical works, then bonus, you know, but at least they have a fixed plade broadhead. Um. There is a little bit of that mentality. Um. Some guys, Um you know, I just want that assurance. UM. Two. You know, one way I look at it with one advantage I can see personally and Nolan broad has really well and testing broadhead of lot, etcetera. Um, it opens the door a little bit for those people that may not have have the energy to be confident and shooting a full, full fledged, larger mechanical. It opens the door for them a little bit because one of the disadvantages I guess you could say to a mechanical and is if you don't pass through an animal and that broadhead stays internal, the blades close and then you're not cutting. Um. But with a hybrid design, if if you do leave that broadhead and an animal, so you shoot. For instance, I have quite a few guys taking our new micro hybrids on al khans and moose hunts and stuff this year. Whether they're just not sure they're going to blow through, um, they have that confidence that they still have a couple exposed explade. Then they're doing work form as that animal runs off, and that's kind of their mentality. And hey, I'm gonna shoot this hybrid because it gives me a good cut. It gives me you know, it's gonna be devastating, but I don't feel like I'm in a past fully passed through moose. So um, I want I want something still working for me internally because it makes a difference. You know, if that brought its inside and it's got exposed blades and it's you know, it sounds gory, but we're we're killing these animals, but bleed them out. And if that broadhead is waving around in there, cutting more tissue and more lungs, etcetera, then that animal expires quicker. So that's one you know, you know, the true advantage to a mechanical is pinpoint accuracy, and and but you know you want to achieve a pastor because if you don't give that exit hole um, or if that mechanical stays internal, by law, they have to close. Um. You can't lock them open or they're considered a bar broadheads, so they have to close up and if they will will hundred percent of the time. If if I leave a mechanical head one of our heads in an animal and it runs off, that brought head pulls back an inch or two and the blades shut and now the broad head is closed internally and not really doing what a hybrid or a fixed blade could do. So yeah, um, that's one factor to consider, um. But other than that, I mean, yeah, people do question, hey, why a hybrid if you're if you're gonna shoot a mechanical, just go all in. If you want to fix, just shoot to fix. And I never never really thought about that, And that's that's cool. I'm glad you brought that to my attention. And I don't know, I think after we talk today, I know I wasn't completely like doing away with the mechanicals for forever, but I really kind of think I understand a little bit more about you know, uh, the right thing and what it's gonna take you, because really, my whole quest has been towards getting passed through because I just feel like, especially with as much tree stand hunting as we do for white tails and stuff, that second hole is just imperative because that's the one that's on the lower side of the deer and that's where you're gonna get your your blood trail from. So that you know, it's why, it just would be so much better to always, well maybe not always, but at least do everything you can to have you know, the chips in your favor to to get that second hole. So that's cool, man, I might have to give the old expandables another another thought or two. Yeah, take a look at it. And I'm in the same boat, you know. And and I want that hunt white tail um year early in a couple of states too, And and yeah, that exit hole is your your drain plug for sure, lower on the body, et cetera. And I want to pass through, and I get a pastor every time. But look at the moderate cut DOWN'M a mechanical with a good blade angle, and it will penetrate like crazy. It's when you start trying to push these big, huge flat blade angle broadheads then it's a little bit of a gamble if you if you square up a couple of ribs or whatever. But if you've taken consideration, you know, I'm I'm a huge fanatic and a huge advocate of a moderate cut mechanical with good blade angle and and and that just for all across the board. You know that just has served me. Well, yeah, well I was on y'all's web side earlier today and seems like you've got just a little bit of everything that someone would want in a broadhead. So if they if if one of our listeners wants to go take a look at what gram Rapers got, where should we send them? Yeah, so check out our website. It's www dot grim Raper Broadheads with an s dot com um. And yeah, like I said, we have one of the most diverse lines of broadheads that exist fixed mechanical hybrid and we also have the largest diversity of cut diameter and grain weight, ranging from seventy five grain clear up to fifty grain with a lot of different configurations. So yeah, really, uh really, an hundred percent paid in the USA all of our products. Yeah, that's a big deal, man, That's it's cool that y'all have been able to you know, be competitive proces wise and have you know that that label of maide in USA, And I'm sure that kind of helps attribute to the do ability and stuff of some of your loom names and stuff like that you're using, uh inferrals and stuff. So it probably helps give you that confidence and you know, gives a hundreds of confidence. It's just cool to see see that. So I applaud you for that, man, and then the uh you know, I just yells long standing uh nature here in the broad aight industry. You know, it's kind of a testament to what you can do. So very cool. Man, Um, do you have a two picked out that you're gonna go kill him one day? Is that kind of the idea that we only need one day from the earlier this season? Or what is the deal? Man? How I wish it? I wish it worked that way. Um. You know, it's certainly a possibility that could happen, and it has happened. But usually the country I'm hunting, you know, it's rough, and it's it's extreme and and it can happen and has happened, but I certainly don't bank on it. But it's it's I won't say it's out of the realm of possibility that that could happen this Saturday, and and I may end up in a in a pickle trying to get a deer out of the mountain and fly to Alaska on So I mean, but if if I do, we'll deal with it. Not we've gotta it's not We've got a pretty long extended season here in Utah for archery, and I'll get after it when I get back. Yeah, not not a bad problem to have if that was to happen. If we're closer, I'd come help you pack out, But I just it's just too far, man. I'm sorry. I'd probably give you guys from Texas maybe some coordinates, but everyone else here locally, we're not going to share that in for me. Cool, Well, next time you want to come down and shoot some of our pound deer, just give us a call, man, We'll put you on them. Like I like all type, yeah, yeah, exactly, hunting, Like I was gonna ask what my favorite hunt is and and uh, generally just say what everyone I'm going on next? That's cool, man, That is awesome. Well, good luck with this next little adventure in Utah and Alaska and good luck the rest of the season. Man. If people want to, you know, kind of maybe check out specifically those hunts and what you're doing, can they can they view that content anywhere? And then you just need to follow Dreamer. I mean, yeah, I do have a personal Instagram pages, Matt thought stop Bateman. Um is my handle on Instagram, and so they can check that out and I'll probably share a little bit of it up on n Grimery for broadheads, Instagram and Facebook pages as well. Um, but yeah, you bet. Hopefully here in a couple of weeks we'll have some pictures of of not just some dead animals, but just the adventure of the beauty of Alaska. It's just amazing and this time of the year, so um, look forward to getting a bunch of good photos and most of all making some great memories with my brother and dad and and one of my best friends. So yeah, yeah, that's bad. The bone Man can't wait to see it. Uh. We're gonna include all that information, including the Grammy for website and stuff, in the show notes down below for listeners. Matt, thank you so much, man, It's cool to get to talk to you and your extensive knowledge abroad hits, but even more just your passion for hunting and uh adventure that goes along with it. So thanks again man, we really pre Yeah, thank you guys. Been been fun and best to luck to you guys this year. Appreciate man. Understanding this stuff is really something I feel I can take my archery game to the next level. Absolutely, man. Guys, make sure you go subscribe to the podcast, leave us a review, and remember this is your element living in

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