grim reapers and KE
 

I want to try the new Grim Reaper Whitetail Special, but don't know if I have enough ft lbs of KE? I am shooting 65 lbs, 390 grain arrows including 100 grain head, 27.5" Draw length. I don't know what my speed is so I'm guessing 280 ft/sec. My bow is set at 65 lbs but maxes out at 70 lb's and the IBO speed is 330 ft/Sec. My question is how do I find out my speed without a chronograph and do I have enough power?

Thanks
croc2116

You have plenty of power. I won't shoot anything but the whitetail specials. They are an amazing brodhead

Foxfire66 thanks for response. Which WS do you use razor cut or razor tip?

I've used both and I would say they are both equally as good. If I had to pick though, I'd say razor cuts.

Thanks I can get razor cuts 40 % off, but not the tips.

Honestly...after everything I researched 60ke is really the bottom of the suggested amount for mechanicals...now this is subjective but it is what most will say. You have about 65ke. The whitetail special is a 2inch cutting blade which is quite large...one of the largest. I would want to be pushing more like 75+KE to shoot those, but you will probably be ok for DEER and broadside ONLY shots with little quarting. Personally, id go for the regular reapers 1 3/8ths by 3 blades which is still an awesome CUT and does lots of damage with little to NO fear of penetration issues. ALSO NOTE that the RAZOR Cuts have showed issues with the tips bending...not sure if they fixed that but the RAZOR tips show no issues so I prefer the razor tips. Just my two cents.

thanks Bigeclipse

By the way you could always go with the 1 3/4 for something in between the 1 3/8th and 2 inch cutting...or if you are set on using the 2 inchers...id crank your bow up to 70lbs if you can handle it and still shoot accurate. by the way...most bows max a few pounds over their top...so in your case your bow would probably max out at 72ish pounds if you have 70lb limbs. So...you could potentially increase your draw weight by like 7 pounds giving you even more KE/momentum in your arrows and then I wouldnt be to worried about penetration on deer with the 2 inch whitetail specials.

Shot my first Doe last year with the 2" Grim Reapers at 65 pounds and PSE carbon arrows and got 90% penetration after slicing through a rib. It was a tough angle with her quartering towards me at 12 yards but she only went about 45 to 50 yards. Blood trail in the dark in grass was good.

What draw length are you? Everyone forgets that 1 inch of draw length equates to about 10fps of speed which is similar to 5 pounds of draw weight. So someone with 70lb bow but 27inch draw is similar to 60lb bow with a 29inch draw as long as the bows are similar in IBO speeds.

Also, if you ONLY hit rib and no shoulder bones or leg bones, and you were relatively close to the deer i.e. 35 yards or less...90% penetration is NOT good in my opinion. You should get complete pass throughs at 30yards or less only going through ribs. Either way, you recovered the deer which is GREAT. As stated shot placement will ALWAYS kill a deer even if using a field point. Dont get me wrong I like mechanicals, but id go with the smaller 1 3/8ths for greater penetration or up your KE with greater draw weight.

27 1/2 Draw length very short arrows for me as well. The arrow my have been slowed by the shoulder blade or a rib on exit side. The bow I use is not real fast a PSE Stinger 3G. The big cut may not make a pass through easy but the damage it does with 90% penetration was death to the Deer for sure. I found the arrow on the ground so it may have been almost all the way through and barely hanging on to the hide. Like you said the deer was dead and recovered quickly. The angle also had me pushing through a lot of tissue, the only reason I know it sliced through one rib is because I just happen to notice it while field dressing her.

I shoot a vector turbo ( ibo 340) at 27.5" draw and 70lb draw weight. I push a 415 gr arrow at Approx 285fps. I've never had a single issue with large 2" cut expandable including the whitetail specials performing out to 50 yards (I've never shot a deer farther with a big cut expandable, but have enough confidence to do so if the opportunity arises.) Do I get a complete pass through at that far? No, but I do get an entrance and and exit hole and that's plenty for me. Shoot what you'd like to shoot, know your personal limits, and you'll be just fine.

Do I dare say it? Slide Hammer from New Age Archery Products lol! This is one of the things it was built for. It'll add the extra kinetic energy, force, momentum you seek. It has mass, it moves within the arrow so it has acceleration/velocity. It has almost no effect on arrow speed. Look at the formulas for kinetic energy, force, and definition of momentum there is all your proof.

I am not arguing that he cant use a 2inch cutting diameter or that you cant either. I am just saying that the 1 3/8 does amazing damage and why not go for complete passthroughs. The reason why a complete pass through is important is if you do not get a pass through, the arrow actually helps block the wound cavaty from bleeding which "could" lead to a poor blood trail. If, by chance, the deer was able to run far...you would want the best blood trail possible. Now if you/him are great archers...almost always hitting the double lung shot with little to no shoulder meat involved then by all means shoot the larger cut...but if you are like me, where nerves/buck fever kick in or you take an extreme quartering shot like in your case you have lots of body mass to move through...why not use the 1 3/8ths...now if you are someone fortunate to have 70lb draw weight with 29 inch or more draw length and that ultra high KE then by all means use what you want.

First off, if it was a TOUGH shot with her angling TOWARDS you, then you more than likely should have let her get, broadside, past you, turn or not have taken the shot at all. Thankfully you were able to recover her and at 12 yds, it should have blown through her. Fortunately, it was not a large buck for you more than likely would not recovered that animal.

Second, I have shot 100grn 1-3/8ths cut GrimReappers Razor Cuts since they have came out and have taken from elk to hogs with them. I shoot a Mathews Drenalin at 64lbs, 29-1/2" DL, GT Velocity XT's at 412grns out at 296fps.
Up till this past year I have not failed to recover an animal shot with these BH's and have pass throughs, with most as GrimReaper state, "Watch em drop". I lost a doe due to too high of entry and hit shoulder socket on far side, failing to exit.
I have taken literaly 100's of animals, hogs, bear and deer mainly, with them. I have tried the Razor Tips and agree with Big Eclipse, they do and will follow heavy bone or on a long angle, follow the bone and exit other than where they were intended. Main thing is to have enough kenetic energy as you are speaking of and I agree that you do. I have the 2" GR WT and they were only for turkeys. I feel that if l were shooting a heavier arrow, I would go to them for more kenetic energy.

you shouldnt have any problems with the whitetail specials there design makes them have great penetration for an expandable broadhead they are great