Swhacker or Grim reaper?

[JW]

I agree with almost every post. At 55#'s, it would be better to shoot a smaller expandable or something like the Slick Tricks in an 1 1/8" fixed BH. If your bow is tuned you should have no problem with the Tricks. I shoot a broadhead called the Smoke Ramcat which is an 1 3/8" fixed blade BH. It flies like a field point for me out to 60 yards. You will kill every animal you shoot at with a Rage or Grim Reaper, but on a marginal hit, with that draw weight and trying to opne a big diameter expandable, it is going to be very suspect to a lack of penetration. I have gone from being a speed freak shooting almost every mechanical known to man to shooting a heavy arrow and fixed blades, even looking at going to a COC single bevel head soon. Read Dr. Ashby's post on BH penetration and it will make you think.

Cha ching!!!

[BOHICA]

I have experienced the same carnage with the 100 grain 2 blade Rage, the key to any shot is the placement, most BH's leave great blood trails when you hit the pump station, IMO the key to being successful is having your bow set up for you and that you are comfortable and repeatable each and every shot, if that is at 55Lbs or at 80lbs it doesn't really matter as long as you are comfortable and have practiced with that set up.
Don't get hung up on draw weight and speed, it can lead to a bad setup and less accurate shots.
Just an opinion and you know what they say about them

[SabineRR]

Okay well I'm not a major fan of fixed broadheads. I have shot the thunderheads and another type that I don't know the name of. They are very inaccurate and left hardly any blood trails. That's why I was looking to pick up a few new ones before my ram hunt at Diamond C this summer.

[Mudslinger]

If the Thunderheads were inaccurate, then there is a good likelyhood that your bow is not tuned and even with mechancials, arrow flight will not be good and at 55 #'s, that could really hamper penetration. Blood trails are a direct occurance of correct shot placement. There are times that a perfect shot will not produce a good blood trail, but rarely. You should probbly go to a pro shop and find out if your bow is tuned or not, get it tuned if needed and pick a good BH recommended by the pro shop (fixed or a COC preferably) and get to shooting the broadheads for practice. You need to have confidence in you equipment and your ability to use that equipment before you go on that hunt. It does not matter what bow, sights, rest sights, arrows or broadheads you are using, but everything has to work together properly and you have to put a good shot on the animal. With your draw weight, you are pushing the use of mechanicals on a poorly placed shot or any contact with bone. Do not take this as bashing you, just things you need to check to get things right with your set up.

[ProV1]

I concur, Your bow needs to be tuned by a professional. If your not shooting fixed boradheads well, your not going to shoot mechanicals well. Just because they are all the rage, pun intended, does not mean they are instant death. What they will do is make a better blood trail and help them bleed out quicker. If you hit them somewhere that is not a bleeding vital they are still going to get away. The best tune jobs I have seen have been done by Jerry at RBO, he will set up your bow to your arrow and your broadhead, not the other way around. Switch broadheads and you maybe off again, but not by as much as you were with an untuned bow. My broadheads and fieldpoint fly identicle, and they do it becuase Jerry set it up to do it.

[ExtremeHunter80]

I would just like to add that I'm in the stand trying out some new grim reapers as we speak. I comparing it to a rage, no better time than on a pig. Hopefully one will roll in. By the way, I'm shooting a z7 extreme with a 70# draw and 28.5" draw length. I think I'll be good with the 100 grain grim reaper on a 350 grain arrow, right?

[SabineRR]

I concur, Your bow needs to be tuned by a professional. If your not shooting fixed boradheads well, your not going to shoot mechanicals well. Just because they are all the rage, pun intended, does not mean they are instant death. What they will do is make a better blood trail and help them bleed out quicker. If you hit them somewhere that is not a bleeding vital they are still going to get away. The best tune jobs I have seen have been done by Jerry at RBO, he will set up your bow to your arrow and your broadhead, not the other way around. Switch broadheads and you maybe off again, but not by as much as you were with an untuned bow. My broadheads and fieldpoint fly identicle, and they do it becuase Jerry set it up to do it.

Thanks for the input. However Jerry is about an hour and a half away. There is a pro shop pretty close to my house that I will most likely visit this week and see what they can do. And about the tuning, I set up everything on my own. I ordered all of my parts online except for my drop away rest. My field tip practice is excellent but when I switch to my broadheads, its a different story.

[Mudslinger]

Field points will normally fly and group even with the bow being untuned. If you put a broadhead on the arrow, make sure it has no wobble when you put it on the shaft, and it does not shoot with the field points, then the bow probably needs tuning. Get it to the shop and tell them the problems you may or are having and let them help you get the bow tuned.

[ProV1]

Thanks for the input. However Jerry is about an hour and a half away. There is a pro shop pretty close to my house that I will most likely visit this week and see what they can do. And about the tuning, I set up everything on my own. I ordered all of my parts online except for my drop away rest. My field tip practice is excellent but when I switch to my broadheads, its a different story.

Jerry is a little over an hour from me. Only guy that touches my bow, worth the drive. But no matter what you do, get that bad boy in the shop.

[Rather_B_Fishin]

Like stated before if your bow ain't tuned it won't shoot good. As far a a fix blade not leaving a good blood trail means it's not sharp or the shot was not where it was suppose to be. If it's sharp and thru the heart and lungs with 2 holes they will leave a trail a blind man could follow! One reason alot of people use a big mechanical is it helps when the shots a not as good and the big 2.5 in holes will usually still cut the vitals. But in my opinion for what it's worth I'd shoot a good fix blade with your KE and get a complete pass thru instead of a 2 in hole with only 6 in of penetration.

[ProV1]

Like stated before if your bow ain't tuned it won't shoot good. As far a a fix blade not leaving a good blood trail means it's not sharp or the shot was not where it was suppose to be. If it's sharp and thru the heart and lungs with 2 holes they will leave a trail a blind man could follow! One reason alot of people use a big mechanical is it helps when the shots a not as good and the big 2.5 in holes will usually still cut the vitals. But in my opinion for what it's worth I'd shoot a good fix blade with your KE and get a complete pass thru instead of a 2 in hole with only 6 in of penetration.

I get complete pass throughs with reapers, my poundage ain't much high than the OP. But my bow, arrow, and head were setup by Jerry. All I got to do is make the shot, not worried about the rest.

[JW]

You can professionally tune your bow youself. You just gotta learn to do it. Best way is to dive in head first. You'll get it. Its how i learned to do it over 20 years ago. It aint rocket science.

[J-J Matt]

My wife shoots the 40KE rages at 50lbs. and does fine with them, but the best bet would probably be using a good fixed blade like a slick trick or a montec.

[SabineRR]

You can professionally tune your bow youself. You just gotta learn to do it. Best way is to dive in head first. You'll get it. Its how i learned to do it over 20 years ago. It aint rocket science.

X2 I watched a few videos online and read some articles. Once I get home I going to give my thunderheads another try and see what I can do about tuning.

[JW]

X2 I watched a few videos online and read some articles. Once I get home I going to give my thunderheads another try and see what I can do about tuning.

I do 99% of the work on my bow. I will let Donnie Pickard at precision do a thing or two. Richard Guaido change my string and maybe tie me some of those kool little cat whiskers he ties. Nobody touches my bow as far as tuning and nobody and i mean nobody ties my d-loops. Ive had to retie several for folks that have had em tied by shops that are mention on here all the time. Its real easy to tie em wrong if you're not paying attention. Also not one living soul fletches my arrows but me!

Still think you will be much happier with a slick trick mag than a 1-3/8 reaper. The st mag has more linier cut than the 1-3/8 reaper. And i guarantee you the blood trails from the 1-3/8 reaper will not be better. Actually not as good. Now an 1-3/4 Reaper or the 2", different story. But i would shoot those at that setup myself.