Lost Deer

dennishoddy · Nov 26, 2019

I recovered this bullet from the neck of a deer I killed. When I hung it up to skin, saw what I thought was a lesion of some sort on the skin causing some concern that the deer may have been sick.
As I peeled the skin off, the bullet that had been trapped under the skin fell out.
Appeared to be shot the year before because everything was healed.
Someone thought they missed.

RidgeHunter · Nov 26, 2019

Impossible! Drops 'em every time I hear.

Nah to be serious everyone knows what type of guy I'm talking about and it's not a guy doing what Chenry does and sniping the vertebrate behind the skull with a proven rifle. It's the casual rifle hunter taking a shot he has low confidence about in the first place, with a gun he'd be lucky to group 6" with off a bench, and aiming for the general "neck" because he has always heard tell it's all or nothing to aim there. No wounding chance. DRT or miss. I've heard that all my life from guys I know can't shoot paper well much less one of the smallest kill zones on a moving game animal.

Same guys that take head shots and end up shooting lower jaws off deer. Some of the worst shooters have the worst shot ideas they have rationalized as being the safe option. If you're shooter hats off to ya and go for it. I'd sure like to see a randomly drawn selection of rifle tag holders shoot a 3 shot group in a couple different positions though. Forum of gun enthusiasts may forget how bad some people and their rigs shoot. Most hunters are not particularly great shots. Most hunters need to aim where they have the highest percentage of killing the animal even if they are off by several inches.

Okie4570 · Nov 27, 2019

What caliber was that Dennis?

DRC458 · Nov 27, 2019

Okie4570 said:
What caliber was that Dennis?

Yours?

Okie4570 · Nov 27, 2019

DRC458 said:
Yours?

No way, I don't miss................

Looks like a cast bullet almost? Nothing to compare size with and was curious.

Oklahomabassin · Nov 27, 2019

dennishoddy said:
I recovered this bullet from the neck of a deer I killed. When I hung it up to skin, saw what I thought was a lesion of some sort on the skin causing some concern that the deer may have been sick.
As I peeled the skin off, the bullet that had been trapped under the skin fell out.
Appeared to be shot the year before because everything was healed.
Someone thought they missed.

That is really smashed out for a neck shot and not have a pass through. I wonder if it was a secondary hit after a pass through of another deer. Even .22 rimfire doesn't flatten out like that in soft tissue.

swampratt · Nov 27, 2019

Could have passed through a soft tree and into the deer.
Interesting for sure.
My buddy shot deer with his 30-30 many times and I had to find the deer.
I almost hate that round. so slow and minimal expansion.
I ended up making him shoot a lot more and hung balloons with water in a tree on low hanging branches 200 yards away and kept the sizes at 5" or less diameter.

We would have competitions who could hit all the balloons the quickest. Some hung on the right side of the trunk and some on the left.
Fun stuff and it along with other ways to practice shooting improved his shooting and the fact i told him quit feeding the coyotes.

Take a good shot not a willy nilly shot the deer will be back if you do not have a good shot.

He shoots 55gr v-max now out of an AR and has not lost a deer since. And has not had to track any when shot with that bullet.

DRC458 · Nov 27, 2019

Okie4570 said:
No way, I don't miss................ Looks like a cast bullet almost? Nothing to compare size with and was curious.

Agreed. Does appear to maybe be a cast bullet. Even if all of the jacket is peeled away, you generally still see some indication of the petals where it mushroomed. And, yeah, come on @dennishoddy , is it closer to a .22 or a 50 cal?!?!?!

CHenry · Nov 27, 2019

swampratt said:
I almost hate that round. so slow and minimal expansion.

Not in a 110 grain hollow point. I was making reloads for mine years ago for prairy dogs in western NE and I was poping them at 175 yards. Nothing left but a nose and tail. LOL I forget the speed I was getting but It was impressive.
They also have a 55 grain sabot I'm going to try and reload. Just not sure about reloading a sabot.
check em out. That would be a 4200 fps round ina 30-06
https://www.eabco.net/Accelerator-Type-Sabots-for-30-Caliber-Cartridges-100_p_13645.html

swampratt · Nov 27, 2019

My dads buddy was shooting 110 HP bullets from his 30-30 that he made when I was a kid. He is the guy I got my 1947 Dodge truck from.
I did get some 125gr HP bullets but have not shot a deer with them.
I keep reaching for the gun that always shoots the same hot or cold day after day fouled or clean it will stick the bullet in the same spot on the first shot.
223 savage Axis.
That gun has spoiled me.
I just changed the scope on it the other day and I am right on at 100 and 3/4" low at 200.
No excuses if I miss.
Fun pecking squirrels off.
I never been on a prairie dog shoot ..I bet that was fun.

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