95gr sst on deer

[cheek9075]

Loading 95 gr sst in a rem 700 .243 for deer hunting. Using h4350, not sure of speed. Shot 2 deer with them, first was about 50 yards dropped in its tracks, second about 100 yards ran about 50 yards. Issue is no exit and no blood trail. Looks like the went in and exploded, both shot in shoulder area. I read these are good bullets for deer, but I would expect an exit and blood trail.

Any input on these bullets?

 

[Tommie]

Sounds pretty typical of that bullet's usual performance. They generally result in 100% energy dump.

 

[284winner]

Not typically enough weight to exit a deer. Although not a huge animal, a 6mm projectile does not have much weight to carry thru such a big animal. Partition, accubond, etc will not exit typically either in that weight/caliber combo. It just gets the job done.

 

[AckleymanII]

They are great bullets for deer, on the tougher side. They will shoot through both shoulders and good on quartering shots. Friend in New Zealand shoots them on those big deer they have, would rather fight than switch.

Hornady 100g btsp offer a little bit better blood trail, but it depends on the distance and shot placement.

More speed gets you more trauma, try R#26 with a 215 primer, you will be shocked at the speed. I have shot a lot of deer with the 95g partitions, they don't always leave a blood trail either.

What size deer are you talking about?

 

[MrMajestic]

If you're able, stay off the shoulder and put it in the crease a bit lower than center. Should give you your desired results. JMHO

 

[284winner]

I've shot deer with them out of a 270 win and found the bullet just under the skin on the opposite shoulder. It did the job just as it was suppose to do. Deer are roughly 170-200 lbs live weight. Some bigger some smaller. Just saying results vary. Don't expect exact results on every deer. People try berger HVLDs one time and don't like the results and bash the heck out of them. I think using them on a few deer before deciding there effectiveness is appropriate. I've done the same with mechanical broadheads. Tried them and sometimes they do well, other times not so much. I've gathered thru experience different results using the exact bullet hitting a deer in almost the same spot. Some come apart some don't. Some make it thru but most don't. It depends on speed, weight and impact location. Bone or only flesh penetration. Tons of variables.

 

[FatBoy]

A buddy of mine took a 3 year old cull 6pt Friday night. Dressed out a touch over 135#. 180gr Federal soft point in a 30-06 at 114 yards. Entered through the lower right cage on the right side and stopped just under the skin in the neck crease on the left side.

Now, this deer piled up in its tracks, but for a 30-06 that close with that heavy a bullet to not exit surprised me. Especially since he hit no bone.

I am relatively new to hunting. only been out regular for the last three years. I am still torn as to the kind of bullets I prefer. Due to the terrain we have in North Central TN, tracking with no blood trail is tough. I prefer that they drop in their tracks but generally the bullets that cause this type of trauma don't exit and produce little to no blood.

Not sure what the answer is. Currently I do run NBTs in both 243 and 308. They have both taken clean kills with either DRT results or maybe 30 yards death walks. That said, these were surgically placed shots, which is why I like the bullets. How would they work on a larger animal with a high shoulder hit? For this reason I have some Berger classic hunters on the shelf, and will be looking for some solids to test as well.

On the subject of solids, I switched to Barnes T-EZ in my muzzle loader this year. I switched because though super accurate, I had two pass throughs with zero expansion on TC Shockwaves last year. Both got the job done, but both deer ran off leaving zero blood out of the body, even with broken shoulders. ZERO expansion at 33 and 37 yards. T-EZ resulted in two dropping in their tracks and one went 30 feet and piled up. No blood trail, but none needed. Recovered all the bullets just under the skin on the far side. 247.1gr of 250 weight retention.

So, that's a long, only semi-relevant story with the moral of " not sure". I don't know that there is a right answer, short of using too much gun. And what's too much? If a 30-06 at 100 yards isn't too much, what is?

 

[MrMajestic]

Lest we forget, "Shot placement is King, adequate penetration is Queen and the rest is just dancing on the head of a pin".

 

[swd]

If your looking for pass throughs either go to a harder bullet or slow them down. I shoot 95 Partitions out of a 6x45 at 2550 and always get pass throughs with nicely shredded lungs and heart and lots of blood. Is my little 6x45 a better cartridge than a 243 or 30-06, no, the bullet just matches the speed for the performance I want.
Push them fast and open them up fast with less penetration unless the bullet is a tough one. It doesn't matter if it's a 243 or a 300 Mag it's all the same...

 

[dragman]

Stay off shoulder and they are awesome. it's placement but great bullet

 

[wedgy]

I have to shoot copper here in CA and have shot a truckload of pigs with Barnes and others in 90-100 grain, I always have pass thru but I stay just behind the shoulder. Looking to transfer more energy to the animal I dropped down to the 80 grain TTSX and am pushing them at ~3400fps taking a deer 190yds and a pig 150 yds broadside so far.(200 lb size, notbig boars or mule deer) Both right behind the shoulder, pass thru with a golf ball hole exit. Both dropped on the spot and kicked for a few seconds which is unusual for a pig, they tend to run a 100+ yards with no heart, lungs, or blood. I think it hits so hard it stuns the CNS, knocks the wind out or whatever. I don't like shooting lighter bullets for long range but inside 400 yards I think the faster lighter solids are hard to beat, and will still penetrate if you do hit bone.
On another note if you haven't tried Reloder 26 in this cartridge you are missing the best powder available, I added 400fps on the Berger 105's, going past 3400fps on a 26" 7 twist with no pressure. There are plenty of threads on it, most think their chrono is broken. I was looking into an Ackley version of .243 but with RL26 I don't need it. Truly amazing stuff.

 

[cheek9075]

Thanks for the replies. Both where just behind the shoulder (not hitting shoulder). Went in chest cavity and hit ribs/shoulders on the other side. It did it's job, but thought there would be at least a little blood from the one that ran. Both where about 150lb deer.

 

['Freak]

Keep your hits still within the goody but low and get a quicker fill to the level of the blow hole.

 

[GotRDid]

+1 on the Barnes TSX/TTSX, Hornady GMX, or Nosler E-Tip.
The below Buck was taken with a 165 TSX/.308 Win, 2,640 FPS - 20" bbl at approx 60 yds in the thickets of Anderson Co, KY, Nov 13. I have yet to have one stop in an animal. He made it 20 yds in a millisecond, but dead on his feet.
Placement is everything.
GotRDid.

 

[cheek9075]

Wish we had them that big where I live!!! Shot placement is everything, just want to be sure the right bullet is being used.

 

[284winner]

Wish we had them that big where I live!!! Shot placement is everything, just want to be sure the right bullet is being used.

Kentucky used to be a sleeper state but with all the outdoor channels showing off KY for big whitetails, it is pretty well known for monsters. Too bad. VA has some whoppers, just depends on what area of VA. The Ohio border has some huge bucks. Whoops, I'm thinking W.VA. Sorry.

 

[coyotedoc3]

I have had great luck with 95 grain SST's. I have 2 boys and that is all they have ever used on deer. They have killed deer with single shots anywhere between 50 yards and 360 yards without ever losing one, but rarely have the bullets passed through. Honestly, I haven't ever had much of a blood trail, but nothing has ran more than 50 yards. Shot placement as always is key. Here are 2 pictures from this weekend. Muley shot at 200 yards through front shoulder. Whitetail shot at 360 yards behind front shoulder...bullet found under the skin on the back side (this bullet weighed 49.5 grains w/ good expansion). I can say they pass through a coyote at 500 yards though as my 13 year old proved this weekend....lol.

 

[WyleWD]

If you're able, stay off the shoulder and put it in the crease a bit lower than center. Should give you your desired results. JMHO

+1

They are good bullets for deer. At the distances you shot these at I'm only mildly surprised that you didn't get an exit wound. Two observations, the perfect bullet has yet to be made, and you did get two deer without losing them. JMO. WD

 

[GotRDid]

I have had great luck with 95 grain SST's. I have 2 boys and that is all they have ever used on deer. They have killed deer with single shots anywhere between 50 yards and 360 yards without ever losing one, but rarely have the bullets passed through. Honestly, I haven't ever had much of a blood trail, but nothing has ran more than 50 yards. Shot placement as always is key. Here are 2 pictures from this weekend. Muley shot at 200 yards through front shoulder. Whitetail shot at 360 yards behind front shoulder...bullet found under the skin on the back side (this bullet weighed 49.5 grains w/ good expansion). I can say they pass through a coyote at 500 yards though as my 13 year old proved this weekend....lol.View attachment 994413 View attachment 994411 View attachment 994412

Outstanding!!!!
GotRDid.