A hit or... what ?

[Just Say Moe]

Several years ago, I shot at a nice buck right behind the shoulder at 200 yds with my usual 300 H&H mag load with 180grain Ballistic tips. I have killed many deer with this same load - mostly bang flops and the one that wasn't had a massive blood trail. The deer trotted off with his tail tucked. I waited an hour only to find no hint of a hit - no blood, no hair - nothing. A while later I started the circle search pattern and found him only about 30 yds away from where he stood. He only had a few drops of blood dripping from his nose. When I skinned him, the bullet had center punched a rib going in but did not exit. Lungs were a mess. I heard a thump in the gut bucket but never found the bullet. This is the only time I haven't had an exit with that load.

 

[Joe Maisto]

Several years ago, I shot at a nice buck right behind the shoulder at 200 yds with my usual 300 H&H mag load with 180grain Ballistic tips. I have killed many deer with this same load - mostly bang flops and the one that wasn't had a massive blood trail. The deer trotted off with his tail tucked. I waited an hour only to find no hint of a hit - no blood, no hair - nothing. A while later I started the circle search pattern and found him only about 30 yds away from where he stood. He only had a few drops of blood dripping from his nose. When I skinned him, the bullet had center punched a rib going in but did not exit. Lungs were a mess. I heard a thump in the gut bucket but never found the bullet. This is the only time I haven't had an exit with that load.

For me, if I have an opportunity to place a shot on a standing animal, I will always go for the lungs . They can't run more than a few feet if they cannot breath. No wasted meat either.

 

[Lonny in ID]

My assumption from seeing the same reaction is you killed that buck.

 

[Bc'z]

For me, if I have an opportunity to place a shot on a standing animal, I will always go for the lungs . They can't run more than a few feet if they cannot breath. No wasted meat either.

True, but a high shoulder hit dumps them where they stand, and your only giving up a few lbs of burger.

I double lunged my buck this year with an arrow, bled internally bottle of peroxide and 2.5 hours on my hands and knees tracking and marking blood in some of the thickest briar patches to recover him.
Wife dumped hers in its tracks in some steep country with 1 shot high on the shoulder.
Same for my buddies 6 point bull, dead where he stood, high shoulder hit.
No tracking involved.

 

[jakelly]

My first choice is the high shoulder shot. I also rate the neck shot very highly. I also like and use head shots though, so handle my opinions with care .

 

[Joe Maisto]

My assumption from seeing the same reaction is you killed that buck.

Thank you for your thoughts. I will live with that memory until my last days on this planet. Primarily, because I have taken my share of whitetail in WI. since the 60's, but they are almost always a smaller animal with perhaps 6 point or so. Only one other time have I seen one this large with a rack like no other.... and he died of old age, in Buffalo county in WI. Not a hole in him anywhere, and bloated up as well, with a rack like the one that prompted this inquiry. Later on at the ranger station, someone had this buck on their truck, ( obviously for the horns) . I have to assume you had an experience like mine, or at least have heard of another that came straight up off the ground as though there was a harness around him, and he was being lifted by a crane.