Deer loads/ blood trails advise.

[Downeast]

After going back and reading this thread one important point not mentioned is not taking the shot. I let a lot of nice deer walk every year simply because conditions weren't right. Bad angle, distance, terrain, wind, light (or darkness) and so forth. I don't want to risk wounding an animal and having to track it or possibly even losing it. There's always another day and another deer.

 

[Bat Rastard]

Same as many others. It's not the bullet. It's the placement. I've taken over 2800 deer with my handguns. I almost always do high shoulder, 4" below top of back. This gets part of the spine & results in instant drops. I hate chasing deer!!

I am very interested in how you have had the opportunity to shoot that many deer. That's a LOT of deer!

 

[ohlongarmisle]

As I read all the comments, it seems that everyone describes the shot they make broadside and describe shooting the point of the shoulder; but is that the front point, the rear point, or the top of the shoulder blade? I have put many people in deer stands and always tried to analyze their mistakes and successes. The most common mistake I saw was people not figuring the angle the deer was from their line of sight. I.e. where the bullet would enter and the direction of travel through the body. An example is a deer looking like he is broadside, but he is actually angled slightly so his hind end is left of the line of sight, resulting in a gut shot deer, but missing the heart, liver and lungs because the shooter shot the same place he would shoot on a perpendicular broadside shot.

I have found that head shots can be disastrous.

Add to that that there are so many ways to hunt deer. Here in the south, you are often in a stand that allows bracing like shooting off of a bench. Other times a ground blind, tree climber, or some other type of hide that requires ability to shoot from less steady rests. Then, throw in low light situations that demand a good scope. I have come to really like center dot illuminated scopes.

So instead of rambling I will let this website I found demonstrate what I mean. It's not perfect, but it does depict angles. I wish someone would design a computer simulation allowing someone to see a deer's vitals and visualize where you need to aim to hit vitals.


Where to Shoot a Deer

Disastrous for the deerIi shot over 50 this summer on nuisance permits,all headshots 22 long rifle CCI Velocitor every single one dropped in its tracks,DRT.

 

[Konocti's Wigwam]

I am very interested in how you have had the opportunity to shoot that many deer. That's a LOT of deer!

Well, if you take 100 deer per year, it will only take 28 years. Let's say you take 50 a year. This would roughly be 1 deer a month for 50 years of persistence...then it will take 56 years. Or let's say you only took 1 deer a month. Then it would only take 230 years.

OTOH, maybe @WV Hitman made a typo, it happens to all of us.

But I agree, I'd like to know how those 2800 break down.That's a lot of venison however you look at it! My hat is off to the Hitman in WV.

 

[ohlongarmisle]

Well, if you take 100 deer per year, it will only take 28 years. Let's say you take 50 a year. This would roughly be 1 deer a month for 50 years of persistence...then it will take 56 years. Or let's say you only took 1 deer a month. Then it would only take 230 years.

OTOH, maybe @WV Hitman made a typo, it happens to all of us.

But I agree, I'd like to know how those 2800 break down.That's a lot of venison however you look at it! My hat is off to the Hitman in WV.

I killed over 250 in the last year, so dependent on his scenario it's a possibility,200 were taken by me on the citywide deer control program of which i'm an assigned sniper,50 this summer on nuisance permits. I start shooting October first till March 15,so with a little luck I could ad on another 100+

 

[Konocti's Wigwam]

I killed over 250 in the last year, so dependent on his scenario it's a possibility,200 were taken by me on the citywide deer control program of which i'm an assigned sniper,50 this summer on nuisance permits. I start shooting October first till March 15,so with a little luck I could ad on another 100+

That's good info. If you could keep that rate up for 11 years, you'd meet that number.

So what you're saying is that it's like plowin' 'em down in a heli? Do you shoot at night with a thermal? Were the 200 taken over the entire year? Even so, 50 over the summer is some dead venison. That's fascinating. In California, the majority of deer AND hogs are taken on private land. To the point that the game gets smart and stays on the private land, they seem to know where they get shot at. Bear are very much like that, photographic memory. I've heard they remember where they find food.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I would like to know if these are the new core-lok (tipped)?

 

[ncageneral]

I'm not a cull hunter, but have many years of doing this, a bullet that makes two holes will bleed out fast. I always want a bullet that enters and exits. You will have those that say the bullet needs to dump all the energy into the target, I contend that the bullet needs to exit and make two holes. That one entry hole will only bleed after it fills with blood. Two holes bleed better. Just my opinion after all these years.

 

[ohlongarmisle]

That's good info. If you could keep that rate up for 11 years, you'd meet that number.

So what you're saying is that it's like plowin' 'em down in a heli? Do you shoot at night with a thermal? Were the 200 taken over the entire year? Even so, 50 over the summer is some dead venison. That's fascinating. In California, the majority of deer AND hogs are taken on private land. To the point that the game gets smart and stays on the private land, they seem to know where they get shot at. Bear are very much like that, photographic memory. I've heard they remember where they find food.

We shoot days only over bait usually,as far as the nuisance permits every deer is utilized by Amish not one goes to waste, same with the citywide deer management. Every deer was picked up by residents who are on a list,you get 20 minutes to respond and get your deer, after that we move on to the next.Not one deer in any scenario was wasted.

 

[jwv2001]

In California, the majority of deer AND hogs are taken on private land. To the point that the game gets smart and stays on the private land, they seem to know where they get shot at.

Also, coyotes will just stand there and watch you drive by. Once the car stops, they turn on the afterburner and get the hell out of there. Slob hunters, worse than the anti-gun crowd. Give true hunters a bad name.

 

[ohlongarmisle]

I'm not a cull hunter, but have many years of doing this, a bullet that makes two holes will bleed out fast. I always want a bullet that enters and exits. You will have those that say the bullet needs to dump all the energy into the target, I contend that the bullet needs to exit and make two holes. That one entry hole will only bleed after it fills with blood. Two holes bleed better. Just my opinion after all these years.

That doesn't apply then to two legged animals, most shot where the bullet doesn't exit generally are either doa,or succumb before getting medical treatment. I'll take one well placed shot that doesn't exit every time. Your individual results may vary, or be different.

 

[Knotwild]

Disastrous for the deerIi shot over 50 this summer on nuisance permits,all headshots 22 long rifle CCI Velocitor every single one dropped in its tracks,DRT.

And I have seen them with the bottom jaw destroyed, not found dead, but wandering around as if they were begging for someone to kill them because they couldn't eat or drink. I'm glad for your success, but it will make some who are incapable try it; and fail. Plus, it's not good to encourage people to try something that is illegal.

 

[std7mag]

I've witnessed 2 different people put at least 5 Corelokts in a deer to kill it.
One a 300 Savage, the other a 30-06.

I have 2 bullets that I grab for my deer hunting.

The first is the Nosler Ballistic Tip.
40 years of deer hunting with multiple calibers/cartridges.
Broad side shots right at the crease of the front leg. Never had a deer go more than 20 yards.

The second is the Berger VLD.
Again multiple calibers and cartridges.
You don't NEED an exit wound to find a deer when it's within 20 yards. And believe me, even though you only get a caliber sized entrance hole, a heart shot throws blood out like you shot a can of red paint.
I've never had an exit with the VLD.

Daughter with my 257 Roberts using a 115gr VLD dropped a nice 6 point for her first deer.
Distance was 70 ish yards.
"Deer fluffed up, went straight legged and fell over".

 

[XTR]

Double lung shots Through the rib cage but behind the heart kills them in 75 yds plus or minus (I’ve seen it drop them is as little as 25 with my muzzle loader) but the blood tends to pool in the rib cage till they flop. I’ve noticed that the blood trail has a lot to do with how high the exit wound is on the side. Lower the hit, the more blood On the ground.

 

[drop_point]

Barnes TTSX is going to pass through and give good blood trails.

 

[AckleymanII]

Speed is a killer. I went to 110g Sierra Spt and 110g Barnes TTSX at 3300 in the 270 on my short range deer rifle. I get pass thoughs with the 110g Sierra on broadside shots and from all angles with the 110g TTSX. Many lung shot deer drop at the shot, but as a general rule, lung shot deer will run. Shoulder shots rule the day on dropping deer.

ON the 30/06, I like the Speer BTSP for dropping deer in their tracks.

 

[284winner]

I've been using 130 core lokt PSP ammo in my Browning BAR (.270)for decades. Haven't had one deer NOT DRT with that round. Obviously shot placement means everything. I've shot them in the front shoulder everytime and the bullet is always found in the hide on the opposite shoulder. No blood trail necessary. Same success with the 308 win with 150s.

 

[ohlongarmisle]

And I have seen them with the bottom jaw destroyed, not found dead, but wandering around as if they were begging for someone to kill them because they couldn't eat or drink. I'm glad for your success, but it will make some who are incapable try it; and fail. Plus, it's not good to encourage people to try something that is illegal.

People have been killing/poaching deer and game forever it will never stop,unfortunately I can't bear responsibility for other peoples misdeeds. I do hear what your saying though I've taken well over 100 on nuisance permits, no wounded animals not even one.

 

[drop_point]

Speed is a killer. I went to 110g Sierra Spt and 110g Barnes TTSX at 3300 in the 270 on my short range deer rifle. I get pass thoughs with the 110g Sierra on broadside shots and from all angles with the 110g TTSX. Many lung shot deer drop at the shot, but as a general rule, lung shot deer will run. Shoulder shots rule the day on dropping deer.

ON the 30/06, I like the Speer BTSP for dropping deer in their tracks.

I use the 130 gr TTSX in .308 Win at 3100 FPS. Its wonderful!

 

[Knotwild]

People have been killing/poaching deer and game forever it will never stop,unfortunately I can't bear responsibility for other peoples misdeeds. I do hear what your saying though I've taken well over 100 on nuisance permits, no wounded animals

People have been killing/poaching deer and game forever it will never stop,unfortunately I can't bear responsibility for other peoples misdeeds. I do hear what your saying though I've taken well over 100 on nuisance permits, no wounded animals not even one.

I understand your point. Culling deer is usually an entirely different experience than normal hunting conditions. I've thinned the deer population under permit too. But I have experienced things like bullets that did not perform as expected. Then there is the unexpected to deal with too.

Keep up the good work. I've come dislike deer over the years.