CaptainMal
Silver $$ Contributor
50+ years of big game shooting and I'm still learning things. Cartridges like a 270 Winchester with 140 gr. hunting bullets have 1,000 ft. lbs of energy at 700 yards, plow through and leave an exit hole. Now you probably have a blood trail to follow if needed.
Killed lots of deer with 6mm and 25 cal cartridges BUT all but one under 200 yards using tough-jacket bullets. Rarely get an exit hole unless using partition bullets. Rarely care as the animals usually go down from the shock. NOT so this year.
Tried to use 100gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips at 2,900 fps this year. Great shooting but only 1,000 ft. lbs of energy at 350 yards or so. Shot a doe at 400 yards. Shoulder hit knocked it down, gets up, goes, no blood, no hair, no deer.
Shot what looked like an 8 pt at 286 yards behind the shoulder. Jump and run reaction with no hair, no blood, no deer. No evidence of a hit. I hit. Even set up a little medicine bottle at 300 yards and smashed it to smithereens.
Did kill that 14 pt. but less than 100 yards. No exit holes and no blood but dead deer.
I say NEVER use 243/257 cartridges at ranges past 300 yards. There's no energy. Forget those 100gr. Nosler BT's. I'm going to now start trying 115 - 120 gr. Sierra/Hornady bullets to get a load and use in the future. An exit hole is important if the animal is not shocked down at the shot.
Live and learn. It's nice to be alive.
Killed lots of deer with 6mm and 25 cal cartridges BUT all but one under 200 yards using tough-jacket bullets. Rarely get an exit hole unless using partition bullets. Rarely care as the animals usually go down from the shock. NOT so this year.
Tried to use 100gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips at 2,900 fps this year. Great shooting but only 1,000 ft. lbs of energy at 350 yards or so. Shot a doe at 400 yards. Shoulder hit knocked it down, gets up, goes, no blood, no hair, no deer.
Shot what looked like an 8 pt at 286 yards behind the shoulder. Jump and run reaction with no hair, no blood, no deer. No evidence of a hit. I hit. Even set up a little medicine bottle at 300 yards and smashed it to smithereens.
Did kill that 14 pt. but less than 100 yards. No exit holes and no blood but dead deer.
I say NEVER use 243/257 cartridges at ranges past 300 yards. There's no energy. Forget those 100gr. Nosler BT's. I'm going to now start trying 115 - 120 gr. Sierra/Hornady bullets to get a load and use in the future. An exit hole is important if the animal is not shocked down at the shot.
Live and learn. It's nice to be alive.