Hoarding The Stuff We Use Daily.

[fishinwrench]

24 minutes ago, Seth said:

People act like thin skinned deer are tough to kill.

Not hard to kill, but I've had that familiar thought of....."Dang, I hope I can find this one"......more than once.  And always when using fast/small caliber rounds.  Everything I've shot with .30 up to shotgun slug size has collapsed immediately, although I can't claim the numbers some of you do.  I've only killed 23 (I think) total with guns. None of them were exceptionally big.  

I've never not found a deer, but I don't like that feeling.    I gave up bowhunting because of it.   I did lose a Turkey once that was hit 6-8" low with a broadhead.  

[Johnsfolly]

We have a .308 and .243 that both kill deer. But they don't get out much anymore. Been hunting private land in MO before we left and now here in MD where they don't want rifles used. So it has been about 9 years since I have shot a deer with the .308 and Sue was the last to use the .243 eight years ago. (Thought Pete might read this post so added a photo 😅) - We have a bunch of ammo for both and for our .22 rifles.

[Seth]

5 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Not hard to kill, but I've had that familiar thought of....."Dang, I hope I can find this one"......more than once.  And always when using fast/small caliber rounds.  Everything I've shot with .30 up to shotgun slug size has collapsed immediately, although I can't claim the numbers some of you do.  I've only killed 23 (I think) total with guns. None of them were exceptionally big.  

I've never not found a deer, but I don't like that feeling.    I gave up bowhunting because of it.   I did lose a Turkey once that was hit 6-8" low with a broadhead.  

Sounds like you may rush your tracking jobs. Honestly, rifle hit deer rarely last long though. If you hit lung or liver area with a high powered rifle, they will be donzo in a hurry. There's a lot more going on that can lead to a less than perfect shot with bow hunting and that's where knowing when to back out and let a deer have time to die really pays off. There are a bunch of deer lost each year to this. I was guilty of doing it when I was younger myself. It's just one of those things that you develop (or hopefully develop) as you gain more experience.

[Seth]

I took this guy with a .243 in Nov 2011. In fact, I think it may be the last deer I have taken with a .243 as I bought a new .270 the following year and started using it. The bullet entered just behind the shoulder and exited the back lung/liver area on the side facing the camera. The deer made it about 50 yards and piled up. He's not a small deer by any means either. A .243 with a 100gr bullet is hell on whitetails as long as you don't have to worry about hitting brush. It doesn't take much to deflect a bullet like that.

[nomolites]

3 minutes ago, Seth said:

Sounds like you may rush your tracking jobs. Honestly, rifle hit deer rarely last long though. There's a lot more going on that can lead to a less than perfect shot with bow hunting and that's where knowing when to back out and let a deer have time to die really pays off. There are a bunch of deer lost each year to this. I was guilty of doing it when I was younger myself. It's just one of those things that you develop (or hopefully develop) as you gain more experience.

Could not agree more Seth, I love bow hunting and it is critical to look and listen carefully immediately after and then give deer time to settle after the shot.  If there is any question about placement, back out and wait.  That is equally important to setting up for and making a good shot…and a good shot is a close shot, I don’t give a dang how far away I can hit a target.

Mike

[JestersHK]

Deer aren't some mythical creature as Seth said.  Put one in the vitals and it's up to you to find them.   My daughter's first deer she hit perfectly with a 300BO. Still took us over an hour in the rain to find it and it only went 40 yards in the opposite direction we were looking for it.  Looked like a bomb went off inside and it was dead on its feet. 

My buck I shot this year I hit right behind the shoulder and knocked him down hard with the 270. I'm glad he stayed down as there was no blood and no exit hole as the bullet buried into opposite side shoulder...

They usually don't go far with the 06 or 270 though.  Haven't shot enough of them with the 300BO to say it's better than my 30-30, but it's def in an easier to manage package and can be used to hunt during pistol season. 

We cheated on a few deer at camp this year shot in the legal evening time right before dark.  Thermal is a game changer finding and tracking game after dark.

 

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, Seth said:

Sounds like you may rush your tracking jobs. Honestly, rifle hit deer rarely last long though. If you hit lung or liver area with a high powered rifle, they will be donzo in a hurry. There's a lot more going on that can lead to a less than perfect shot with bow hunting and that's where knowing when to back out and let a deer have time to die really pays off. There are a bunch of deer lost each year to this. I was guilty of doing it when I was younger myself. It's just one of those things that you develop (or hopefully develop) as you gain more experience.

Nope, I've always went back home (or the truck) for awhile, had a sandwich, and killed some time before pushing them.  

Except for the instances when they went down like a sack of potatoes right where they were shot.  Which has been EVERY time with a .30 cal or bigger.  

A hit with a 12ga.slug will fold one up like a dead quail everytime.   So you can't convince ME that size of projectile doesn't matter.  "Tracking" is a bowhunting thing.  If I'm gun hunting I don't wanna do any tracking !

 

[oneshot]

I’ve found rounds I just like. Have Smaller Calibers a know if I shoot a Deer to wait.

Have seen Deer shot in Chest with.22 run and lay down.

Craziest thing I’ve seen is a Bear shot with.22 Hornet.

oneshot

[JestersHK]

Most people frown on .22 caliber projectiles for deer but a good bonded 62grn out of a 5.56 will kill them just as dead.  Shot this doe at 10yards using an AR which I instinctually double tapped her with first going behind the shoulder and second round she jumped and ended up breaking both her front legs... went 30 yards down hill and done.

[JestersHK]

2 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

 If I'm gun hunting I don't wanna do any tracking !

 

Allot of our guys hunt with this motto.  300win mag def doesn't lead to much tracking... I've always been a meat hunter and dad always stressed to not shoot through the shoulders as it makes a mess of the meat. I've found I'm more picky now on shots versus the guys who are solely trophy hunting and usually drop them with shoulder shots out of big magnums.  Good tracking skill has helped me find deer. It's a skill that sadly I see allot of hunters that have never refined it.