Bullet Choice to Save the most Meat

[Elkeater]

In my experience big bullets like the OPs moving at modest speeds are excellent killers and don't seem to blow up the animal especially on a shot like that. I mean most bullets that zip through ribs only and stay off the shoulder aren't going to damage much meat. Monos will do a bit less damage at any velocity or angle though. I'm pretty much using monos only for hunting at this point because I get very dead animals short blood trails and minimal meat damage meaning I can take shots at most angles.

 

[jlphillips1]

Neck shots are how you save the most meat IMHO

That is my dad's opinion too, but I like neck roast more than rib meat.

 

[jlphillips1]

A blind man could have tracked this deer. Needless to say it did not go very far. Shot placement was a little high. Missed the heart, but still got both lungs.

 

[WinMag4me]

Any bullet that puts them down saves wasted meat
If you can't find your deer You wasted all the meat

 

[memtb]

Just shoot them with a standard FMJ/Solid SP without hitting any bone or in the neck. Will kill them very well with the least meat damage.

Or……wound them very nicely!

Seeing this just once or a deer surviving for days with a "head shot" that didn't immediately kill…..was enough for me!

I'll pass and not recommend it to anyone! memtb

 

[VLD Pilot]

I shot this 130 lb doe this morning at 403 yards with my 300 PRC with 245 Bergers. I wanted to see how much damage to the meat this would do compared to my 6.5 CM. Although most people would say this gun/bullet combo was overkill, it did minimal meat damage i would guess that this bullet had near 100% weight retention and I did not find any shrapnel. Most people would say that bigger bullets do more damage to the meat, but I have found that to be just the opposite. What are your thoughts on bullet size and saving meat?View attachment 519291

Crosshairs on the head

 

[adk hunter]

Did your 130# doe eat lots of lead before weighing?
Asking for a friend...

 

[jlphillips1]

Any bullet that puts them down saves wasted meat
If you can't find your deer You wasted all the meat

I agree and that is why I like the heavy bullets. Even with a bad quartering they still have enough mass to get the job done. But I would rather let an animal walk off than knowingly to take a bad quartering shot.

 

[jlphillips1]

Did your 130# doe eat lots of lead before weighing?
Asking for a friend...

That was my best guess. My fish always look bigger than they weigh.

 

[Prieto9000]

Get the bullet that makes the most damage on game and buy your meat from the local supermarket.

 

[Pudgy]

I am sure there will be lots of strong opinions.
In my experience I have shot 6 deer and 7 elk with a rifle all using a 7 rem or 7rsaum and an 168 ABLR. Ranges from 50 to 600 yards.
Lost approximately 15 lbs of meat total from the 13 animals.
Muzzle velocity 2950 range

 

[jlphillips1]

I am sure there will be lots of strong opinions.
In my experience I have shot 6 deer and 7 elk with a rifle all using a 7 rem or 7rsaum and an 168 ABLR. Ranges from 50 to 600 yards.
Lost approximately 15 lbs of meat total from the 13 animals.
Muzzle velocity 2950 range

Thanks for the info. I like it when people keep data like this and share it with the group.

 

[Lee7588]

Barnes or Badlands bullets for me. I shot a buck at 275 yds the 140 gr Berger entered just behind the left shoulder and went through the opposite shoulder and what was left of the bullet was recovered just under the skin. When I recovered the bullet the weight retention was minimal, if I had to guess it weighed about 50 grs. and I lost the one shoulder. I'm not a fan of chewing on lead so a bullet that has a high weight retention is the way to go for me and a well placed shot

 

[highfinblue]

My experience is absolutely limited to one Berger bullet, and I have heard so much bad said about it, but it has been great for me without fail for well over twenty deer, and several elk. A well placed shot as the one pictured above results in minimal meat damage. I absolutely hunt for meat, so when I find something that works I have a tendency to stick with it. I've shot elk out to 980, and deer at 625 all the way into less than 100 yards. Almost every time, I do remember one deer running around 50 yards, it's bang flop, and that includes critters at distance. No elk has gotten out of sight after being shot, and neither has a whitetail. Berger 7mm 195 grain EDL Elite Hunters at the mild velocity of 2960 out of my 28 Nosler have been fantastic. I can run them up to 3300 fps without pressure, but accuracy is absolutely best at the lower velocity. I shoot suppressed so recoil and noise are not an issue, and with the tamer load I'm guessing my barrel will last a bit longer, but I only shoot it at game so, it will probably outlast me anyway.