Bullets vs Tracking Game

[Turpentine21]

If they come on in they usually end up well dead. But some farmers forbid us from shooting them because they help control the deer population. It is truly amazing sitting In a blind overlooking a field with a good thermal scope at night. The amount of different animals and activity you see is astonishing.

 

[Tiny Tim]

Plus our coyotes have gotten to where they will home in on a rifle shot. In certain areas when you shoot you better get down and go or youll have nothing but a skeleton shortly. Especially if the animal makes it to cover. I've watched them get on a kill at night with a thermal inside of 10 minutes on several occasions. They come in circling and winding like a bird dog. They know what a rifle shot means. Kind of like ringing a dinner bell.

Like Pavlov's dog.

 

[dkwellman]

I'd like to hear real experiences and statistics on the bullets you use to hunt whitetail, mule deer and elk.And how many times have you actually h ad to track the animal past 40 yards.
People complain/ or endorse a certain bullet.
So in all your hunting trips hiw many have you had to track.
I never had to track any pasture or 40 yards including the one elk I shot and killing deer on our ranch or woods next to.our ranch or on a lease in Brackettville TX for about 50 years until we lost it.

120 Nosler ballistic tips out of a 280 Remington. DRT

 

[cajun]

I like cup and core bullets that offer rapid expansion and still some weight retention to get an exit. Ballistic tips sst's eldx or m at lower velocity. Not a fan of monos though I do shoot some in a 350 rem mag because most 35 caliber bullets will not hold up well at higher velocity. Shot a couple whitetails broadside with a 7mm 140 ttsx going about 3000 at impact. Zero wound channel. Minor bruising around bullet hole. Ran a long ways. Blood trail was like a bow shot deer and easy to follow just ran too far due to lack of wound channel. I think it's just too tough of a bullet with high sd.

 

[sambo3006]

Unless you disable the central nervous system, it is a crap shoot. I generally shoot behind the shoulder and have had deer react by running 50 to 100 yards and I've had them drop where they stood. This is with no major bone hit, just ribs and lungs. Many different cartridges and bullets. As an aside, I did shoot two deer through the ribs with a 338 RUM and a 225 gr Accubond and both dropped as if hit by lightning.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

Unless you disable the central nervous system, it is a crap shoot. I generally shoot behind the shoulder and have had deer react by running 50 to 100 yards and I've had them drop where they stood. This is with no major bone hit, just ribs and lungs. Many different cartridges and bullets. As an aside, I did shoot two deer through the ribs with a 338 RUM and a 225 gr Accubond and both dropped as if hit by lightning.

What a THUMPER.