Those VLD bullets go in about 3 inches and evaporate. The only VLD bullet I have tried was on one deer and it was the 155 gr 30 cal. I fired it at 2650 fps from my 30X47 HBR rifle. It is a wildcat made on the 300 Savage case with the shoulder pushed back 10 thousands inch. It was used in Hunter Bench Rest shooting. VERY ACCURATE. Deer was an average size white tail doe at 111 yards broadside. I always try to place a shot in the center of a shoulder or try to exit a shoulder. Where I hunt it is REALLY THICK swamp country and VERY HARD to track a deer. At the shot she squatted just a little and took off in a dead run into the THICK cut over brush. I went to the spot that she had been when shot. On the off side there was a spray of blood and lung tissue strewn for about 5 yards in the old logging road she was crossing. It looked like you had filled a quart jar full of blood and tissue and just slung it down the road. There was not another drop of blood anywhere. There was a little trail in the cut over that I had to get down on my hands and knees and crawl back into it because it was so thick with green briar and such. I crawled a little over 50 yards before I saw the deer laying dead in the path. I found no blood at all on my way down the path. When I got to the deer she had an exit hole that was facing up. It was just behind the off side shoulder and you could have literately dropped a baseball in the hole of the hide and it would not have touched anything. There was no resemblance of any organs in her chest cavity. It was just liquid pulp. Both her front shoulders were just one bloody mangled mess. It really looked like a hand grenade had went off in her chest. I know it was just one example but I don't like to have to track a deer in that thick SNAKE INFESTED stuff. I went back to the 125 Nosler ballistic tip in that rifle because it drops them in their tracks.
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Right Bullet for Deer
- Thread starter Clay Target Guy
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MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
Yep, that's why I don't like shoulder shots... Gets messy quick and ruins alot of meat.
I've also been a bow hunter since I was 12, so I shoot deer in the same spot I shoot them with a bow, which is that little button (indention or dimple) right behind the shoulder. It tends to do minimal meat damage, but very good vatal damage. I generally won't shoot unless I have a clear shot at that area.
I've also been a bow hunter since I was 12, so I shoot deer in the same spot I shoot them with a bow, which is that little button (indention or dimple) right behind the shoulder. It tends to do minimal meat damage, but very good vatal damage. I generally won't shoot unless I have a clear shot at that area.
I forgot to mention that the meat loss on the front shoulders of a deer is not all that much in the overall picture to me. Once you get all that plastic type stuff cut away there is not really that much meat left on a shoulder. Plus where I hunt meat is not a problem. For 15 years I helped my buddy control hunt this farm that is in east NC. We had to take 100 deer a year off it. They do not have that program now but we still hunt the same place and you can get all the antler-less permits you want 2 for $10.00 and you start out with 6 tags. 4 buck and 2 antler-less. I usually put 6 or 7 deer in the freezer every year.
hunterbob
Well-Known Member
Bullet placement is everything, but still a deer will run after its dead for 50 yards. LOL
For hunting in a swamp , I prefer a 30 30 Lever without a scope.
Yes HunterBob in close quarters the old 30-30 is a good one. Was what I killed my first deer with in the Mountains of TN. Where I hunt in NC it is so thick that you really can't hunt in the wooded swampy part. It is all old clear cut and has grown up into jungle. We have fields around the jungle and paths and one old logging road through the jungle. So you get shots anywhere from on top of you to hundreds of yards away. My main deer dropper is a 25-06. With the 117 Sierra at 3000 fps with a 3" high zero at 100 yards it is hold in the center of the front shoulder out to 350 yards and it is BANG FLOP 99% of the time.
hunterbob
Well-Known Member
yup I know , I got a similar situation where I am. The Area got logged that I hunt , 2 years ago.... like a jungle and of course snakes everywhere. Mostly I stick to trails and there are a few places you can ease into. I got the Savage 308, and its My Rifle for sure. My custom 270 got passed down to my Son , too heavy with a Douglas barrel, for me. I used to be able to carry it all day. LOL
Clay Target Guy
Well-Known Member
I too am in TN and know all too well that most shots are in the "in your lap" to 75 yrd range (at least where I hunt).
The 257 Wby is for hunting out west where most shot are at the 200 + range but could be close as well, (it is hunting after all).
I have the TN rig covered with a Marlin 444 but want to have a longer range rig.
I think most (not all) bullets out of the 257 would stay together at longer ranges but if a nice buck walks out at say 100 yrd or less, I want to make sure I did not pick a bullet that would come unglued.
The 257 Wby is for hunting out west where most shot are at the 200 + range but could be close as well, (it is hunting after all).
I have the TN rig covered with a Marlin 444 but want to have a longer range rig.
I think most (not all) bullets out of the 257 would stay together at longer ranges but if a nice buck walks out at say 100 yrd or less, I want to make sure I did not pick a bullet that would come unglued.
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
The 110 Accubond out of the .257 Wby works perfect at around the 100 yard range. I will find out how the Berger 115 VLD's do on deer this year. They group tighter than the Accubonds do, in my gun...So, hopefully they'll work just as good or better.
I recommend either of those 2.
I recommend either of those 2.
lloydsmale
Well-Known Member
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- Feb 5, 2012
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I know ive shot at least 30 deer with the 257 using 100 gain sierra prohunters. Why? because thats what my gun shoots best. Out of all those deer ive yet to loose one and never noticed any more meat damage then any other caliber or bullet. Dont shoot the meat and you seldom have meat damage.
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
Yep! That's why I shoot them in the ribs just behind the shoulder. I do that with every caliber. Plus, your processor (or yourself) will thank you, because you don't have to go digging around for bullets in the meat.
That some pretty tricky shooting.
hunterbob
Well-Known Member
Bullet placement is all you need, for sure.....
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
Yeah, me and my buddy (who happens to also be my processor
), went digging around in the ribs and it never even broke a rib. Went straight in 1 side between 2 ribs, jellyed up the heart & lungs, and exited about 6" further back (she was standing at about a 35* angle from broadside), and went right between two other ribs on the far side. Never busted a rib. My buddy was shocked at how sloshy the insides were for how small the bullet was, and how it had virtually 0 meat damage. He said he'd never seen anything like it. It looked like a grenade went off in its heart & both lungs.He cleans and processes about 1,000 deer a year, and has for the last 15-20 years, and he'll tell you he's still never seen anything like that before.
We all get lucky every now and then.
I get it. It exited BOTH sides.
My buddy shot a deer ONE time and it had two entrance and two exit holes.
He was using a 25-06 with a 115 partition. He shot the deer through one shoulder and it had an exit in the other shoulder. The deer had it's neck bent back down it's side biting at it's side so it had an entrance hole in it's neck and and exit hole out the other side.
It was really DEAD where it stood.
