Heres a weird one

I was out hunting late last year, I'd just got to where I was expecting to happen across a deer and since I'd been having trouble with some of the rounds Ive been using being quite tight in the action I closed the bolt on one to make sure I was gunna be good to go should need be.

No sooner than the bolt was fully closed and I was about to open it again, I caught a movement only to look up and see this bugger poking his nose out about 10m away.

He was broad side on but body obscured by a gorse bush and staring straight at me seemed like the perfect oppurtunity to try my first head shot. Sure enough he went down like a sack of spuds.

Heres the weird bit I was using 180gr out of the .308, you can see the entry wound just under the eye, but no exit wound, and when I was boning it out the was considerable bruising high on the shoulder/base of the neck:wtfsmilie:

The rest of the deer I shot last year had a fist size hole straight through but somehow not this one. Due to the heat and blowies I didnt have time to stick around for a full autopsy but has anyone else had something similar or explain how the bullet or the bullets energy did a bit of an "S" bend?

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Didn't go out its ear? I head shoot deer a lot with my 223 and 280, don't always get an exit. Skulls are pretty hard.

Inside of skulls are round, done several loops inside the skull then vacated down the spinal column :D

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Originally Posted by JoshC

Didn't go out its ear? I head shoot deer a lot with my 223 and 280, don't always get an exit. Skulls are pretty hard.

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Yea the skull was gravel, if it had gone out the ear it would have taken half the head with it, all I can think is it connected with the top of the spine and sent a shock wave down the neck?

That’s weird, I had the same happen to me.
A couple of roars ago I had a stag at the end of my barrel as it peered around the tree I was doing a statue impersonation behind, it bolted and I dropped it at 6m with a very similar shot placement to yours without an exit hole. 308 projectile.
I would have kept the head (6pt) as a trophy/reminder of how it all unfolded. Split the skull so I didn’t bother trying to find the projectile inside

The same thing has happened to me with both a 223 & 308 and both at close range. Same projectiles (sierra gamekings) at decent range (100 plus) give innie and outies, could be speed and energy related?

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Originally Posted by Marty Henry

The same thing has happened to me with both a 223 & 308 and both at close range. Same projectiles (sierra gamekings) at decent range (100 plus) give innie and outies, could be speed and energy related?

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Id expect it with a light balistic tip or hollow point but a fuckin steam roller like a 180 grainer soft point youd think shed just plow straight through

Fcuken 308s Toby would tell just like the 270!!!:D

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Originally Posted by Maca49

Fcuken 308s Toby would tell just like the 270!!!:D

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haha fuckin 270 would have drilled through and the bugger would have bolted with a mild headache

I used to use hornady 55gr sp without the cannelure for years when meat shooting.
Clean shooting an animal meant more money.

The same projectile with the same load never performed the same over hundreds of kills. Terminal ballistics is not an exact science.😆

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I have had bullets exiting on an oblique angle not break the skin and instead travel between the skin and meat till something gets in the way like a shoulder etc.
I imagine the skin billows out and sort of redirects the projectile back in.
Not saying this is what happened here but I have had it happen a few times.

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Originally Posted by big_foot

haha fuckin 270 would have drilled through and the bugger would have bolted with a mild headache

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you just need to buy my 30-06 mate

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Originally Posted by Mauser308

Hmmmm. I've seen a 150gr .308 interlock stop on the shoulder/ mud shield of a big roaring stag, knocked the bastard over and gave him a fright and a mean story to tell the ladies, but that was about it. Bullets do weird things from time to time...

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So didnt even enter its body? How did you know?

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Originally Posted by mucko

you just need to buy my 30-06 mate

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Tempting but not in the budget at the moment :(

Have shot both sika and red hitting hard spinal bone at short range with 140gn 6.5x55, where bullet has deflected at almost 90degrees and have recovered bullet either just under skin or on ground almost intact. Always surprising that so much energy can be dispelled so quickly


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Originally Posted by Gibo

So didnt even enter its body? How did you know?

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I have had them not enter the ribcage multiple shots on the same animal, shoulder minced vitals untouched spine shot to finish.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

I have had them not enter the ribcage multiple shots on the same animal, shoulder minced vitals untouched spine shot to finish.

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Was just intrigued. How do you know what happened if it got away?

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Originally Posted by Gibo

Was just intrigued. How do you know what happened if it got away?

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There is that.... In my case I have had multiple cases of failure to penetrate the vitals of stags, poor bullet choice both in construction and sectional density for the type of hunting used for. Mine all died from better shots (neck head behind shoulder)

I cringe when I see the two bullets recommended for everything.