Thread: Introducing Larry

Originally Posted by Tahr

Well done!

Its not unusual for low chest shot deer to be runners, regardless of the caliber or bullet. Higher up on the shoulder will drop them because thats where the mass of nerve connections are. Low down is the blood pumping and breathing department and it takes a while for the oxygen in the blood to be depleted - so they can get quite a distance - especially if heart shot. Well, that's how I understand it and reinforced through my own experience.

The 120 grn Nosler is an excellent projectile and Ive shot many deer with them without fault (including runners). But they are still just a lump of lead and copper so you can't blame them for not doing what we want every single time. I don't think Nosler will change their design just because Larry didn't give up the fight immediately.

I think that you should just get into it and don't go fiddling with bullets and stuff - Larry's cousins are likely as not to drop on the spot when served exactly the same medicine next time.

I have less experience but was tempted to post this. If an animal is alerted and thus pumping adrenaline they can run 200m with no heart at all. Low on the lungs the animal and the upper part will still work while the blood drains out the bottom.

A ballistic tip is designed not to blow up on a wet hide at 15m when the projectile is traveling 3200ft/sec. If it goes low through the lungs and you are not lucky enough to hit even a rib on the way in, there is not much resistance there to open the projectile.

I would say it worked not too bad under the circumstances. A projectile that is 100% reliable from 5m to 500m is a paradox, but it provides food for conversation.