Thread: A question for the doubters

Originally Posted by Tentman

Hmmm. In the last 10 years or so I guess I've been shooting 4-5 deer per year . . . So not very many by lots of peoples standards.

For some reason I tend to remember "fuck-ups" more than successes and I have had two in the 10 year period.

I took a shot from a very steep difficult shooting position at a Fallow stag at 240M (ranged). 223 with a 65gn Sierra SPBT in front. Shot went a smidge high in the shoulder, stag flipped over backwards and went down in tussock. But it was never found despite 3 of us looking for 2 hours. Why I don't know but it left a very sour taste, I always had the feeling that my 7x64 would have nailed it, and indeed I made a similar hit with the 7x64 on another hunt and was left with an animal alive but paralyzed, unable to run off.

Quite recently I shot a fallow spiker that was lying down at a ranged 266M. 6mm 103gn ELDX at 2750 fps. My cobber thought I missed, it sprang up and ran off into forestry, never to be seen again despite an extensive search. But a scene exam showed it had been hit in the lungs, the bullet pentrated fully and left a very clear splash of blood and lung. Again I was left with the feeling that a bit more "snot" might have changed the outcome.

I'm still keen on the latest 224 and 6mm bullets but for hunting I want them to have plenty of energy.

It sounds like the bullet had plenty of energy but didn't leave enough of it in the deer.