Good blood trails - Page 2

chuckscap · August 4, 2008, 04:54 AM

I've only used a .243 and .270 on deer. They all dropped like lightning hit them until I switched my .270 from 130g Nosler Partitions to 150g Partitions. I shot a nice doe (meat hunt) at 25 yards and she walked away like I missed her. I didn't shoot again, dumbfounded just watched her wondering if my scope had got knocked out of kilter, then she flopped over. High velocity (3000 fps) and not heavy for their caliber bullets work best for me on deer and elk. I'm back to shooting 130g bullets for both.

Chuck

sureshots · August 5, 2008, 12:33 PM

Chuck, You get better expandsion on the smaller animal with the lighter bullet . With the heavier bullet it still had lots of energy when it passed through. The lighter bullet transferred more of its energy to the animal therefore causing A faster result. I sometimes shoot deer with A 22-250cal. I almost never have A pass through. Most of the time the deer will drop in its tracks(must have good shot placment).

azwizard · August 10, 2008, 01:35 AM

The OP asked for cartridge bullet combo's that were effective on Deer and left a good blood trail. He also stated he'd be hunting in heavy timber. I'm originally from Northern Michigan and that pretty much sums up the hunting we always had back home. 100 yard shots were almost unheard of unless you and the deer stepped out on the two track at the same time, otherwise you just couldn't see that far.

We all tended to shy away from calibers smaller than .270/.284 with .30 calibers pretty much taking the lead. .30-30's with 170 gr softpoint bullets, .300 Savage with 150 gr softpoint's, .308's 165 gr core locks, 30-06's with 165-180 gr core locks. They all did pretty good duty putting the animals down quickly or left a good blood trail with good hit's. Also of honorable mention was the .32's in both Win and Rem. and another oldtimers favorite was the .35 Remington.

Something nobody has mentioned is the bullets "brush busting abilities".
When hunting in thick stuff there is usually the too small to notice twig that get's in the way. Lighter bullets and hollow points can more easily be deflected or fragmented by that twig. Partitions on the other hand usually seemed to punch through the deer without causing much "shock" to the deer, they still died with a good shot, just sometimes the deer never even acted like it was hit.

The OP doesn't mention the rifle he is going to use, I think I saw earlier he had selected .30-06 with 180 gr. core locks, good choice IMHO. But is he using a scope, Lower power would be best for the field of view and better light gathering capabilities. It gets darker earlier in the thick woods than it does watching the meadows. Another option is a Peep site over standard iron sites. Acton type is also a consideration as a light and quick to point rifle is hands down easier to manipulate in the thick stuff that your standard beanfield rifle. Just some other things to consider in the selection process.

Good luck to you, and as my Dad always say's "get a big one".

August 10, 2008, 01:35 AM	#28
azwizard Member Join Date: February 25, 2008 Location: Formerly AZ, but now Northern Michigan Posts: 62	The OP asked for cartridge bullet combo's that were effective on Deer and left a good blood trail. He also stated he'd be hunting in heavy timber. I'm originally from Northern Michigan and that pretty much sums up the hunting we always had back home. 100 yard shots were almost unheard of unless you and the deer stepped out on the two track at the same time, otherwise you just couldn't see that far. We all tended to shy away from calibers smaller than .270/.284 with .30 calibers pretty much taking the lead. .30-30's with 170 gr softpoint bullets, .300 Savage with 150 gr softpoint's, .308's 165 gr core locks, 30-06's with 165-180 gr core locks. They all did pretty good duty putting the animals down quickly or left a good blood trail with good hit's. Also of honorable mention was the .32's in both Win and Rem. and another oldtimers favorite was the .35 Remington. Something nobody has mentioned is the bullets "brush busting abilities". When hunting in thick stuff there is usually the too small to notice twig that get's in the way. Lighter bullets and hollow points can more easily be deflected or fragmented by that twig. Partitions on the other hand usually seemed to punch through the deer without causing much "shock" to the deer, they still died with a good shot, just sometimes the deer never even acted like it was hit. The OP doesn't mention the rifle he is going to use, I think I saw earlier he had selected .30-06 with 180 gr. core locks, good choice IMHO. But is he using a scope, Lower power would be best for the field of view and better light gathering capabilities. It gets darker earlier in the thick woods than it does watching the meadows. Another option is a Peep site over standard iron sites. Acton type is also a consideration as a light and quick to point rifle is hands down easier to manipulate in the thick stuff that your standard beanfield rifle. Just some other things to consider in the selection process. Good luck to you, and as my Dad always say's "get a big one". __________________ Was that 5 or 6? So do ya feel lucky punk? Well do ya....

August 4, 2008, 04:54 AM	#26
chuckscap Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2007 Posts: 250	I've only used a .243 and .270 on deer. They all dropped like lightning hit them until I switched my .270 from 130g Nosler Partitions to 150g Partitions. I shot a nice doe (meat hunt) at 25 yards and she walked away like I missed her. I didn't shoot again, dumbfounded just watched her wondering if my scope had got knocked out of kilter, then she flopped over. High velocity (3000 fps) and not heavy for their caliber bullets work best for me on deer and elk. I'm back to shooting 130g bullets for both. Chuck

August 5, 2008, 12:33 PM	#27
sureshots Senior Member Join Date: March 17, 2008 Location: Piedmont,NC Posts: 464	Chuck, You get better expandsion on the smaller animal with the lighter bullet . With the heavier bullet it still had lots of energy when it passed through. The lighter bullet transferred more of its energy to the animal therefore causing A faster result. I sometimes shoot deer with A 22-250cal. I almost never have A pass through. Most of the time the deer will drop in its tracks(must have good shot placment).