One shot stops

[BadMedicine]

Meat fer the pot, sez I,

HEHEHE, That puts a grin on my face!!!

[willp58]

This is a great topic and I'de like to add a little something. I'm restricted to shotguns here but actually don't feel under-gunned compared to rifles because with a good 12 gauge set up with good optics I have a very formidable weapon. A lead projectile that's almost 3/4 of an inch in diameter and traveling somewhere around 1400 FPS will knock most any deer down to stay if it's hit right. I hit one once a little too high and back only to have it hump up and fall over. (liver hit). Any hit in the center of the neck or shoulders will USUALLY stop any deer in his tracks. The foot pounds and damage of a 12 gauge is awesome. This year I was hunting with my son-in-law and saw a deer standing broadside at about 80 to 100 yards, I put the red dot just behind the shoulder and squeezed. The deer's tail went up and it ran off with it's head held high--normal exit. My son-in-law said I missed because of the tail being up--I said I think I hit it, the shot felt good. When we got to where the deer was, the tracks (on snow) looked normal for a running deer, but after going only about 30 yards it looked like someone was throwing red paint all around. That deer went about 50 yards after a direct hit in the lungs with a 12 gauge and the tail was UP. I've heard that old wive's tale before about the tell-tale tail--don't believe it. willp58

[Art Eatman]

Hmmm. SFAIK, "tail up" means fear. I doubt deer think in terms of warning other deer of danger; I think other deer have learned to recognize the tail being up as a sign that deer #1 has found something to fear.

Seems to me that getting shot would tend to scare hell out of most deer.

, Art

[Cherokee]

On the opening day of deer season this year I shot a six point whitetail buck with my M70 Winchester in .338 win. mag. using a noseler ballistic tip 200 gr bullet. I was headed back to my truck and and he came wandering down the side of the hill about 50 yards from me. He bent over to eat a leaf off of a small tree and I wacked him right thru the heart. He went down like his switch had been turned off. I mean he didn't twich, wiggle or spasm. When I got to him, he still had the leaf in his mouth. I know, way too much gun for whitetail, but I hate to have to track them down and it shoots so damn good.
Next time, I'm going to try my new 45-70 HR Buffalo Classic on one.

ERrainman-

If the carotids were dthat damaged the answer is obvious.

instantaneous stroke dropped the deer.

The stroke could have been caused by a sudden drop in BP to the brain caused by occlusion/dissection of the arteries or by an air embolus to the brain sucked in through the hole.

regards,

olazul

[Vek]

Embolus... Good word.