misjudging a bullet

[corey012778]

I made a mistake in my first deer post about the 240gr xtp. I was thinking while at work. I remembered a deer running off when I walked up to the spot I shot it. I did a rookie hunter mistake. I should of waited about 15 - 20 mins then walked up. it may have been a boom flop story. then I started remember also I don't remember seeing anything that looks like a liver when I gutted. the bottem of the lungs shredded. the exit wound was high.

need less to say, I am going to stay with the xtps for a year or two longer, get some more under my belt before I change bullets. but I am going to work with a few to see how the gun likes them.

now I am going to go cut some deer steaks and roast

[smokepolehall]

I used an XTP 240 HP on my last deer, a nanny. I didn't like the end result. I shot an it hit higher than i had expected cause deer coming towards me. Didn't exit after high brisket hit and didn't even make it thru the ribs. Bullet was great mushroom, just didn't exit.

[cayugad]

What you're basically saying is the bullet performed as it was intended to. They hit, penetrated to the vital organs, with complete expansion, and released all its energy into the body cavity. Granted the one flaw I see from all the posts I have read is, they do not aways pass through. My wonder is, are they intended to pass through? Or are the XTP's designed for maximum expansion and internal damage? Perhaps the magnum XTP's might give you better results or at least the results you want.

[corey012778]

I did not recover any bullets, and I saw where they pass through. only going about 20 yrds which was my fult after all. just wonder if your right cayuqad. I have to check the xtps I have on hand and see if any are magnums.

but would going to up in weight help too?

[smokepolehall]

I won't say that the bullet isn't good, and it did its job. I was only using 70 grs. of Pyro P, but the distance was only around 40 yds. it should have had the vel. to make a pass thru!

[srwshooter]

why worry about pass thru,when its dead its dead. i really dont know of any bullet meant to expand that will
pass thru everytime on shoulder bones.most will come apart on the second shoulder.

[raven45]

ORIGINAL: srwshooter

why worry about pass thru,when its dead its dead. i really dont know of any bullet meant to expand that will
pass thru everytime on shoulder bones.most will come apart on the second shoulder.

I agree with this as well. It seems that every one is worried about pass thrus. If you killed the deer and it went a short distance, then the bullet did what it was meant to do. Yes a pass thru will help with a blood trail, but it still comes down to shot placement with all bullets you shoot.

I shot a doe last week with 300gr xtps using 100gr T7 pellets. She was with in 30 yards when I shot and then came to with in 12 yds to my right gasping from the shot in the lungs. She was with another doe, that had also stopped at 12yds watching me reload. When the doe that I did not shoot at ran back, the One the I shot had only gone about 30 and dropped with in sight of me. If the doe I shot had been by its self. I belive it would of dropped where it first stopped, which was 12yds. The shot was a quartering to me and I aimed just to the right of the right leg near the brisket (front). There was no pass thru and the the xtp ripped a big hole into her.

A few year back I had shot a 9pt and about 80 yards with the same load and there was a pass thru and he did not go more the 40 yards.

so the xtps do work well.

[frontier gander]

Ive never worried about pass through. Its not needed for a heavy blood trail.

[corey012778]

I think I am not going to worry about pass thru at this point. I am going work on shot placement. my lung shot was about about 5 inchs back from the shoulder. everything I am reading, I am going to stick with the xtps. I got 3 deffrent wights on hand. lol

[frontier gander]

5" back from the rear of the shoulder is still great shot placement. You wont hit the heart but it will still take out the lungs. Practice makes perfect. Also practice controlled breathing. I know when my breath in caught up in my throat, i have a hard time holding steady.