Bullet Performance Report - .40 caliber/200 grain XTP

[Semisane]

OK guys, grab a drink. This is going to be a long one.

If you saw my post http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/black-powder/313671-authorities-seek-sinful-renegade.html you know I recently shot a 100 lb. doe with the Renegade.

That was the fun report. Here's the "technical" one.

The Renegade has a .45 caliber Green Mountain Long Range Hunter barrel with a 1:30" twist. It wears a Simmons 4X ProDiamond scope.

The load was 85 grains of GOEX FFFg with a .40/200 XTP in a Harvester H4540B sabot. I haven't chronographed the load yet, so I don't know the velocity.

The doe was shot standing still broadside at 65 yards from an elevated box stand 16 feet high.

Here's the stand as viewed from the left side.



There's a third-acre food plot in front of the stand that ends 175 yards out, and shooting lanes to the left and right that go out a little over 100 yards.

Here's the view out of the right side of the stand.



That shooting lane is about ten feet wide and goes out 106 yards. The X marks the spot where the doe was standing when I shot her.

She was standing broadside, facing left. I hit right where I was aiming (well DUH, solid rest and a scope) for a mid-chest/double lung. The bullet exited her right side.

Now check out this picture.



Those white spots are pieces of paper towel. The largest piece is where she was standing at the shot. The pieces behind that are a good ten to twelve feet back and mark blood/lung tissue spots from the bullet blow out.

Because of the smoke, I didn't know whether she exited the left side or the right side of the lane. But the blood marked by pieces in front of where she was standing told me that she wheeled around after the hit and exited the lane to the right side. However, I could not find any blood in the woods to that side.

After half an hour of searching by myself, I called in help and three of my buds joined the search. We knew there was a dead doe out there somewhere. Twenty minutes later one of the guys spotted one single drop of blood on the pine needles about twenty yards from the point of the shot. HOO-RAH! It was about the size of a pencil eraser.

Ten feet further on, another single drop. Another ten feet, three or four drops. It went like that - just a few drops every five yards or so for another thirty yards, and then increased in volume and became easier to follow. We found her stone cold about 100/125 yards from where I shot her. She had been leaking blood from the entry wound. The exit wound was plugged with fat and lung tissue. Total search time was over an hour.

Here's the track she took on her death run. The rectangle is the stand location. The round dot is where she was standing.



Here's the entry wound.



And the exit wound.



Both lungs were completely destroyed. Here's the inside of the chest cavity (entry left / exit right).



This was one tough old gal. I've never had a deer travel that far with a double lung hit. The bullet did everything you could ask of it. I would probably have had a better blood trail with a lower hit, or had the exit hole not become plugged. What surprised me is that she never blew blood out of her nose. I guess there wasn't enough connection left between the lungs and the nostrils.

So that's the full report. I hope you enjoyed it.


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[sabotloader]

Semi...

My very thoughts from the very first post... "that shot was just a bit back and a bit to high" - not that is was not a lethal shot or that it was not a bad shot, but exactly what you indicated.

Because of the heigth - I was concerned 1. whether there would be a significant blood trail and because it is just back a bit for me I wondered #2 unless you got a tremendous amount of hydrostatic shock - not sure you would have got any of the heart. So #3 thought you might have to do some looking...

Next thought - with the angle and the range of the shot? that could/would throw the POI off from where your scope might be looking (since you were using a scope on a traditional - couldn't resist).

And a great written investigation of the scene - with excellent photo documentation... It would have been a bit better if the spots marked with the white paper were placards with numbers on then so questions could be asked about a particular spot. Like the highest piece on the left in the picture - it appears to be off the ground and in some brush - what is it indicating?

It was fun reading and looking....

[gregrn43]

Very good report semi and congratulations on your doe.

[Semisane]

Like the highest piece on the left in the picture - it appears to be off the ground and in some brush - what is it indicating?

You've got a good eye Sabotloader. There was a pea sized chunk of lung tissue stuck to a leaf on that bush.

I did shoot her a little higher than I should have. I have a tendency to do that (center the chest). It's a hard habit to break. I really thought the downward angle would put the exit wound lower on her chest. As far is it being to the rear - I really, really hate messing up shoulder meat.

It would have been a bit better if the spots marked with the white paper were placards with numbers on them

I'll have to have a word about that with the CSI team.

[kb1]

very nice report semi,i just started shooting .40 bullets this year but have'nt been able to find .40 xtp 200gr. any suggestions......karl

[tjj]

Thanks Semi, always enjoy your "tales" and reports. Those are some pretty impressive shootin lanes, you can see 'em from outer space.

[spaniel]

Most excellent report. I know you hate ruining meat but I think placing the shot more forward (and possibly a bit lower to miss the shoulder meat) would have helped things out. You would have been more likely to catch a major artery if not the top of the heart.

There are no guarantees however. Some deer just defy expectations. A number of years ago a bud of mine shot a doe with a 250 SST, shredding most of both lungs. The deer ran across a deep ditch, 80 yards out in a field, and began walking away repeatedly coughing up blood. He didn't time it of course but he thinks it took over a minute and a half to finally drop and from the distance it walked I believed him.

[cayugad]

Good report. The main thing is you found the deer because you stuck with it.

I know people that would have looked 20 minutes and gave up. If I see a drop of blood and no deer, I know what I will be doing the rest of the day.

[Breechplug]

Another fine report Semi. Like you I have the same problem with aiming dead center lungs, I just cant seem to bring the shot lower. I'd rather have the shot a bit high than too low, it gives me more room for error on longer shots. My advantage is Snow, so tracking even with minimal blood is easy, and I have the deers tracks also.
I use the 240gr XTP Mag with 105gr's of Pyro, a devestating bullet for sure.
I was thinking of using the 200gr XTP Mag this Winter on Coyote's for a longer flatter shooting bullet. Any advice on a sabot to use with it for my 50cal ACCURA?
(BP)

[lemoyne]

An excellant report Semi. Lee