ORIGINAL: LebeauHunter
SC,
Thanks for detailed response. I don't know about all that spine shooting stuff (new to me). I do know that if you shoot a little high behind the shoulder that the deer seem to drop in their tracks, I think b/c of the massive initial force against the bone. Is that what you are talking about?
Yes, I am sort of a big damage person b/c usually I hit where (or near) I am supposed to. I don't really value ribs that much, and it usually doesn't tear up tenderloin, backstrap, and front shoulders if you hit in the right spot. At an angle (quartering towards me) I have had BT disintegrate and not exit, but cause massive internal damage and drop the deer. I'm gonna stick with them until they fail me (always blame equipment eh?).
Any truth to the fact that recently to address problems the BT has been beefed up? Also, I'm shooting the 150 grains and not the 130s, don't really know why, except I thought that 130 would be even faster and more chance of disintegration. Any thoughts?
I haven't heard anything about them beefing them up. But that would make sense. I remember shooting some of the first ones that came out. 150gr out of a 30-06. Handloads. Those things where nothing short of cruise missles. I quite litterally took a doe's head off with one doing some culling. So compared to the original's that I remember, I think they have beefed them up some. Deer ribs really are not worth much. The reason that a deer shot through the shoulder drops, is pretty much as you said, only its not really from the shock. If you take his tires out from under him...he can't drive off...so taking both shoulders does the trick. Also (and this is why I like solid copper bullets) shooting through that scapula is like setting off a claymore mine inside a deer's body. All those bone chips are like shrapnel. But the deer will drop most often because of the spinal colum being cut. It effects the back of the deer first, which is why they go down back end first. The feet usually roll up underneath them, just as if they were bedded down. If they go down head first....watch'em. Usually means you hit them a bit too high...and I have had a few come back to life and need a second helping. User error.
As far as shock goes...thats another debate entirely...but I'm on the fence about it. There is some sort of "shock" that passes when a bullet hits a deer...I think it enough to rupture blood vessels (infact....I know it does...thats what that black jelly is around the entrance/exit holes), but other than causing some hemmoriaging, it doesn't effect a deer on a mental level...and its not enough force to knock it off its feet. So its sort of a mix of both lines of thought you so often hear about.