Congrats on the hunt. Those are some good photos.

I was going to say the same thing as nchawkeye.

I would not be to quick to judge about a little ruined meat. On an openfield,where I can watch them run and drop, that might be different. But notin some areas where I hunt. When youhunt roads, paths, or places you can get to with some ease,through cedar, black ash, and balsam marshes, putting them down on the spot is very important. In placeswhere the tangle brush is so thick you can get lost or turned aroundin just a few yards of entering it. Your heart just drops when you shoot and that deer spins and runs into themarsh.

I shot a doe a few seasons back that wentinto that stuff and it took me over two hours of crawling around, over and under that stuff,to find her. How a big deer can run through that stuff and disappear like the do to this day amazes me. She was only about 30 yards in actually. When I did, she was a monster doe, and it was all that I could do to basically get her out of that stuff. I finally walked out after marking her spot with fluorescent ribbons and taking a GPS reading. Left my rifle and gear at the stand to free my hands. And returned to her, marking the easy way in and out with ribbons. She was impossible to drag I discovered. So I did the only thing else to do, I carried her out on my shoulders. That night I was so exhausted, I could hardly move or think straight. I was (I hate to admit this) at one point concerned I would not get her out.

Its like walking through a hedge with bog grass under foot. Ankles get twisted, you fall, its actually dangerous. Many hunters that shoot deer near dusk, will not go in after them until the next day. And with good reason. It is easy to get turned around in there. And that is the last place you want to spend a night in the middle of November and December. That's why I shoot conicals and roundball. To do some massive bone damage if necessary.

So when I see a deer on a path that my ATV can come down, or a skid trail, and it's only feet from the tangle... I plant it right there. If that means breaking front shoulders, spines, head shots, what ever it takes to put that deer on the ground. It gets done. A deer on the ground with a busted front shoulder is better to me then one in the tangle that I can not find, get out, or have to get out.

This isn't bowhunting. Every deer that allows me theright angle gets a bullet directed toward the offside shoulder, with the intention of breaking it. I can understand trying to avoid the nearside shoulder. I can track them better than the average guy, but I'd rather they go down in sight, which may only be 50 yds or less in many places I hunt.

Deer, and especially big deer, can amaze you at how far they will go when shot through the lungs. I've seen several shot that way, that left very sparse blood trails though I can't see how or why. Hit the vitals, then break them down if you can.

Granted. So now you know and you won't have to turn good roasts into burger.

I really like the double lung shot. Any deer that I have shot didn't travel more than 50 yds after one of them. The only exception were deer that were being pushed by hounds.

Addmitably, there are circumstances that necessitate the drop where you are shots and if I may, I will offer you a better shot. I call it a high shoulder shot. About 6 inches below the back directly above the shoulder. It ruins very little meat and will drop them faster than a bad habbit.

I've used that high shoulder shot as well, and you're right. They are on the ground as soon as you pull the trigger. Although they are not always dead I noticed.

http://www.kerrlake.com/deer/white2.htm


I forget the name of that bone you are actually busting when you do that high shoulder shot. This web site listed has some good information for those of you that might not be fully aware of all the integral parts of the deer's body.

roasts out of a front shoulder? we usually only get jerky out of the small amount of meat on the front shoulders. I honestly hate cutting up the front shoulders due to the lack of meat on them. Now on an elk or a really big mule deer, its a different story. I too, hate taking shoulder shots, but without doing it, i wouldnt have known what kind of performance the bullet would offer. After seeing this, i think i'd give it a double lung shot try on an elk. The bullet held up great and excellent blood trail.

Good shooting nice deer,I have tried to tell several people about not pushingPB'swith heavy loads but I do think the areo tips and the platinum
will hold together with a little more powder than the hollow points. Lee

Just can't imagine that you would use a nice "traditional" rifle like that and then shoot 777 and a powerbelt. [:'(] You know, the "traditional" cops would NOT approve!!!!

lol so far the traditionalists have accepted it. Im going to try some fffg goex and a powerbelt and see what it does @ 100 yards. I just hate using up the real stuff due to it being such a long drive to pick up more.

Yea, I guess it is probably ok. Since no one can actually see the powder and bullet while you are hunting, it probably wouldn't ruin the "mood". Just don't mention 150 yards shots, ok?