GPMD

I went out last Saturday for the last day of Marylands early doe only blackpowder season. I was in a stand about 20 ft up in a thicket when 4 deer appeared out of no where. A nice doe worked her way to only 7 yards from me when I took the shot. Because of the angle, I believe i skimmed the lung and definitley hit the heart. I was amazed with what I saw and how tough these animals are......I use 100 grains of Triple 7 with a 300grain Shockwave bullet and the doe was only 75lbs field dressed so she wasn't massive or anything. Anyway, after the shot she runs 10 yards and just stands there. I thought I may have missed since the shot was so close and then she turned a bit and you can see blood shooting out of her side like someone just turned a hose on. She still stood there looking around for about 30 more seconds and then just tipped over! Never kicked or moved once **** hit the ground, she basicall died right there on her feet. Has anyone ever had anything like this happen? I'm still pretty shocked.

GPMD

Oops, guess there was a typo with "she" and "hit" combining...sorry

cayugad

I have seen that happen but with a center fire.

I think because she was so close, that Shockwave just punched a hole right through her without massive organ disruption. Of course, put a 1/2 hole through a major organ and the animal will die, so that is disruption. So she basically was in shock and stood there and bled out. Congratulations on the deer. She should be GREAT eating that young and all bled out already. If your shots are going to be all that close, perhaps an XTP or a Nosler Partition would be a better choice. I really am guessing as deer never cooperate when I have a sabot loaded...[:@]

GPMD

Good point, never thought about the bullet not really having time to do any massive damage.I switched to the 300gr (i know, an overkill) shockwaves because last year i used Powerbelts and had awful results. I got two with them but never a drop of blood with perfect vital hits. Both deer went 60-90 yards and i just happend to stumble onto them. I also shot at one that I can't believe i missed but I never found any blood or sign of a deer so I made the switch. Anyway, the entrance wound was perfect lung high on the left side but the exit wound was at the "rounded" part where the chest meets the belly due to the angle. When I gutted her I was surprised just to see a regular 1" hole in the heart and that was it which is why I just assumed I had to nick a lung too. I was expecting the whole heart to be gone but I guess the shot was too close. I was in my bow stand, didn't plan on being there that day but the wind was awful for my firearm stand.

cayugad

Well the main thing is you recovered her. And from your past experience with powerbelts, I understand the change. I bet a blood trail was kind of plain to see with her, even if she had ran off.. And that hole through the heart sounds like a bullet that never expanded. But.. congratulations on that deer. That size is my favorite for eating. You can shoot them old monster bucks, but some of them stink when you cook them... Those litte does are so tender.

Good hunting, and eating..

IndyHunter83

That reminds me ofmy first two deer that I killed witha ML
Deer #1
One of my first deer ever. I was 12 yrs old. My dad walked me to my stand on thanxgiving morning. I'd been there about two hours when a big doe came walkin up the path. I was sitting on a really steap hill that are common in the area and the deer trail ran along the side of the hill about twenty yards below my blind. Well any ways just as I was getting ready to shoot, she saw me. As she started to run up hill I fired. She kept on running up the hill. I then proceeded to reload because she was now standing about fifteen yards directly uphill from me. I had finished reloading and just shouldered my rifle and was ready to fire when she just fell over dead. The bullet had gone through her liver.

Deer #2
About 10 years ago, I was in 8th grade and it was my first year hunting alone. It was a friday and the last day of gun season. I had just gotten home from school and decided to go sit in my stand til dark. I was walking down this path with my rifle ready and I looked to my right to see a small buck sitting bedded down just fifty yards down hill from where I was. I took aim and shot. When the smoke cleared I saw the little buck laying in large pool of bright red blood (it was kinda like a candy apple red that ya sometime see in cars). I waited ten minutes and went down to try to feild dress the deer (first mistake, I now wait atleast 30 minutes and almostnever go alone). I didn't even think to reload (second mistake). Got to within 10 yards of the deer and he got up and bolted down hill.I was scared at first but then I thought to shoulder my rifle. Pulled the hammer back and click. I then rememberedthat I hadn't reloaded and did so as fast as I could. I put the cap on the nipple of my white mountain carbine and the deer was gone.Tracked it and foundhim by a creek at the bottom a huge hollow.Dead. I spent the next two hours dragging the deer up hill.

Those were some of the first deer that I killed and I've never had anyothers run further than fifty yards.I guess ya learn alotwith those hunts when things do go quite right.