Strange Hits
01-27-2010, 08:33 AM
#1
Dominant Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
Strange Hits
I want stories of your experiences. I am sure all of you have made or seen first hand, a muzzleloader hunting bullet that did some strange or fantastic things. Maybe after entering it took a strange path, or did a lot more damage then you though. Maybe it just did not meet your expectations.
So tell me a story. Remember to name the rifle used, the powder charge, the distance to the game, the bullet, the animal shot, and why this one sticks out in your head.
I think what you will see in this thread is projectiles that just did not do what you felt they would do. No bashing a bullet now, just tell me what they did and why that surprised you.
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I will start it off. I shot a deer once with a Hawkins .50 caliber Traditions rifle. The powder charge was 90 grains. The ball was a hornady with a moose milk pillow tick patch. The deer was only 25 yards.
The reason this sticks in my head is, ever have a done deal shot? I mean one that you are sure is a closed deal? Well this little doe came out of no where on me. I was in an outhouse blind. I had shooting sticks even. She walked out and stood right in front of me with two other deer. She was the biggest and I was hungry.
I ****ed the rifle with no noise, laid it on my sticks, eased the muzzle out the window of the blind (very important). Took a dead solid bead on the top of her heart, bottom of her lungs. I even had the set trigger on.
When I touched the trigger the deer folded like a rag doll. I field dressed her, took her in and registered her of course and took her home. It is my habit to skin a deer ASAP before they freeze solid. I took the hide off her, marveled at the entrance hole, looked on the other side.. no exit hole?
Walked around her, and through the top of the spine, there was a hole behind her neck. Broke the spine mind you. Which is why she probably dropped like a rock. But when you consider the path that bullet took.
I forget who I told this story to on this forum, but they suggested the ball hit a rib, broke the rib (which it did) and was somehow deflected up and through the spine. Now her heart was mush, but not all that bad, like when shot. And I am not a heart eater. To me it is just more gut. And there was bone in her guts. But that was a strange one to me.
So tell me a story. Remember to name the rifle used, the powder charge, the distance to the game, the bullet, the animal shot, and why this one sticks out in your head.
I think what you will see in this thread is projectiles that just did not do what you felt they would do. No bashing a bullet now, just tell me what they did and why that surprised you.
-------------------------------------
I will start it off. I shot a deer once with a Hawkins .50 caliber Traditions rifle. The powder charge was 90 grains. The ball was a hornady with a moose milk pillow tick patch. The deer was only 25 yards.
The reason this sticks in my head is, ever have a done deal shot? I mean one that you are sure is a closed deal? Well this little doe came out of no where on me. I was in an outhouse blind. I had shooting sticks even. She walked out and stood right in front of me with two other deer. She was the biggest and I was hungry.
I ****ed the rifle with no noise, laid it on my sticks, eased the muzzle out the window of the blind (very important). Took a dead solid bead on the top of her heart, bottom of her lungs. I even had the set trigger on.
When I touched the trigger the deer folded like a rag doll. I field dressed her, took her in and registered her of course and took her home. It is my habit to skin a deer ASAP before they freeze solid. I took the hide off her, marveled at the entrance hole, looked on the other side.. no exit hole?
Walked around her, and through the top of the spine, there was a hole behind her neck. Broke the spine mind you. Which is why she probably dropped like a rock. But when you consider the path that bullet took.I forget who I told this story to on this forum, but they suggested the ball hit a rib, broke the rib (which it did) and was somehow deflected up and through the spine. Now her heart was mush, but not all that bad, like when shot. And I am not a heart eater. To me it is just more gut. And there was bone in her guts. But that was a strange one to me.
01-27-2010, 09:15 AM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Chippewa Falls WI
Posts: 914
Dave
I had a similar experience I shot a doe with a CVA 54 St Louis Hawken. the bullet was a 54 maxie home cast with wheel weights. The shot was head on entered just above the brisket and some how split in halve length ways and lodged one piece in one ham and one piece on the other side just behind the last rib under the hide.. needless to say she dropped. The innards were a mess.
I had a similar experience I shot a doe with a CVA 54 St Louis Hawken. the bullet was a 54 maxie home cast with wheel weights. The shot was head on entered just above the brisket and some how split in halve length ways and lodged one piece in one ham and one piece on the other side just behind the last rib under the hide.. needless to say she dropped. The innards were a mess.
01-27-2010, 09:19 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Lake Saint Louis MO
Posts: 723
I must be fortunate as I have all pass thrus, however my uncle a few years back had a similar story as yours but only with his Semi-Auto Winchester 12 guage. He had a doe about 10 yards and he acted quickly and shot her with his slug. I offered to dress her out as he has slight arthritis and cannot hold a knife like he used to. The entry hole was as expected but there was not exit hole. I have seen this gun blast apart trees and it did not add up. I rolled her over and see a hugh knot in her side. There is the bullet. I was mistaken as it was only half of the slug!! The other piece was in the heart and it had tore it up pretty bad to render it useless. The ribs were broken apart as if Rocky was hitting them. The point of entry was right behind the front leg (I am amazed he made that shot with the arthritus). The only reasonable thing was it hit the ribs and broke and a piece went towards the heart and the other continued on path from the shot and did not have enough force to get through the hide. It was amazing and we still have that slug in pieces on the shelf in the hunting trailer and talk about that every year.
01-27-2010, 09:32 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 1,408
1) Traditions Deerhunter, 90gr Pyrodex and a 300gr PR Keith Nose bullet. Doe was about 90 yds, facing me to slightly quartering. The way this setup was the deer were coming straight in on me across 1/4 mile of open ground to get to soybeans behind me, broadside shots were not going to happen which is why I opted for a 300gr soft lead HP bullet instead of a Shockwave in an inline. I shot and the doe took off to my left at full speed. And ran, and ran. I was flabbergasted as I had expected that big bullet to flatten like a pancake and drop her. Instead she ran 200 yds then went down in a ditch and could not get back out. I was lucky that it was an unusually snowy November, if there had not been so much snow in the ditch (I almost got stuck in there going in to get her) she would have crossed and kept going. When I gutted her the bullet had destroyed one lung but I had not gotten any of the heart or other lung so apparently it was not enough to put her down. Bi exit hole but little blood even on good snow.
2) 300 bonded SW, 135gr 777 Omega X7 90 yds (I think?). Hit her high as I thought she was further out and held high, under the spine through the very top of the lungs. The bullet had zero expansion, was only in the body for about 6in as it put a neat little hole through the top of both lungs with almost no visible trauma. Definitively did NOT touch the spine. Yet she dropped in her tracks without so much as a flinch like I'd shot her in the head.
3) 200SW, 110gr 777. Doe, 338 yds. I did not expect a pass-thru at under 1000fps but not only did I get one but there was clear evidence of expansion and decent trauma...not like a 100 yd shot but better than I expected. Did not hit bone though. DRT. For the dozens of deer I've taken with this load and the ranges at which many were taken I should have more curious stories on this one but it's just boringly dependable.
4) WARNING: OFF TOPIC. I include this just to highlight the curious and unpredictable nature of animal physiology. We all expect them to react a certain way to a certain hit and that's too simple!! I shot a doe and recovered the arrow, cleaned it and checked the broadhead for sharpness and all seemed OK so I took it back out the next day. Shot at an 8-pt from about 35 yds and watched the arrow do a looping pattern all the way to the deer -- later learned that the broadhead ferrule was slightly bent (hard lesson learned, check them closer!). Impacted VERY low on the belly just in front of the rear leg, only in the deer for maybe 3in or less. Deer dropped his head and turned away, looked punch-drunk. Stood there a good 10min like that. Never presented a good follow-up shot. Finally started walking away slowly, since he was injured I put a Hail Mary from 70 yds at a poor angle and just clipped a leg. Felt terrible, total operator error. Let him go but still-hunted after him the following morning, found him laying behind a tree 150 yds away KO'd but alive and finished the job. No bleeding at all, really nothing but skin hit. All I can figure to this day is I hit a big nerve.
MTA: Also OFF TOPIC, but the reason I don't use Barnes Bullets as well-liked as they are on here is I had a Barnes Expander 12ga slug explode on the exterior of a small doe's shoulder blade leaving nothing but a crater and a long, long chase.
2) 300 bonded SW, 135gr 777 Omega X7 90 yds (I think?). Hit her high as I thought she was further out and held high, under the spine through the very top of the lungs. The bullet had zero expansion, was only in the body for about 6in as it put a neat little hole through the top of both lungs with almost no visible trauma. Definitively did NOT touch the spine. Yet she dropped in her tracks without so much as a flinch like I'd shot her in the head.
3) 200SW, 110gr 777. Doe, 338 yds. I did not expect a pass-thru at under 1000fps but not only did I get one but there was clear evidence of expansion and decent trauma...not like a 100 yd shot but better than I expected. Did not hit bone though. DRT. For the dozens of deer I've taken with this load and the ranges at which many were taken I should have more curious stories on this one but it's just boringly dependable.
4) WARNING: OFF TOPIC. I include this just to highlight the curious and unpredictable nature of animal physiology. We all expect them to react a certain way to a certain hit and that's too simple!! I shot a doe and recovered the arrow, cleaned it and checked the broadhead for sharpness and all seemed OK so I took it back out the next day. Shot at an 8-pt from about 35 yds and watched the arrow do a looping pattern all the way to the deer -- later learned that the broadhead ferrule was slightly bent (hard lesson learned, check them closer!). Impacted VERY low on the belly just in front of the rear leg, only in the deer for maybe 3in or less. Deer dropped his head and turned away, looked punch-drunk. Stood there a good 10min like that. Never presented a good follow-up shot. Finally started walking away slowly, since he was injured I put a Hail Mary from 70 yds at a poor angle and just clipped a leg. Felt terrible, total operator error. Let him go but still-hunted after him the following morning, found him laying behind a tree 150 yds away KO'd but alive and finished the job. No bleeding at all, really nothing but skin hit. All I can figure to this day is I hit a big nerve.
MTA: Also OFF TOPIC, but the reason I don't use Barnes Bullets as well-liked as they are on here is I had a Barnes Expander 12ga slug explode on the exterior of a small doe's shoulder blade leaving nothing but a crater and a long, long chase.
Last edited by spaniel; 01-27-2010 at 09:34 AM.
01-27-2010, 10:15 AM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Georgia
Posts: 261
I've told this story before but I believe it is worth telling again. I had built myself a 58 caliber half stock rifle. It is kind of a hawkin style rifle in appearance but not raelly a true hawkin, green mountain barrel cut to 32" in length pinned to the stock instead of hooked breech with wedges. It hads an L&r Hawkin flintlock and L&R doubble set triggers.
I had worked up a load at the range that exceeded 1800fps and it shot within 3" or so from 25-100 yards. I was shooting 130 gr of goex 3-f behind a PRB lubed with bear grease. I had a real hotdog load - I thought.
I was hunting that season when I saw a 3 point buck approaching and got my rifle set up on the opening he was headed for. I set her on full **** and when he stepped into the opening I said Baaa. The deer stopped and looked directly at me and I shot. A 25 yard shot aimed directly at the shoulder. He took off headed across the swamp.
I waited a few minutes and got down and started looking for blood. After about 50 yards I found bood and bone fragments. Joined by my hunting buddy we continued tracking finding bone and blood here and there. After 250 yards we walked up on the deer laying down. He got up and ran about 40 yards and fell. He tried to get up but couldn't. I put a finishing shot in the back of his neck from about 30 yards.
When I field dressed him only one lobe of his right lung was was destroyed and lis left lung was intact. There was no exit wound in the chest. There was an exit wound on the side of the neck and it was more of a split - like a knife wound.
The butcher recovered the first bullet and saved it for me. He told me that he found it just under the right shoulder. The ball had flattened out to the diameter of a quarter and not much thicker. Apparently bone fraagments from the shoulder damaged the deer's right lung.
This is the only time I have not gotton a complete passthrough on a deer with this rifle. Just goes to show that just because a load works good on paper, it does not always perform well in the field. I now shoot 90gr of goex 3f in this rifle and get excellent results.
I had worked up a load at the range that exceeded 1800fps and it shot within 3" or so from 25-100 yards. I was shooting 130 gr of goex 3-f behind a PRB lubed with bear grease. I had a real hotdog load - I thought.
I was hunting that season when I saw a 3 point buck approaching and got my rifle set up on the opening he was headed for. I set her on full **** and when he stepped into the opening I said Baaa. The deer stopped and looked directly at me and I shot. A 25 yard shot aimed directly at the shoulder. He took off headed across the swamp.
I waited a few minutes and got down and started looking for blood. After about 50 yards I found bood and bone fragments. Joined by my hunting buddy we continued tracking finding bone and blood here and there. After 250 yards we walked up on the deer laying down. He got up and ran about 40 yards and fell. He tried to get up but couldn't. I put a finishing shot in the back of his neck from about 30 yards.
When I field dressed him only one lobe of his right lung was was destroyed and lis left lung was intact. There was no exit wound in the chest. There was an exit wound on the side of the neck and it was more of a split - like a knife wound.
The butcher recovered the first bullet and saved it for me. He told me that he found it just under the right shoulder. The ball had flattened out to the diameter of a quarter and not much thicker. Apparently bone fraagments from the shoulder damaged the deer's right lung.
This is the only time I have not gotton a complete passthrough on a deer with this rifle. Just goes to show that just because a load works good on paper, it does not always perform well in the field. I now shoot 90gr of goex 3f in this rifle and get excellent results.
01-27-2010, 11:39 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Northern Chautauqua Co. N.Y.
Posts: 2,976
I remember this well as it was my very first ML kill and a Buck to boot. It was the last day of our Late ML Season and it was 4 O-Clock in the afternoon, less than a half hour to go befor it all ended.
I was checking the Grape Vinyard Rows for bedded deer when I spoted a deer lying down. This was back when we used only Patch & Round Ball and No Scopes. I did'nt care what it was Buck or Doe all I knew was I had a chance to fill my First ML Tag and Kill.
The deer was brodside layong down at what I figured was about 70 yds. I took aim on the end Grape Post and fired, the deer never moved it's head just went limp. I reloaded and slowly walked to the deer making sure my shot was true I was still on it.
When I arrived at my quarry boy was I surprised to see it was a 6 Pointer and he was expired! Now for the shot and bullet story......I was using My Dixie Gun Works (Poor Boy) 50cal loaded with 90grs of 3f and a round ball. I saw the entrance hole on the deer (lung area) but there was no exit hole?? later when I skinned out the Buck I had to know what happeded to the Ball. Well somehow the ball hit a rib, ricoched into the spine and travled the spine into the head of the Buck. I found the ball on the spine in the head. I still dont know how it happened but I suspect because the Buck was bedded it somehow caused this. That's why the Buck never moved a muscle.
(BP)
I was checking the Grape Vinyard Rows for bedded deer when I spoted a deer lying down. This was back when we used only Patch & Round Ball and No Scopes. I did'nt care what it was Buck or Doe all I knew was I had a chance to fill my First ML Tag and Kill.
The deer was brodside layong down at what I figured was about 70 yds. I took aim on the end Grape Post and fired, the deer never moved it's head just went limp. I reloaded and slowly walked to the deer making sure my shot was true I was still on it.
When I arrived at my quarry boy was I surprised to see it was a 6 Pointer and he was expired! Now for the shot and bullet story......I was using My Dixie Gun Works (Poor Boy) 50cal loaded with 90grs of 3f and a round ball. I saw the entrance hole on the deer (lung area) but there was no exit hole?? later when I skinned out the Buck I had to know what happeded to the Ball. Well somehow the ball hit a rib, ricoched into the spine and travled the spine into the head of the Buck. I found the ball on the spine in the head. I still dont know how it happened but I suspect because the Buck was bedded it somehow caused this. That's why the Buck never moved a muscle.
(BP)
01-27-2010, 12:00 PM
#8
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Comance county, OK
Posts: 11,408
In July, 2007 i was sitting in a low stand at a water hole waiting for hogs to come in. A sow came by with her three big pigs and never stopped at the water hole.
Took a shot at the sow as she passed by at a range of 25-35 yards angling away. At the shot that sow did all kind of stuff that i hope to never see again. She repeatedly came off the ground: One time she was about four feet off the ground with her head pointed down at an angle. After about 20 or 30 seconds she hit the ground and was dead. The bullet did not exit.
All i could think about was Carlos Hathkock when he killed the NVA cobra sniper. The bullet hit the cobra sniper's rifle scope and the guy went into all kinds of contortions before he died.
Attitude: Angling away
Distance: 25-35 yards
Gun: CVA StagHorn
Powder: Two 50 grain Pyrodex pellets
Bullet: 240 grain .430 XTP
Primer: Winchester shotgun
Took a shot at the sow as she passed by at a range of 25-35 yards angling away. At the shot that sow did all kind of stuff that i hope to never see again. She repeatedly came off the ground: One time she was about four feet off the ground with her head pointed down at an angle. After about 20 or 30 seconds she hit the ground and was dead. The bullet did not exit.
All i could think about was Carlos Hathkock when he killed the NVA cobra sniper. The bullet hit the cobra sniper's rifle scope and the guy went into all kinds of contortions before he died.
Attitude: Angling away
Distance: 25-35 yards
Gun: CVA StagHorn
Powder: Two 50 grain Pyrodex pellets
Bullet: 240 grain .430 XTP
Primer: Winchester shotgun
01-27-2010, 12:47 PM
#9
Dominant Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
WOW!! these are some great experiences...
My friend was hunting with a Traditions Kentucky .50 caliber percussion cap rifle. We were in a blind. And a nice doe came by at over 100 yards. He was loaded with 100 grains of Pyrodex RS and a patched roundball. He rested that rifle on the blind window, and touched off that rifle. That deer jumped straight up about six feet in the air. Did a complete flip, then came down, hitting the ground. She could not move her front end, but ran her back legs, pushing her in a circle, in the snow, making a snow angel until she died. When we skinned her he had shot her straight up from the shoulder in the spine. I asked him why and he said, he'd never shot that far before and figured the ball would drop about eight inches, so he aimed at her spine. Which is right where he hit.
My friend was hunting with a Traditions Kentucky .50 caliber percussion cap rifle. We were in a blind. And a nice doe came by at over 100 yards. He was loaded with 100 grains of Pyrodex RS and a patched roundball. He rested that rifle on the blind window, and touched off that rifle. That deer jumped straight up about six feet in the air. Did a complete flip, then came down, hitting the ground. She could not move her front end, but ran her back legs, pushing her in a circle, in the snow, making a snow angel until she died. When we skinned her he had shot her straight up from the shoulder in the spine. I asked him why and he said, he'd never shot that far before and figured the ball would drop about eight inches, so he aimed at her spine. Which is right where he hit.
01-27-2010, 01:41 PM
#10
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,747
This was many moons ago. Late season ML. My friend and I hunt the thickest nastiest stuff in our area. Full of black birch and scrub oak all tied together with good old greenbrier. One of us usually tries to find an area with some visibility and the other does a slow walk through toward him (as if you could walk fast).
Anyway, this one time I was the lucky guy on stand and my buddy pushed 3 deer to me. I could catch a glimpse of them every once in a while as they eased out in front of him. The first two managed to get past me. But the third one took an alternate route and was walking directly away from me, tail up, about 40 yds.
With my Hawken flinter loaded with a 275 gr Maxihunter and 100 gr of Goex FFFg I shouldered the her and pulled the set trigger. Settled the front bead just below the base of the tail and touch her off. Throught the smoke I could hear some trashing then silence. I had thought I had missed her and she was running off. Then I saw her white belly. I reloaded and walked up only to find her stone dead. It was obvious that I had hit her but I could not find an entry hole - at least until I started to dress her out. (my friend was teasing me and said I gave her a heart attack).
During the field dressing we came to find out that the bullet entered the rectum perfectly and did not break any skin. But the insides were, to say the least, a total mess. I never did find the bullet but it sure did a bunch of damage right up into the chest cavity.
Anyway, this one time I was the lucky guy on stand and my buddy pushed 3 deer to me. I could catch a glimpse of them every once in a while as they eased out in front of him. The first two managed to get past me. But the third one took an alternate route and was walking directly away from me, tail up, about 40 yds.
With my Hawken flinter loaded with a 275 gr Maxihunter and 100 gr of Goex FFFg I shouldered the her and pulled the set trigger. Settled the front bead just below the base of the tail and touch her off. Throught the smoke I could hear some trashing then silence. I had thought I had missed her and she was running off. Then I saw her white belly. I reloaded and walked up only to find her stone dead. It was obvious that I had hit her but I could not find an entry hole - at least until I started to dress her out. (my friend was teasing me and said I gave her a heart attack).
During the field dressing we came to find out that the bullet entered the rectum perfectly and did not break any skin. But the insides were, to say the least, a total mess. I never did find the bullet but it sure did a bunch of damage right up into the chest cavity.