Blood Trails
11-22-2010, 10:19 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 178
Blood Trails
I would like to have a discussion about blood trails with .50 cal sabots. I know that obviously you have to make a good hit in the kill zone for starters. I have tried 3-4 different sabots and none have given close to the blood trails as shotguns seem to give.
My question is this. When hit properly, what sabot leaves the best blood trails?
My question is this. When hit properly, what sabot leaves the best blood trails?
11-22-2010, 10:27 AM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,585
When you get a proper hit with a good rifle a 250 gr Gold Dot and a load of at least 110 gr of Blackhorn or 777 you don't need a blood trail if you place that bullet in the never center just above the heart the deer will not take an other step.
11-22-2010, 10:45 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Northern Chautauqua Co. N.Y.
Posts: 2,976
Even on a properly placed shot you may not get a good blood trail. I've seen deer hit in the Lungs that did not bleed a drop, a-lot of Fat in the Deer caused the entrance and exit holes to plug up. Some spue blood other's drop a few spots and some dont bleed, it's just how it goes. As mentioned above a properly placed shot in the Lungs Heart Area is all you need for the Animal to not go too far.
You can shoot 5 Deer in the same spot with the same ML and Bullet and get 5 different results.
(BP)
You can shoot 5 Deer in the same spot with the same ML and Bullet and get 5 different results.
(BP)
11-22-2010, 11:45 AM
#5
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
Sabots do not leave blood trails as they do not penetrate the deer. Not teasing you though. I know what you mean.
The projectile you want to shoot should be made for the kind of shooting you might encounter. If you want a good blood trail you need a pass through. That pass through has to be where a lot of blood from the deer flows, like the lungs, heart, or main artery. The problem I find when you do not get a pass through is, many times the body cavity has to fill up with blood before it can drip out.
Short ranges I always look to the hollow points. I like this new Speer Deep Curl in 300 grain, but to date I have not shot a deer with it.
Shockwaves will often blow right through deer, but some claim no blood trail and others claim massive. Again, I think it is all where that bullet hit.
Conical bullets normally get a pass through. They also do extensive interior damage so blood trails are common with them. Also I find their knock down power real good.
I think it is the bullet you shoot. If I wanted a blood trail I would be shooting one of these; a Barnes MZ Expander, Nosler Partition, Speer Deep Curl, Traditions 350 grain all lead Keith Nose .430, Buffalo Bullet 375 gr SSB or Hornady XTP 300 grain. But again, no field experience with sabots to back up my views. Only my speculation.
The projectile you want to shoot should be made for the kind of shooting you might encounter. If you want a good blood trail you need a pass through. That pass through has to be where a lot of blood from the deer flows, like the lungs, heart, or main artery. The problem I find when you do not get a pass through is, many times the body cavity has to fill up with blood before it can drip out.
Short ranges I always look to the hollow points. I like this new Speer Deep Curl in 300 grain, but to date I have not shot a deer with it.
Shockwaves will often blow right through deer, but some claim no blood trail and others claim massive. Again, I think it is all where that bullet hit.
Conical bullets normally get a pass through. They also do extensive interior damage so blood trails are common with them. Also I find their knock down power real good.
I think it is the bullet you shoot. If I wanted a blood trail I would be shooting one of these; a Barnes MZ Expander, Nosler Partition, Speer Deep Curl, Traditions 350 grain all lead Keith Nose .430, Buffalo Bullet 375 gr SSB or Hornady XTP 300 grain. But again, no field experience with sabots to back up my views. Only my speculation.
11-22-2010, 11:56 AM
#6
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 178
I guess I should have left the 20 gauge at home and continued using the CVA. I killed 2 deer with it over the last 8 days and MAN, what damage Lightfelds do. 1 went 70 yards after a double lung hit and left a blood trail you could have tracked from a plane. The other piled up 20 yards away. Again, blood trail was amazing.
I, like most should, don't throw lead around hoping to hit something. When I pull the trigger, it's on a weapon with a scope on it that I have shot and am confident will kill the target. I don't intend to shoot more than once! If there is a question, don't pull the trigger.
I have killed 5-6 deer with my .50 CVA and some went bang-flop, some ran a few yards, but i recovered them all. None had a blood trail anything close to the 20 gauge!
I, like most should, don't throw lead around hoping to hit something. When I pull the trigger, it's on a weapon with a scope on it that I have shot and am confident will kill the target. I don't intend to shoot more than once! If there is a question, don't pull the trigger.
I have killed 5-6 deer with my .50 CVA and some went bang-flop, some ran a few yards, but i recovered them all. None had a blood trail anything close to the 20 gauge!
Last edited by Hoosier_Hunter1963; 11-22-2010 at 11:59 AM.
11-22-2010, 01:04 PM
#7
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
I have a friend that hunts with a 20 gauge shooting slugs and he swears its the best deer gun he has. He's sure killed a lot of deer with it. I do not know the kind of slugs he uses.
I have a Winchester Model 1300 20 gauge pump, but never shot slugs out of it. Perhaps I need to get a box of them to try just for fun. What choke would you use.. improved cylinder I am guessing.
I have a Winchester Model 1300 20 gauge pump, but never shot slugs out of it. Perhaps I need to get a box of them to try just for fun. What choke would you use.. improved cylinder I am guessing.
11-22-2010, 01:13 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Nashville, Ohio
Posts: 1,109
I would say as open a choke as you can find for it, but no tighter than Improved Cylinder.
I have always had good blood trails with Hornady XTP's
The buck in my profile pick took an XTP being pushed from my Traditions Evolution with 100 gr. of APP. That blood trail was a sight to behold in the snow!
I have always had good blood trails with Hornady XTP's
The buck in my profile pick took an XTP being pushed from my Traditions Evolution with 100 gr. of APP. That blood trail was a sight to behold in the snow!
Last edited by popeandyoungchaser; 11-22-2010 at 01:18 PM.
11-22-2010, 02:21 PM
#9
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 126
I've killed deer with .50cal - patch & ball - conicals - sabots bullets, none required me to follow a blood trail. They hit the ground within sight.
2 years ago I shot a big 10 point buck with my 7mm mag. He ran like I had missed him. I walked over to where I had shot and there was a little hair and no blood. I started a circle search and found a small drop of blood 40 yards from where I shot.
Long story short, I found the buck 70 yards from where I shot him. There was a pass through of both lungs. So there no rhyme or reason to when a deer leaves a blood trail.
I also hunt with a bow and there's always plenty of blood.
2 years ago I shot a big 10 point buck with my 7mm mag. He ran like I had missed him. I walked over to where I had shot and there was a little hair and no blood. I started a circle search and found a small drop of blood 40 yards from where I shot.
Long story short, I found the buck 70 yards from where I shot him. There was a pass through of both lungs. So there no rhyme or reason to when a deer leaves a blood trail.
I also hunt with a bow and there's always plenty of blood.