gregrn43

Muzzy season started Saturday here in Arkansas. I'm on vacation this week for it. I hadn't seen very many deer since the season opened. This morning I had a good sized doe come through so I thought I would put some meat in the freezer. I shot her at 40 yards broadside, shooting my TC Triumph with 100grs of T7 and a 250gr bonded shock wave. I have been using bonded shock waves for several years with very good results. Today was a bit different. At the shot she took off which I couldn't see because of the smoke, but could hear her running through the thick brush. When I got to where she was standing I found very little blood, I started trailing her up and the blood was very sparse for the first 100 yards and then it completely dried up. I couldn't find a single drop past that point, I was really questioning myself about my shot placement. I felt good about the shot when I pulled the trigger, but the lack of blood had me wondering. I started making sweeping circles in the direction that she was running and on my second sweep I found her. There was some blood around where she fell but I couldn't find a blood trail leading to where she was. She ran approximately 200 yards. I cant remember one running over 50 yards with a well placed shot from a shock wave. The bullet hit her right where I was aiming, right behind the shoulder mid-way up the chest. I cant figure that one out, but at least I found her.

falcon

Congrats on the doe, glad you found her. Sometimes things just happen.

Semisane

Congrats on the doe greg. No horns?? We don't need no stinking horns.

I've had well hit deer travel almost that far, and with little blood too. Then have had bang flops on others with the same shot placement and same load. It just happens.

Take a look at jsk's bang/flop video in his post "2013 Delaware Early Muzzleloader Hunt". That doe was still kicking at the nine second mark after the shot (and still moving a bit a few seconds after the last clear kick that can be seen). Considering that a deer can hit 35 mph (17 yards per second), had she run flat out and then dropped stone cold dead - as some deer do - she would have covered 150 yards in those nine seconds.

cayugad

Sure looks like a well placed shot to me. Them deer are tough. You can shoot them grave yard dead and they still run away. Congratulations on the deer.

edwardCVAmason

I once shot a buck at 35 yards with a 3006 and blew the heart out the other side to the point it was hanging out externally pumping blood all over heck and creation. Deer still managed to run 100 yards.

Two seasons ago I double lunged a doe with a .50 cal Knight 250 gr xtp. Deer ran 100 yArda and piled up. Not one drop of blood until I got within a few feet of it. I could never explain that one.

Same bullet same ML dbl lunged a different doe a few days later and Stevie Wonder could have followed the blood trail.

go figure.

Breechplug

Deer are tough and amazing! I had heart shot deer run over 100yds with no blood trail. The good thing is you didn't give up and found her, Congrat's!
(BP)

WV Hunter

I agree. One thing I've learned over the years...expect the unexpected.

Nice slick head, and good job finding her!

oldsmellhound

Congrats on the harvest! That kind of thing happens once in awhile, you did a good job recovering her...

Buckhunter46755

Congrats on the hunt & recovery! Shot looks like it was placed just fine.

t.shaffer

personally i quit using shockwaves always had very little blood trail now i use barnes tez 290 s alot of guys stick to xtps but ive had them open up while hunting in a treestand & shooting into some lite to medium cover but chit happens all the guys on those tv shows say they use a tc shockwave & show deer drt but will also show them shooting something in the morning & recoveringit in the dark go figure