biscuit jake

So, lets say Bambi gives you a butt shot and you need to drive a cartridge all through the vitals. What loads work to plow through that much critter? (Now, if your deer only offer great broadside shots, you can skip this. :-)

Jason N

That's commonly reffered to as a 'Texas heart shot' and I would strongly suggest against it.

bigcountry

All the loads they don't loose much retention. Many out there. Failsafe, TBBC, Barnes, partitions, A-Frames, Northfork.

I don't know why in the world anyone would take this shot and get bile all over thier meat. Just doesn't sit right with me.

zrexpilot

Bingo ! Thats disgusting ! i seen one shot from the front staright on head down, hit it at the base of the neck and spine, bullet went through the deer, going through the guts and stomach. that was a nasty cleaning job, pretty hard to keep it off the meat too.. I'll never take that shot, I will go for the back of the neck or head, if facing away.

James B

In all of my years of hunting, I have done that shot ONCE. Once is the key word in this answer.. Never again. Don't need a deer that bad.

Rustyaxecamp

Did it once. Last day of season, hadn't seen a buck all season, saw a decent buck (after he saw me), we locked eyes, my rifle was leaning against the blindin front of me (out of my hands). I slowly started to reach for it, he saw my arm moving, and bolted. I grabbed the rifle, threw it up like a 20 gauge on a grouse, saw brown in the scope, and shot. He bled like a stuck pig, but I still needed to finish him when I got to him.

Long story short: 30-06, 180gr Scirroco, 50 yard shot. Entered right hip quartering away to right, bullet broke hip, blew up a major atrery, and lodged along spine under skin about halfway up back (no guts).

I got the buck, but the bullet performance was the worst I have ever seen. Bullet looked like I took pliers and just pulled the polymer tip off. I saved it , was going to send it to Remington (factory loads) but never did.[:@]

I wouldn't hesitate to take the shot again, if it was either venny in the freezer or not, but it is not prefered......

Erik

Rusty Axe Camp

HighDesertWolf

Been there done that........ on accident tried to get just the outside of its exposed ribs on the left side it was on the extreme end of a quartering shot, the angle would have been perfect to take out a lung and the heart. the shot was taken standing up shooting free hand I was wobbling pretty bad, when my crosshairs crossed over the ribs i pulled the trigger, the bullet ended up entering dead square through the tail and in the butt hole. My 168 grain Ballistic silvertip out of my 308 win from 75 yards did just fine penetrated and exited the front of its right shoulder, other then the fact it was a real mess inside looked like a jar of tomatoe sauce exploded inside, the deer didnt run at all dropped liked a ton of bricks right where it was standing. Alot of meat was destroyed, the tenderloins were totally wasted along with the right shoulder roast.

Gundigest

I have never made that shot, but I would if I had a monster buck in front of me that was not going to give me a better shot. I would not hesitate to make a texas heart shot with my 7x57, 30-06, or 300WSM. It would be going on the wall.

uncle matt

Right on Gundigest. I was going to respong to Big Country along those lines also. Seems all most seems to care about is antlers, antlers, antlers. Will the bile spoil antlers? I AM NOT an antler hunter by any means. Meat, meat and more meat. Sausages, smoled roasts, burgers and steaks. But if a high class buck presented me with a Texas heart shot, I think I'd try and whistle or something to get him in a different position.

Uncle Matt (in IL)

Virginia7

As noted, can be messy, and certainly not the preferred shot, but what works?
270Win. with 150gr. Rem. Core-Lokts.
308Win., again with 150gr. Rem. Core-Lokts.
What doesn't work? 243Win. - not enough bullet weight for proper penetration. Core/jacket seperations don't help matters either.