Gtorq21

Hey guys I was fortunate enough to harvest a good 8 pointer today. shot was roughly 85 yards and was using federal 150gr soft point. Deer dropped within 10yds of initial shot. There's was no blood on ground at all. I guess the bullet used all its energy on impact (good thing I know). But I figured the 308 at this range would easily have made a pass through allowing for blood trail. Any y'all have this caliber not do a pass through?

Bocajnala

Bullets can do unpredictable things when they hit an animal. If you're using the federal powershock, it has a good history of killing deer.

No Blood in ten yards isn't really a concern either, sometimes it take a bit for the blood to start running. and a deer can cover ten yards in a jump or two.

Shot placement plays a factor as well. A high chest shot can take some time to start bleeding.

-Jake

Oldtimr

The only 150 grn .308 round I have killed a deer with that did not pass through my one and only Brisket shot and the deer went right down coughing blood and blood was pouring out of the entrance hole, the deer died within a minute. The bullet was found fully mushroomed by the butcher just under the skin one a ham.

the blur

Depends on if it hits a rib.. or deflects..
My accubond bounced around the rib cage.. no blood trail, but my freezer is full.

hdtramp

I just posted a thread with the same problem. I took a doe at 80 yards and only went through one side (ribcage) with no exit wound and I never found the bullet. First deer with a 308, been using a 12 gauge for 45 years and always had an exit wound even out to 120 yards. Thought it was strange also, I was using 165 Gr. Nosler Accubond's.Thought there was enough energy for a pass through.

Gtorq21

When I shot the buck he was on the move. The land I hunted this year only has a small window of opportunity if the deer crosses from left to right which he was. With him being shot while on the move my round hit farther back than I would've liked. Pretty sure it was a liver shot. But he dropped within 10 yds. With that I'm incredibly happy with the 308 round. Aswell as the federal soft points and will continue to use them even if no pass through or blood trail.

grouch55

Sounds to me you hit obstacles in front of deer ! Brush, Tree branch, Something that deflected bullet

HatchieLuvr

The reason that bullet didn't exit isn't because you are shooting a 308, it's because that bullet is light and expanded quickly. A standard cup & core 150 most likely wont fully penetrate any chest cavity shot with any 308 (or faster) cartridge. I don't subscribe to the "bullet dump" theory and would much rather have full penetration and instant external bleeding vs waiting on an animal to internally fill up before it may or may not begin leaving a consistent bloodtrail. If you want to shoot 150s in your 308 but have consistently reliable and instant bloodtrails then I'd recommend you try the solid copper bullets like Barnes, Federal Trophy Copper, Hornady GMX, Nosler Etip etc... If you want to stay with traditional cup & core bullets like your Federal softpoints, Rem CoreLokts, WInchester PowerPoints etc then I'd recommend you go up to 180s in your 308.

Oldtimr

Absolute nonsense, based on 49 years of killing deer with a .308 and having pass throughs using 150 grn Remington CoreLokts with every deer but one which was a brisket shot that knocked the deer down for good.

HatchieLuvr

Don't know why I came back to this site, I see some "absolute nonsense" hasn't changed by a few of the members here!

OT what part of the mans post did you not understand where he DIDN'T get a pass thru? I understand you have 5 decades of experience with your 150s and 308 and ALL of them were pass thrus (I simply don't believe that but I'll go along with you for conversations sake). But my near on 4 decades of big game hunting has shown me that the original posters experience IS quite common. All I did was offer the gent some alternative ideas based on my own decades of experience, not "conjecture" or armchair ballisticians.

Whatever, and folks wonder why websites have mostly gone the way of printed media....