243win 90gr Accubonds to much for Alabama Does

[c. schutte]

I actually think the AccuBond begins expansion faster than the BT if anything. The process that bonds the bullet softens the jacket I've read. It just holds more weight together and has less fragmentation or shrapnel that leaves the main bullet and creates a larger wound channel. I'd agree it usually doesn't expend as much of it's energy inside an animal or leave as dramatic a wound channel. The channel will be deeper if the shot isn't broadside.

I've shot a lot of big Midwestern whitetail with accubonds and almost all ran 30-80yds no matter what I shot them with if I took a broadside shot. Mostly 270, 7 mag, or 264WM. Even deer that I shot with the old 180gr BT bullets from a 300WM at 3250fps would sometimes run a bit after the shot, especially if they were already running when I shot them. Those bullets sometimes didn't exit meaning the deer absorbed a heck of a lot of energy! I don't think anything is guaranteed to drop them in their tracks except a CNS shot or taking out their running gear.

For what it's worth I've probably seen more drop in their tracks shot with the Sierra Gameking than anything, maybe just because I've hunted with a lot of guys that use them. The 90gr Gameking from a 25-06 drops a lot of them where they stand on a lung shot. The 85gr from a 243 or 6mm loaded hot does also. Neither are ideal for quartering shots and will tear up a lot of meat on a shoulder though if hit there.

This has been my experience on whitetails. Went through a phase where I took nothing but double lung shots and will still do that sometimes when shooting a new bullet. Using a 250 grain spire point (which expands when hitting a spec of dust) out of a .340 wby dropped the first 3 deer like a rock but, the forth doe ran some 60 yards like nothing happened. It was just about dark and a downward shot so my first impression was that I must have bumped the scope and missed. Checked it out and found her with 1/2 her heart dangling out hanging by nothing but one artery.

I wonder if when you hit a deer broadside in the lungs the amount of oxygen in the blood stream has much to do about how far they run? Some drop and some run up to 80 yards. Maybe we should shoot them during their exhale? :>)

Now days I like the double shoulder or at least aim for the opposite shoulder. Meat damage for sure but they never fail to fall within sight. I would rather ruin a shoulder than the whole deer.

 

[Guy Miner]

This has been a great discussion. Most of us hunt deer, and we have our own experiences and preferences.

Welcome aboard ozarkpugs!

Good group here. I am enjoying the light-hearted, happy talk, after so much vile political stuff in the news anymore. A few things in this thread brought a big ol' grin to my face such as:

"Dad used to shoot Jacks with his 7- Mag." Yahoo! :mrgreen:

"Using a 250 grain spire point (which expands when hitting a spec of dust) out of a .340 wby dropped the first 3 deer like a rock.." Enough gun? :mrgreen:

Good stuff here guys!

Guy

 

[elkhunternm]

Here's a pic of a .460 Wby with a deceased rabbit.

 

[lefty315]

Expansion or not.... You definitely got him!!!

 

[mcseal2]

That looks like great practice for a trip to Africa

 

[mcseal2]

I actually think the AccuBond begins expansion faster than the BT if anything. The process that bonds the bullet softens the jacket I've read. It just holds more weight together and has less fragmentation or shrapnel that leaves the main bullet and creates a larger wound channel. I'd agree it usually doesn't expend as much of it's energy inside an animal or leave as dramatic a wound channel. The channel will be deeper if the shot isn't broadside.

I've shot a lot of big Midwestern whitetail with accubonds and almost all ran 30-80yds no matter what I shot them with if I took a broadside shot. Mostly 270, 7 mag, or 264WM. Even deer that I shot with the old 180gr BT bullets from a 300WM at 3250fps would sometimes run a bit after the shot, especially if they were already running when I shot them. Those bullets sometimes didn't exit meaning the deer absorbed a heck of a lot of energy! I don't think anything is guaranteed to drop them in their tracks except a CNS shot or taking out their running gear.

For what it's worth I've probably seen more drop in their tracks shot with the Sierra Gameking than anything, maybe just because I've hunted with a lot of guys that use them. The 90gr Gameking from a 25-06 drops a lot of them where they stand on a lung shot. The 85gr from a 243 or 6mm loaded hot does also. Neither are ideal for quartering shots and will tear up a lot of meat on a shoulder though if hit there.

This has been my experience on whitetails. Went through a phase where I took nothing but double lung shots and will still do that sometimes when shooting a new bullet. Using a 250 grain spire point (which expands when hitting a spec of dust) out of a .340 wby dropped the first 3 deer like a rock but, the forth doe ran some 60 yards like nothing happened. It was just about dark and a downward shot so my first impression was that I must have bumped the scope and missed. Checked it out and found her with 1/2 her heart dangling out hanging by nothing but one artery.

I wonder if when you hit a deer broadside in the lungs the amount of oxygen in the blood stream has much to do about how far they run? Some drop and some run up to 80 yards. Maybe we should shoot them during their exhale? :>)

Now days I like the double shoulder or at least aim for the opposite shoulder. Meat damage for sure but they never fail to fall within sight. I would rather ruin a shoulder than the whole deer.

Most of my deer hunting is where it's open enough that I'll take the lung shot when I can, I'll still recover them. I'm usually far enough from the neighbors land that traveling 80yds is no big deal too. I don't always wait for that shot though during buck season, I usually take the first reasonable angle I can get and I aim for the off-side shoulder or hip if broadside isn't an option. I think they definitely run further on average if they are spooked before the shot. I'm sure not against taking out a shoulder if necessary either, just avoid it when I can. Most that I shoot now have no idea I'm around and don't travel as far as when we pushed draws more.

 

[SJB358]

Great thread. I'll still say for strictly deer, the BT in an appropriate weight is a great, fast killer. The ABs seem to be a really good happy medium. I'm looking forward to taking a deer or two with a BBC. Those cut a wide swath.

 

[elkhunternm]

That looks like great practice for a trip to Africa

Yup.

 

[AK7AN]

When I was growing up in SW Missouri, I almost exclusively hunted WT's with the Winchester 100gr SP fired form my 270 Win. Careful to only take broadside double lung shots or neck shots. That little round killed Wt's like a lightning bolt. Fast forward a few years and I am living in CO, now hunting Mule deer, I have learned the art of handloading and using the 150gr Speer GS in the 270 and 180 gr Sierra Pro Hunters in my 765 Mauser. I thought that Mule Deer must be tremendously hard to kill when after a double lung with either of these rounds they would run 75 to 150 yds before expiring. It took me a while to learn that the heavier controlled expansion bullets didn't just explode inside and drop them like a bag of hammers. Nice expanded mushrooms with a lot of retained weight. Does the same job just in a different way. So bullet choice does matter..
Just my .02
Ed