Exit Wound?

[Guy Miner]

On deer, do you usually get an exit wound?

Does this matter a lot to you?

How about bigger game?

Most of my hunting has been for mule deer, with a few whitetail, wild hog, a bear, and a bull elk. Usually I hunt with Noslers of one kind or another. As a rule, I see exit wounds on the game I shoot.

It's easier to remember the occasions when I didn't see an exit wound:

All of the mule deer I've shot with the .223 AR-15 & 55 gr soft point bullets. All these were injured deer, hit by cars, tangled in fences, or injured by dogs or coyotes. Dozens of them. When I shoot them with my .45 ACP & 230 gr hollow point bullets I often see an exit wound. When I shoot them with the AR-15, I rarely see an exit wound.

All three of the mule deer I shot with the 115 gr Berger VLD from my .25-06 Rem. No exit wounds on two of them, one buck I shot twice. The first shot broke his spine but exited the chest cavity sideways. The next bullet didn't exit. On the other hand, all three of those deer dropped instantly and no tracking was required.

Other than that... Exit wounds on everything I can remember shooting, and that's with a variety of rifles from the little 6mm Rem to the .375 H&H and the .45/70 Marlin. Even the .50 cal muzzle loader produced exit wounds. Even the little 95 gr 6mm Ballistic Tip produced exit wounds!

I haven't been real concerned about whether or not a bullet produces an exit wound, as long as it kills the animal quickly. I prefer the game to die in place, or within a very few yards of where it was hit, rather than to engage in a lengthy tracking job.

How about you guys? Seeing mostly exit wounds or sometimes not? Circumstances when you don't get an exit?

Thanks, Guy

 

[JD338]

I like exit wounds as there is more red life leaking out.
I have only recovered 4-5 bullets from deer. With Nosler AB's and PT's I have always gotten an exit wound.

JD338

 

[cloverleaf]

Dont know.....Ive seen deer with 12 ga holes in both sides go almost a mile. Obviously not perfect shots... Dad always said he wanted his bullets to "come apart in there" and do some additional damage. All he ever shot was a 7MAG with 130ge Speers. Dont know about exit wounds...but they all went down. CL

 

[tecumseh]

I don't get too bent out of shape if I don't get an exit wound. The only time I didn't get one was on a 8 point I shot here in Ohio with a 12 ga Remington copper sabot at 75 yards, I found the slug just under the hide on the opposite shoulder. The deer dropped dead in it's tracks like it had been hit with the hammer of Thor!

 

[gerry]

Generally I like exit wounds but then again it is nice to recover a perfectly mushroomed bullet too. Almost all have gone through over the years but I have recovered a few mostly from moose, I have found a 220 gr Siver Tip (30-06) 180 gr Speer G.S (30-06) 180 gr Speer Mag Tip (308 Norma Mag) and 225 gr AccuBond (35 Whelen). I can recall a 156 gr Norma Alaska (6.5x55) from a wolf and 130 gr Swift (264 Win Mag) from a mountain goat, can't think of any others right now. Mt buddy has recovered a Speer G.S (300 Win Mag) from a black bear, a 220 gr Partition (300 Win Mag) from a grizzly 260 gr AccuBond (375 Ruger) from a black bear and a 260 gr AccuBond (375 Ruger) from a mountain goat that I can remember.

 

[DrMike]

It seems to be about 50/50 for me. On deer, there is almost always an exit wound. There have been a few exceptions, but the animals died just the same. On moose and elk, I am far more likely to find a bullet inside the animal, though those that dropped at such shots were down pretty quickly. I don't worry overly much about exit wounds, however.

 

[SJB358]

I like them! While not always possible the extra blood on the ground is useful for tracking, if only a short job, through damp ground it's useful.

 

[FOTIS]

As many as I can get. I only had 1 bullet not exit on deer.

 

[PJGunner]

For many years when I first started hunting, I used a 30-06 with 150 gr. Sierraspitzer flat based bullets. After all, that's what the late great Jack O'Connor said was best for deer in a 30-06 (150 gr. bullets that is) Much mangled meat, and almost never an exit wound. It was on a hunt with the friend out of Battle Mountin Nevada who suggested going to 180 gr. bullets. I did and deer dropped just as fast most of the time and the few that didn't left nice blood trails while leaking from both sides. later I went to the .308 and used 150 gr. Sierras once more but quickly went to 165 gr, Speer Hot-Cores for less meat damage and usually got exits with those as well. I can only remember one deer that the bullet did not exit and it was shot while facing me almost straight on at 250 yards. Bullet hit right where I aimed and passed throught the deer, exited just in front of the back leg, entered the leg and stopped against the bone, breaking it. Deer dropped like all four legs had been yanked out from under it. I guess you could say it did exit, after a fashion but did reenter at the leg. :?: Ater going with the heavier bullets I really can't say I remember thme not exiting but I do try to be in a position to try for broadside shot as much as possible.
Paul B.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

I like ample tissue damage. It can come in the form of a long narrow wound channel, or a short broad one. I'm more concerned about knowing which one to expect so use that behavior to my advantage to maxamize my opportunities to fill the freezer.

 

[sask boy]

Well guys, I have not really paid attention to that. I just like the fact they are laying down & I very seldom have to track them. I always like finding the bullet so I can see how it preformed on the animal I just harvested.
The larger bucks that I have taken in both Whitetail & Muley have often had to exit wounds but that is usually when they are shot at close range under 250 yards. Out further than that I usually don't find a exit wound.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[Elkman]

My preference on "any" game animal is to be able to see clear through them. However thats not practical so my second best option is a nice leak hole on both sides. There have probably been a couple of deer in my life that did not have an exit wound but I do not remember them. As I also do not remember specifically every elk that I have killed but the majority have had a hole through both sides. I shot a very nice mule deer doe, once at 200+ yards with my 300 WM. She was standing at the edge of a bluff, and when shot squarely behind the shoulders, she ran up over the top of the bluff and out of sight. I was not overly concerned as I knew the shot was good and we had old, but good snow cover. When I got to where she went over the ridge it was obvious that was hit hard, blood visible at least several feet on both sides of her trail. Well over 300 yards away I found her. On dry ground with no blood, recovery might have been difficult as I had no idea where she had gone once she went over the ridge. I have had several similar instances with elk, and a good blood trail aided recovery.

 

[big rifle man]

Not really conderned about an exit hole. I have had occasions where the .338RUM has not exited on elk when the shot has not been directly at 90 degrees or close to it, however the Elk has not gotten up and ran away so why argue with success.

 

[Greg Nolan]

I find that the AccuBond in a large enough caliber, especially with a Ultra Mag, will penetrate well and deliver sufficient hydrostatic shock damage to the vitals. Usually they leave a exit wound but always take the animal down cleanly with little or no tracking necessary.

 

[bullet]

For big game deer size and up I like the bullet to make the deepest hole possible preferring it to exit to insure that vital organs, nerve centers, blood arteries and pivotal skeletal structure can be reached and destroyed from all impact angles and for the bullet to match velocities and game shot therefore opening up quickly while leaving a good cavitating wound channel, holding up enough to exit, sucking air in and letting blood out the other side.

I usually get the above most of the time by properly matching cartridge, bullet weight and construction (determined by the velocity of the cartridge and game to be taken) and frankly, nothing does the job better than Nosler bullets - Ballitic Tip (heavy for caliber), Nosler Partition and AccuBond with the Partition most of the time depending on cartridge selection being the champ at the above describe task mentioned. :mrgreen:

 

[35 Whelen]

Well having spent most of my life guiding
Hunters it has always been our position
To have the game die as fast as possible
I will say that 90% of todays hunters are over
Guned and usually shooting toooo heavy a bullet
For the caliber???? Dont know why, still a ton of guys
Lining up there rifles to zero at 100 yds???
And for years running scopes ontop of
See thru mounts???? Speaking on deer hunting, I have one hunter that
Thinks 220gr bullets in a 30/06 is the way to
Go???? He wounds almost every buck he fires
At with those heavy bullets???? The 308 is carried
By alot of the boys and with 180 gr bullets it has
Been my experence that it doesnt transfer the
Energy in the cartridge nearly as well as
With 150 gr bullets , one fellow I know loads
The 150gr flat nose 30/30 bullets in his 308 and gets
Explosive results and instant kills like you
Get with a 270 on whitetails with that combo
While it is obvious from this survey and the cartridges
Folks show up with people like heavy bullets and exit
Holes............. As a guide I dont and would gladly swap
A box of Nosler Customs in 180gr for a box of
Walmart Rem Corelokts in 150 anyday for deer
Hunting........... Elk and Moose is a different story

 

[Vince]

I'm of a mixed mind on this topic but consider bullet selection more important than if I get an exit hole or not.

If we are to judge by shooting bipedal targets the thought is to have the bullet impart all it's energy in the target, human adversary, if shooting a handgun and I fail to see why hunting should be any different. Except of course for tracking. I don't have much expirience hunting, and maybe shouldn't offer an opinion, but my best game kills have been with a bullet that has stayed in the body.

If I do get a through and through I'd like the bullet to drop to the ground within five feet of my target, thus telling me that it imparted all of it's energy and giving me two blood holes. I guess that's why I like the 357 SIG so much for bipedal use. I'm still looking for the deer I shot two years ago with a through and through double lung hit from a copper bullet that failed to expand.

That expirience taught me to select my bullets better given the conditions I face.

 

[bullet]

As a guide I dont and would gladly swap
A box of Nosler Customs in 180gr for a box of
Walmart Rem Corelokts in 150 anyday for deer
Hunting........... Elk and Moose is a different story

You might be a guide, but I have killed a lot game state side and overseas - I mean a lot of game (was hired to do a lot of culling for a couple of years not counting at least two hunting trips a year for over 30yrs sometimes three a year and then each year hunting in my own state) and no deer NONE went anywhere during the culling, dropped dead right where they were shot using two bullets most of the time and these two bullets would exit every time. They were the 165gr Sierra Game King HPBT and the 180gr Ballistic tip out of my 06 which was the cartridge of my choice to do the culling. Killed 52 coyote in a year and a half using the 165gr HPBT out of my 06 and did that in 53 shots (missed one running and it took my second shot to get him) farthest shot being 426yds and the closest was 125yds. I have killed and watch little impala in Tanzania just fold up when hit by 180gr Partitions out of a 30-06 going no where. You go to wal-mart and buy your 150gr Corelokts and I will use my tough 165gr Seirra HPBT that exits broadside every time on deer and hogs and the 180gr Ballistic tip that just hammers the deer and hogs along with black bear and they die right there (of course shot placement is also a key). I have experienced few game running off in my life and most of those where when I was using the TSX and TTSX in my 7mm rifles and .30 caliber rifles.

On top of that I have dropped with one shot two bucks and one doe in 2012 using the 160gr Speer SBT moving 2802fps in my Nosler M48 TGR 7mm08 and those were all exits and the deer died where I shot them. The right bullet heavy for caliber are nothing but killers, plain and simple. The 225gr AccuBond out of the 358Win Hawkeye moving 2550fps using Tac powder and CCI 250 primers also gave the same results on deer and would exit, just folding up the deer and they would fall right there. A lot of these kills I have posted and the none of this is made up, it is what it is! I respectfully disagree with your assessment. Don't take it personal, I just have not found in my experience what you have experienced. That does not make me all right and you all wrong, but it does not make you all right or me all wrong either. I will continue to do what has worked in the field for so long over so many years and hunts in taking game.

 

[Razorbacker]

Well, let's see. I've killed around 60 Whitetails. With 12 ga slugs, .54 cal ML, .30 '06, (by far the most with this.), a .300 WM, a .338 WM and now an 8mm RM. Also taken a number with my bow. Once, an arrow didn't pass completely through. A tough, lengthy tracking job ensued but I got him. Except for one other time, which I'll get to, this is the only time I can recall recovering a projectile of any type from a Whitetail.
.54ML Sabot soft lead hollow points
.30 '06 a variety of different loadings, 150 and180 grn Partitions one with some of that Hornady Lite Magnum fodder when it first came out.The entrance and exit wound were reversed. i.e. entrance was fist sized, while the exit was caliber sized. The bullet was a 150 grn spire point interlock. Still got over 1/2 that box. 150, 180 grn Core Locts. I decided last season 150s were plenty of medicine for Southern Whitetails. So i stocked up. Bullet has me convinced of the 180 grn ABs though so I'd like to try some.
.300 WM all 180 Partitions
.338 WM I don't know, it was a borrowed rifle on a last minute hunt. All I can tell you is I killed 3 in less than 2 minutes and found them laying in a pile.
8mm RM 220 Core Locts.
I've killed 3 Elk all with 180 Partitions, all clean pass throughs, All with the .300WM
One Mule deer, .30 '06 180 grn Partition. I found the bullet in the soupy mess that was his lungs. It was a magazine ad quality perfect mushroom.
So, that's my experience and I'd have to say I prefer the bullet exit.
But this debate between the clean pass through guys and the bullet, "expending all it's energy" in the animal guys has been going on at least since I've been reading hunting magazines and sitting around the hunting campfire.

 

[.280 Remington]

I don't recall ever NOT having an exit wound. Ever. Including one I shot square in the chest at a slight angle.