good hit w/Accubond, No BLOOD TRAIL

[bteate]

I shot a #90 doe a couple of days ago with my .308 using 165gr ABs. The shot was behind left shoulder, slight quarter away, busted top of heart, exiting center shoulder right side. Range was 80 yrds, give or take a few. MV was +/- 2606. The thing that puzzles me is I only found one drop of blood 10' from initial hit and a little smear on a sapling that it ran by. Internally, the damage was significant with a hole in the off-side rib cage about 1-1 1/4" with a 1/2" exit hole. It only ran about 30 yrds, but without knowing which direction to look ( got dark on me too) I went home and got my Lab and he found it.
Have any of you had this experience or was it maybe a fluke thing? I would like a trail to follow if its needed.

 

[SJB358]

Sounds odd, but being a bow hunter as well, weird stuff happens with bleeding wounds. Hard to say exactly, but sometimes they just don't bleed out really good. Glad you were able to recover it though. Sounds like it was a great hit. Scotty

 

[DrMike]

The heart ceased beating; hence, no spray. Blood drained into the chest cavity. Other than what was blown out by the force of impact, most of which was absorbed by fat and/or fur, all the blood pooled.

 

[JD338]

I agree with Mike.
Also, when the bullet enters and exits the shoulders (front quarters), there is less blood that leaks out the holes.

JD338

 

[longwinters]

I shot my doe with a 120 BT out of a Contender....entry through the shoulder blade exit was higher than the entry....no blood trail but she only went about 40 yds.

5 pt buck shot with 150 Interbond/Hornady out of 308. Slight quartering towards entry, exit via off shoulder ...no blood trail. Down within 40 yds.

Sometimes thats the way it goes. Course the lower the entry/exit the better chance of a blood trail. My tendency is to aim 1/2 way up.

Long

 

[bteate]

That explains alot of it, but I've had heart shots bleed like crazy. I need some more meat, so another doe is on the menu and I'll try different shot placement.

 

[Guest]

The buck I just took last weekend left no boodtrail at all. And that was with a Ballistic Tip. He hunched up his shoulders at the shot, and then ran about 60yds into some tall grass. Found him after almost 2hrs of looking.

 

[DrMike]

Hit the bottom of the heart rather than the upper quarter, which is where the vagus nerve (pneumogastric nerve, controlling the pumping action)is situated. That way, the heart continues to pump until blood pressure drops to a point no farther blood can be circulated.

 

[bteate]

Wow. Thank you DrMike. My granddad was a veterinarian, I should have payed better attention in his operating room. Excellent explanation and that also explains the exact same thing that happened 2 weeks ago with a big 8 point. Almost same shot, but different direction. Same results, top of heart blew out, no blood. That one was with a 35 Rem @ 50 yrds.

 

[jmad_81]

Thanks Doc!

Learn something new everyday. A guy could go for a shoulder shot and try to imobilize the critter, but it comes with the cost of more meat damage.

 

[DrMike]

As with all things in nature, there are trade-offs. I go for the high shoulder, choosing to immobilize despite any meat loss. It is a whole lot less than the loss of an animal that runs into thick woods or tall grass and disappears.

 

[Oldtrader3]

The high shoulder shot paralyses most deer and they do not go anywhere. That is my preferred shot as well. However, I always have a mess of ejecta behind the opposite shoulder though.

 

[JD338]

As with all things in nature, there are trade-offs. I go for the high shoulder, choosing to immobilize despite any meat loss. It is a whole lot less than the loss of an animal that runs into thick woods or tall grass and disappears.

Same here.

JD338

 

[Guest]

Had a similar experience a few yrs. ago with a buck.Gun was 30-06 using 150 AB moving 3,000 fps. Shot was 55yds from a tree stand. Hit him in the shoulder blade exit was size of my index finger in diameter out the rib cage. Deer ran off as if not hit, leaving no blood trail, hair, nothing. After searching for a while I found him. He traveled 75-80yds. Upon examining the internal damage I noticed the entrance was extensive at the shoulder blade, a portion of the Lungs had extensive damage too. Pleased with the damage, disappointed with the exit hole. The bullet did the job. However not every Hunting situation is the same, animal reaction with specific bullet placement etc. I shot Deer with 150 Ballistic Tips, same velocity, now if you want large holes with rib cage shots THAT will give it to you, just stay away from the shoulders.

Since those experiences I jumped up to a 165 Ballistic Tip going 2840 fps. Just haven't got anything with it yet. I fully expect a little more bullet weight retention while still getting devastating results.

DON

 

[Guy Miner]

Don, I think you'll find those devastating results you're looking for with the 165 gr Ballistic Tip.

My son put one shot too high in his buck, stunning it and knocking it down, but it was back on its feet shortly. His second shot was low in the chest and that one did tremendous damage, leading to a lot of blood loss and very quick death. Good exit wound and a lot of blood on the ground. The buck didn't go anywhere, so no tracking involved. John's buck was at about 100 yards, he was using the .30-06 with the old 165 gr Nosler Solid Base bullets (lead-tipped predecessor to the Ballistic Tip) loaded to about 2750 fps. His shot was about 100 yards.

My little buck was at about 75 yards, quartering towards me. I was able to take the high shoulder shot using a .308 Win, with the 165 Ballistic Tip also loaded to about 2750 fps. The bullet went through the shoulder, and traversed through the chest, then exited through the rib cage, producing a surprisingly big exit wound, and again, a lot of blood on the ground. The little buck collapsed dead, instantly. Didn't hit the heart at all, just through the lungs.

Nosler makes mighty fine hunting bullets - I think there's always an element of uncertainty once that trigger is pressed, all we can do as hunters is to use a good bullet, and place it well.

Guy

 

[Guest]

Nosler makes mighty fine hunting bullets - I think there's always an element of uncertainty once that trigger is pressed, all we can do as hunters is to use a good bullet, and place it well.

Guy, I couldn't agree more with you there old buddy. I switched to the 165 BT after hearing you and others speak of it so well. I keep hearing it is a little more stouter than the 150. Oh my, does my 165 load shoot well. I mean a have measured some nice 3-shot .443 groups, I'm very happy. Currently this Deer season I keep spotting nice Bruiser Bucks but can never get the shot opportunity. But that's Hunting!!!! Anxious to give this load a try on some Deer.

Don

 

[Polaris]

I've shot a lot of deer and trailed quite a few hit by others(we have hunting neighbors that do a lot of deer drives). Seems the biggest 2 factors are exit holes and vertical angle of shot. Shots without exit holes bleed very little regardless of shot angle. Shots at an uphill angle bleed very little as do most heart shots I've seen (ref. DR Mike... heart quits pumping, no blood pressure, little bleeding). Shots through the lungs with an exit will bleed profusely with noticeable spray. Shots through the liver and slight lung damage will not bleed much until the cavity begins to fill with blood. Then you get a decent trail. These are the one's you want to let sit tight and die. Muscle only hits will bleed profusely when the deer is pushed. If they get a chance to bed down, wound will clot and you will lose your deer. You need to trail these one's to death, preferably pushing them to ambush by another party member.

The biggest thing is to remember exactly where your animal was when you shot and waypoint his direction of escape in-case you get a poor or no blood trail, even on a good hit. Have found quite a few dead deer that people thought they missed outright. We had one guy who would shoot his .243, walk to the spot the deer was and if he didn't see blood, give up on it. After I found one of his deer in time and one too late, rotten, with a double lung hit but no exit dead within 100 yards of his stand he "decided" to quit hunting with me. Unfortunately he's still "hunting" somewhere.

 

[mcseal2]

I've shot several deer with the accubonds that don't show much sign of being hit initially, but they've all piled up within 100yds and they few bullets I have recovered have been mushroomed nicely and real close to 60% of their initial weight. I'm ok with a deer running a little if the bullet gives me the penetration necessary for tough angles. My muley this year was walking away quartering pretty hard. I shot him at the last rib and found the bullet under the hide in his neck on the off-side. It was the only shot I was going to get and I knew the bullet would work for it. It was 180yds with my 264WM 140gr AccuBond. Where I hunt finding a buck that goes down within 100yds isn't a problem, and I love the accubonds.

 

[DrMike]

Interestingly enough, the first deer I shot with my 300 WSM was at a lasered ranged of 320 yards. I was shooting a 180 grain Power Point. At the shot, the big buck looked up; other than that, there was no reaction. I was questioning my shooting, my scope, my rifle. The deer took five leisurely steps and laid down. He stretched out his neck and never moved again. There were no lungs left, just a red, viscous soup filling the chest. Moreover, there was no blood on the ground. Nevertheless, he was quite dead. Deer can be very funny. Whilst we like a good blood trail, we don't always get it due to anatomy of the game, bullet performance, etc.

 

[Guest]

Good and very valid comments. Truth is, we need to follow up with any shot we take. I will conduct an exhaustive search if I shoot at a deer and it runs off with out an immediate recovery. I'm just anal about that, always have been. I have lost very few Deer in my years of hunting because of that. On some, the shots were less than ideal back then, but was fortunate enough to make the recovery by not giving up to easy.

Don