From the ground with a rifle and maybe some concerns.

[ShooterMike]

I’m a hunter Ed instructor and luckily our state is trying an informational/ educational approach to steering people away from lead showing X-rays of game hit with lead bullets and all the microscopic lead particles that break off into the meat that is potentially consumed. I can’t believe how far the fragments end up from the original hit sight on the animal.

That is interesting. Aside from birdshot, it’s not something I have considered otherwise.


Semper Fi,
Mike

 

[woodsdog2]

That is interesting. Aside from birdshot, it’s not something I have considered otherwise.


Semper Fi,
Mike

It surprised me a lot when I first saw it.

 

[TheBlindCat]

Multiple studies out there on how lead rifle rounds fragment and go everywhere. That matches with my experience when I’ve seen approximately 150-300 pound two legged mammals shot with rifle rounds. (I’m a EM doctor). It is likely bullet construction dependent, a Partition probably isn’t going to act the same as cheap cup-and-core lead tip. But all the same, you’re not cutting it out by removing a few inches along the wound tract.

The Minnesota Raptor center also did a pretty convincing study that lead in gut piles leads to a lot of Eagle deaths.

I’ve gone to copper. I’ve had good luck on whitetail with Federal Trophy Copper 85 grain .243 and 165 grain .30-06, also the Hornady Outfitter 180 grain .30-06 with a GMX bullet. The copper rounds aren’t cheap, but for most of my hunting a box lasts a few years including sighting in, I just practice with the cheaper stuff.

Lead poisoning

The Raptor Center, Lead poisoning

raptor.umn.edu

 

[BackSpasm]

So I have gained the good fortune of being able to hunt the airport where I work, on a Kill Permit. Got out at 4pm and at 550pm I shot one with my 300 Blackout bolt gun. I started reloading a few years ago and still don’t know squat, but I was thinking that I have a round dialed in for deer hunting.

I’m using 190gr Maker Rex projectiles and H110 powder and 1085fps and suppressed. Bullets 2 1/2 MOA. MPBR is 103yd for a 6” circle.

I shot a doe at 71 yards this afternoon. She was broadside, and right at the edge of the tree line down on my left. Mule kicked. There was zero blood trail. When I went looking she was 15 yards inside the tree line. The entry wound was higher than I’d like, but accurate for me holding on the heart and considering the MPBR profile for this subsonic bullet. Rolled her over and there was a hole over the last rib. Very odd. It’s like the bullet entered and made a radical right turn. Either way …. 15 yards snd she died quick. When I field dressed her, her lungs were mashed up pretty nasty.

Got her home and skinned her. The bullet was lodged under her skin, and it was rib fragments that caused the “exit wound”. I was quite surprised to find the bullet.

Here’s my Ghost Blind ground blind set up can you see it ?

And here’s the 190gr Maker Rex I pulled out of her hide:

From a reloading perspective should I consider any changes? For what it’s worth, I have zero experience hunting with rifles. This is the first deer I’ve ever killed with a rifle. I’ve been a bowhunter for the last 25 years, and only used shotguns for the 10 years before that.


Semper Fi,
Mike

My buddy and his kids have shot a LOT of deer with 300 blackout handloads suppressed and I have personally witnessed a bunch of bullets caught in the offside hide. I would say you are having a standard experience for that platform and are transferring every bit of KE to that deer