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How to "drop" a deer

C-3 has dropped a lot of deer in their tracks for me with deer slugs, bolts, and a couple with arrows. It is a slight meat loss compared to a double lung but sometimes you don't want them to travel at all.
 
I am not anti 30.06 either lol I just like to be able to move around in the bushes easier. Opinions are like a$$holes everyone has them and they all stink lmao

This is why I have many different guns that are plenty capable for deer hunting. I can choose the best gun for how and where I intend to hunt that day. There’s no one gun that excels in every situation. There’s definitely some that offer a compromise. I realize that not everyone is a gun nut like myself and can’t or don’t want to have many different guns. Besides all this, I honestly believe bullet construction and impact velocity has way more to do with dropping animals in their tracks than caliber alone, and even shot placement. Growing up I watched my dad and grandpa kill many deer, elk and even a moose. Most of these never took a step, including the moose. My dad used a 25-06 and my grandpa used a 257 roberts. Both shot 100 grain bullets at 2800-3100 fps and shot behind the shoulder. These bullets mushroomed well and Most of the energy was expended in the animal. Most would consider this combo too light for elk but it worked well for both of them for years. I think in this day and age gun and ammo manufacturers are advertising for extreme velocity and range. Many of the bullets that fit the bill for that don’t necessarily tend to be the most efficient at dropping game. I believe this is when people tend to start shooting mid or high shoulder. Some of these bullets need to hit some bone to deform enough to put animals down quickly, if they don’t hit bone they’ll pencil through with reduced damage. On the opposite end of the spectrum you can have too much velocity for the bullet. A few years ago I shot a yearling doe with a 300 Remington ultra mag. I was shooting a 180 grain hornady sst. Bullet placed right behind the shoulder at about 150 yards. The bullet came apart and failed to penetrate. It dropped the deer but the deer layed there and bellered. It fell behind a down tree so I had no opportunity for a second shot to finish it off quickly. I had to hurry up to it to finish it off. That will be the last time I shoot those bullets in that gun for hunting.
In the end I believe matching the bullet construction to impact velocity for your intended purpose is the most important factor in quickly dropping game.


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Bout perfect. No meat ruined in catchin that deer.

I really don’t like a head shot on deer. The one exception may be if it is looking straight away from me. I’ve seen too many deer that have had their lower jaw hanging from what was most likely a slightly misplaced head shot. I’m confident in my ability to make a head shot but I’m not willing to risk having the deer die a slow painful death from infection or starvation if a slightly misplaced shot occurs.


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This is why I have many different guns that are plenty capable for deer hunting. I can choose the best gun for how and where I intend to hunt that day. There’s no one gun that excels in every situation. There’s definitely some that offer a compromise. I realize that not everyone is a gun nut like myself and can’t or don’t want to have many different guns. Besides all this, I honestly believe bullet construction and impact velocity has way more to do with dropping animals in their tracks than caliber alone, and even shot placement. Growing up I watched my dad and grandpa kill many deer, elk and even a moose. Most of these never took a step, including the moose. My dad used a 25-06 and my grandpa used a 257 roberts. Both shot 100 grain bullets at 2800-3100 fps and shot behind the shoulder. These bullets mushroomed well and Most of the energy was expended in the animal. Most would consider this combo too light for elk but it worked well for both of them for years. I think in this day and age gun and ammo manufacturers are advertising for extreme velocity and range. Many of the bullets that fit the bill for that don’t necessarily tend to be the most efficient at dropping game. I believe this is when people tend to start shooting mid or high shoulder. Some of these bullets need to hit some bone to deform enough to put animals down quickly, if they don’t hit bone they’ll pencil through with reduced damage. On the opposite end of the spectrum you can have too much velocity for the bullet. A few years ago I shot a yearling doe with a 300 Remington ultra mag. I was shooting a 180 grain hornady sst. Bullet placed right behind the shoulder at about 150 yards. The bullet came apart and failed to penetrate. It dropped the deer but the deer layed there and bellered. It fell behind a down tree so I had no opportunity for a second shot to finish it off quickly. I had to hurry up to it to finish it off. That will be the last time I shoot those bullets in that gun for hunting.
In the end I believe matching the bullet construction to impact velocity for your intended purpose is the most important factor in quickly dropping game.


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I’m done with SST’s as well, too many splash hits, I had the same problem with Nosler ballistic tips back in the day also, after tons of research and reading that nosler had beefed them up I tried them again last season, 7/08 with a 120 BT, complete penetration and 2 shots 2 dead mature bucks, they obviously changed something (Nosler), I’m on the Berger kick now, I have some 210 VLD’s loaded up for my 300 RUM, 185 Classic Hunters 300 Jarret, time will tell. My coyote rifle is a 22-250 loaded up with 52 grain Berger HP varmint, 3750 fps, every coyote is a bang flop with no exit no matter the distance, no spinners or runners just DRT, they pencil in and detonate like they are designed to do, the only noticeable entrance wound I had last season on a coyote is when I hit high shoulder using those 52 grain bergers which is expected, I am completely impressed so far with Bergers. Like you said bullet selection is just as important as shot placement and I agree.
 
I really don’t like a head shot on deer. The one exception may be if it is looking straight away from me. I’ve seen too many deer that have had their lower jaw hanging from what was most likely a slightly misplaced head shot. I’m confident in my ability to make a head shot but I’m not willing to risk having the deer die a slow painful death from infection or starvation if a slightly misplaced shot occurs.


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I am a firm believer in only taking the shots that you have the highest confidence in making. If a head shot brings more risk into the equation than you are comfortable with by all means pass that shot.
 
With a gun, I've had really good results with the high shoulder shot. B2 or so. I've had every deer I shot there just drop...not a single step. Probably 5 or so....esp if they are quartering a bit.
 
This is why I have many different guns that are plenty capable for deer hunting. I can choose the best gun for how and where I intend to hunt that day. There’s no one gun that excels in every situation. There’s definitely some that offer a compromise. I realize that not everyone is a gun nut like myself and can’t or don’t want to have many different guns. Besides all this, I honestly believe bullet construction and impact velocity has way more to do with dropping animals in their tracks than caliber alone, and even shot placement. Growing up I watched my dad and grandpa kill many deer, elk and even a moose. Most of these never took a step, including the moose. My dad used a 25-06 and my grandpa used a 257 roberts. Both shot 100 grain bullets at 2800-3100 fps and shot behind the shoulder. These bullets mushroomed well and Most of the energy was expended in the animal. Most would consider this combo too light for elk but it worked well for both of them for years. I think in this day and age gun and ammo manufacturers are advertising for extreme velocity and range. Many of the bullets that fit the bill for that don’t necessarily tend to be the most efficient at dropping game. I believe this is when people tend to start shooting mid or high shoulder. Some of these bullets need to hit some bone to deform enough to put animals down quickly, if they don’t hit bone they’ll pencil through with reduced damage. On the opposite end of the spectrum you can have too much velocity for the bullet. A few years ago I shot a yearling doe with a 300 Remington ultra mag. I was shooting a 180 grain hornady sst. Bullet placed right behind the shoulder at about 150 yards. The bullet came apart and failed to penetrate. It dropped the deer but the deer layed there and bellered. It fell behind a down tree so I had no opportunity for a second shot to finish it off quickly. I had to hurry up to it to finish it off. That will be the last time I shoot those bullets in that gun for hunting.
In the end I believe matching the bullet construction to impact velocity for your intended purpose is the most important factor in quickly dropping game.


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I agree bullet choice is a big factor. I've had 7mm rem mag perform horribly because it just zipped through deer. I've had .243 perform very well because I missed bone and that little 80 grain bullet was allowed to expand beautifully and just obliterated all the soft mushy bits forward of the diaphragm. I've also lost a deer when that bullet hit bone.

I think it basically just comes down to 2 things:

1. Is the bullet going fast enough to shoot minute-of-critter within typical hunting range without holdover. For me and I think most, if you can center crosshairs on the chest between 20 and 200 yards and not be high or low enough to miss vitals, you're good-to-go.

2. Is the bullet going to be able to break bone and/or cause enough tissue damage to send the critter into shock within that range, preferably while poking 2 holes.

The 3rd magic variable is does it do those things without causing undue stress to the shooter. That can be in the form of recoil, sticker shock when they buy ammo, or frustration as they attempt to find a particular bullet construction that goes well with the cartridge and the game.

.30ish caliber long and short action rounds tend to excel in these things when deer are the target. .270, .30-06, .308, .30-30, etc. They're goldilocks rounds that aren't too much, aren't too little, and aren't likely to let you go down if all you can find on the shelf this is a box of something you've never shot before. They're boring ole fudd rounds, but I like the boring tracking jobs they make.
 
A .22 Magnum is sufficient enough to kill deer IN THE RIGHT HANDS.

Use whatever you got Weldabeast and just place your shot carefully when you get the opportunity...
 
That's what I got....iron sight 30/30 and iron sight muzzleloader. I start looking at some form of low power scope and get out and shoot them and see who groups best. 100yds is the max and I will try my best to be as close as possible.
 
I am a firm believer in only taking the shots that you have the highest confidence in making. If a head shot brings more risk into the equation than you are comfortable with by all means pass that shot.

I am confident in my ability to make a head shot at reasonable ranges with a good rest. My concern is what I don’t control. I can control if the deer moves a bit at the split second I’m squeezing the trigger and the fun goes off. That is my concern. Shooting a deer behind the shoulder through the ribs wastes very little meat. Many people do nothing with venison ribs anyway and in that case there’s no wasted meat.


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I own two different 30/30's with irons and they can be hard when it comes to game time shooting. I am B4/C4 guy myself if broadside like the photo. So far, has not let me down. We have guys at our camp that shoot for the head/neck. I have not tried it myself but I can say it gets the job done. Maybe in the heat of the moment I like a larger target. I put a 30 cal bullet in the lungs I can't see that deer running too far but we've all experienced different outcomes.

I do know one thing. I hope you get a chance at this deer followed up with the shot placement story and a picture of that deer come hunting season!
 
Me too!

Don't have to high expectations of me...I usually strike out. I figure it could be a fun semi interactive cyber scout kinda thing
 
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I haven’t read all the responses but I’m shootings that deer in B3 on the lower side of it. I want to hit bone on the near side to get the bone fragments to help shock the spine and drop him


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