62 grain gold dot for deer

[black dawg]

Local outfit sells this in 223, labeled 62 grain bonded soft point. I had been told that it was the fusion bullet, but after looking at pictures of both bullets, it looks like the gold dot to me? Anybody have any experience with it on deer?

Shot a whitetail buck this weekend at 30 yards. No blood for over 100 yards until the deer bedded, where we accidentally bumped it and decided to come back in the morning. Deer went another 100-150 yards before it died, with only a blood trail about 25 yards after where it had bedded. With the hide on the deer, bullet placement looked like a little high of center heart shot. With hide off of the deer, it had a 3-4 inch thick layer of fat on the brisket, making the chest appear deeper. So bullet was actually low, maybe 1/2 above the brisket. Bullet made pinky sized entrance in the hide and meat, with 2.5 inch exit in the meat and a thumbhole in the hide. Internal damage was pretty minimal, damage to one lung, liver and a chunk of something made it into the guts.

I realize this was a poor hit. I have read about others on the internet having good success with this bullet, and the fusion. Now I am wondering if this bullet is a little too tough? Using this 223 for young hunters, and barrel isnt twisted for the longer stuff or I would be using it.

 

[MikeDeltaFoxtrot]

Thanks for sharing this account. Were you able to save the meat? How big was the deer?

 

[black dawg]

deer was a big bodied 3 point whitetail.
meat was fine.

For the record, I am not saying bullet failure or anything like that, more asking what kind of performance others have had with this bullet.

 

[Avonac]

I’ve had good experience with this bullet on hogs and have seen deer killed with it. If you are gonna use a .223, it’s not a bad choice.

 

[TxxAgg]

I'd feel good about shooting a deer or pig with it

I usually aim high shoulder if I have the option

 

[black dawg]

So from reading last night, this gold dot bullet and the fusion bullet are now the same bullet.

Thanks for the replies, will continue using this bullet and have several tags between us that it will get used for.

 

[black dawg]

I'd feel good about shooting a deer or pig with it

I usually aim high shoulder if I have the option

Have you shot a deer high shoulder with this bullet? If so, what distance and what kind of penetration?

 

[ARK_Ginger]

I only have experience with the 75gr variety of gold dot, but I would say it's not too tough for deer. A more frangible bullet might've gotten more terminal damage but at 30 yards it might not have exited and gave you the little blood trail you had. At the end of the day it was a marginal/poor shot placement and you could've had similar results with a different bullet or bigger caliber.

 

[black dawg]

I 100% agree on the poor placement. Just looking for some reinforcement that I wasnt making a poor choice on bullet.

Have 3 kids that are using this rifle, The oldest (16 that has his own 270) I had use it first because I Knew he would make a good shot, basically as an experiment as I have never killed anything with 223. The youngest just isnt big enough to shoot a bigger rifle, and full power 223 stuff was actually to much for her shooting at paper (light rifle). Loaded up 100 rounds of lighter loads that she was having fun practicing with and burnt up pretty quickly(and she is a pretty good shot). She is really excited about doing this, so all of this is geared helping her be succesfull.

 

[ARK_Ginger]

You're on a great track to success for them. If they're confident shooting the gun, which they will be because it's low recoil and they've shot it before, they're more likely to put that bullet where it needs to go and you'll have much shorter deer recoveries.

 

[83cj-7]

Myself and a couple friends have killed more deer with 62 Fusion bullet than most people kill in a lifetime. With proper shot placement, the bullet performs very well and usually deer don’t travel more than 20-30 yards. Not much of a blood trail, but usually it’s not needed. Keep it inside of 250 yards though.

 

[bline]

My son shot a mulie spike last week with a 62 grain fusion at about 70 yards. Good double lung shot with no exit and the deer only went about 20 yards. I was kind of nervous about the caliber/bullet choice, but he's a small 10 year old and that's the only gun I have that he can shoot, but it worked out well and I'd do it again with more confidence now.

 

[black dawg]

Just to follow up on this bullet.
Killed 3 more deer with it, one high shoulder broadside at about 30 yards. broke both shoulders, small exit out of hide almost no blood on ground. Deer on ground immediately pretty good damage to lungs.

Second one was at about 100 yards also "high shoulder", almost identical results to the other one shot high shoulder, found bullet under hide on off shoulder.

Third one was quarted away hard, at about 30 yards entered behind last rib got lungs and broke offside shoulder, no exit but didnt find the bullet. This one ran about 40 yds before falling down. No blood externally other than what came out of its mouth after it was dead. didnt find entrance until we skinned it.

I think this bullet is a little on the tough side for white tail, but it definitely did the job. We have a couple more tags, hoping I have time to shoot a few sighters with some 62 grain hornady soft points I have and give those a try.

Nex year will be set up to shoot the 77tmk