Animal reaction after match bullet?

[Tmac]

I have the distance ran in the poll.

Technically, immediately dropping at the shot, I think, has a CNS component, so I didn’t include it.

We had two cow elk drop to the shot this season with shots low to mid chest placement. No cns damage I could see or damage to the heart. Classic lung shots. Both were close high velocity impacts that made the lungs soup. One match bullet, one not. I think every shot and animal are different and some do drop without obvious cns damage. Also had a match bullet impact with similar fps and placement run off a bit last season. So I dunno.

 

[rust4brains]

WY Cow elk last fall, 275 yards with a 7mmRM 168gr Berger suppressed. She dropped and rolled down the dune.

 

[bnsafe]

all mo deer, some on private some on public. Im a huge believer in the ballistic tips. Best bullet ive ever shot at deer for just putting them down quickly. Yes, it leaves a hole, but nothing like some of the pics on here.

 

[sickles107]

Back in the day probly 10 years ago when you might as well have called me a fud in training, I had a beautiful 700 cdl stainless fluted in 270, that stacked factory nosler ballistic tips into a jagged hole. Put it in a b&c stock and topped with a vx3 that had a bdc reticle.. ya know.. for long range stuff.

Much against everyone's suggestions and advise of the bullet "splashing on the shoulder", I thought I needed the tightest groups possible to be a real sniper guy, so that season I was loaded with the ballistic tips.

Ended up shooting a whitetail buck through the lungs at ~300 yds. He ran about 30 yds and tipped over. chest cavity was a bowl of jello. Should have caught onto that match bullet thing right then..

Fast forward, now shooting eldms in 6mm and 308 for past few years, every animal i have shot in the chest (10 deer/elk/antelope maybe?), 50 to 500 yds, less spine/neck damage that drops them instantly, has ran +-30 yds and tipped over.

I cannot say the same for my experience in between then and now with my old goto accubonds, and certainly not with my short stint with monos.

Pic of said buck and rifle I stupidly sold

 

[Shortschaf]

140 hybrid targets left a pencil hole in two sets of lungs on back to back days. Would not recommend

ETA: impact velocities were 2300 and 2375fps

 

[Hondo64d]

I want to collect some information about “behind the shoulder” shot placement and match bullet performance here, like TMK, ELDm, ELDx, Berger, etc. in the poll. I am not interested in the hunting solids and mushrooming bullets (except do ELDx here) in this thread.

The poll is for animals hit behind the shoulder, only in vitals, with a “match” style bullet. What is the reaction and how far did they go. No bad shot placement. I don’t want that to muddy the responses.

My experience is that animals don’t run after getting hit behind the shoulder and they die within 50 yards. Not a single animal I have hit with Berger or witnessed hit with Berger/ELD has gone more than 50 yards. Most just stand there and then try to walk a little when they start to lose oxygen to the brain.

I also hunt suppressed, so I wonder whether the lack of big boom makes a difference.

Pics and stories are welcome. I especially want the times they run.

Have shot several wild pigs with the 88gr ELD-m launched at a little over 3000 fps. Most were a little over 400 yards and most were DRT. The one that did run was poorly hit and still made it only 50 yards before stopping, was shot again, and died where he stood. Have had similar results with the .224 75gr Amax, 6.5 130gr HVLD, 140gr AMax, 140gr Elite Hunter, 147gr ELD, .308 155gr HVLD, and 185gr Classic Hunter. actually killed two pigs with one shot at 469 yards with the 185gr Classic Hunter launched at 2640 fps, both DRT. Have had less consistent or desirable results with the 6.5 Berger 130gr OTM and 130gr Sierra MK, and the .308 155gr Scenar, with results varying from DRT to 100+ yard run with no blood trail.

John

 

[eoperator]

140 hybrid targets left a pencil hole in two sets of lungs on back to back days. Would not recommend

What impact velocity?

 

[sveltri]

I shot a ram a couple weeks ago with a 108 eld-m. Shot was 130 yds muzzle velocity 3050 impact velocity 2830ish. All 5 rams were very close together when I shot and tightened up immediately following the shot leaving no time for a clear follow-up shot. He went down 9-10 secs later (confirmed on video) he immediately got back up but was clearly sick and not moving well but did go about 10 yds. He was headed straight away so had to wait for a shot. He almost went again but managed to stay up and presented a 2nd shot about 35 secs after first. Quartering away I messed up and the bowhunter in me took over and I aimed for the offside leg, should have just put it right behind the shoulder. He dropped at the second shot but got up again for about 3-4 secs and finally went down for good. I really don't believe the second shot was necessary and in the past I wouldn't have taken it, hindsight is 20/20 but I'm glad I shot again. I would not hesitate to use that same setup again.

 

[Shortschaf]

What impact velocity?

2300 and 2375fps

 

[Mattyq17]

185 Berger VLD out of a 300WM, 386 yard shot on a bull. He took 3 steps and tipped over backwards, lungs were Jello.

 

[HandgunHTR]

I didn't vote, mainly because I don't shoot animals "behind the shoulder". The good stuff is directly behind the shoulder, so I shoot through them. When I do, it doesn't really matter if I am using match bullets or standard cup and core hunting bullets, they die very quickly.

 

[Brucebarker024]

Most of my rifle kills have been CNS minus 2. Only counting my kills, not the people I hunt with. One last year, unsuppressed, 350 yards, hit a doe directly behind the shoulder barely quartering to with a 7mm 180 hybrid target and she ran about 50 yards and died, absolutely ridiculous wound channel, hit a rib on the entrance and there was a softball sized exit wound with lung and liver hanging out. My most recent muley, suppressed, 548 yards, took a 7mm 180 hybrid broadside directly behind the shoulder and humped up hard. Put 1 more through his chest on the same side, he turned facing the other way, as I broke the shot he spun again and I hit him in the hindquarter in front of the socket, he bedded right there. Put one more through his chest after he laid down and he put his head down and died. From the first shot to where he died he went about 5 yards. The chest cavity was entirely soup and was missing half of his heart. No exits and he was dead after the first shot just didn’t know yet. From the first shot to death was less than a minute.

 

[Boltgun]

Cool thread!

20 yd run with 123gr SST 6.5 Grendel:
290yds pronghorn
20 yds buck
25 yds doe
75 yds doe
50 yds doe

Several dozen hogs, same result unless CNS.

147gr ELDX 6.5 CM:
60 yd Impala 20 yd run
465 yd kudu 20 yd walk