Meat damage on bulls shot with rifles

[Jacobo2012]

Hello all I have a question? Will shooting for a double lung or heart shot on a bull do any damage to the front quarters? I have a 7mm-08 and a 300 win mag and was planning on shooting the 7mm I plan on shooting within 300 yards I know I will likely ruin some rib meat but wondering about the front quarters. Reason I ask is a buddy says i should try taking it with a bow but I’d like to up my odds here thanks in advance appreciat any feedback


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[ckleeves]

That’s a really hard question to answer. Bullet choice, shot angle etc all come into play. In a perfect world with a dead broadside shot on a bull in the back ish 2/3 of the lungs your probably not going to see any shoulder meat damage.

Now take a bull quartering away, heart shot and there’s a good chance your going to have some bloodshot meat in the offside shoulder.

I wouldn’t let it dictate your choice of weapon. Hunt with what you want.


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[Antarctica]

I'd say any muscle within 6 inches of the bullet exit path stands to see some amount of damage - depending on variables. Happens on deer, gotta happen on elk too. But Elk are big. So there's still a lotta meat. I'd be more disappointed in damaging the heart than the shoulder, given that heart is some of the choicest meat on an animal.

 

[brsnow]

I have used mono bullets with minimal meat damage. .308 and 7mm-08

 

[OXN939]

Hello all I have a question? Will shooting for a double lung or heart shot on a bull do any damage to the front quarters? I have a 7mm-08 and a 300 win mag and was planning on shooting the 7mm I plan on shooting within 300 yards I know I will likely ruin some rib meat but wondering about the front quarters. Reason I ask is a buddy says i should try taking it with a bow but I’d like to up my odds here thanks in advance appreciat any feedback


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The suggestion above this is accurate regarding copper monolithic bullets- they leave less bloodshot meat, and what is bloodshot is not riddled with microfragments of a toxic metal. If you're concerned about salvaging as much meat as possible, give Nosler E-Tips a look. I have two 7mm-08s that both shoot them sub-MOA.

 

[chicoredneck]

As already stated, bullet speed, construction, and shot placement make the largest impact. All copper bullets placed behind the shoulder to avoid bone seem to cause the least damage. Although Berger’s places behind the shoulder can cause very little damage as well, since they normally don’t open until they are inside the animal and usually don’t exit.

 

[Wmmichael20]

The comment regarding speed hits the nail on the head...hit the same animal with a big blunt bullet going 1400fps vs a small caliber going 2600 fps or faster.....going to see a big difference in the amount of blood shot meat for sure.

 

[JP100]

Lots of factors involved in meat damage.

As above choosing a different bullet will have a big impact.

Monolithics are a good option to reduce meat loss as is going to a big/heavy bullet for caliber. slower impact velocity means less shock damage, they still kill just as reliably jut often not an instant knock down kill.

 

[hayesplow]

I sit on both sides of this fence. Long story short, I will not be taking the same shot on a deer that is 30 yards away instead of 300 yards. When they are feeding in to you with their head down, their spine sticks out just a little and makes a great bullseye. This goes for archery as well, though if you shoot expensive broadheads, i warn you may not be getting it back out of the vertebrate undamaged.

 

[KHntr]

Worry more about killing him dead than you do about losing 10lbs of meat to bloodshot. A bull has a lot of meat on it, and it’s better to trim some off than it is to lose an entire animal because you tried to get cute with placement.
Break shoulders, and eat meat.

 

[jhm2023]

In my experience a non-fragmenting mono like Barnes causes significantly less meat damage than a bullet that will shed weight. I'd worry more about making a clean shot than a small amount of meat damage. If you shoot too far back trying to avoid the front quarter you could lose all of the meat when you don't recover the animal.

 

[idahohikker]

Just shoot in the vitals. Little if any meat loss. Doesn’t mean I haven’t missed some heart wrenching chip shots myself.

 

[cowboy300]

Generally a perfectly broadside shot through both lungs does not ruin any meat regardless of the bullet

 

[JohnIrish]

I used Barnes bullets when they first came out.... they just punched a hole for me and did not expand! Perhaps they improved but I dont use them anymore. I prefer a bullet to expand and do a lot of damage. Just aim broadside... dont hit the opposite front shoulder and you will be fine. Even if you do.. better to have the animal down! The front shoulder is not good for steaks so you are just loosing some trim meat anyway. Dont over think it!

 

[[email protected]]

I had the same experience as above with a Barnes lrx if that bullet was going to open for anything it would have on that shot. 338/378 Weatherby at 30 yards into an elk.

 

[TauPhi111]

use a Barnes and shoot them with whatever fast killing shot presents itself. I shoot them out of everything at everything and I've never had one not expand, nor have I heard from anyone first hand of them not expanding.

 

[AnchorF22]

The anatomy of elk is such that their heart hangs lower in their chest relative to other game animals, so you do have a chance of a heart or double lug shot aft of the legs and below the shoulders, for minimizing damage to the meat. For a pure broadside shot, draw a line straight up from the front legs, them aim just 2-3 inches after of that line and about 4-6" up from the bottom of the chest/hairline. As others have said though, prioritize an ethical kill shot over saving a few pound of meat.

 

[Jardo]

If your doing it right, yes there will be meat damage. Especially with a 7mm08. IMHO you are slightly undergunned for a mature bull elk and if I was your guide, I would tell you to use a good bonded or Barnes and aim and break the shoulder to ensure the elk is disabled by your first shot.

I suspect I’m gonna get flamed by people who think a .223 is perfectly suited for running rear end shots on a dinosaur but this is just my opinion and it’s worth what your paying... nothing



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