195 grain Barnes expander on a doe

[bigbuck28]

Purchased a knight ultra lite in 45 cal this fall.

I’m a Barnes fan boy and the 195 expander shot excellent behind 80grs of volume of blackhorn 209.
Today was walking into my stand and the deer had started to move earlier then usual. Got to within 30 yards of a doe feeding in some pines. Let it rip and had blood 10 ft from where i shot the deer only made it 40 yards with a blood trail a blind man could follow. As you cna see I have a large opening and recovered the bullet by the bottom of her belly.

To my surprise I found the bullet never expanded. I shot threw a ton of small white pines so did my bullet hit something and hit her sideways? Or did I hit the shoulder blade and it redirected the bullet down not allowing expansion? Just wondering what the experts had to say. I’ve never not had a Barnes not expand but that was all with a 50 cal. This is the first deer I’ve shot with the 45 and Barnes combo.

 

[retrieverman]

Congrats on the doe!
I would figure you will get an answer to at least part of your question when you clean her. If you hit the shoulder blade, you should be able to tell.

 

[bigbuck28]

I def clipped the shoulder blade.
I sent the same post to Barnes email tech support.. it’s so weird to not have it expand... and to end up in her brisket/belly when I’m shooting her from the ground quartering too me.

Also how did I get such a large entrance hole on a 40 cal bullet if it didn’t expand

 

[deermanok]

Bullets do funny things sometimes.

 

[deermanok]

Congrats on the deer by the way.

 

[snapbang]

Bullets performance is not predictable. What is supposed to happen doesn't, and what is not supposed to happen does. Some bullets may perform as expected a majority of the time, but not every time. Guaranteed. There are too many variables. Velocity, angle, density of target, bones, etc.

 

[Steelheader323]

I’d say the bullet glanced off the shoulder while passing through and started to tumble inside. I am a big Barnes fan. I’ve shot a few deer with that very same bullet but the 3 I shot were all behind the shoulder through the ribs. Never recovered 2 of them..one of them was quartered away and I found the bullet perfectly expanded between then brisket and the shoulder

 

[jims]

Can't recall ever recovering one so I do not know. Usually just went vertical.

 

[CatamountRob]

I’ve shot a few deer with that bullet in my .45 Black Diamond but I never recovered a bullet. None of the deer went anywhere. I’d guess that maybe the bullet hit something close to the deer and tumbled but it’s just a guess.

 

[Nit Wit]

Maybe a piece of rib made the hole.
Nit Wit

 

[45-70]

bullet tumbled after entering

 

[eekjellander]

Purchased a knight ultra lite in 45 cal this fall.

I’m a Barnes fan boy and the 195 expander shot excellent behind 80grs of volume of blackhorn 209.
Today was walking into my stand and the deer had started to move earlier then usual. Got to within 30 yards of a doe feeding in some pines. Let it rip and had blood 10 ft from where i shot the deer only made it 40 yards with a blood trail a blind man could follow. As you cna see I have a large opening and recovered the bullet by the bottom of her belly.

To my surprise I found the bullet never expanded. I shot threw a ton of small white pines so did my bullet hit something and hit her sideways? Or did I hit the shoulder blade and it redirected the bullet down not allowing expansion? Just wondering what the experts had to say. I’ve never not had a Barnes not expand but that was all with a 50 cal. This is the first deer I’ve shot with the 45 and Barnes combo.

I"d say you got some interference from the stuff you were shooting thru , the bend centered like that says it was not nose 1st ! /Ed

 

[hairybird]

I’d say the bullet glanced off the shoulder while passing through and started to tumble inside. I am a big Barnes fan. I’ve shot a few deer with that very same bullet but the 3 I shot were all behind the shoulder through the ribs. Never recovered 2 of them..one of them was quartered away and I found the bullet perfectly expanded between then brisket and the shoulder

You most likely nailed it. If that bullet didn't have enough time for a hydraulic reaction. It want expand just like hitting heavy cloth material with a hollow point pistol bullet. Expansion is a strange thing to deal with and all the variables that go with it.

 

[brad502a]

I"d say you got some interference from the stuff you were shooting thru , the bend centered like that says it was not nose 1st ! /Ed

i am in agreement with this

 

[heymax]

It looks a little low for the shoulder blade. I would go with it probably hit some interference before hitting the deer and was tumbling.