Still No Blood!

[dbowling]

heart shots don't bleed much if at all, as said shoot a little further back and you should get what your looking for.. Still sometimes they may not bleed for the 1st 30 yds or so.. might try a big lead conical every deer Ive shot with one you could follow blood trail at a brisk walk for 30 yds or so to dead deer if they didnt drop right there.

 

[fliowa]

Check out this article From Deer and Deer Hunting. It may help.
Drop a Deer in Its Tracks with 1 Shot - Deer & Deer Hunting
I have dropped quite a few or had great blood trails (see picture) with 260 grain Nosler Partition Golds but I think they were discontinued. The 460’grain No Excuses conical can do the same thing for me as well and are available.

 

[rangerod]

I hammer em with a Thor outa my Optima.

 

[52Bore]

Good shot at that distance, the pass thru was due to the hardness of the CF bullet base that kept on going - bullet diameter hole.. With many other light bullets, doubtful you would have had a pass through. (see Ron low velocity test). Even soft heavy lead will expand and pass through at that distance - with a bigger hole.
If your gun is accurate at the distances you hunt - I believe that’s most important.
Congrats

 

[Pathfinder60]

Seems to me the lack of expansion is your problem...the wound channel is too small. If these will shoot in your rifle I'd recommend them. They hammer the hell out of them.
https://harvestermuzzleloading.com/index.php/products/saber-tooth

 

[Bones816]

The Lehigh CF absolutely did it's job and killed the deer very quickly. The off side shoulder was smashed to bits. and some of the bullet still exited. I guess I can go with the heart not pumping so no blood got out. I have to go back out there and I will range from where he was back to the stand and check that. The accuracy was excellent though for the whole scenario being what it was. Thanks for all your input guys.

 

[ENCORE50A]

I've shot a LOT of whitetails. My preferred shot placement is the heart and right behind the elbow. I've yet to not have a blood trail that a blind man couldn't follow with that shot placement. However, I do not and will not shoot CF bullets. The bullet appears to have done its job and the solid remaining piece penciled through.

 

[Pathfinder60]

The Lehigh CF absolutely did it's job and killed the deer very quickly. The off side shoulder was smashed to bits. and some of the bullet still exited. I guess I can go with the heart not pumping so no blood got out. I have to go back out there and I will range from where he was back to the stand and check that. The accuracy was excellent though for the whole scenario being what it was. Thanks for all your input guys.

I contend it was your excellent shot placement that killed that deer...yes, the bullet did it's job. All I'm saying is the same shot with a bullet such as the Sabertooth or a big conical as others have suggested, would have created a much larger wound channel and they transfer energy to the animal via hydrostatic shock. How much energy was lost at the time of pass through? At the end of the day do you want to blow a pencil hole through it or a golf ball sized hole through it? Personally I prefer the latter. Bang, flop, kick, still.

 

[hawki]

Those are some tough conditions to make a shot, spot the hit and then recover a deer. Have you considered targeting the shoulder instead of the heart? At least then the tracking job is easier, it should be there. Just a thought, you know you and your conditions better than anyone else.

 

[rocket708]

I shoot Hornady XTP's with 100 grain pyrodex and never have to track a deer. They hit hard and usually drop em where they stand.

 

[GM54-120]

Only 2 things drop a deer instantly every time....Head or spine shot. They cant move their legs when there is nothing left to tell them to move. Ive blown a huge hole through both sides and the heart with a variety of bullets. They will run sometimes no matter what if they can move their legs.

 

[Bones816]

Well, I wasn’t exactly aiming for the heart. I wanted to hit higher and a bit back. High shoulder was what I wanted, it just didn’t quite happen. I used the Hornady XTPs before and had the same issue. That’s why I went to the CF. I guess everyone will have a different opinion just like broadheads! I’ll look at the Sabertooth.

 

[sabotloader]

Just curious... what was your powder load when you shot the 265. They really have worked well for me.

 

[Bones816]

110 grains by volume loose 777.

 

[sabotloader]

Thank you that should really work well with that bullet. I shoot 120 T7 by vol. another you probably already know - there will not be a large exit hole when the bullet exits. Usually when you take a high shot over the elbow of the front leg a petal will often make it into the spinal column causing the animal to go down very quickly.

This pic shows what the exiting bullet normally looks like as it passes through. The sharp edges do a lot of cutting on the way through.

This pic is the computed ballistic sheet for the 265 with 120 of T7. The CF function of the bullet should work down to 1200fps, actually in my experience a little lower IF it contacts a fluid source.

 

[Bones816]

Sabotloader, it may have been you (?) that put me onto the Lehighs. Someone on here sent me several bullets and sabots to try. I'm thinking of bumping up to 120. I want more kick!

 

[sabotloader]

Sabotloader, it may have been you (?) that put me onto the Lehighs. Someone on here sent me several bullets and sabots to try. I'm thinking of bumping up to 120. I want more kick!

Actually you probably won't feel any difference between the two powder loads but the bullet will get and extra bit of kick.

The condition of the chest cavity often will tell you if the bullet functions. The petals should make the internal organs rupture, other than the heart it is a pretty tough muscle.

 

[ronlaughlin]

High shoulder was what I wanted, it just didn’t quite happen.

Good effort. Lots of opinions here; can't resist adding more, and more. The bullet you used is exactly 45 caliber; thus can be counted on to make a 45 caliber hole as it passes into, and out of an animal. If one wishes for a hole to let blood out, it seems like it would be better to use a bullet that expands to say one inch. A one inch bullet can be counted on to make a one inch hole? Such a bullet could be a pure lead conical, assuming the conical does enough damage to the innards to create a large volume of blood.

Any bullet that retains its petals after it expands, should produce bigger holes than the bullet used here.

Instead of having as your primary goal to produce a large volume of blood on the ground, perhaps it would be better to have your primary goal be to make a shot that would drop the animal on the spot; and have a secondary goal of lots of blood.

Alas this may require more investment in optics, bullets rifles, etc. Possible great fun?

 

[Bones816]

Definitely always the desired outcome is to drop em in their tracks! Then have blood. Just have to shoot more deer more often to really see how many times you get the desired results! Was it you who sent me the Lehighs and deep curls?

 

[DANNY-L]

Hit the lungs and you’ll have both blood and deer. Where was last year’s deer hit, might be a connection.