Two Barnes TMZs = Two dead deer

[rondal]

I finally got to try out Barnes TMZs on deer.

No. 1--- Buck---55yds.---120grs of 2f 777---290gr TMZ. I went to look for blood ( I was pretty sure I saw him go down ) but didn't find any. Went over to where I thought I saw him fall and there he was about 50 yds away with no blood trail leading to him. The bullet entered just behind the front shoulder ( about a 2 inch hole ) and turned and went through the liver and exited in front of the rear leg. The deer was angling slightly towards me but not enough for the bullet to take the path that it did. There was massive internal damage and the body cavity was full of blood. Just goes to show, as others have noted, that a slightly high hit may not bleed out, even with good bullet performance.
No. 2----Doe----30yds----same load. This time I made sure to aim a little lower. Deer died on the spot. Bullet entered just behind front shoulder and took out both lungs and top of heart ( Intered and exited with about a 2 inch hole )

Overall I am happy with both the load and the bullet. I don't know why the first one turned but the deer was dead.

 

[cayuga]

Barnes are a great bullet. I have not had the chance to try them on a deer, but out of my Knights they sure shoot well..

Congratulations on making all that fine vension... your freezer must be very happy..

 

[choc-dog]

Rondal

Did you kill your 2 deer the same night? If so you had your work cut out for you getting them to your truck.

A rear or behind stomach exit rarely leaves much blood on the ground even with a Barnes.

Good shooting

Choc-dog

 

[rks1949]

I really like pass through shots on deer! This year a friend of mine shot a buck,and said he knew exactly where it went! After the excitement slowed down(and no deer being found) I went back the the point of impact(where the deer was standing when he shot it),and found blood then we trailed it and the amount of blood go larger( a blind man could have tracked it) and went right to the deer! It was about fourty yards closer than where they had been looking. Infact they had passed it three times. I love blood trails!

 

[whitesmoke]

'Path deviation' I've seen that before with a Barnes 300 MZ that hit bone where only two petals partially expanded. A friend of mine reported a similar incident with a 250 MZ. This is the third case I've heard of this and IMO is caused by the expansion characteristics and size of the petals of the Barnes. Would I discontinue using them? Nope, the Barnes is a great bullet for those that can get them going fast enough; IMO the Barnes is one of those bullets that thrives on velocity 8)

Whitesmoke

 

[rondal]

Yes Choc-Dog. I got one of them at 10:30 and one at 4:00. And yes I was pooped out, I was hunting alone.

 

[rondal]

Whitesmoke- I sort of figured that maybe the petals might not have opened properly and I intend to keep using them because they shoot great out of my Omega and I got complete pasthrougs on both deer.

 

[whitesmoke]

rondal,

I suspect that with the 120gr charge your using, a 55yd shot and the "massive internal damage" you described that you did infact get good expansion. If you hit a rib upon impact (with the quartering shot) maybe that could have had an affect initially with the petals opening evenly, don't really know just speculating Anyways, congrats on two clean kills and I personally wouldn't change a thing, way to go :yeah:

Whitesmoke