Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Deer kills and bullet holes...............

I've posted this before in another thread, but I shot a buck at about 35 yards with a Hornady 200 grain spire point interlock loaded over IMR 3031 from my BLR .358 Winchester. The buck started quartering away just as I pulled the trigger. Bullet entered towards the rear of his left rib cage, shattered his right shoulder and lodged in his ball socket. He ran about 40 yards after the shot. Retained weight was 149.4 grains. Pics below. It did the job, but I was disappointed it didn't exit. That was a tough buck to run as far as he did with a shattered scapula and a bullet wedged in his ball socket. His lungs were soup, but no blood trail since no exit. His right leg flailed upward as he fell out of sight in a slight depression. This did leave me wondering had I hit him in the left shoulder first instead of the rib cage whether it would have penetrated that first shoulder to reach his vitals. Perhaps the bullet would have penetrated further at a slower velocity with less rapid expansion. Likewise, a step up to a 225 or 250 grain cup and core probably would have punched through as well. Having said that, he fell in sight and sometimes they are just going to run, so I certainly wouldn't claim the 200 gr interlock isn't up to the task.

Entrance wound to ribcage circled

Offside wound to shoulder/scapula