If I were to pay you $1000.00 per every deer size animal that went DRT after being shot in the shoulder or heart lung area... what would it be... Caliber... Bullet weight and design... and Speed... and Distance always plays a role.
Only 22-30 calibers... Please.
Without ...the usual neck- head-CNS shots...NOT even the perfect high shoulder shot...just the normal behind the shoulder or in the shoulder area. Shot placement goes without being said over and over because we all know that is important, but that doesn't always happen.
The BEST COMBO will NOT work every time because there are many factors involved with each kill scenario. BUT... there has to be one combo or even a few that shine the brightest.
A 100 lb Doe will react different than a 180 lb Buck... I know... seen it for myself.
I've watched Kids on Youth Hunts put deer down quick with 243 100 gr SP Factory loads...and they are NOT all precise shots either. One Kid dropped his Doe with a 100 yd shot that hit her mid body... right on the diaphragm line. A few days later I shoot a full grown buck in the proper behind the shoulder area, with the same rifle and load at 80 yds... and it runs 60 yds. No Blood... bullet did not exit, but was under the hide on the other side all mushroomed up.
My Quest is NOT about a better 243 load... but a BETTER all around caliber, bullet, and speed, for more consistent DRT Kills.
The Western Boys probably don't need a DRT kill because of having so much open country... but here in the South East... woods can become jungles with their thickets and clear cut areas.
If I could make a Grand on every DRT kill... then I'd always be taking out my 22-243 AI, because it usually always puts them down with 80 gr Amaxes at 3500 fps. Except for one doe that I shot at 40 yds on ground level that allowed her to run off about 35 yds... but the Blood... Oh My... the Blood was everywhere. I've never seen so much blood sprayed out through the woods on her other side. I had to measure the spray on limbs, and it was 12 ft of spray... two full arm lengths of spray... and the trail was a joke to follow because of so much blood. But when the shots are 70 yds and more..out to 300 yds... they all dump... haven't shot you further...YET. But then again.... I mostly shoot somewhere on the shoulder area with that caliber.
It's really my long range coyote rifle...that kills deer as well... but it's a tad heavy to tote, and not really a carry rifle.
I keep thinking that high speed, lighter for caliber bullets... on larger calibers... may go to the top of the list.
A friend of mine shoots deer in the mid body to save meat and usually always gets DRT with his 7RUM with 140 gr TSX @3200 fps... and those are not 7RUM speeds.
SOOOooooooo.... if you were going to get a Grand for every DRT kill... what combo would it be?????
Last edited by DanBrothers; 12/20/19.
