Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Bullets recovered from deer

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Over the years I've been luck enough to recover numerous bullets from deer shot by me. They vary in manufacturer and caliber but I think they prove that it doesn't really matter what you hit deer with, as long as you hit them in the right spot. Here are the details of the recovered bullets. All these weights are dressed weights according to a scale. Maybe someone else has some bullets and info to share here too.

22 Hornet - 45 grain Hornady. Range 70 yards. velocity 2500 fps. 110 lbs doe. Bullet entered behind right shoulder, angled forward thru lungs, penatrating left shoulder. deer traveled about 50 yards. Bullet Found under hide. recovered weight - 39 grains




250 Savage - 100 grain Remington RN. velocity 2850 fps. range 20 yards. 105 lbs spike. deer hit in cheek of ***, bullet breaking hip and spine. recovered under skin above spine. Deer dropped and died at shot. retained weight 73.3 grains





308 winchester - 165 grain speer RN. velocity 2700 fps. 130 lbs 3 point. Range 30 feet. bullet entered top of neck, traversing chest, exited chest, and lodged in left leg. buck dropped on the spot. retained weight - 125.7 grains.





308 winchester - 165 grain speer RN. velocity 2700 fps. 130 lbs 4 point. range- 60 yds. bullet entered ribcage, angled forward, exited right side of chestand lodged in right leg. buck dropped on the log he was stepping over. retained weight- 111.9 grains





6.5x55 Swede - 120 grain Nosler Solid base. Velocity 2900fps. 90 lbs doe. range-40 yards angling downslope. bullet entered front chest by left shoulder. front section exited left side of ribs. remaining section penatrated entire length of deer coming to rest in right hind quarter. doe ran about 40 yds before dieing. retained weight -81.2 grains





260 remington - 129 grain Hornady SP. velocity- 2700fps. 105 lbs spike. range about 60 yards. Bullet entered right side of deer behind the ribs, destroyed liver, wrecked lungs, and lodged under skin after breaking left shoulder. deer traveled about 30 yds. recovered weight - 86 grains.





260 remington -129 grain Hornady SP. velocity- 2700fps. 142 lbs 7 point. range 180 yards. bullet entered right front shoulder, breaking it, wrecked lungs, broke left shoulder and left leg. recovered in left elbow. Deer dropped on the spot. recovered weight - 98.5 grains.

[img]http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt200/dmsbandit/260rem02.jpg[/img]



260 remington - 129 Hornady SP. velocity - 2700fps. 110 lbs doe. range - 25 yds. bullet entered nose, shattered jaw and skull, broke neck, and recovered under hide in back of neck. doe dead before she hit the ground. recovered weight - 71 grains.


[img]http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt200/dmsbandit/260rem06.jpg[/img]


Thanksgiving '09 I recovered another bullet for my collection.

260 Remington 129 grain Hornady SP entered the 135 lb doe about 6" behind the shoulder, wrecked both lungs, exited just behind the opposite shoulder, and lodged into a hard maple tree 15 feet behind the deer. At a muzzle velocity of 2700fps the bullet left it's normal quarter sized exit hole and the doe only went about 50 yds before crashing. The bullet entered the tree backwards and folded the expanded jacket and lead back into place. The recovered weight is 103 grains and expansion from the impact on the deer ended at the cannelure.


[img]http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt200/dmsbandit/260rem09.jpg[/img]


284 winchester - 154 grain Hornady RN. velocity - 2500fps. 70lbs button buck. range - 20yds. bullet entered left side of neck, went thru top of heart, destroyed right lung, and recovered in rear abdominal wall. deer dropped on spot. recovered weight - 125.6 grains

[img]http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt200/dmsbandit/28496.jpg[/img]



35 Whelen - 200 grain Hornady RN. velocity - 2700 fps. 125 lbs doe. range about 30 yards and running. Bullet hit behind ribs, angled forward destroying liver,wrecked 1 lung, went thru heart, and lodged in left shoulder. doe ran about 40 yds and died. recovered weight - 113 grains.


[img]http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt200/dmsbandit/35whelen90.jpg[/img]


38-55 winchester - 270 grain cast bullet. velocity - 1600fps. 135 lbs spike. bullet entered base of neck, wrecking 1 lung, and exited behind right shoulder. Bullet recovered in 6" pine tree behind deer. buck went about 400 yds bleeding well the whole time. recovered weight - 266 grains.


[img]http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt200/dmsbandit/38-55.jpg[/img]


41 magnum - 210 grain Hornady HP. velocity - 1600fps. 120 lbs doe. range - 15 yds. bullet entered back of neck, breaking spine, and recovered under skin in front of neck. recovered weight - 156 grains


[img]http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt200/dmsbandit/41magnum90.jpg[/img]

50 cal. Savage muzzleloader - 250 grain 45 cal. Hornady XTP. velocity - 2000 fps. 105 lbs doe. range - 80 yds. bullet entered above the left shoulder, wrecking the lungs, breaking the spine, and recovered under hide by stomach. Doe died her bed. recovered weight - 198 grains.

[img]http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt200/dmsbandit/45calsavagemuzzleloader.jpg[/img]



I hope this info is of help to people out there when they are trying to make decisions about guns and bullets. Does anyone else have any info to share?