Just recently first one (excluding Hogs) since I was about 12 years old.
Took a risky 2nd to last rib shot at a sharply quartering away deer. I aimed for the off shoulder. Deer stumbled hard then weaved and took off running. I was shooting a single shot and didn't even try to reload as the hit looked good. Deer parts on the ground, some dark blood and light but no wrong side of the diaphragm stuff, pieces of lung on the ground too. Thought just give him a little time and that was it.
Started getting dark but tracking was easy till he got into tall Johnson grass and Cane that was from waist high to eight feet tall. Kept loosing the trail in the grass, lots of other animals had been through the area. Tracked by flashlight for another hour, all this within 3-500 yards of the shot. Lost the track for good and left a marker.
Next morning found the marker about fifty feet from where the deer laid down. Followed that trail and found the deer about another fifty feet from where I had stopped my last circling.
The entry wound was huge but shallow I could have put both fists into it. Buck was smelly from the rutt so dressed him and took him to the processor. No good even though it was in the low thirties that night.
This was with a .243 and 100gr. Corelokt factory loads. It looked like the bullet was deflected by the first rib and then fragmented on the second. Three ribs were exposed. It took out only one lobe of one lung. If this is what happened it is the first "failure" I have had with a Corelokted old or new. I couldn't help thinking a Barnes or Nosler would have put that deer down fast with the same shot.
Mistakes: Should have waited or passed on the shot. May of misjudged the angle. Deer moved at the shot changing the angle too slightly. Could have been a one in a million fluke performance with the bullet. I shouldn't have stopped tracking, or should have gotten a buddy and more/better lights, or even a dog. Bottom line I fugged up.
Felt really sick about it. Small buck by most standards but looked to be five or more years old and heavy for the area. Small tight eight point rack but heavier than most.
Couple weeks latter passed on a much bigger buck just because I didn't want to take a chance. Much better angle but just didn't feel like a sure thing. I wasn't sure if it was at 300 or 375 yards so enough to make a difference. I think I did the right thing on that one.
Last edited by Tejano; 01/03/13.
