Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles How many of you recovered bullets from your deer this year

Never have recovered a bullet from a deer, 'cept for one jacket, once off a 130gr Sierra. It was launched from a .270 and the core blew up. No exit. The deer didn't exit, either, it dropped instantly.

Caught a 120 TTSX that spined a hog. Unusual angle - the boar was laying on the ground kicking, with his back toward me, after the first shot. He kicked longer than I liked so I hit him again with a finisher. The bullet basically went through the spine, straight down into the chest, and all activity ceased. It looked really good, classic mushroom.

A couple of times I have found plastic tips, off both Nosler BT's and TTSX's...

Have never recovered a bullet from a deer, and precious few even from a moose. I use more rifle than some do, I suppose. I shoot 168 grain TSXs from a 30-06 for both moose and deer. I also shoot for the boney, non meaty parts.

The last deer I shot was with a 6.5 Swede at about 80 yards with a 140 grain Sierra. Bullet entered behind the shoulder, exited behind the shoulder off-side. Tou could almost stick your fist through the exit wound. Dead deer, right there.

Recovered two 53gr. TSX from a bedded mule deer buck. They hit both shoulder and spine.



55gr TTSX.

Spine and paunch recovered on off side just under the hide.



Recovered about 23gr. of a 75gr. A-Max as well. It hit shoulder and spine. Haven't taken a pic yet.


Travis

Recovered my second bullet this year. Frontal chest shot at 100 yards on a Large Michigan 9 point buck, that went through 4 feet of deer and broke the right rear femur and came to rest in the Sirlon Tip muscle of the right rear hind quarter. Sierra Pro Hunter 150 Grain Spitzer .308 from my 300 Savage Model 99F. I would be happy to post a photo if someone could tell me what to do, (jpg is in my computer). I also have a 117 Grain Sierra .257 pro hunter that took out the neck vertabrae on a large 8 point 4 years ago. Not much left, just the cup and a little bit of the core. Also have that photo

Mark me down as no on the OP's question. Shot my 7mm 162gr. btsp interlock thru the buck from 648 lasered (slope adjusted), actual 700 yards. Buck was quartering away and it went in high, passed thru the ribcage, thru the heart, out the other side broke a leg bone and kept on going....Very minimal bloodshot as well...

That's a long poke, BSA. Nice shooting.

Daughter's doe, 223, Hornady 60SP, straight on front shoulder shot, shed a little jacket in the bone, penetrated into the one lung but bullet not recovered

My buck, 243, Hornady 85IB, direct broadside through lungs and heart, exited

Photo for 300savage...

Wow, I'm surprised that Sierra didn't expand more than that. Glad you got your deer though.

Killed three antelope, no recoveries. Killed two elk and also put two shots on my buddies bull to anchor it. Two shots on each elk. Recovered one bullet from each elk. So three of 6. Rest were pass through.

Killed a big 9pt this evening with my .22/250 and found the bullet.
Broke his neck and found it under the hide on the far side.

I only recovered one -- and it was from a cow elk. 150gr NBT out of a 308. 150-200 yards, busted through on-side shoulder, recovered under the hide behind the off-side shoulder. Core totally separated and I only recovered the jacket. It weighed 70grs dead on the money. Cow went 30ish yards...





A buddy shot a decent whitetail buck at 265 yards. The 139gr SST from a 7-08 (Hornady factory Superformance ammo). The bullet enters behind the should and was recovered while we were skinning it. It was under the hide at the base of the neck. The deer was quartering away...and dropped at the shot. Retained weight was 84.1grs.





My nephew shot a buck the second day of our deer season. 45 yards, 260 Remington, 120gr Sierra ProHunter (handload by lastround). Shot was high, got some lung and spine. The bullet ...actually a mangled jacket...was recovered under the hide while we were skinning. Retained weight was 36.2grs.

Thanks Grogel for posting the photo.

I buck I shot this year stopped a 180 hornady IL soft point out of a 3006. He was a decent size, 250 lbs dressed. The shot was about 150yards and the deer was very slightly quartering away. The bullet hit just behind the left front leg and I found the base of the bullet on the outside of the opposite broken and smashed shoulder blade in the meat when I was butchering it.
Also shot 2 moose one bull was large 54" at 25 yards with a 200 gr partition out of a 3006. Recovered that bullet. Second bull was a spike, bullet may still be going.
I have pics but not sure how to post them, if I get some time today I might give it a go

Dan

In many years of deer hunting I've only recovered one bullet, a 95 grain Nosler BT from a whitetail shot at 200 yards (it was a picture perfect mushroom too!) I'm always hopeful that I will recover one, but always find two holes in my deer.

I recovered what looked like a 22 LR bullet from the leg of the antelope doe I got this year. Some piece of [bleep] apparently enjoys plinking antelope-

I've shot two deer where I was able to recover the bullet. One was a heavy 5pt MN buck shot quarting away from me at 10 yards. Bullet entered behind the left leg, passed through the good stuff, and traveled about 12" of neck. I recovered it upon skinning it, but you could feel it through the hide. It was a .280 Rem, 140gr Fed Fusion.

The other is a 165gr 30 cal Core-lockt that was recovered in a raking shot.

I have killed two deer. Neck shot a doe at about 25 yards and the bullet exited.

Shot a buck quartering toward me at 94 yards. Bullet broke on side shoulder, through the chest and into guts before stopping in the opposite side hind quarter. The bullet could be used in a advertisement.

Both deer shot with Sako 270 Win. and 130 grain TTSX.

I don't know why but I seem to catch a lot of bullets from my 270 Win.

Dink

I've only been hunting for 4 yrs but had never recovered a bullet until this year. And I've collected 3 this year! All three from a 35 whelen - 2 from whitetail and 1 from a feral hog. Really neat to find those wlittle treasures

9 doe on a cull hunt, no recoveries, 300 H&H with 200 gr SAF's.

1 doe shot below left eye from a steep upward angle, bullet exited between her shoulder and brisket, 6.5 Swede firing a 140 gr NPT.

More to come.

Gunner