Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 7-08 penetration question

My friend shot a WT doe the other day at a measured 20 yards broadside. Shot hit, and ruined, the liver. Deer expired shortly. Factory 140 Powershoks. Wondering why no passthrough. Thoughts?

Shot 20 more deer and I bet you will normally get pass through.

1 deer isn't much of a test but sure can sour a person on something in a hurry.

Bullets can and do weird things.

Close range will test a bullet.

That same shot might pass through 19 times out of 20, but nothing is for certain every time. Did he look at the recovered bullet?

More velocity equals less penetration. In a Handloader Magazine .308 diameter bullet test article that I have of 180 grain .308 diameter bullets through a measured medium any bullet on the chart penetrated much less at 3100 fps than the same bullet at 1500 fps. Just taking the Remington pointed Core-Lokt as an example, at 3100 fps the bullets penetrated an average of 11.5 inches with shed cores. At 1500 fps those same bullets penetrated 33 inches and didn't even expand. There is a linear progression of decreased expansion and increased penetration as the bullet velocity decreased. It is important to pick right bullet for the cartridge and the most likely impact velocity.

I seldom recover bullets shot into deer but I like mid rang or heavier weight for caliber bullets.

just got back from a goose hunt in Montana and was in the bar for supper and ya a beer or two was drank .started talkin to some deer hunters and this young boy around 12 stood there listening so asked him how his day went. he was excited to answer me he started by saying he made a perfect shoot with his 7mm-08 and in his eye`s that was the greatest cartridge ever invented. my 30 year old son said: i have a 7mm-08 too and thats what i started with too great cartridge . i told this young boy that around 20 years i made some money shootin a 7mm-08 for a few winters target shooting ,that young man`s chest got a little bigger and was he excited happy grin`n ear to ear. yes a 7mm-08 is a great cartridge and very accurate but not all bullets go thru a deer always in any cartridge.

Well, we never found the bullet in the rumen. Thinking it may have disintegrated. FWIW I prefer passthroughs. On the same seat 2 days earlier I shot a big doe with a 9.3x62 and 285 gr rn bullets. Hole hrough left front leg, chest, and almost same size hole through right front leg. She went a little bit just driving on rear legs. What a will to live in those critters sometimes.

I didn't know bullets disintegrated?

Only from a 7mm-08.



P

Uh, velocity?

I had similar results at a similar range on a mule deer, back in 1986.....using a 300 grain Sierra SPBT from a .375 H&H at approximately 2600 fps mv. It’s well documented that these bullets were “crapola” in their early offerings. Sometimes it’s merely a “fluke”, sometimes is a “piss poor” bullet design! Many bullets are recognized as “quick opening, rapid expansion” bullets with fragmentation, or jacket separation advertised. My opinion, use these for varmints.....big game deserve more respect! memtb

Thanks for the heads up....

My son shot one a few days ago with a 30-06 and 150gr hornady interlock and it didn’t exit either. 50yd shot. 20yd death run.

It happens.

Sometimes bullets just do strange things. As long as they kill sufficiently its all good. I've never caught one in 7-08. Once when hunting with my daughter I shot a 6 pt NC smallish buck at about 25 yrs broadside with a 30-06. Entered the heart and came to rest in the hind quarter just beneath the hide. Was pretty surprised to find that bullet.

I've never caught a rifle bullet. My son caught a few.

I certainly didn't mean any disrespect to your Son, Dave.

Son Poked a Hole in Doe Yesterday Evening.. With 7MM -06AI Running The 120 B.T At 3190. FPS. He Shot Her At 82 Yds.. I've Always Been Well Pleased With The 120's. I've Killed Over 50 Deer With The 7-08 Along With Several Hogs. Few Bears And Lot Of Other Things.. This One Left A Pretty Good Hole... Said She Looked Like She Was Struck By Lightening..

tzone, I started a topic once on one of these forums asking what bullets from which cartridges have been stopped in a deer and the 150 grain bullet out of an '06 or .308 had more than a few this happened to me examples. I used 165's out of mine from then on and never stopped one.

I've found a few from the odd-6 and one from a .280 Rem. One was a core-lokt, 2 were Federal Fusion. All mushroomed perfectly. One on a raking shot, the other two were broadside. All of them were 50 yards and in.

Windfall,

All of the bullets from the 06 I posted about above were 165gr, except the one Jack used on Saturday. I like to run 165's in my 30 cals. The .280 was a 140gr Federal Fusioin at about 30 feet from a 7600.

I can't fault those shots, or bullets. They were all close range shots. The .280 rem was pretty much full bore muzzle velocity.