Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting What 'cartridge' have you had the MOST --DRTs?

It's interesting that so many have seen similar results from so many different (but comparable) cartridges. Mostly we seem to be talking deer sized stuff.

I wonder do the results change when we move up in animals size? Say, elk and beyond?

.243 100gr Corelokts.

First of all, I suppose the responses prove(indicate) that 'deer' are hunted more than any other big game (?) animal.

Secondly, I would be surprised if 'larger' game did NOT take, need, or require more than 1 shot.

THNX C T.

I am starting to count backward this yr. I'm not going to get any older <G>

Aussie Gun Writer has it pretty well pegged. My experience is far less varied, but may be instructive nonetheless.

I have 2 guns shooting 150 grain Rem PSPCL-- all 30-06, all are pretty consistent bang-floppers. I shoot 165 grain Hornady SP's out of most of the rest. One is a 308 WIN that I download to about 300 Savage levels and the rest are all 30-06. I have one 35 Whelen shooting 200 GR REM SPCL and a 30-30 that shoots Winchester 150 grain PP's.

I would say they all produce fairly consistent DRT, in that either the drop where they stand or you can stand where you shot them and see the toes sticking up in the air.

Of all of them, I am least impressed with the 30-30. I've had trouble with it on-and-off for years. The 35 Whelen is a bit of a flyer as well. You'd think bigger would be better, but I have had my share of runners.

I am certain that there are mechanics as yet fully understood that produce a "DRT". I have consistently pulped the lungs and jellied the heart, but sometimes they run, sometimes they stand there and look at you and sometimes they go back to eating grass. I had one a few years ago that took two through the heart and lungs. I heard the first hit and saw the hair move on his chest. He continued walking, he paused at a fence, and I took another shot-- same spot. He still managed to take a jump over the fence and died in mid-air.

I've used a half dozen or so cartidges on enough deer to have a decent sample size, and the .30-06 150gr cup&core and the 150gr .30-30 are pretty much tied. The 6.5 x 55 is slightly behind, but the sample size is smaller.

For the "speed kills" guys, I have a small sample of four deer: two small bucks, a doe, and a yearling. All were shot behind the shoulder at ranges from 30 to 60 yards with a frangible 100gr bullet from a .257 Roberts at 3100fps MV (2 Speer boat tail, and two Nosler BT's).

There were no exits, and the lungs on all 4 deer were completely destroyed. All exhibited the same behavior at the shot, they humped up, trotted approx. 30 yards, stopped, wobbled for a couple of seconds, went down, then got back up and made 30 yard death dash before piling up. I went to the 117gr Hornady at 2800fps and started getting exits, and the deer started dying quicker.

Also, although there have been no DRT's, I have killed over a dozen deer with the .22 Hornet with 55gr Sierra SMPs at 2500fps and have never had one go further than 40 yards.

.358 Win. on whitetails.

.30-06 with 165gr bullets. However, that's the only centerfire I hunted with for 20 years and killed my first 30 head of game. In the last 30 years, I've hunted with at least 10 other cartridges.

Aussie Gun Writer has it pretty well pegged. My experience is far less varied, but may be instructive nonetheless.

I have 2 guns shooting 150 grain Rem PSPCL-- all 30-06, all are pretty consistent bang-floppers. I shoot 165 grain Hornady SP's out of most of the rest. One is a 308 WIN that I download to about 300 Savage levels and the rest are all 30-06. I have one 35 Whelen shooting 200 GR REM SPCL and a 30-30 that shoots Winchester 150 grain PP's.

I would say they all produce fairly consistent DRT, in that either the drop where they stand or you can stand where you shot them and see the toes sticking up in the air.

Of all of them, I am least impressed with the 30-30. I've had trouble with it on-and-off for years. The 35 Whelen is a bit of a flyer as well. You'd think bigger would be better, but I have had my share of runners.

I am certain that there are mechanics as yet fully understood that produce a "DRT". I have consistently pulped the lungs and jellied the heart, but sometimes they run, sometimes they stand there and look at you and sometimes they go back to eating grass. I had one a few years ago that took two through the heart and lungs. I heard the first hit and saw the hair move on his chest. He continued walking, he paused at a fence, and I took another shot-- same spot. He still managed to take a jump over the fence and died in mid-air.

.222 Remington Magnum--somewhere north of 1,100 animals (scientific collecting). Another 100+ with a .223 Remington.

243 with 70gr speer tnts.

over the head of many.

I once saw a fawn shot with a 12 gauge slug thru both rear hams such that you could see light thru the hole, it was not DRT. This DRT stuff reminds me of "hold my beer and watch this" for some reason.

Well you took the time to stop and watch.

I can't speak for you or anyone else,
In 41yrs of deer hunting I've had many DRTs. Some from CNS hits, others not.

It does happen and obviously with many diff cartridges.

Toss up for me. A 22-250 with 50-60 grain bullets and 243 win with 85 grain bullets. The 22-250 with 60 grain Partitions around 3400 is instant through the lungs or right in the leg. I have killed them with .22, .24, .25, .277, and .30 calibers but the light fast bullets seem to work as fast with the RIGHT shot. If the shot was less than ideal for the smaller calibers I passed the shot. I carry these calibers in an area that the landowner allows the 243/6mm to be the largest calibers we use.

This

i done it with various calibers.shot placement .

I've killed deer with over 40 cartridges, ranging from .221 Fireball to .404 Jeffery and naturally, some have died in their tracks, some have made the mad dash. Thinking back, I have never had a deer take a step with the .284 Win and the old, long discontinued Winchester 125 gr Power Point. Something about that load just makes them come unglued. Guess it's the speed (roughly 3200 fps) combined with a very fragile bullet. Don't think I ever had a pass through with them. Biggest buck I shot with it was about 160 lbs, which is pretty good around here. Most of the recovered "bullets" were shrapnel. I'm a big proponent of exit wounds but with this load, a blood trail was never necessary. Next one I shoot with it might run like a scalded assed ape, but so far they haven't. This load would not be my choice for "big deer" but on our Southern sized deer, it has been poison. Haven't actually hunted with that gun in years but this has made think about digging it out of the safe. I still have about 4 boxes of that precious fodder left.

Have had several DRTs over the years but since I am a constant experimenter and gun trader I don't have any single cartridge with more than 1-2 DRTs and most have been due to CNS hits. The most DRTs I have had with a singe firearm was my old browning 54 cal ML with 3 that I can recall.

Yeah - SCGN I haven't hunted w/ a 7RM in a few yrs.

I have a week +3 days after Christmas left. I may have to dust off that 7 w/139s too.

I've been hunting a 270 and 6.5 Swede. Think I'll switch.

.270