Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Down but not out

As my redneck buddy said, "thats what you get for using those fancy bullets. With green box remingtons we'd be chewing tenderloin". I think he may be on to something.

I think it penciled through like someone said earlier. That neck might not have enough mass for expansion on that bullet, as in it was getting ready to expand but exited first. Makes me hesitate before using them in my 308 that's for sure. You should name him "Lucky".

ctsmith you are correct on the numbers,I guess. Did not look it up.

But you don't have the rpm's of a 300 Win Mag at 400 yards,even though impact velocity and twist is the same.This is because you started the bullet much slower from the 308.

This helps in the expansion of bullets...seems even a Berger needs some help on light animals.

A lighter Berger may be a better choice in the 308 for light game is all I am saying.

I've shot 3 bucks with Bergers from a 308. Two were with the 168. Of those two, one was a DRT. The other ran off as if not hit. He only made it 100 yards but it was in brush and nearly dark. No blood. I didn't find him until the next morning. Long night. Above is the example of the 185.

Think I'm done with them. Not to say they don't work, but my experience has been more favorable with the BT.

Interesting results...I always thought they expanded pretty readily myself.

Another pic. How in the heck it missed the spine I don't know.

I guess if you're gonna shoot a four, it might as well be a good four . Problem is that I've seen two of his offsprings that look just like him. No brow tines, etc. Need to wipe them out.

Well the one I had to chase was with core-lokts. The only bullets I've used that failed to exit were core-lokts, and I've had two core-lokts come apart comeplety, though at close range on deer. Yes, they both died. They're far from the be all end all bullet though.

Those pictures look more like a "graze" that a bullet that went in the deer. That would explain the "down but not out".

The buck was facing me, head up, standing tall, and locked in on me. No angle what so ever. Could not be a graze on the back side.

There doesn't appear to be an entrance on the pictures. Just saying funny stuff happens and it may not be as it appears.

Agree with you. Anxious to kill him.

Bergers never leave an "entrance". Even when you have your hands on the deer you REALLY got to look to find the entrance.

I shot a good deer a few years back almost the same situation (but with a 300 Savage & 150gr NoslerBT) but the deer was angled more. Shot through the neck, he went down, rolled a little then back up & gone. I found hime ~175-200 yards later. Only difference is the bullet exited the neck & went back in body & took out one lung. Bullt went in white patch on neck & out back side. Missed the power switch in the neck.


I'd still like for you to get your hands on him & see what happened for sure.

Me too.

Neck shots go better at higher speed.

I've shot a few in the neck, mostly under 50yrds with ballistick tips, and my buddy shoots mainly for the neck with his 22-250. Fairly soft bullet and speed are what you need for neck shooting deer, imo.

Head and neck shots are tough on animals. I shot a buck this year. (lungs) I walked up to it, and it's face/jaw was blown off. Thought I pulled my shot and got lucky gave him a stunner. Gave him another one in the neck to make sure I didn't have a runner. Got home and got busy skinning. Low and behold, my bullet was exactly where I aimed in the lungs. Somebody else had blown the face of that deer off. No idea how he was just standing there, much less breathing.

That has happened many times before.

And the guy who did it will tell you he gets all of his in the head, either DRT or a miss.

put a hornady sp bullet in that gun a drop him graveyard dead next time.more deer lost with neck shots then any other.

Had awesome deer hunting conditions yesterday. Temp dropped, which has been very rare this year in the southeast. I know its hard for the rest of the country to understand but we were Christmas shopping in shorts and flip flops.

Saw many deer but no horns. There is no rut sign at my place but getting activity not far from here, should start anytime. I think the scare educated the four on the hazards of daylight so maybe the rut will bring him back out.

Today is one of the coldest days of the year so far for us, a high of 44 (can you really call that cold?). Could not go out this morning but will be able to this afternoon. They should be moving.

No, no we can't. Our HIGH for Monday is -15*F.