Final dispatch shot, bullet types, or shot placement?

H

hunter7mmRM

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
48   0   0
Location
Northern Alberta
Hey I’m wondering if I’ve fallen off my rocker with my idea, or if it’s not worth the effort. Share your experiences and wisdom.
Shooting 300wby with Nosler Accubond long range bullets.
Last season I was fortunate enough to spend some time in the woods again in the pursuit of finding a legal elk to harvest for meat. A few days in, a shot presented itself and in haste shot a bit high, spine shot. The elk dropped right there, but was far from dead when I walked up to it, only a few minutes after the shot. I didn’t want to shoot it in the head as I like to keep the antlers on the wall for the story, so I put another round into the chest cavity. Which resulted in some extra meat loss. Thinking back I have no idea why I didn’t go for the neck, probably because it was moving too much.
So I had an idea, to load up a pet load with a mono metal bullet for the close up kill shot. Always just keep a few in my pack and if there is time, single load and make a final dispatch shot avoiding the exra meat cutout due to bullet fragments. Or just keep the ABLR for the final shot and take the neck shot if possible.
 
Neck just below the head if you don’t want to take a head shot. I sure wouldn’t bother carrying extra ammo for the rare time that is needed
 
FishHog said:
Neck just below the head if you don’t want to take a head shot. I sure wouldn’t bother carrying extra ammo for the rare time that is needed
Click to expand...

This. Used it a lot on black bears who just won't die.
 
i had intentions of using say a 170gr FN .308 cal projie to finish off deer that might of needed it... an i did this one time. but the rest you are so in the moment you not going to dig around for a FN projie in the pocket or bag, obviously if half prepared its ok ish to do, yep!

ill maybe throw one or two FN in future A- to use em and B- to finish off when needed if i have time to get over to it or know it went down but isnt out.
 
Your objective is to place the animal out of it's misery, ASAP!!! Not to fiddle around in your pocket for a certain cartridge/bullet.
 
If the game is antlered and worth mounting a second rd to the lungs behind the shoulder doesn't wreck the cape or any edible meat.
 
track said:
Your objective is to place the animal out of it's misery, ASAP!!! Not to fiddle around in your pocket for a certain cartridge/bullet.
Click to expand...

I tend to agree with this. Just finish it off with whatever is loaded in your rifle and put the animal down.
As has been mentioned already after the adrenaline rush of a successful shot you might not really be thinking clearly and having to look through your pack to locate your special ammo then unload your current ammo so you can load this stuff seems like a lot of unnecessary effort to go to for no real benefit. I think the KISS principle applies here.
 
personally i shoot until the animal is dead. no suffering, no running off, just keep shooting until it hits the ground. sometimes its 1 shot, sometimes its 3. changing ammo after the initial shot seems like a waste of time. what does the new special ammo do that the stuff you took the first shot with didn't do?
 
My thoughts were leaning towards mono bullet to prevent extreme bullet fragmentation with lead core bullets. Of course I want to kill the animal quickly but I also don’t want to be foolish in wasting meat especially when I know the animal is down unable to get away.

To put a twist on it, what’s the difference, taking another two minutes to pull a different cartridge from the belt while walking closer to inspect, or to wait fifteen or more minutes to ensure the animal is expired before even starting to walk up to the animal?

pescador said:
personally i shoot until the animal is dead. no suffering, no running off, just keep shooting until it hits the ground. sometimes its 1 shot, sometimes its 3. changing ammo after the initial shot seems like a waste of time. what does the new special ammo do that the stuff you took the first shot with didn't do?
Click to expand...
 
Decades ago, my uncle carried a 38sp revolver for just such contingencies. But we all know what happened to that now don't we?

Me, I'll just take a shot through the lungs where I should have hit it the first time, or through the head, as I don't give a crap about mounts. Meat loss from a lung shot is minimal. Neck shots ruin too much burger.

I carry no special rounds. When I reach for a round, I want it full power. Stuff happens!
 
hunter7mmRM said:
My thoughts were leaning towards mono bullet to prevent extreme bullet fragmentation with lead core bullets. Of course I want to kill the animal quickly but I also don’t want to be foolish in wasting meat especially when I know the animal is down unable to get away.

To put a twist on it, what’s the difference, taking another two minutes to pull a different cartridge from the belt while walking closer to inspect, or to wait fifteen or more minutes to ensure the animal is expired before even starting to walk up to the animal?
Click to expand...

i think you misunderstood. if the animal is still in range and in my sight, i shoot until it is 100% dead from my original position. so last year i shot my bear 2 times one after the other as fast as i could get them out both hits in the vitals. #### #1 was good, dropped it. it tried to get up and i put one more in the vitals, it died within seconds about 5 ft from where it was shot the first time. the only time i wait 20 min to let it die is if its not in my line of sight anymore. if you put shots in the chest cavity all you really lose is some rib meat. my concern is mostly insuring a quick death, i've seen more meat wasted in the boning process than by bullet damage by your average hunter.

i hand-load for my rifle. i'm confident in the projectile i chose and its zeroed to my sights. why would i change it to make the final "kill shot"? especially on something thats wounded and im walking up to it. a wounded moose, elk, or bear could easily kill a guy. why would you change the ammo you were so confident would kill it to something you rarely use or practice with? was the ammo you were using not adequate for the task? i dont get it.

like most guys said. the same cartridge to the base of the skull were the spine meets the skull would finish it off. so why change the cartridge? what would that do for you? what advantage would this have? seems kinda silly to me.
 
If you play around long enough with "down but not out" animals one of them is going to get back up on you. You're gonna feel pretty stupid looking at your special cartridge and rifle that you unloaded when the buck/bull/bear runs right out of your life. A couple ounces of meat means little when you lose it all.
 
I used to use a knife. As i mostly bow hunt ive finished off a good number of deer with a blade and one wolf that ive shot with a rifle. Only had one real bad experience. A small 4 point which i thought was dead managed to come alive and as a reaction i grabbed the antler. Managed to get my wrist locked in his fork and had my shoulder ripped out of socket in the ensuing struggle. I managed to get my knife out and stab him in under the jaw and up into the base of the skull. Now i waste an arrow and plunk them thru the ribs. When using a rifle if i need a finishing shot its right tight to the base of the skull. If the animal is moving or thrasing around too much ill take the lung shot
 
John Y Cannuck said:
Decades ago, my uncle carried a 38sp revolver for just such contingencies. But we all know what happened to that now don't we?

Me, I'll just take a shot through the lungs where I should have hit it the first time, or through the head, as I don't give a crap about mounts. Meat loss from a lung shot is minimal. Neck shots ruin too much burger.

I carry no special rounds. When I reach for a round, I want it full power. Stuff happens!
Click to expand...

Never mind a little burger. I'd be more concerned about the tender tasty back of the tongue! Though the ear hole won't hurt the rack or tongue. Or if you have a hatchet?
 
Last edited:
brybenn said:
I used to use a knife. As i mostly bow hunt ive finished off a good number of deer with a blade and one wolf that ive shot with a rifle. Only had one real bad experience. A small 4 point which i thought was dead managed to come alive and as a reaction i grabbed the antler. Managed to get my wrist locked in his fork and had my shoulder ripped out of socket in the ensuing struggle. I managed to get my knife out and stab him in under the jaw and up into the base of the skull. Now i waste an arrow and plunk them thru the ribs. When using a rifle if i need a finishing shot its right tight to the base of the skull. If the animal is moving or thrasing around too much ill take the lung shot
Click to expand...

Had a Salty old driller who set his rifle down...pulled out his knife and proceeded to have that Buck come up and at him. Broke some ribs and winded him bad. Both laying there breathing tough looking at each other.
Just put one in the neck.
 
Years ago i shot a moose , it went on its hind legs slow motion style and fell on its back. walked up to it and was a perfect broadside into lungs .touched the eye with muzzle nothing no movement, put the pack down and reached for the knife, it woke up and took off dragging itself, teo more rounds after and it was down for good. still couldnt figure it out. during a deer hunt ,a buddy shot a bear at a dead run at him with a 243 .the bear pilled up about 30 feet past him.. he lit a cigarette with a shaky hand and was still shaking when we got there. where is the bear, he points and theres nothing there. he had his back turned away from the bear the whole time.2 hours of nervous tracking and one of the boys put a slug into him for good. now we have a rule to always approach loaded and on a game animal and if any doubt put another one in it. years ago another acquaintance hunting red lake ontario shot a moose and put the rifle on its rack to take pictures. the moose got up and took off with his new 300 weatherby .strapped to it antler almost detroying it.
 
dogger1 said:
Years ago i shot a moose , it went on its hind legs slow motion style and fell on its back. walked up to it and was a perfect broadside into lungs .touched the eye with muzzle nothing no movement, put the pack down and reached for the knife, it woke up and took off dragging itself, teo more rounds after and it was down for good. still couldnt figure it out. during a deer hunt ,a buddy shot a bear at a dead run at him with a 243 .the bear pilled up about 30 feet past him.. he lit a cigarette with a shaky hand and was still shaking when we got there. where is the bear, he points and theres nothing there. he had his back turned away from the bear the whole time.2 hours of nervous tracking and one of the boys put a slug into him for good. now we have a rule to always approach loaded and on a game animal and if any doubt put another one in it. years ago another acquaintance hunting red lake ontario shot a moose and put the rifle on its rack to take pictures. the moose got up and took off with his new 300 weatherby .strapped to it antler almost detroying it.
Click to expand...

those are pretty wild. my rule is to approach slowly and either throw a rock at it to see if its really dead or a large stick also like to watch the chest to see if its still breathing. if in doubt put another round in it. cant be too cautious around large game especially since most times im alone. messing around and switching to "special" ammo seems like a bad idea.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom