Tumbling bullet to knock down a deer?

[doublelung]

You came very close to losing a deer... 223 is not a deer caliber and this experience should tell you that... If it gets through ribs without obstruction and your shot placement is right it will do the job but unless you have x-ray vision and know where the ribs are then its a crapshoot... Why not use something more suitable... You claim shot placement is key "in your book"... I woukd suggest you have evidence otherwise based on your post..m

Many a dead deer would disagree with you.....

 

[Northman999]

Strange things happen sometimes in hunting situations.

For all we know you could have hit a dead, hard, tree branch close to the animal, and it was the snapped off branch that collided with the deer and knocked it all to heck. Stranger things have happened.

After seeing quite a bit of documentation on centerfire .22's being used on (smaller) big game, I am personally not as opposed to it as I used to be, provided proper bullets (like TSX's) are used. Good shot placement and proper bullet choice, along with being willing to pass up questionable shots, would have to be the rule of thumb however.

 

[c-fbmi]

So what you are saying is you took a marginal shot at a deer through a screen of brush..........with a 223 Rem? How else could your bullet have come in contact with a branch or whatever? HHMMMMMM.........................bad judgement in my opinion with a very marginal caliber!!!

 

[jjohnwm]

I am very comfortable with my rifle, my loads and my shots.[2QUOTE]

This type of thread always seems to include a statement like the one above. Typically the phrase "more than adequate" is used referring to the suboptimal cartridge used.

Then we normally are treated to some version of "I don't understand what happened!?!"

 

[razorbeck]

I can't either but here in BC you can shoot deer with centerfire not rimfire. It makes no distinction as to caliber. Foolish in my opinion but I don't make the rules...

Same as in Manitoba, i could technically hunt deer with my 17 hornet but would have to call myself an ####### if I did

 

[canadian hunter312]

...

 

[canadian hunter312]

So what you are saying is you took a marginal shot at a deer through a screen of brush..........with a 223 Rem? How else could your bullet have come in contact with a branch or whatever? HHMMMMMM.........................bad judgement in my opinion with a very marginal caliber!!!

I dunno where you're from, but around these parts we don't exactly refer to clear cuts as "a screen of brush".

Recently shot a 8 point buck in a clear cut that was chasing does.

Reading posts before you reply to them. You should try it sometime

 

[canadian hunter312]

Recently shot a 8 point buck in a clear cut that was chasing does. Shot it in the ribs area and then a finishing shot to the back of the head as he was trying to get up. On skinning the deer there was no hole in the ribs just a big bruise. Is it plausible that I hit a branch or sapling that would cause the bullet to tumble yet still had enough force to knock the air out of him to knock him down ? I was shooting a 223 loaded with Hornady 60 grainers and 8208 powder at about 125 yards. Never had a problem with this load before and it has performed beautifully . Interested to hear your opinions

Did the bullet penetrate the hide and was stopped by a rib or did it fail to penetrate the hide all together?

 

[Drive Shaft]

In NB .223 and 22-250 are popular because you can legally use them on small game, varmints, and deer. Not ideal for everything, but many around her choose them for that reason.

 

[trevj]

Did the bullet penetrate the hide and was stopped by a rib or did it fail to penetrate the hide all together?

Aye. This.

With limited information to go on, it's all just a guess as to what actually happened.

The only things we know for sure, are that you shot it, and you got it, eh?

Without being able to poke around the hide and carcass, it's all just a guess (or a hand wringing, finger pointing, name calling session, eh?)

I have a hard time with the idea that a fast moving bullet, sideways or otherwise, could hit hard enough to knock a deer off it's feet and not penetrate. So...?

I would casually suggest that their is a lot of "knowledge" out there that is based upon opinions, rather than the experiences, much like the knowledge about 'brush busting' bullets that did not stand up to actual trial.

Cheers
Trev

 

[dand883]

I find it hard to believe that N.B. allows deer to be shot with a .22 caliber ANYTHING. Even harder to believe is someone asking why their VARMINT bullet didn't go through a deer. Really? You have other more suitable guns, but choose the least ethical one to do the job with? Try to at least show you give a crap about the animals. Shooting a big game animal with a .22 is just a stunt to prove how smart you think you are or "how good a shot you are". For God sakes, your avatar has 3 guns infinitely more suitable for the job.

I can't either but here in BC you can shoot deer with centerfire not rimfire. It makes no distinction as to caliber. Foolish in my opinion but I don't make the rules...

Similar to BC, NB only specifies that it must be a centerfire cartridge, as much as i and many others disagree with that, it is the rule.

 

[Superbrad]

I dunno where you're from, but around these parts we don't exactly refer to clear cuts as "a screen of brush".



Reading posts before you reply to them. You should try it sometime

Recently shot a 8 point buck in a clear cut that was chasing does. Shot it in the ribs area and then a finishing shot to the back of the head as he was trying to get up. On skinning the deer there was no hole in the ribs just a big bruise. Is it plausible that I hit a branch or sapling that would cause the bullet to tumble yet still had enough force to knock the air out of him to knock him down ? I was shooting a 223 loaded with Hornady 60 grainers and 8208 powder at about 125 yards. Never had a problem with this load before and it has performed beautifully . Interested to hear your opinions

Perhaps you should follow your own advice....lol

 

[kamlooky]

Wee calibers like this on deer and such, maybe shoot for the base of the antler and see
if you can knock'm out.
Then giddee up go and slice the wind pipe.

 

[Winnipeg Toymaker]

Truelly I think it would take a long time for a bruise to show up. Probably he got it in a fight with another deer. Did you look elsewhere for a wound? perhaps you hit an antler and knocked him out. I have seen that when fellows tried the headshot route. such a small bullet should only be used on pests not big game. IMHO.

 

[caustic]

although 223 can take deer it IS under powered and under sized for them

 

[track]

Recently shot a 8 point buck in a clear cut that was chasing does. Shot it in the ribs area and then a finishing shot to the back of the head as he was trying to get up. On skinning the deer there was no hole in the ribs just a big bruise. Is it plausible that I hit a branch or sapling that would cause the bullet to tumble yet still had enough force to knock the air out of him to knock him down ? I was shooting a 223 loaded with Hornady 60 grainers and 8208 powder at about 125 yards. Never had a problem with this load before and it has performed beautifully . Interested to hear your opinions

I wouldn't be so disrespectful to us a 22 cal. on big game, especially shooting through branches/brush with an explosive manufactured bullet for varmints. Your government should change their minimum caliber law for wildlife humane reasons.

 

[trevj]

I wouldn't be so disrespectful to us a 22 cal. on big game, especially shooting through branches/brush with an explosive manufactured bullet for varmints. Your government should change their minimum caliber law for wildlife humane reasons.

Hooey!

Dead is dead.
You do know that the wildlife managers that have been shooting potentially CWD deer in Alberta have been shooting them with 22-250 yes? From helicopters.

Once again, it's opinion, not facts, that have brought us this line about the supposed 'explosiveness' of varmint bullets. Somehow these bullets that cannot reach a deer, are reliably reaching the coyotes, wolves, groundhogs, gophers, and whatever else they are aimed at, under similar conditions. But they blow up, if there are deer in front of them?. Give yer head a shake!

As one writer put it succinctly, and I do paraphrase, the folks that complain about the ineffectiveness of a particular round, may well be unwittingly commenting on their capabilities rather than the cartridges'.

Cheers
Trev

 

[Superbrad]

Hooey!

Dead is dead.
You do know that the wildlife managers that have been shooting potentially CWD deer in Alberta have been shooting them with 22-250 yes? From helicopters.

Once again, it's opinion, not facts, that have brought us this line about the supposed 'explosiveness' of varmint bullets. Somehow these bullets that cannot reach a deer, are reliably reaching the coyotes, wolves, groundhogs, gophers, and whatever else they are aimed at, under similar conditions. But they blow up, if there are deer in front of them?. Give yer head a shake!

As one writer put it succinctly, and I do paraphrase, the folks that complain about the ineffectiveness of a particular round, may well be unwittingly commenting on their capabilities rather than the cartridges'.

Cheers
Trev

Apples and oranges... Doing what you havbe to do with limitations on shot length and backdrop vs. Hunting scenarios...

Many have been taken with 22 mag, many have been taken with spears, its all about using the best tool at your disposal... .223 should not be it...

 

[trevj]

Apples and oranges... Doing what you havbe to do with limitations on shot length and backdrop vs. Hunting scenarios...

Many have been taken with 22 mag, many have been taken with spears, its all about using the best tool at your disposal... .223 should not be it...

No it's deer with a .22 center fire, same, same, same.

The folks that believe a blade of grass will cause a high velocity .22 bullet to go wandering off in a random direction, ought to go try it one day. From my first hand experiences, I think it would be an eye opener for them.

Either that, or they will walk away, mumbling excuses, and refuse to change their beliefs over something so trivial as evidence contrary to those beliefs.
Beliefs can be like that for the weak minded.

Cheers
Trev

 

[Superbrad]

No it's deer with a .22 center fire, same, same, same.

The folks that believe a blade of grass will cause a high velocity .22 bullet to go wandering off in a random direction, ought to go try it one day. From my first hand experiences, I think it would be an eye opener for them.

Either that, or they will walk away, mumbling excuses, and refuse to change their beliefs over something so trivial as evidence contrary to those beliefs.
Beliefs can be like that for the weak minded.

Cheers
Trev

Trev... I appreciate your experience but really, why is op wondering about his shot?... Its not the ideal caliber no matter which way you paint it...