Max, I have many, many revolver kills and it really depends on what you hit. I use a hard cast like the LBT's and some deer leave what looks like gallons on the ground and others don't. Of course none have gone far enough to need tracking anyway. The same happens with any firearm or bow at times too. The very worst trail to follow is with a magnum rifle that smashes tissue. The ragged edges left by an exploding bullet will seal and even though the deer dies, they can go a mile and quit bleeding in 100 yds. Every year I have to help someone find a deer hit with 7mm or 300 mags. Even though the damage is extensive, we have to spread out and search every inch of ground because the blood stops. If the deer drops and you find it, don't worry.

I was using a 240 grain Keith style semi-wadcutter cast from linotype. It appeared to have hit both lungs-I didn't check to see if it hit the heart. Both lungs were pulp. The entrance and exit holes were round 44 cal cookie cutter holes. I'm thinking of trying a pure lead bullet-with just enough tin to cast well.

Max, none of my "pistol killed deer" bled much. And all of them were killed with my own cast bullets, which I would describe as only moderately hard.

I think as a general rule, you just simply WON'T get dramatic bloodtrails with pistols. This simply means that the pistol hunter needs to be a good, steady shot who knows what he is doing and puts the bullet where it belongs.

There are lots of ways to follow wounded animals and if you hit them good to begin with (which you did) then you're never going to have to search very much territory to find them.

A fatally wounded deer isn't going to ghost thru the woods. There will be skid marks, broken branches, places where they crashed thru this and that. I've never lost one and if you keep shooting them like you are, I don't think you'll lose one either...even if they don't drop like the sky fell on them. Remember, really HARD cast lead bullets are almost like an AP on thin skinned game. I wouldn't shoot pure lead, but back off on the hardness enough to keep it just above leading your barrel.

Congrats on your kill.

I shot a spike last season at 45 yards that was quartering away. The deer was totally at ease and the deer fell dead on the spot. The Hornady 240gr XTP was recovered in the off side shoulder and mushroomed perfectly and retained 97% of its weight. No real blood on the ground, but no need for it.

I hit a doe this season with a second shot about 80 yards away after having missed the first shot a lot closer. I only shot again because I thought I hit it with the first shot. Upon following up the second shot after the first showed no sign, a reasonalble blood trail was the result. By 'reasonable', I mean dime to quarter sized drops every few feet. From the angle of the shot, I hit the deer from behind looking down on the deer. I figure the bullet, also a 240 XTP, hit high penetrating on a downward angle, but did not exit. This deer was lost when it crossed on to private property and did not exit the other side, only 200 yards further down. This deer would have been recoverable even without the blood trail.

This is the extent of my experience with deer and handguns. Both deer were hit hard and died relatively quickly. Hit them in the right spot and they will go down. Practice as much as you need to and stay within your limits. Same advice goes weather you're shooting a rifle, pistol or bow.


How this all relates to the rest of you is for you to decide, just thought I'd add my observations to the post.

Congrats on your harvest, my spike was my first year with a .44 and also my first buck. I never want to carry a long gun in the woods again!

Bill

Taraus,
I hear you. XTPs are very good bullets, but I like an exit wound, because they usually bleed better than entrance wounds, but as you show-XTPs often don't exit. I am interested in hearing of the small hole exit wounds metioned above with cast bullets, that's just not what I've seen. Using a 300 grain WFNGC at 1400 fps, out to about 75 yards the exit wounds on deer and pigs has been between an inch to nearly golf-ball sized depending upon bone fragments in the path, it is usually easy to find the point of impact from the blood and sometimes hair found there. Honestly though, I've hit 4 deer and 3 or 4 more pigs with this combination and they never went far enough to have to track. Maybe I've been lucky, but I won't go back to jacket bullets for my revolver hunting.
Funny thing is that I didn't go to the 300 grain WFN because of penetration or terminal impact, I went to that bullet because it groups into 4 inches off the bench with my 2x scope, I couldn't get any jacket or Keith type to beat 6 inches, and most were even larger. The penetration and terminal impact were collateral gains.

regards,
Graycg

Not related to blood trails but I thought I would share a photo of a buck I killed on Saturday in Virginia with a 45 Colt. He didn't bleed but I dropped him on the spot.

Graycg, I am with you on this. I only used a 240 XTP once on deer and though I got the heart and the deer only went 30 yds., it did not exit. Expansion was perfect but I kept thinking what would happen with a raking shot. LBT's actually leave a larger wound channel, do more internal damage and penetrate three times farther. I think you are pushing your bullet too fast as you only get 4" groups. Of course you didn't say at what distance or what caliber.
Here are my loads that give 1" groups or less at 50 yds. .44 mag, 320 LBT WLNGC, 21.5 gr. 296, Fed 150 primer. .45 Colt, 335 gr. LBT WLNGC, 21.5 gr. 296 and Fed 150 primer, ( you will know this one goes off in a Vaquero.) 45-70, 317 gr. LBT style (I made the mold), 31 gr. SR 4759, dacron filler, Fed. 210 primers.
In every instance and years of IHMSA shooting, magnum primers always tripled group size. I would not own a box of them. I won the Ohio state shoot with my Super Blackhawk years ago with 79 out of 80 in international class.
For the most accurate loads I use Hornady titanium nitride dies and only neck size to just below where the base of the bullet reaches. I have to full length the 45-70 cases because I need proper neck tension and do not have a neck die. If you are using RCBS dies your accuracy will suffer.
If you E-mail me I will send you some info on loading straight wall pistol cases. I did extensive testing and my Blackhawk has over 55,000 rounds through it and I can still hit a pop can at 100 yds.
Here is a tip to prevent wear. Use STP oil treatment on the cylinder pin, ratchet and gate spring. Other then a little forcing cone roughness, I have NO wear on the Blackhawk.