The last few years I have began noting which side the animal fell on.

In the small sample group, the animals that dropped at the shot have invaribly fell on the shot side unless there was some geography/obstacle (tree, on a hill, etc) that influenced the fall.

The game that ran a bit seemed to be more even and dictated by terrin or the motion when dropping.

Wondering if anyone else noticed that same?

MetalMan,

I have noticed it too. I was on a safari recently and this is when I noticed it and started looking back. This deer season I will try to take note of it if I have the bang-flops. BTW I did spine an eland that fell on the off side, the groung was flat but I not convinced that it wasn't his footing.

JPK

I see both, but the majority of mine fall on the exit wound side.

I've seen animals fall straight down, on the shot side, on the exit-hole side -- you name it.

I have found that if you break the shoulder going in that the animal will often fall on the side that took the bullet, simply because there is no longer functioning skeletal support on that side, likewise on the exit side if the bullet breaks the shoulder on its way out. Lung-shot animals will often fall on the exit hole side, but not always. Animals that get shot through both shoulders often drop straight down, or else fall in the direction of the slope of the ground they're standing on. Slope has a lot to do with the side an animal falls on.

Just a few observations.........

AD

I've seen both, and I'm including bow shots. When the animal drops at the shot, it's a 50/50, they fall down and roll to one side or the other....but these are usually some medium to long shots--150-300 yards. If closer, they seem to fall on the exit side as if knocked down.

Regarding bow shots, obviously it's all chance on terrain where they ran.

One particular incident: while doing a farmer tag cull in north MO a few years back, Brian and I were stalking up and down small ravines in some hardwoods. We killed about 3 Does each. All shots were close, 40-60 yards. I recall each deer fell in the direction of exit hole.

I think, looking back, that Allen Day has the answer regarding broken shoulders and diection of fall.

JPK

If you are talking about a Dead-on-their-feet-Shot, I'd say it really depends on the position of their legs in relation to their "Center of Mass" at the moment of Impact.

My bang flop deer hits have always been CNS shots and the deer usually falls onto its belly with the feet underneath.

This question still fuels the Kennedy conspiracy theorists.

I find it strange that you are having the animals fall towards you on CNS shots.

I have dropped many animals and they fallen away almost every time if the terrain was reasonably flat. Most of the time I would imediately see their belly(on the animals that had white or light belly hair).

I believe the reasoning for them falling away is due to the Bullet Energy. Although doesn't impart enough energy to hit them like a Mack Truck, it does have enough energy to influence the direction of their fall in many circumstances.

Think of it this way: Say we take a sheet of steel that weighs 100 lbs or so and it is balanced vertically on a level plane (supported). Then say a bullet of 180 or so grains traveling at 3000 +- fps is launched to impact this plate perpindicularly at the top of the plate. A fraction of a second before impact the supports are removed. The plate will always fall in direction it is pushed which, I feel is why almost every game animal I've gotten a "Bang-Flop" w/ has fell on the exit side.

I think some folks have different definitions for "Bang-Flops" some deer fall at impact but, not imediately or they fall very close to impact. I consider a "Bang-Flop" a CNS hit where they fall in their tracks. If not a CNS direct hit, one close enough to tramatise the CNS and temporarily paralize the animal enough to make it fall.

Reloader

I think Allen Day has the correct answer in regards to skeletal support. This was my line of thinking too. I always aim for the shoulder area and try to break bone. I learned early on hunting in Louisiana that a ruined shoulder was better than tracking in ankle deep water.

This is only a handful of animals shot on reltively flat ground in the reltive open. In thinking back, the shots were on esesntially perfectly broadside.

So, I guess I should have layed out the question more clearly. Assume flat ground, no additional terrain conditions, animal broadside, animal relatively calm, and the animal drops instantly at the shot. I would assume most of my shots the bullet did not hit the spine (maybe secondary fragments did).

I have only thoght to notice this for a few years. In thinking back, the animals that met this criteria have flopped over on the shot side. Admittedly, a very small sample group, hense the question.

Obviously on uneven terrain or when they ran, I have had all sorts of strange positions, including belly up with antlers dug into the ground so deep that were hard to pull out.

For me, the majority of the animals have fallen on the exit side, probably 95%.

The ones that dont run seem to fall to the exit side some fall strait down depending on if they are hit in the spine. Most of my muzzle-loader shots run a short distance I dont recall any bang flops with black powder due to the fact that I always try for a double lung shot.