In all the time I've hunted deer, as I recall, I've only dropped 3 deer "in their tracks". The
first was a neck shot(about 6 inches below the base of the skull) at ~125 yards. I was
using a Winchester 165 gr. Siver Tip. The next two were broadside heart/lung shots at ~100 yards using a 257 Wby with 100 gr. Wby soft points. Can this be done consistently??? If so, please
elaborate on how you do it. Information like: caliber, bullet type/weight, velocity, shot
placement, etc. would be very helpful. Thanks.

It can be done fairly consistantly, but it is certainly a trade off...

Most instant kills on deer come from lightly constructed bullets that literally explode inside the deer and the causes instant kills...but these light bullets at extremely high velocity can fail and you must take only broadside text book shots, keep shots in the behind the shoulder area. They also cause excessive bruising and lots of bloodshot area and plain nasty to butcher....and in many cases if they do run, you get no blood trail....

The alternative and my choice is to use a tougher bullet like the 180 gr. Nosler in a 30-06 or .308 and knock a big enough hole in them, let them run a few yards and die...If I have to take an angle shot or even a going away shot then I will get my bullet into the vitals under any circumstances..In other words it is a bit slower but much more positive and I get a good blood trail. I don't get all that bloodshot meat.....

As to the instand kill, keep in mind that animals go into lactic shock on receiving the bullet and feel little if any pain, or so I am told by experts, and from the reaction of many animals I believe this is probably true...

I have killed many deer along with a few elk and moose that dropped in their tracks.The combination that seems to work best for this is a fast expanding bullet driven at high velocity.I have shot about a dozen deer with 100gr ballistic tips in my 257wby mag and more than a dozen with the 140gr ballistic tips in my 7mmstw.None made it 50 yards after being hit with a very high percentage dropping in their tracks.I have also taken two moose and two elk with the 180gr ballistic tip out of my 300ultramag.One bull moose took a few steps but the other three dropped in their tracks.All shots were lung shots.I have had no bullet failures with ballistic tips and no tracking has been necessary.

It can be done on broadside shots. Aim to place your bullet in the center of the shoulder or a little higher towards the spine. Its called the high shoulder shot. Any good deer bullet 120grs on up should work. If you hit a little high, you take out the spine or nerves near the spine. A little low and you take out the main ateries close to the heart. The deer will go down literally in his tracks. Works for me! MtnHtr

I personnaly love neck shots, because the animals usually drop in their tracks, and I waste no meat. This does require you to know your gun and your limitations, and if I have a doubt, I will go for the heart - lung area. But I take neck shots whenever I feel comforable.

I like to play it safe, and have lots of flexibility in where I place the shot. So I shoot premium bullets, the Nosler Partition, the Federal Throphy Bonded, or the Barnes X, not some fast opening, explosive special.
My favorite, anchor them shot, is through the near shoulder and through the lungs. If I can line up both shoulders, I do that. If I can't do the near shoulder blade, I do the off one.
I am cautious about neck shots. Or spine shots. It's easy to get too high and knock them down, but some will recover and be gone quick. If they do, you will have little blood. Head shots are even worse.
In other words, I want leeway, as well as performance. I've done kills by hitting the liver, or the hip/femur joint. If that's all that is in the open, clear of cover, I much prefer to take that than chance a through cover shot, and have the bullet deflect off course, or partially open, and loose power before hitting.
One more thing. If he is still on his feet, I keep shooting. Others may not agree with this, but I've killed lots of critters and have yet to loose one.

I'm pretty much of the thinking as Erimicus. I don't like the all or nothing shot at the head or neck and seldom try it regardless how well presented it may be.

That said, IMHO the only way to pretty much guarantee an "in their tracks" dropping shot is to chop the nervous system, i.e. head or neck or spine. Anything else and you may have an animal that covers some ground. And I've seen some spectacular examples of this.

However, as I've said before, there seems to be a considerable difference in the effect of a bullet on an animal that is frightened, i.e. full of adrenaline, and an animal wandering along without a clue that he is about to become a target. Animals that are souped up on adrenaline can be tough to stop. They may be the "running dead" but they can sure run...and bite and claw!

For my money, I go for the boiler room shot or I forget it. I don't believe in blasting up thru the rear and hope somewhere down the road the bullet will find something vital. I've passed up some good animals because of this standard...but I'd rather do that than have to trail one and risk losing it to a slow, wasted death.

The "kill" is not my primary objective in hunting. For me, hunting is the whole sport and HOW I perform the whole package is more important than just bringing home something dead. It doesn't ruin my hunt at all to come home empty handed so long as I've played the game well.

I don't try to sound "self-righteous" here and I do not judge anyone. Just my style of hunting.

Good luck to all.

I dropped a doe in her tracks using 150 Nosler BTs. From a 3006 at 20 yards. The bullet left an exit wound a good 1.5 inches or more in diamter. I believe the bullet went through both lungs.

I have never dropped any other deer this way, though, so my experience is limited with dropping deer in their tracks.

Buell

Even if a deer runs away and dies it still drops in its tracks.It cant realy not drop in its tracks even if it dies of old age. I assume oyu guys are refering to instant kills.

My approach is to shoot for the heart or the arteries above it. You get one or both lungs in the process, and sometimes a leg joint or bone as well. So far I've got three whitetails in a row that way, all one-shot kills. They ran zero, twenty, and two yards. I used, respectively, a 180-grain Nosler Partition at 2500 fps from a .308; a 160-grain Hornady RN at 2350 fps from a .260 Rem; and a Winchester factory 180-grain Silvertip (I'm guessing around 2600 fps) from a .30-06.

I like to drop them in their tracks, too, but having them fall within visual range or easy tracking distance is just fine with me.

[ 08-06-2002, 00:49: Message edited by: Slingster ]

I've dropped two deer instantly. Both were neck shots at about 175 yards, about an average length shot around here.

I use controlled expansion bullets rather that frangible ones, so no experience with the instant kill wiht a lung/heart shot.

A classical soft point (usually speer) just behind the shoulder has worked wonderfully for me. I dont think deer are that hard to drop really. Ive used 100 grn .243 sp, 145 grn sp from a 7mm rem mag and 150 grn sp bullets in 30 caliber. The 7 mag has never once failed to drop them with a single shot. I once had one run about 20 yds after being shot in the boiler with the 243. Its true that hitting them there bruises up the ribs pretty much but I dont much like deer ribs anyway, love them steaks though. If faced with a frontal or rear shot Ill then shoot it in the neck but only if Im close enough to be sure of placement. I like broadside the best by far.

Perhaps what we need to define here is the "acceptable kill." I agree deer are USUALLY not hard to kill...or drop. But I don't expect everything to lay down and play dead just because I pulled a trigger. I would basically define anything that falls over dead within 25 yds of where it was hit as an "instant kill." The fact that a fast animal moved 25 yds after bullet impact doesn't take away much if you ask me. Expecting all our shots to kill like lightening bolts is a bit much when you think about it. We are sending a "bee size" projectile to instantly destroy a 200-300 lb animal! Yep, I'd say 25 yds is great results.

I personally don't get to many "in their tracks" kills. That takes a brain or spine shot to reliably and repeatably do, and I prefer to take the heart/lung area out most of the time. If the animal has suspected something is up, a heart shot usually results in a mad 50/100 yard dash followed by sudden collapse, at least for me. If the animal is totally calm, just a few yards maybe, with the heart shot. Brain shot/spine shot animals usually drop like a sack of potatoes. I've missed the heart shot and hit the spine on "bouncing" whitetail, they drop like a brick, which is how you know you got them, no more "bounce". Now, when they go low and turn on the speed, I just watch and enjoy the show.

Atkinson's description of light bullets and trade-offs is right on. I use'em, I love'em, I see animals routinely drop within seconds of impact with the boiler room. BUT there are limiting factors that play into the hand of marksmanship, good situations, and text book shot placement. If all three of these things are in place when the trigger's squeezed, the game is over.

BUT THIS IS AN ALL-OR-NOTHING SITUATION... with a very small margin of error!

I personally believe on deer this can be a consistant and instantly lethal combination. It is what I've used with great success over the years on many, many animals. But, like Pecos, I routinely find situations that require precise self-restraint and timing, or ones that I pass up all together. And for me, that's part of hunting and worth the trade.

I killed deer with the 222, 223 and 22-250, in Mexico in my youth and probably got more instant kills with them than anything else usiing lung shots...

I have culled Springbuck and Blesbok with the 22-250 and 6x45 and got instant kills...I did have a few rather sloppy kills that fortunately did not get away, but that was out of hundreds of animals shot...That happens once in a great while with the hi vel 22's...no doubt about it, but it is normally easy to follow up...Come to think of it it happens with all calibers from time to time.

Strangely enough I have had a lot of instant kills with the 25-35 Win. which I hunt Mule deer with quite a lot, but that is probably because they are normally under a 100 yds away...

I have no problem with taking a neck shot and have never flubed one in as many years as I have been hunting..knock on wood!

For instant lights out kills (when you are not hitting the neck or head) to me there is only one way to go. That is SPEED (IMHO)

I've used a 6/06 with 55's at 4400-70's at 4000 and 95's at 3500. This is a combo that'll take them out of the game fast and now!

Also, like Ray said the big 22's will do the job toot sweet and fast as well-from my experience not as well as the 6/06 though.

J.O.C's favorite the 06 Improved (ok ok so that is what I call the 270) with 130 Sierra Bt's or the 130 Noz Bt's will put the lights out fast as well. AS well the 25 Neider.

So speed is the way for fast lights out kills-at least that is my opinion.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

There is only one guarenteed way to consistantly get deer to drop in their tracks.

Get a blood trailing dog - spend $800 on a puppy, laboriously train it, replace your kitchen after it has chewed it, spend a season not shooting deer as you train it in the field and the moment the dog is fully trained your deer will all drop to the shot as if you electrocuted them.

The only time deer will run is when you don't take the dog.

This is called Sods Law, the principle is the same as the only reason it rains is because some SOB didn't bring their waterproofs.

Seriously though velocity, ballistic tips and high heart shots tend to help. I shot a 55lb deer this morning with 100gr BT at 2,900fps and as expected it made 5 yards.

LOTS of cartridges can provide instant, dramatic, in-the-tracks kills on deer. Heck, I'll guarantee you that ALL legal (and some that are illegal!) calibers can - and have - over the years. Deer simply aren't all that hard to kill or to drop in their tracks. My great grandfather packed the same Winchester '92 rifle in .44-40 for fifty years, and killed untold numbers of deer with it. From all reports most of them went right down without fuss, and he swore by it for all purposes, including self-defense!

Here's my formula for dropping deer in their tracks reliably, and I don't care what caliber I'm using: Hit them through at least one shoulder or through the spine and the show is over. If you break a deer's framework down, you break him down, pure and simple.

Caliber considerations (especially for deer) are vastly overrated. Bullet placement and bullet construction are just about everything.

AD

Well the fastest kills I've had in a while on deer (broadside through both shoulders) have been with my 338 Win and 175gr Barnes X's and on elk (head on through the chest) with a 225 gr Nosler partition. Both times the animal was instantly switched off. Made kind of a mess of the deer though,

When I was a lad, my first "bolt" gun was a .243, and I "spined" a couple of deer with it as well as neck shot a mulie, they all died pretty fast.

My gunsmith has a .17 Mach IV that he uses on coues deer, I've seen a couple of his kills, all one shot "electrocutions".

I prefer my 257 ackley roberts and 115gr BT's myself for deer.

Winchester used to make a hollow point 130 grain bullet for the .270 that gave instant drops for me on two deer. I had the same results with the 130 sierra pushed fast from the 270. The most one shot drops were made with my 6MM Remington and either the 85 sierra HPBT or the 87 grain hornady flat base soft point pushed to around 3300 fps. These were all behind the shoulder hits generally at the midpoint of the body or slightly lower. Nothing gives instant drops every time.

killed 2 bucks last year with bow one was a heart shot the other got the lungs heart shot ran about 100yds the lung shot ran about 20yd, shot three does with a rifle 2 with .308 one was shot straight up the shit chute with a .150 gr ballistic silvertip instant kill, one was shot a 125yds same bullet throug both shoulders ran 60yds after dropping tail then fell over, next was with .243 85 gr hollowpoint in the neck goodnight irene pen sized hole going in fist sized hole going out, next was a doe shot with 000 buckshot as i was walking across a cutover she went down at the shot and jumped back up had to shoot here twice more going away, i don't care what you use its just a matter of luck as whether they go right down or run 40yds unless the spinal cord is busted, although i still love the speed deal, i guess when i get rays age i will go to a civil war relic with open sights, just joshing buddy

I completely disagree with the posters who state that shooting one shoulder 'anchors' deer. I have lost count of the number of deer that have made 25yds or more with one broken shoulder.

Leaving aside high hunter density, heavy cover and small deer and proximity to undesirables such as ravines, rivers or boundaries (and surely these things are rare exceptions)why is it necessary to 'drop em in their tracks?' Does it really matter if they go 50yards?

I've only had two deer drop in their tracks. All of my shots are lung/heart shots. Of the 4 wild boars I have shot, 3 dropped in their tracks and I shot them with the same .308 Win load that I used on the deer and they were also lung/heart shots.

The last day of the 2001 Oregon blacktail season I dumped a decent 4x4 plus eye guards at a dead run at about 125 yards. I had my 30-06 that was set up as a back up elk gun with 180 Hornady interlocks at around 2700. Well the buck pilled up at the shot. When I got across the draw to him he was stone cold dead, he died mid stride. The hit was a little low entering the right lung, center punched the heart and out the brisket.
I dumped a forky at about 100 yards with a 30-30 through the right shoulder the lungs and into the off side shoulder. That buck flipped at the shot. A 30-30 aint no 257 Weatherby. I don't believe the hype. Any resonable bullet in the right place and you have your buck.
Head shots piss me off. I've had to finish off to many deer and elk with there lower jaws blown off. And what about the poor animal with its jaw blown off having to starve to death because "I head shoot and if it doesn't drop then I must have missed." Bravo Sierra!!! Take the high percentage shots.

I have dropped more deer on the spot with my 50 cal muzzleloader using a round ball than anthing else. I also dropped several with a 45-70 using 405 gr sp. Most of the deer did not know I was there at all.

Rogue - I'm with you about head shots. They suck. And, like you, I've had to finish off a few deer with their jaw or half their face shot away by some clown and his great head shot. It's a sickening sight. But any botched shot is a sad story.

And you're right about the old 30/30 being good at anchoring it's victims. Most things hit right by a 30/30 go down hard. I think it's got a lot to do with that lightly constructed, blunt nosed bullet. It's a VERY dependable bullet that just dang near always opens up good, right inside an animals vitals.

I used to load the 150 gr 30/30 bullet in my 30/06 for a varmit bullet. Talk about explosive!
At /06 velocity this 150 gr slug becomes a bomb. It makes an UGLY round of ammo, but it sure wrecks a critter.

I've actually had most of the deer I've shot go down in their tracks. This has been with mostly double lung shots. Throw in lots of spine, heart, head, and neck shots. This has been done with .223, .22-250, .243, 7 MM Rem, etc. Most of them with the .243 or 7 MM Rem. The ones that have run have almost always been shot with premium bullets, Barnex X, etc. or with highly frangible bullets. For deer I have had the most frequent on the spot kills with either Hornadys or Core-Lokts.

1894, thanks for that link! That was very interesting(and thorough).

I really don't understand why people seem so obsessed with dropping deer in their tracks. While I have seen and done it many times with head, neck, and high lung shots (with frangible bullets), dropping instantly is not that important. If you shoot them well, you can expect a short run, but unless your blind, you shouldn't lose game if it's well-shot.

I can tell you that in all the animals my clients and I have shot, the percentage of animals I've seen drop in their tracks is very low. The percentage that were lost after being hit with a good shot is about 0, and we find the majority that are hit with poor shot placement and a tough bullet. We start to see a problem with recovering wounded animals when they are shot too far back or with a tough angle using a frangible bullet. I would rather use a tough bullet, like the Trophy Bonded, that will get to the vitals from any angle, than a soft bullet that only works on CNS hits and broadside shots. In the real world, the animals don't always offer a nice broadside presentation.

Greg, how important it is - apart from the debatable personal satisfaction of switching off the lights at once - are hunting conditions. In my case it means a lot of trouble not finding the animal on the spot. I often hunt Roe, stalking or from a stand, and these very cautious critters feed mostly at night, leaving cover very late. When shooting within the last 1/2 H of fading light, you don't want a wounded deer jump back into the woods, where it's already dark. Tracking under those conditions is next to impossible unless you have a trained bloodhound on the leash and postponing the search to the next morning, not counting the trouble of having to come back, exposes the carcass to foxes and/or bloating. Being very careful in picking my shots, I've been lucky to retrieve all my game within 10 m so far, if they didn't drop in their tracks. Doing so requires : the discipline to pass up a questionable shot, a good shooter knowing his quarry's anatomy and an accurate rifle. I take only 2 kinds of shots : aorta (see my above posted sketch) as 1st. choice or aim through at the opposite shoulder (with some venison damage)if the animal is not presenting itself ideally. This being said, I'll agree that shooting in broad daylight, with ample tracking time AND skill available, is less demanding and that, under these conditions, a heart/lung hit should bring home the bacon...

Nebraska: Lots of good advice here posted ny folks with lots of experience. I've killed my share of deer in my life, probably close to 75-80 I'm guessing with calibers ranging from a 250 Savage to a 300 Weatherby. If I had to pick the one caliber that demonstrated the most dramatic kills, it would have to be the 257 Weatherby with 100gr factory bullets which are Hornadys. I always aim for the shoulder, I am not a believer in neck shots at all. Every deer I've shot with the 257 ( again I'm guessing over 20) drops like somebody just pulled the plug on them. I think this is due to the high velocity of the cartridge, coupled with the frangibility of the Hornady bullet. I guess I need to try it with say, a Swift or a Barnes X and see if I get the same effect. My guess is the 100gr Hornady practically detonates inside the animal although I do get exit shots with a LOT of ruined meat around the shoulder area. Hope this helps. Jorge

My most memorable drop in thier tracks shot was my first buck a large bodied 3x4. It was an offhand shot at about 50 yards with dad's pre 64 winchester 30-30. The buck was at a good lope traveling from my right to left I first dropped to a kneeling position but could not see the deer for the high grass so I stood back up and fired. I had a bad case of the fever and hit him in the spinal column just behind the last rib. I ran up and finished him with a sheath knife. I guess he wasn't dead in his tracks but he wasn't going anywhere.

Andre....I neglected to thank you for that diagram earlier. Very good info! Thanks to those who have participated thus far.

I have dropped three large animals instantly in my short time hunting. Two were doe deer with arrows. Both were spine shot, one was just below me when I was in a tree stand, the other ducked the arrow and it ended up nailing it in the spine. Needless to say the deer both dropped and I finished them with a second arrow from my starting position.

Last year I dropped a good sized kudu cow with one shot. By looking at Andre's chart this must have been where I hit her. It dropped like a stone and never moved. I was using NP 180 grain bullets in my .30-06. I have had MANY other heart shots on African game and a bear (I am a heart breaker!), where the organ was litterally exploded yet these animals ran a good 90 yards before expiring.