I would like to hear some opinions on whether or not you like to see an exit hole on game, or would rather the bullet stay within the animal, and why?
Thanks

too broad a question...but the short answer is an exit hole.

diferent bullets kill in diferent ways designed for diferent shots e.g solids and lung shots dont mix well but the explosive nosler partitions are a lung shots dream that mostly leave an exit hole which lead to better tracking for a blood trail they are a two stage bullet if you will.

some bullets kill with speed, trauma, and damage to vitals barnes x for example

a do it all bullet expands well and penetrates well on large game but small animals need explosive expansion and not so much on penetration but for large game for deep penetration you will want controled expansion to do snout to pooter penetration.


an exit hole is always desirable

please post your cartridge
game
impact distance
type of shot (shots)
and you will get plenty of help here

Two holes allow for faster blood loss. I like a bullet that will always exit on broadside shots, always. Then I know it will make the vitals from any reasonable angle as well. Obviously some expansion is desirable, especially w/ smaller bullets, but if I had to choose between a "softer" bullet or one a bit "hard", then I want the harder bullet for sure penetration.

...its been discussed before:

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tp...11043/m/95810853/p/1

I really dont know about the rest of you ..who can say what you want ..

As for me bang dead ..no tracking no blood trails there just dead werethere hit .. how many of mine have moved .. well all have moved anywere from 1 foot ..( falling over dead )
to over 150 yards down the side of a cliff

But thay all die ... when hit... save two brown bears ..and i wont go into that here..

And i would have to say that 80% of the bullets never made it out

Martin

EXIT

I like an exit hole....................two holes leaking blood is better than one, and the exit is more likely to leak more than the entry if you use a good expanding bullet, and if it can get all the way through there is more chance it damages more organs, bones and muscle.

Exit for me.

SAFARI , -- Sorry , I posted on a Thread just above , on the same subject ,
( before I read yours ) .

The one above is an old - old post , recently revived -- ?? ( " DO YOU PREFER AN EXIT WOUND ? " ) ( or similar ) .

You might find some good gen. info in it though .

-------------- MMCOUGAR .

when using a arrow i shoot thru the ribs behind the shoulder, but when using my 300win mag I shoot thru the shoulder with an accubond. If the bullets make it to under the hide on the opposite side i'm happy. Bang-Flop. I would rather have the animal than the blood trail. I don't get that much meat loss and don't have to track. just my 2 cents

This is a constant debate, sort of like the debate over using standard calibers vs. magnums. I tend to favor big guns and bullets that go all the way through because that is what has worked for me. It has been a long time since I have had to do any tracking but if the situation occurs two holes tend to leave a better blood trail.

Either one is fine with me. Put the bullet in the shoulder and there's no worry about tracking IME anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by Doc:
Either one is fine with me. Put the bullet in the shoulder and there's no worry about tracking IME anyway.

I think he's trying not to waste meat....

I vote for 2 holes, blood is very important in helping recover game. The bang-flop idea will work most of the time. where I hunt if a deer goes 50-60 yds. without blood you could have a long time in the recovery effort. Give me two holes and I will go right to him. bill439

I agree Bill. Here's a good example that just happened yesterday. My 14 year old son shot his first deer, a doe, at about 50 yards with a .50 caliber muzzleloader. The deer was quartering at him and his shot broke the onside shoulder on it's way into the chest cavity. Once there it demolished the heart but didn't exit. The doe ran at the shot and didn't lose any blood externally for a good 30 yards. She was dead another 30-40 yards beyond where we found blood. It was a good lesson for him in following up a shot even with no immeadiate sign but it was a situation that a hunter could easily have looked where the deer had been standing and assumed a miss. An exit wound would have saved him several minutes of concern. Given my choice I'll always take two holes.

Jeff

quote:

Originally posted by sierrabravo45:

I think he's trying not to waste meat....

What gives you that idea? I must have misunderstood the post. I didn't read any concern about meat.

I've killed a lot of animals, and I've had a lot of exit holes with arrows and bullets. I've had plenty of circumstances where there was lots of blood to very little with exit holes. It's a crap shoot.

I put an expandable broadhead through a deer yesterday at 4-5 yards. The deer only made it about 18 yards and was done. There was copious amounts of blood at the impact and for another 6 yards. From then on it was just a couple of drops. Still an easy track job, but for the arrow to exit as low as it did and right at the base of the offside lung, and the broadhead expands to 2 inches, I expected more.

By the way, I don't think any substantial amount of meat is lost or wasted if the bullet is put in the high front shoulder. JMO.

quote:

exit hole or remain in the animal?

I used to shoot bullets designed to blow up in the animal......assuming it would dump 100% of the cartridges energy in the animal...hense...bang-flop

trouble was that the animal didn't always see it that way and occasionally managed to run 50 yards or so.....and if it's dense cover I decided a good blood trail helped...and it does..

Today I still get bang-flops but I use heavier bullets and in some cases premiums for exit holes.

Put me in the side of exit holes wanted!!!

Exits... don't go hunting without them.

I like exit holes as then I have used enough gun. A 338 Win on whitetail equals two holes and bang-flop. A 308 and Barnes-X equals two holes and a 30-50 yard run by the deer. I like too much gun and no tracking!

I want the bullet to exit, and therefore I usually load a controlled expansion bullet that is capable of full penetration from almost any sane angle.

Blood gets spilled and would be easier to track the game if it does get out of sight. Also I feel the bullet that whistles through game does indeed deliver more energy, despite the fact it has not 'dumped' every foot pound into the deer...

I have always liked a non-priemum bullet in my 270win. Usually a 130gr Sierra BTS for Muley hunting. I just read an article that compares bullets, calibers, etc. on Whitetail deer, take a minute and read it. It's very eye opening.

http://www.scilowcountry.org/cedar_knoll_deer_study.htm

I'm in the two hole camp. Better blood trail, hands down. I've shot more elk than any other big game, and they always run unless it's a CNS shot, or both front shoulders. This year I tried the Barnes TSX bullets. I watched a band of elk come out of a nasty draw filled with blown down aspen trees. Not the kind of place I could get a horse into, nor did I want to pack out quarters on MY back. When one stopped in a little opening just above the draw, I shot her through both shoulders, at 291 lasered yards, and dropped her in her tracks - and had a complete pass through. To top it off, not too much meat was wasted. I like this kind of performance. A bullet that will give me complete penetration is usually stout enough to break bone and still reach vitals. The bullet was a 168 gr. at a chrono'ed 2900 fps from a .300 WSM.

I like an exit hole. And that makes 13 for an exite hole, 2 not caring for one, 5 just talking and didn't vote, 1 said eather or. So far.

I got a .243 a couple years ago for my daughter and son to use for deer and pronghorn. I used it myself a bit because it is such a good shooter. I have been involved in the demise of three pronghorn does and 5 deer. All died within about 50 yards or less of where they were shot. But I don't think any had exit holes and all had very poor or NO blood trail to follow. One nice buck was not found untill the coyotes and ravens showed the way. There were some odd circumstances with not finding this buck but a blood trail would have made the difference.

I know there are a lot of people that love the .243 as a deer rifle. I am not one of them. I guess I have been spoiled by using more powerful cartridges that make a hole right through and leave a good blood trail in most cases.

Robin.

I did vote, just with the article. It shows my preferences, sorry.

http://www.scilowcountry.org/cedar_knoll_deer_study.htm

I'm for the exit hole. If given the choice, I'll take the head/high neck shot anyday. No tracking required.

AI22-250, that was a very interesting read.
Thanks for posting.

I'm particularly fond of an entrance hole, that way I know I didn't miss...

Probably already said before, but there is no one right answer here. It probably depends on your application and situation. If you are from the 'foot pounds of energy club' you really want a bullet that stays in the animal, or pops out the other side and immediately falls to the ground spending all the energy IN the animal, if you'r a head or neck shooter it doesn't matter, if you want them to bleed to death better to catch them half turned around so you can get at least three and preferably four holes. JAM-STIC-HO...........Muffin

Other than that I like Brads comment.

AI22-250, that was a very interesting article. Again, most of my experience has been with elk. I have taken over 40 myself, and was in on the taking of probably a couple hundred more over the course of 20+ years as a guide here in CO. I don't know the size of the southern whitetails described in the article, but my guess is they are far smaller than elk. I would guess that they are probably closer to the size of the coyotes I hunt in the winter. (no insult intended) For those smaller animals I use the more rapidly expanding bullets because they are very effective. For elk I used to tell my clients that if they were shooting a magnum to avoid the "standard" bullets because at magnum velocities they blew apart too easily ruining a lot of meat, and sometimes failing to penetrate through enough elk to reach vitals. For standard calibers, '06 etc, I advise heavy bullets. On the other hand, I had a brother-in-law that shot them with a .243, but he was an excellent shot and knew which shots to take with that little caliber. In the end it always comes down to shot placement, but for heavy game I still prefer penetration.

cobrad -- I am with you when it comes to elk, by the way, I only put that article out for info. I too live in the west and have taken my share of elk. With that said, I have had some problems with Barnes, just passing straight thru. I usually place my shoot (on Muleys) just behind the shoulder, usually when that leg is foreward. I learned my lesson using the Barnes, If you don't break bones it doesn't stop anything in it's tracks. I went to Grand Slams and haven't had an elk go any where since. Thanks

Very interesting article.

Took two deer Saturday in Nebraska. The doe was good sized (didn't wiegh her) and the buck was over 200 lbs on the hoof.

Both shot through the heart, both died with in 30 yards. Surprisingly the doe was shot at 25 yards and ran the farthest with no lungs or heart. The Buck just dropped over after taking a step.

Both had exit wounds, but were from using a SST.

I like an exit hole, that means I had an entrance hole. Good shooting.

quote:

Originally posted by cobrad:
.... I don't know the size of the southern whitetails described in the article, ... I would guess that they are probably closer to the size of the coyotes ....

I want an exit hole, better blood trail, don't have to track, just follow the red line.