Well, it's been an interesting two months--moved, started a new job...and mama said, "there'll be days..."

Anyway, I managed to hunt both the Nebraska and Wisconsin seasons, and did pretty well (if life ever calms down, I'll try to learn how to post some pics).

One of the deer I shot this year gave me the classic "thwack" when the bullet struck. It was a 30-30 170 grainer at about 140 yards.

I missed the first three shots (that's right, 3--it was probably too dark to shoot with a peep sight), but the deer just stood there in the lane, and #4 was it's demise.

In the 30 or so deer I've shot, I don't ever recall hearing the thwack. Normally, I shoot a .270, and shots are less than 200 yards. Why wouldn't I hear a thwack with the 270? Too much muzzle blast too close in time to bullet impact?

That 30-30 (a Speer 170 @ about 2150) did a number on that doe, though--it dropped in its tracks and didn't live long.

Anyway, just rambling...hope you're all doing well.

friar

I always listen for and usually hear a hit from any rifle I'm shooting. The only times I haven't heard that Whuup! is when shooting cast bullets.

Alan

It depends on the terrain and the cover around. When I'm out West in wide open areas, I usually always hear the "thwack," but here at home in the dense timber, I never hear it.

Good Luck

Reloader

i hunt in such tight spaces that the bullet is usually still in the barrel when it strikes the deer.

I have really only heard the sound of impact when hunting in Africa and then mostly on longer shots. I mean a hundred yards or so. I've been curious myself why I only hear some of them. I'm beginning to believe it has something to do with muzzle blast and time lag till impact. Maybe your ears shut down partially when you hear the large muzzle blast and the recovery time is what makes the difference. It's a most interesting question that I would like to hear an answer to. Maybe there are some ear doctors on the forum who could answer the question.

Chances are, your ears haven't recovered from the blast of the 270 by the time the "kugelslag" comes back. The 30-30 is far easier on the ears. JMO, Dutch.

I'd say I'm at 50/50.

Depending on terrain, shot distance, etc., I sometimes here the bullet impact, sometimes not. As mentioned above, out west, with shots ~ 150 yards or more, I definitely hear the impact.

I shoot rifles from .17 caliber to 45 caliber. It has been my experience that hearing bullet impact is a function of velocity, distance and mass of the bullet. I can’t recall hearing the bullet impact on small caliber rounds. On say 7mm and up at ranges of 100 yds and over I almost always hear the bullet impact on game. In fact due to recoil, it is one of the best ways to immediately know whether I made a good shot. I recently had the opportunity to zero three different rifles at 300 yds. One a 270/140 gr combo, a 300 win mag/168 gr triple shock combo and a 338 rem ultra-mag/225 gr partition combo. At 300 yds the impact on paper could be heard. With my 45-70 and 400 grainers at 1800 fps I always hear the impact on both paper and game at 100 yds plus.
GWB

I shot a buck on Saturday with a .243 at about 45 yards and heard the thwack


Then in October I shot a Red Stag twice and heard the wop both times at about 130 yards with a mzlbreaked .338

I've shot at some animals where I was so close that you couldn't hear it though, like within 15 yards

I hear it a lot on p dogs not so much on big game. But then p dogs tend to me out there a ways.

They usually have to be a little ways away, the muzzle blast drowns it out. It is more noticeable to me when you step up to a 9.3x62 or .375 H&H, sounds like hitting a sack of feed with a scoop shovel.

I wear electronic ear protection and hear bullet strike about 50% of the time. Longer range is definately more likely.

The sound is different depending where you hit. Not infallible but a good indication which can be used with other information such as reaction to the bullet strike to indicate what has happened.

Thwack - chest

Hollow thud - generaly too far back - when accompanied by the deer hunching and walking off you just know you gut shot it.

Crack - can be an echo from the supersonic bullet but can also indicate that you hit bone only. If the deer limps off it's allmost certain you hit a leg.

It is definitely a velocity / distance thing, with bullet mass contributing also.

I would say with a HV round like a 270win, you have no chance of hearing the impact if the distance of the shot is much less than 130-140m. I believe that your ears have not recovered from the muzzle blast before the sound of the impact gets back to you. I have shot a few deer at 180-230 yards with the 270 and the sound of the bullet impact is very clear - my buddy will say "you slammed the door on that one". On a 250 yard shot, there is about a 1 second lag from the bullet leaving the barrel until the sound of the impact gets back to you.

I do a fair bit of night shooting of Foxes with a .222rem. I can almost always hear the impact of a 50gr bullet at distances over 100m.

quote:

Originally posted by KSTEPHENS:
i hunt in such tight spaces that the bullet is usually still in the barrel when it strikes the deer.

HA HA HA

Ken....

I'm actually surprised at how long it takes to hear the thud from my 308 at 300m on a target.

I've heard that sound when I've shot game with a rifle but this year I was totally surprised when I connected with my first arrow on an Elk. The bull was only 15 yards away and the woods were so quiet you could've heard a pin drop. The sound of that arrow hitting the Elk was loud and something I wasn't expecting.

I do think it is in the timing of the sound, and the type of impact, i.e., where in the body the animal takes the hit. After all the muzzle blast, the sonic boom and the impact are all competing for your attention when sound is for the most part deadened out by the nervous system anyway!

I hear the impact on jack rabbits with a 17 HMR. So it's not dependant on being large heavy bullet.

Location of hit, chest and guts impacts make a lot more noise than a neck shot. where the animal is at in relation to canyons, heavy timber, distance etc will affect how well you hear the impact.

Thanks for commenting, everyone--it's interesting to hear about the range of people's experiences.

One thing I forgot to mention is that I was shooting down an alley in a very dense red-pine plantation.

The alley was about 10-15 feet wide at the furthest point; the deer (there were two does) didn't seem bothered by the muzzle report (or by the lead flying over the back of the one).

Anyway, thanks again, and good hunting!

friar