I filled my rifle season buck tag on Saturday (139lb 7 point) and thought I would share what I found for bullet performance when dressing the deer. This was my first big game animal BTW so I am wondering if this is typical, good, bad, or indifferent.

I was using the factory loaded Remington .30-06 180gr RN Core-lokt. I shot the deer at 40-50 yards perfectly broadside, about 8 inches behind the shoulder and about half way top to bottom on the chest cavity. On entry the bullet hit a rib at which time it appears that the bullet broke in two. One piece went straight through and exitted in a similar position to where it entered, but on the opposite side of course. The other piece turned down and slightly rearward before exitting. Each exit hole was similar in size to the entry hole. There was very little blood shot meat on either entry or exit. As the bullet passed through it turned the lungs to mush, completely destroying at least the rear lobes. The bullet may have nicked the liver, but the lung damage was the main cause of fatality. When hit, the deer WALKED away and went about 20 yards before falling over and quickly expiring. There was a good blood trail (not that it was needed). Neither bullet fragment was recovered.

What do you think?

Bob

Well, the 180 grain round nose in question has an awfully good reputation. I would be quite surprised if it broke apart on a deer's rib. In any event, it sounds like a quick clean kill. Could it be possible that one of the exit holes was caused by part of the broken rib being driven clear through the deer? Just a thought.

R F

Bob,

I'm surprised that particular bullet came apart on a deer--even at such close range. But it caused plenty of hydrostatic shock and killed quickly AND exited. The latter is probably more important to me than it is to some. Sounds like bullet performance was good enough. I've read that most 30 caliber 180 grainers are too tough for deer--guess that all depends.....congrats on your winter venison supply! Let's see what everyone else thinks about the bullet performance.

Good Hunting,

I think you have just witnessed the most typical form of turning a deer into venison. This is very NORMAL performance for the situation you described.
You stated that the deer WALKED 20 yds. Well yeah it would walk/run/sneak/scoot that far or much more as no real structure was damaged. If you placed the shot on the shoulder blade then yes you may have dropped him right there. There is nothing wrong with what happened or what you did.
The thought that the bullet broke in 2 as evidence of 2 exit wounds is in my opinion not likely. Being that the corelokt is a good tough bullet, 1 of my favorites, it is not prone to fragment. The answer maybe that it was, from your description, a secondary projectile from the broken rib at the entrance. i.e. when the bullet struck the rib on entry it clipped a piece out of the rib and sent it on through the chest cavity. As the bone fragment (secondary projectile) cut its path so does the bullet (primary projectile) and if they both maintain enough momentum (kinetic energy, hogheads of klobber, foot pounds, pounds feet, K.O. factor, etc....) then they will both cause an exit wound. The bullet will normally penetrate fairly straight where as the secondary projectile, being of odd and irregular shape, can and will veer off the path to a certain extent.
All of this huffing and puffing leads to the fact that everything worked as it should have and you had very typical, expected performance.
More important than all this crap I just spread, CONGRADULATIONS on your 1st deer, you should be proud.

ED

Here are the posts I recently made about my deer and moose hunts this year, using my Rem. 721 300 H&H. I was using Remington factory ammo, with the same 180 gr. Core Lokt bullet you were using. Probably not a whole lot of difference in velocity.

I don't think your bullet split. I'm inclined to believe the second exit wound was from bone fragments.

BTW, there was one exit wound on my deer, in front of the off shoulder, almost in the neck. The exit was about the same size as the entrance wound. It certainly wasn't blown out, but the lungs were total and complete mush. We didn't even find the heart, so it was mixed into the mush, as well.

http://www.nookhill.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=004530#000000

http://www.nookhill.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=004303#000001

I'm thinking bone shards also. Good go on your first deer with a rifle.