Over the years I've noticed a significant difference in the actual amount of "Blood Shot Meat" found on Deer depending on the Bullet Weight and Impact Velocity.

Here muzzle velocity means nothing since a 140gr Bullet at 3150fps in a 7mmMag on a Deer at 300yds has the same Impact Velocity as using the same 140gr bullet at 2950fps in a 7mm-08 at 200yds.

It would be a real bonus if you can compare more than one caliber.

So, how about it? What gives you the least and the most Blood Shot Meat?

Hot Core:

Interesting post! I can't offer any comparisons since all my deer shooting has been with similar cartridges. I'm 58 and have shot deer with only 3 cartridges. 6mm Rem with 100 gr partitions,257 Roberts with 100 gr partitions, amd 243 with 85 and 95 gr partitions. Most of the deer have been shot with a 243, 85 gr part. at a chrono. 3150fps m.v. Almost all were shot between 50 and 75 yds. I get virtually no blood shot meat from a lung shot but there may be a tracking job. With shoulder shots I throw away the front half of the deer. I usually hunt from a tree and have the time to be patient and take the shot I want. If I can get a bullet into the base of the neck at an angle that lets the bullet stay away from the shoulders I still get blood shot meat but not too much. The shoulder and neck shots put the deer down within a couple of feet from where they stood when I shot. I've never tracked any of them. I have noticed a slight difference between the amount of blood shot meat between the 85 gr at 3150 and the 95 gr at 3025. I may be wrong but I've concluded that the 95 has a heavier jacket. Don't know for sure.
After years of this I'm fooling with a 7-08 for me and a 260 for Jane for this fall. I'll probably still take the same shots but I think it will be a whole new game. I've cut up a lot of deer and it does seem that larger, heavier bullets running a bit slower cut down the amount of meat damage. Still not sure what bullets I'm going to shoot in them. I'm getting fair acdcuracy from the 130 gr Speer flatbase in the 708. Haven't shot the 260 yet.
This should be an interesting thread.

knobmtn

The least - an arrow, but among rifles, black powder rifles shooting heavy conicals.

Brent

In 45-70 Caliber I have been told that the Hardcast is by far the best for not having blood shot meat and Handguns also.If at all possible,I'm a Heart and Lung shooter and then theres none to worry about with any bullet or caliber.

Jayco.

Over 40 some years of hunting I would say the worst cartridge for damaging meat would be the 270 Win with 130 grain bullets. It just seems to rupture blood vessels everywhere.

I've shot more deer with the 150 gr 308 Win with standard bullets of various makes and the trauma seemed minimal. A lot of others were shot with the 180 gr 30-06 with standard bullets and trauma seemed minimal but the deer did not drop nearly as well as with the 308. Using a 257 Robts with the original 100 gr Nosler Partition I would get a fair amount of trauma in the lung area but didn't loose any meat because of it. These deer generally went down at the shot but over time I found that if the animal was spooked prior to my shooting it as is often the case, they went down and got right back up and had to be hit a second time.

My experience is that the slower, heavier does less meat damage than the high speed lighter one.

Least - 400gr solids from my Rigby. Just punched a leaky hole in and out.
Most - spine shot at the withers on a deer fron above and behind with a 7 Rem Mag (while on an elk hunt). Was using a 160gr partition, but the bone turned into shrapnel. Nothing usable left of the front quarters.
Now I use a 6.5 x 55 sm with 140gr partitions or 130 grain Barnes X bullets on deer and elk. Not much meat damage, but great penetration. Ther moderate velocity helps, I'm sure.
JCN

When Nosler started to make the Partition, I started loading them and then just about forgot about blood shot meat. Still try to take the heart/lung shot, but I am not limited to it by the bullet. I'm very sure other modern bullets are the equal of or better than the Partition, I just haven't used them.

270 Win at 50 yards, 130 gr, not a Nosler, in the shoulder, instant nonuseable hamburger. A little lower, into the lung area, would have been an OK shot.

Most 243 with 80-90gr bullets
Least 30-30 with 150 gr