Hello All,

This morning was the first day of muzzle loader season here in NH. My buddy Dick was supposed to join me, but personal matters made that impossible, so..I sat where I was going to place him. About 1/2 hour before shooting time a stab of light announced another hunter, but he passed me to my right with no problem. About 45 minutes later there was a deer on his same track (he may have been dropping scent?). It took about a minute for the deer to step clear, presenting a quartering away shot at less than 50 yards. I squeezed the trigger, and when the smoke cleared the deer was still standing, then walked to the top of the hill and looked back! I won't repeat what I was saying, but a short translation would be, "how did I miss at that range?!". This Encore will group at < 1" at 100 yards, so I was shocked. The deer walked to the top of the hill and looked back to see what the noise was, then walked off.

I reloaded, muttering all the time, then went to see what happened. I was expecting a small sapling blown apart, but no..a drop of blood. I followed the trail in the leaves, and the blood and in 50 yds had a nice 4 point, 132 lb buck.

I have seen deer shot with an arrow react in this manner, but never with a bullet. When I cleaned the deer I found the bullet entered just behind the diaphragm, and exited just behind the off shoulder, no broken bones, no damaged meat, just a big hole. The damn deer did not know it was dead.

Now that I have rambled on for a while, has anyone else seen something of this nature?

Eating tenderloin tonight,

Lee

It is not quite the same thing, but several years ago I shot a 2-1/2 year old red deer off a game farm just to put something in the freezer. The stag was about 70 yards away and I shot him with a White 410 muzzleloader and a 400-grain bullet. At the shot, he just stood there, and about ten seconds later he picked up his left front foot and tried to put it back down, but it was unsteady. He toppled and lay still... When I cleaned him there was a hole through a rib going in, a hole in a rib going out, and a 3/4" hole through both lungs.

I shot a 180lb mule deer doe about 10 years ago with a 150 gr @ 2900 fps out of a 30-06,275 yds,double lung,perfect placement,took off "stotzing" down the hill,looked like a clean miss.Went about 100 yds or so,collapsed,never even twitched.Not a drop of blood,nothing.If it had been in the woods, instead of sagebrush montana hills,probably wouldnt have been able to find it.

Thanks for the replies. I've talked to some hunting buddies who have seen similar occurrences, so I guess it is not that unusual. Just really seemed strange to me. It makes me smile now, but you should have heard the muttering!

Lee

quote:

I reloaded, muttering all the time, then went to see what happened. I was expecting a small sapling blown apart, but no..a drop of blood. I followed the trail in the leaves, and the blood and in 50 yds had a nice 4 point, 132 lb buck.

Congratulations on the buck, but have seen similar results with a variety of bullets.

I've shot a couple deer and several moose with my 14 bore and it's little round ball - every one dropped in it's tracks, except for one moose, which dropped it's hind quarters, staggered to it's feet and walked very slowly about 30 yards, received the second shot in the ribs on the other side and dropped. Every one showed instant regognition to the hit - boom, whock.

Similar things happen with my bro's little Jaeger 60 cal.

Gotta love it. - round balls rule.

quote:

Originally posted by LeeH:
Thanks for the replies. I've talked to some hunting buddies who have seen similar occurrences, so I guess it is not that unusual. Just really seemed strange to me. It makes me smile now, but you should have heard the muttering!

Lee

I take it you edited your actual comments? Now why would that be? Never uttered anything like what I suspect you were muttering.

Last year my son shot a nice seven pointer and it just stood there for a bit. Then I think it realized it was dead and it took off on a short but arrow straight bolt until it hit a tree and collapsed.

The year prior, he shot a three pointer that did the same thing, though it ran into a field and died on the run. Gets me, aka dad, sweating bullets that jr has missed.

JPK

last year i came home from work to put wood in the fireplace, As i was going in the front door, I saw a 4 pointer lying on the hill next to my house sunning himself. I ranged him at 52 yards, my shotgun is sighted in 1" hi at 50, I shot just behind the shoulder and at the shot, he got up- ran 200 yards the other direction downhill! I thought I missed also, this was the most relaxed deer i have ever shot. I would have thought he would have fallen over.

The largest buck I ever took - 205 lb 8 point - was shot at less than 50 yards with a 50 cal 250 Barnes expander. At the shot three does ran off but the buck continued to walk at the same pace with no sign of a hit. After another 20 yards he walked a circle and bedded down.

When I relaoded I still hunted to where he had laid down and found him stone dead. There was no exit wound but when cleaned the lungs were shredded and the cavity full of blood.

All of that damage and no reaction or outward sign of a hit.

Thanks for the replies. When I skinned the deer, I found both the entrance and exit holes were centered between ribs, and the exit was nearly the same diameter as the entrance. I was using a 350 gr Hornady FPB, which is a full .50 cal, no sabot. No complaint at all about the bullet, I have venison in the freezer.

These events lead to the Rule - If you shoot, you track !!