Bullet placement on game animals ~ The Best way to bag your game!
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- You have heard about the importance of bullet placement, but are probably not sure what that means. Here, learn from an experienced lifelong game hunter and professional firearms instructor exactly how to select the correct game bullet, where to shoot a game animal, and the best placement for ethical, sure, game hunting success! Learn what shots you should never take, and why some of the most widely recommended shots are actually very poor game shots. Discover what energy does not have to do with it!
Every year a different rifle in the collection has to earn its keep. This year it is my SIG 716(.308WIN/180gr Nosler AccuBond on top of 39.5 grs of IMR-4895). Both my eldest Son and myself filled our Elk "B" tags(cows only) two days ago, 26 Oct. Per usual, one round through the lungs(@75 yards from my shop man door) is all it took. She took maybe 2 steps, about 10', crumpled dead, and rolled down the hill on my place 25 yards from the 3 giant triple-fold ship block & tackles on cable trolleys where we hang and process our game. I'm spoiled(read blessed) and I for sure know it! I've harvested more elk than I can count and every elk shot through the lungs never traveled further than 25 yards from where it was shot. Your video is absolutely "right on target". We in the "gun culture" are indebted to your for generously sharing all your vast knowledge & experience, and we THANK YOU immensely.
If ever you travel to SW Montana I'd be honored to be your host. Back straps & home brews, homemade ice cream copiously sprinkled with wild huckleberries awaits your presence. Of course, Benny and the Mrs. are welcome too!
Again, THANK YOU!! Now to fill those "A" tags...
Gunwrites
You know, I very well may take you up on that offer! I have a great desire to head back west, which is very difficult on a retirement income. I've hunted Wyoming and New Mexico, but have not had the pleasure of hunting Montana yet. My wife and I traveled around your beautiful state some years ago, and loved every moment. If you could drop me a private email at gunblue@roadrunner.com, I would like to visit you more on this.
Gunwrites, your reply makes me want to go to MT. I live in western WA, and my hunting buddy has family in MT. We have discussed about a hunting trip over to your state. I like your story of shot distance. I too hunt in the west and hate when people say or think we shoot 300-400 at elk and deer, BS. My group spots game at those distances when in WA and ID, but always work to get within at least 100 yards. Thanks for the post.
@@GunBlue490 thank you for your expertise on guns cartridges. It's very useful. However, you didn't talk about black bears. What kind of cartridges and loadouts would you use on black bears either in lever action or in bolt-action rifles?
@@GunBlue490 Did you ever make it out to Montana? Hope you had a great trip!
There’s a few generation of fatherless hunters looking to learn how to be respectful about this art. And I sir, am grateful for your kind demonstrations. Thank you
I’ve been hunting forever and I have a father and I’ll tell you what, my dad knows a lot about hunting but this guy knows a whole lot of awesome knowledge and history!
You are the only person on UA-cam that can sit in a lawn chair, talk for 48 minutes with the appearance of a distinguished statesman and maintain my complete attention the whole time. With high respect, I thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom with the rest of us sir.
As a paramedic of 27 years I can tell you that what this gentleman just explained regarding lungs and vacuum in the thorax is 100% fact. Well done sir. The deadliest shootings I have treated have been sucking chest wounds. That of course is not taking into account gunshot wounds to the head or major arteries those patients usually are gone before we can even get there.
27 years you say. Unsung hero I say. Thanks for all you have done!
This video should be nominated for UA-cam video of the year. Great stuff.
Very informative, I really like how it just feels like we’re hanging out and you’re giving me advice
West Desert Shooter I always sit with a cup of coffee and just relax when I watch his videos. Like chatting with an old friend.
WDS-I feel that way sometimes when I listen to your videos too!
I soak up all information from every decent source I can. I watch Hickock and Paul Harrell, and learn a lot. But Gunblue is the real deal practical information. Proud to be from the same state, and I recognize so much of his wisdom having hunted New Hampshire for years. Thank you Gunblue.
Thanks for these videos. Things my father never got a chance to tell me.
You have provided reasonable explanations for the long held debate over whether complete penetration vs leaving a bullet still inside an animals chest........many years of hunting experience tells me your correct......this is a SUPERB video !
Keep up the good work
I REALLY enjoy and gain so much from what you have to say! Thank you for putting the time and effort in these videos! Blessings to you and your family!!
My father always said the 250 Savage was his favorite deer rifle. Adequate without overkill. Alot less spoiled meat. I always felt 1800-2300 ft/sec was adequate down field. 303 and 30-30 did just fine on deer size animals out to 200 yards and they start at 2300ish at the muzzle. I actually just had this conversation earlier today. Thank you for your time. You are an amazing resource. Awesome video!
I haven't smoked since 1988. Quit cold turkey after 28 yrs. Seeing you try to get that cigar to co-operate reminded me of my pipe smoking days when I was constantly have to keep lighting them up. I tell people I knew I was done smoking when I took a loaded rifle into the woods without any smokes and came out alive. Anyway thanks again for your time and efforts they are always informative and appreciated. Good luck to you and Benny I bet he will have just as much or more fun than you.
I found your channel after watching one of your videos on the 30-06 round. I am 34 years old and recognize the VAST treasure trove of information available to my generation, if we are willing to listen. Thank you for taking the time to share what you've learned. Subscribed so fast.
Sir I’ll keep this short- your videos are quite simply the very best gun associated videos on UA-cam. My sincerest gratitude and respect to you. I have learned so much from your videos. Keep up the great work.
Your videos should be used as a masterclass for UA-camr wannabees. Single camera angle, no long into or goofy graphics, and mostly importantly clear narration with no-nonsense information. This approach makes it very easy to listen to what you are saying and learn from it. I'm not saying all videos should necessarily be like this, but there are a lot that I'd never make it through 10 min let alone 48 for this. I have enjoyed several of your videos so far and look forward to more of them. Thank you.
HI, I never had a problem with my Sako .270 with 130 gr Nosler partition on Sambar deer in Australia! No meat damage, drop on the spot! Never past 100 yards, I like stalking and placing my shot! Thanks for all your videos i must have seen a hundred or more! Subjects I would never consider! Thanks man!
This is the life I want when I retire from the job. You sir have got it figured out.
Kirby vacuum hose is the perfect model for a deers nervous system. Never would have thought of that one. Genius!
Ethics, ethics, ethics! I so appreciate your video on this.
It doesn't just apply to shots and clean kills.
There are general ethics that apply across the spectrum. Respect property, other hunters. Don't skybust on waterfowl etc.
We've inherited a precious right to hunt in this free nation. Respect it. Respect the laws. Respect the game God has given us.
21:53
Spot on once again, my friend had to use his buck tag on a crippled buck that had most of it's jaw blown off by a missed placed shot to the brain. From what I gather it was malnourished and sickly looking and I respect my friend for putting that creature out of it's misery that another ignorant and inept hunter placed that buck into.
This meant less meat for his family and of course wasn't provided with another buck tag either. Humble yourself and take the most humane and forgiving target on the body of the game. The animal deserves no less, if you cannot do that stay out of the woods.
I just love your approach to common sense hunting! Explanations are words of wisdom from a wise man. Thanks for the videos. I love them.
Glad to see another hunting video! I've watched at LOT of "hunting" videos over the last five years but I'm convinced that this one should be included in every hunter education program. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard the term "And THIS shot from my (fill in the blank) magnum "anchored" the deer, boar, feral hog, elk, you name it..." I would have a much larger retirement fund to dip into from time to time than I do today. And don't get me started on how on the money you were when you brought up Police duty ammo.....And people wonder why, in some very high profile cases, the suspect was shot fifteen times....And he STILL lived while innocent parties down range did not.....Keep up the great work!
I have shot Nosler Partitions since the mid 70s. In addition, I've been using X bullets since the early 90s. I've taken everything from Kudu to Elk to Coues whitetail with them with consistent performance. On long range shots or in deep woods without tracking snow, the blood trail full penetration provides always aids in locating game. High velocity is not needed to kill the game, I agree, but it certainly aids in long range shooting. On a few occasions I've been hunting animals like Coues whitetail and bounced them out of beds at midday and shot them at under 50 yards. The stout construction of these bullets also serves in these circumstances in staying together and not exploding on the near shoulder as some of the ELD bullets would. Thank you for your clear headed and valuable videos. I wish you much success.
I was born in 1961 and killed my first deer when I was in 5th grade and many, many more since then. This video should be required viewing for EVERY hunter going into the field this fall. This man knows exactly what he is talking about. He should be placed right up with O'Connor, Keith, Wooters and Jordan. Thank you again Sir, for the education and the refresher.
TheNutriarat - 1961, a darned good year, take care!
TheNutriarat I have only watched 7 mins of this. I will watch the rest tonight. I was distracted and could not finish. You are correct. No need to say more!!!!
He is not quite on the level on the men you mentioned...not even close.
I've read 'em all and he is definitely right up there with them.
Michael Jordan? I hadnt heard him say a thing about basketball.
I can watch his videos all day. The wealth of knowledge is amazing.
Thank you for taking on the neck and head shot issue. You did a good job explaining why this is unethical. I wish all hunters could see this video.
In Australia you are not allowed to shoot roos by any other means than a head shot. If you can't hit a 2 inch target at 50m then you are just not good enough to hunt. This guy is full of shit. He claims that puncturing lungs which stops oxygen to the brain is far better than a shot through the heart which does the same thing even quicker. The heart also contains a major nerve cluster that when exposed to massive hydrolic shock from a high velicoty bullet should render the animal unconcious.
Making an animal die slowly from suffocation is not more ethical than a lights out shot by disrupting the central nervous system and his story of watching the animal suffocate for minutes intead of humanenly putting it down with a second shot shows how little he gives a shit about ethics. What he cares about is recovering a pritine animal to show off.
He may be great at fixing guns but I wouldn't trust him to hunt with one.
I discovered your channel recently. It wasn't this video exactly that did it. But a combination of them saved me about 700 bucks. I definitely appreciate it.
Your wonderful for sharing your knowledge with us. I'm planning a guided pheasant hunting with my 22 year old daughter. I was just going to take her out myself but I thought it would be nice for her to see and shoot game her first time out. She asked for a shotgun for Christmas 2 years ago and Santa delivered. I've had her out trap shooting and she's gotten pretty good with her 870.
Nice to hear you come up to Canada for some of your hunts. Thanks again. I wish you well and stay safe.
Shoot the pheasant through the lungs. 😁
Gosh dog it... Coors beer, Benny the Brittany, and a great explanation of what shot placement actually is and why creating a through and through wound is preferred. Beginning hunters should take notes and watch this video a couple of times, every word is gold! Thanks for the video, glad to see you and Benny are doing well!
Just listened to this post again and picked up a gem about bullet types, " Stay in the norm, aka Stay in your lane!" When I worked as a Parole and Probation Officer, my judge always advised everyone to stay in their lane... Nice to hear that phrase again!
Paul- He's my favorite source for real no nonsense advice. Benny is a beautiful dog. I have Cocker Spaniels, but I love all the sporting(gun) dogs.
Paul is great but the professor (GunBlue490) is awesome.
I've listened to multiples of your videos. It helped me decide that my first bolt gun will be a 308. win. No nonsense, and your caliber rounds. Very informative.
A 308 is a great caliber. I've used it for years. I use the Winchester 150 grain power point. I have a Winchester model 70 Feather weight now and I love it.
Thank you for being so outspoken about ethical hunting practices. The story of the Quebec moose hunter angers me to no end. We can all hunt effectively and ethically if we choose to.
Agreed. I’m also sick of hearing stories of guys just blasting into the brush when they see movement. What ever happened to identifying the target? Thats how unethical shots are taken, or even worse, a fellow hunter gets shot...
praise the Lord a new video!! your a fine gentleman and fabulous teacher. love Benny too
Sir . You are the very best to listen to . I feel right at home here . Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge .
How nice to hear some common sense, no shouting, how great I am video. Thank you for your time and effort from the Staffordshire Moorlands here in the UK.
One of the best hunting advise videos ever!!! Fantastic knowledge, thank you for sharing!
Finally someone who disagrees with the word shot placement. I had to smile. Shot placement is important but what the bullet does is what counts. The shooter,gun and scope makes no contact with the game animal. Bullet selection should be of the highest priority. As usual, another excellent video.
I started loading the federal Trophy Bonded Tip in my .308. So far every shot has been a complete pass through. Every deer I shot ran, but as you stated, I had a great blood trail and recovered every one. The bullet I recovered was a pass through. It went through one pig and killed another pig behind it. I still have the bullet. Thanks for your videos.
Love sitting down with you and I appreciate you not trying to sell me something. Thanks for keeping it simple and sharing your vast knowledge. If I lived closer I’d stop by for a cold one !
Your videos are always a blessing to watch and learn from. Thank you and please post more.
Some early season's in southern states require so many point's or fork's on one side or such an such inside spread before taking a buck deer. That's totally rule's out head shot's as well. Thanks for your knowledge , Sir!
I would like to refer you to Dr Kevin Robertsons’ “the perfect shot”. What a superb analysis of bullet placement , anatomy and killing power penetration etc. . .
took my first blacktail on the 10th with a .243 federal cartridge. 1/4 sized hole through and through,did it's job I'd say.
This is the most wholesome channel. God bless you Gunblue 490.
Thank You Sir for Your Wonderful Videos, Please keep them Coming. I had the Unfortunate Sucking chest wound happen to me one night when I brought my fists to a knife fight in 1980. I survived and That was the Reason I Purchased My First Handgun, a Colt Python Lightly used in Excellent condition.
This man is correct about double lung collapse. I have learned this through many seasons of archery hunting for whitetail. Collapse both lungs and the deer will expire within 30 yards.
The gelatinous meat you speak of is called "subcutaneous emphysema". As you explained, it is caused by significant blunt trauma which forces air from the chest cavity into the surrounding chest tissues. Pressing on affected tissues feels like bubble wrap. Love hanging out with you. As usual, I learned a great deal. Although I probably will never use the information, I am an intellectually curious person who loves to learn new things and you are an excellent teacher who not only gives information but backs it up with compelling arguments.
Not sure why this was recommended to me. I suppose the information here is sound. Overall, great video. I watched til the end and left a thumbs up. My hunting projectiles weigh 490 grains and travel at a mere 280 fps. Shoot through whitetail out to 30 yards no problem.
Lol, great comment! Learning to bow hunt improves your hunting skills, even if your holding a riffle.
Legend is back..thanx
Thank you Sir .Your knowledge and presentation are truly appreciated .
Very appreciative of all the wisdom you provide.
Great info as usual😀 I appreciate a real voice of reason and logic. All the FAD info is usually pure garbage. So, having someone to dispel the myths is really awsome.
Good vid as love your statement about shot placement as in real life easier said than done...Good info as always...Good stuff...
I agree with you sir 100%. And I know who to pass this onto. Thanks
It truly is amazing how a deer will run when shot through the heart; and how distinctly the path to the harvest is marked.
I've heard of this happening but I think in the majority of cases the deer was actually only struck in the lungs. I have shot many deer in the heart over the years and none of them ran more than 30 feet without collapsing and were dead in less than 5 min.
I appreciate your comments; and your experience. Whenever one field dresses a deer it’s a simple matter to hold the heart and examine it for a hole or slice from a bullet or broadhead. I don’t know how hunters would confuse a heart shot with any other. A fast way to anchor a deer is to sacrifice one or both shoulders; and deal with meat loss. Without the support of the shoulders a deer can only go straight down. In just a few seconds a deer can cover lots of ground; and it doesn’t mean that a deer that traveled some distance was alive for very long. I’ve never known of a deer shot through the heart or both lungs live more than several seconds. A tailback may be able to run the length of a football field in under 10 seconds. How far would a deer be able to travel in 10 seconds? Deer that I’ve seen endure for any length of time were shot without hitting the vitals.
I got to say your right on the money with everything our saying. Your such a valuable source of info and alot of the stuff you talk about is directly relatable to so much of the hunting i do. Here in Australia there are a ton of deer to hunt. Some of the species are as big as elk. I shot a large sambar deer once with as Howa 1500 .308 at about 40 yards with a 165gr Nosler Partition behind a 44gr charge of AR2208 (varget) and it absolutely rocked him. He made it about 30 yards down a really big cliff 😣. Was a hell of a job to drag a 500 lb deer out of the prickle bushes he decided to die in down a cliff. But one thing i noticed when butchering him was yhat about a 10 inch piece of the backstrap had blood filled bubbles coming out of it. I assumed this was from the hydraulic shock of such a close range shot with a very capable premium bullet. Its sucked to loose that much of the best cut but sambar are a seriously tough and cunning deer. So i was just glad it didnt get to far and was down quickly.
A Great Video. IMO, one of your best. May God Bless you for sharing your vast knowledge of firearms, projectiles and humanely harvesting the critters God has given us. I only wish you were my Nephew's next door Neighbor and you both were best friends. I can only teach him so much, but you can teach him so much more. My Nephew is an avid hunter and firearm enthusiast.
I always place my shoots in the "engine room". I never take a shoot to the front of the game or from extreme angels front or back. I rather wait for that ideal 90 ish degree shot. Gives me less trouble and ruins little meat.
Boiler Room..
He is so full of himself. Videos like this one are not what young hunters need to hear. Basically use a gun big enough to break down the front shoulders and no tracking needed. I have killed over 100 deer and only had one deer ever stand back up.
Excellent video chock full of so much knowledge! Well done, Sir!!
I think that the best way to describe what kills game are exsanguination (blood loss), central nervous system disruption or hypoxia (loss of oxygen due to lung damage). So I agree with you that the mechanism that causes that, i.e. energy, bullet placement is a half assed explanation.
You are spot on sir. It’s amazing what 40 years of killing deer can teach us. Sure lots of people kill deer lots of ways. But in my 40 years of shooting deer I totally agree with you. You are giving the “Best” way to take a deer. I appreciate you mentioning that hunters should be ethical and hunt the best way .
Great advice! All hunters need to know this!
MAN, am I glad UA-cam finally introduced me to you! Would love to shake your hand one day.
I don’t often laugh out loud at videos , but sir you may not know it but you’re quite funny . Talking about taking a deer to a family store to be tagged that’s shot in the head was pretty funny , and when you called Benny over as a model also very funny
Once again you hit the mark on this video. You covered all the bases and covered them well. I hunt moose and caribou in Alaska, where I live and subsist for over 60 years. I've come to the same conclusions as you over the years. I have taken a few moose with neck shots because that was all I could see sticking out of the brush but I did loose one moose doing that so never again. I tracked that moose over a mile and as you said I never owned that moose. I felt awful about it. I appreciate your video's and always look forward to the next one. God Bless you.
Sir, your channel is amazing. Thank you for these videos.
I have bow hunted for 30 years, and this upcoming season will by my first time going afield with a rifle. Archery will certainly make you become hyper aware of shoot placement and penetration.
Shoot for the lungs it’s a much larger target, won’t wastes any meat and better yet.... ethical.
I was in the Marines, and he’s spot on with the sucking chest wound, the animal is toast. Having an entrance hole and exit hole are paramount if for some reason the animal runs.
This here feller is my kind of guy.... I would take his word over all these fancy pants trust fund tv personalities we see today.
Last year my sister got her moose license and asked me to be the second rifle on the license. I own a 7mm-08 and had some Federal 140 grain partitions that probably would have been fine. But I also had 100 old style Grand Slam 160 grain bullets. So I worked up a load that averaged 2585 fps and shot moa for three shots. I lucked into that load on me second powder and the 3rd load. I ended up bagging a nice cow moose at about 50 yards broadside. One shot and it was found about 50 yards from where it was shot. Not a very good shot but it went through a rib going in, took out a lung and liver and lodged in a rib on the far side. This year I was invited by my cousin to be the second rifle on his moose license. This year was a more difficult shot. 200 meters quartering towards me. I had a good rest and there was no wind. I was in a clear cut near standing trees. I took a second or two to decide where to aim to hopefully take out a lung and avoid the gut. I fired and heard the solid thump when it hit and moose went down immediately, tried to get up and collapsed before I could shoot again. The bullet took out one lung and destroyed the liver avoiding the stomach. Again it was a nice cow moose. Too bad they don't make those bullets anymore, but then I still have 20 rounds left and will keep them exclusively for moose.
Wonderful video same rules I have always used whether the projectile was a nosler portion of a 600 gr cedar shaft
I'm always learning from you. Thank you.
As an RN, I enjoyed your discussion on anatomy / physiology.
3030 is better at ranges less than 150 yards for exactly the reasons you brought up. More meat is still useable. Beyondc150-200 is where the 308 shines, but i still like the 30-06 & 270 at 200+. Most people cant effectively hit past 300-350 so shots past that are foolish for most people.
Doug west
Very well said.
Funny how the rocky mountain elk foundation highlights 4-500+ yard shots instead of responsible shots. Probably as much of a scourge as wolves.
Ross Arnold
Foundations are run by people, and people are subject to error.
Probably subject to donations.
I owned hunting ranches in Texas for 17 years and we all tried to keep the shots under 100 yds to create success for the hunters as well as the animals. Hunters get excited. Love your videos. Thank you and God Bless
Like listening to a grandpa I wish I had...thank you so much for your knowledge.
There is a lot to be said for center of mass, regarding bullet placement and it's a good plan for coyote size animals. For deer and elk, a heart/lung shot is a very high percentage. A facing animal, and unsure of the range aiming either between the eyes allows for dropping into the chest cavity
Well I’m watching this video for the first time four years after you have released it.
So let’s just say part of what you said is fairly valid to a significant degree, I can see your rationale concerning punching through both sides of an animal to collapse its lungs.
I’m sure you would agree there are a number of killing factors that may come into play and be involved here with the animals quick demise, and that are not limited to the necessity of a bullet passing clean through both lungs and out the other side of the animal, and which the scientific evidence has proven by deer hunters over and over millions of times.
Hydrostatic energy shock is a real thing, it’s not nonsense or myth, it is a proven killer and can stop the heart and disrupt the nervous system causing it’s shut down and stroke in the brain. Even someone wearing a bullet stopping vest if they are shot with a shotgun slug even though it does not penetrate, the hydrostatic shock has on occasion stoped the heart and disrupted the nervous system connection shutting it down without passing through the body at all, and death has happened.
Depending on the speed and design of the of the projectile. These are all scientific facts, not myth. Even an object as small as a needle traveling at a speed fast enough hitting the earth from outer space could in theory blow this earth apart, I say theory because it hasn’t happened, yet. ☄️
Supersonic speed translates into kinetic energy dumped into a living creature and translates into hydrostatic shock, and that’s why with enough speed and proper bullet design a 22 caliber bullet can drop a deer in its tracks even without passing clean through both lungs. The problem until now has been to improve the design of supersonic traveling 22‘s that will hold together just a little bit deeper, maybe 3 inches deeper into a deers vitals before it blows apart. I think the new all copper bullets designed to peel back like talons of a claw are an excellent step in that direction. The high energy explosion in the vitals of the deer that the fast 22 bullets possess are mostly unique to what has been traditionally been thought of as a varmint caliber.
But in the very near future I believe these 22 varmint bullets will be perfected if they can retain their present velocities. Another 3 inches of penetration before the bullet explodes would be ideal releasing all that energy right in the heart of the vitals, and I think we’re close to that happening.
One last thing I have to say, there is a reason that knowledgeable experienced hunters realize, which is that if it were simply a matter of passing through one lung and coming out the other side to drop an animal in its tracks we would all be using full metal jacketed bullets, if your objective is just to go through one lung and out the other side they are very good at that, they don’t release hardly any explosive hydrostatic shock energy in the animal so you get a little hole going in and a little bit bigger one maybe coming out the other side and that is a sure fire way for that animal to runoff and not to recover it. So Obviously that is why they are using larger calibers that mushroom because that releases more hydrostatic shock in the animal which equates to a quicker kill without loss of the deer and if the animal does run away you have a better blood trail from a larger hole and less likelihood of the tissue closing up. But as far as killing power the larger calibers do not of necessity have a greater killing power than the internal explosive power in the vitals of high speed 22s in 50 to 75 gr. whether a deer is shot with a 30-06 or a high velocity 22 in something like 22-250 or 220 Swift
The lungs will fill with blood and the animal will drowned suffocating in it’s own blood, that is why a lot of times you see blood coming out of the nostrils and the mouth. The lungs do not necessarily have to collapse.
Hello and thank you again for another very informative video. I totally agree with your talk on ethical bullet placement. I’ve never shot a beautiful big creature like a deer before, but if I had the need to, I certainly wouldn’t want that animal to suffer anymore than necessary, or to create excessive meat damage either. Ideally I would want that animal to drop dead on the spot. I certainly love eating deer meat, and also know it’s very healthy as well.
As you talked of unethical shot placement, I could almost feel the pain of the animal as you were so descriptively explaining. I hope that other hunters will practice careful shot placement ethical kills even more so after watching this video. Once again your video was chocked full of very important information. Keep up the great work and thank you for producing top shelf educational material.
God bless you sir.
Benny... What a handsome beast !! Love to hear more about the bird hunts and maybe some front stuffers? Nothing like the roar and smell of black powder when the leaves begin to change. Good info and a fine looking tractor!!!
Here in Ohio, we have long been limited to shotguns or pistols for white tail. Recently they opened it up to straight wall rifle cartridges, but I find it hard to justify the expense of a change. I have been used a rifled barrel shotgun, with most shots being in the 80-100 yard range and one at 160 yards (of which I am eternally proud). I tested a large number of slugs, many of which were absolutely BRUTAL to shoot, but decided upon the 12-ga Hornady SST, which is a sabot type, the actual bullet being .50 cal., 300 grain, ballistic tip (Flex Tip they call it) expanding bullet (.200 BC) and it leaves the muzzle at a bit over 2000 FPS. I selected it initially because it was, by far, the most accurate of those I tested and had the least drop at 100 yards. No flyers, either. The bullet was so much lighter than many of the others, however, that I worried about the kill. Well, a half dozen white tail later, I am no longer worried. What I see, in my limited experience (compared to yours) is in variance to some of what you said here and I'd appreciate your comments and your expansion of the subject matter a little. I have no doubt about the efficacy of the lung shots and believe what you said about the "thru-and-thru," but the SSTs have NEVER penetrated the opposite side of the animals I have shot. When I do my work right, I have never had an animal take more than two or three steps and two of them simply dropped where they stood. One went about 100 feet (more heart than lung but a little of both) and one really bad shot by me left the animal to run about a quarter mile (and I paid my penance dragging him back!). On the field dress of a well placed lung shot, the chest cavity is essentially full of goo that was once lung tissue. Most often, all I find are small bits of the bullet, but once I found the base embedded in the opposite rib cage. Your comments appreciated and I eagerly await the time when you address in detail hunting with rifled shotguns.
I lived in Ohio for 11 years (80s-90s). Loved the weather seasons. I worked at two guns stores (sales/service) in Cols while going to college full time...plus gun repair at home for extra gas money. Do they still have the six day deer season w shotguns that started on a monday and ended on a saturday? I recall every year there was a deer season fatality due to the fact that everybody was in the woods the last day (saturday) of the season.
Jim Allen
Yes, the SST is constructed to perform violently, and is not a deep penetrator. I would categorically limit its use to medium sized game such as deer, and never use it on heavy game. Its performance is similar to tge Nosler Ballistic Tip which I used for quite a while until my wife experienced an issue that changed my mind quickly. She shot a beautiful Wyoming pronghorn at 300 yards, prone (off her elbows, military style, no bipod!). She hit him perfectly with a classic broadside through the lungs, but the B.T., rather than exiting in a straight line through the other side, turned 90 degrees forward and downward exited his chest violently, exploding the entire front of the buck's cape, ruining a beautiful trophy mount. Yes, the bullet did its job of killing swiftly, but the uncontrolled varmint bullet-like, violent expansion was certainly undesirable. On the previous day, I struck a big mulie perfectly with the same bullet from 225 yards, and as with an SST, the bullet violently expanded internally without exiting, but it destroyed a massive amount of edible tissue on the way in, owing to its construction. These bullets, made by essentiall inserting a point into a hollow point bullet, which compounds the bullet expansion like a wedge splits a log, work perfectly on classic broadside shots, but they are unable to hold together and often blow apart unpredictably when a shot must be taken through heavy bone, and they are not constructed to withstand encounters with twigs and branches in wooded situations. They are great, accurate designs for open plains and they maximize trajectories, but I personally will no longer use them, and would rather sacrifice a bit of exterior ballistic performance for a more predictable performance on target.
Thanks for your candor. As I expressed, the SST bullets have not been a problem for me. You might add "yet" and that would be a fair statement. I was very much underwhelmed by the exterior ballistics of the other slugs I tried, but maybe another round of tests and research is in order. I have on and off again thought about upgrading to a 45-70, which is now a legal cartridge here. Very much hand loadable, and probably ballistically better than most rifled slugs. Can't think of any other straight walled rifle cartridges suitable for white tail. Some might argue for the more potent pistol rounds in a rifle... 44 mag for example... but I read nothing about them that shows impresses me all that much. Anyway, I'm thinking. Probably not going to change anytime soon but I have been dreaming about a 45-70 for a long time.
Love that Brittany you own. Best gun dogs. Enjoy your videos =ALL!
This is why I ONLY shoot the Barnes TTSX. Through and through every time. I honestly think it's the best hunting bullet ever.
I do some bow hunting and your statement in reference to heart shots is dead on. blew out the heart on a white tale with a broad head and that dear ran farther than any ive recovered.(I have had a blood trail dry up. I looked over 2 days and never found that deer, no buzzards or anything dont know what happened.) The deer in question took 2-3 hours to find. he'd ran almost a mile away and obviously not in a strait line so id guess about 1.5 miles. i couldnt believe it when i got him cleaned. I would have bet any amount of money the dear was gut shot if i hadnt witnessed it myself.
Sir, regarding shock factor. Keith Warren hit a nilgai antelope in Texas at approximately 100-yards from a blind with a 50 BMG. The nilgai spun and took off running. I'm just bolstering your point. If a 50 BMG doesn't drop it, don't plan on a .270 Winchester knockin' your elk down. Yes, guys miss and shock the spinal cord sometimes and an animal will drop straightaway especially, if the spinal cord is transected. Great VDO - Thanks.
Benny is a very good looking dog.Thanks for the video.
Thanks GunBlue, I've watched several of your clips and you have kept me on track through all the BS and marketing hype.
I'm new to hunting and through out this season, I've often wondered about bullet placement with regards to terrain.
I hunt in very rugged dense areas on the BC coast. And I have often thought about utilizing a quartering shot through the shoulder. But my instructor had stressed, through out the corse, the importance of an accurate shot through the vitals and thanks to you, I know why.
This year I got my first Blacktail buck with the very shot you have been talking about and he expired 13 meters from the point of impact. I took him with a 308 Win from 19 meters, using a 150 grain American Whitetail Interlock. Upon skinning, there wasn't a lot of meat damage but he bled between the outer muscle layer and the rib cage over a large area and up into the shoulder. I'm guessing this was a byproduct of close range hunting. So, I'd like to know if you have ever considered reloading the 308 with a reduced hunting load?
And I would also like to add that ,I have no desire to change calibers or own more than one big game rifle.
Thanks and God Bless.
Jerry Phillips
Thank you. Yes, actually, the velocity of 150 grain factory 308 loads is a bit edgy for most typical ranges. Duplicating old 300 Savage velocity of 2660 or so, up to 2700 fps would be about as ideal as it comes. Alternatively a heavier bullet of 165 grains or even 180 would work by getting the speed down, too, though with the consequence of heavy recoil. My personal preference would be with the 300 Savage duplication load, which was a popular favorite of experienced deer hunters until the advent of the 308 in the 50s drove it from the gun catalogs.
I've taken several deer with 150gr Hornady Interlocks and they worked very well. In terms of a reduced power load, Hornady actually makes a 125gr reduced recoil .308 loaded with their SST bullet. Not a bad choice for whitetail which in my opinion, a .308 is abundantly powerful enough to kill even if reduced. The reduced recoil loads are also reduced noise.
I leaned a few things. Thank you.
I'm glad you have done this video. As a retired New Zealand Forest Service deer culler, taking out the animal with minimum fuss was paramount under all conditions and terrains. We weren't only limited to deer so the knowledge you are sharing about all animals is vitally important to younger, up coming hunters....Cheers.
God bless you, thanks for all your no nonsense information!!!! 🍀💚🍀💚
Coors Banquet !......a man after my own heart !.........Good points all btw. Many don't consider much of this
Awesome videos as always and apparently I learned we have a mutual friend as I was sharing your break in video and how much I truly appreciate your video series. I'll be in contact for next servicing and purchases when needed!
I have hunted deer in the upper and lower peninsula of Michigan. Where I hunted in lower Michigan was shotguns only and I used a smooth bore 870 with standard length slugs, try different manufacturers some guns just like certain slugs, mine can’t hit a paper plate reliably with 3” slugs from a rest with the right brand it is 2-3”. Mostly those slugs get caught in the opposite rib hide or shoulder blade (I do set up for a kill zone of 35-55 yards. Mostly they drop in their tracks when hit with my 12ga.
In the UP I have hunted with 30-06 exclusively. With the same through and through heart lung shot (sometimes missing the heart). The dear tend to go between 60 and 150 yards that is where sitting tight for a few minutes is key. They tend to run to the nearest area where they can bed down and die there often looking back towards where they were hit.
I suspect that the great diameter of the 12ga not going all the way through but still getting both lungs trumps a .30 entrance with a.40-.45 exit…..square-cube law.
I have to disagree about through and through vs. the anchoring effect you mention. Again, I'll use the .44 magnum failing to stop people as much as 9mm parabellum and 40 S&W (13% of the time). When a handgun bullet goes through and through, depending on how much energy it has, a lot of it is wasted. You might say that the .44 Magnum did as much as a 9mm or .40 S&W even if it wasted half its energy (because it had so much to begin with), but two things come to mind. One, that's a lot of recoil to deal with when it is not going to stop anyone any better than a 9mm. Second, we have to explain .357 SIG/mag because, statistically, they incapacitate as well as a centerfire rifle (both failing about 9% of the time). That may not sound like a big difference between 13% or 14% (.45 ACP) and 9%, but two more things come to mind. 3-4% is arguably statistically relevant, and two, the .44 Magnum is starting out with considerably more energy than .357 SIG/Mag yet the latter stops people better. This also translates to rifles in my opinion because we're dealing with bigger animals and longer distances, so if we're trying to make sure there is enough penetration we probably don't want too much either for the same reason. Of course, the difference in rifles is theoretical on my part. I don't have data to back that up like I do handgun cartridges. As a police officer, that may have been what you and others were after (preventing endangering others), but I've heard from a lot of police officers the exact opposite (that there has never been a problem with over penetrating handgun bullets taking out civilians). I think the mushrooming effect is about two things, 1) putting on the breaks to allow as much energy to dissipate and due damage, and two, the extra surface area helps push tissue and fluid with more force. When we see bullets like the Lehigh Defense/Underwood XD, there is no expansion, but the same effect is occurring with the hydrostatic effect.
Interesting. When you mention “a lot of police officers have told you…..” what exactly are they basing their statement on?
thanks for not drinking bud light - good lesson on shot placement
Though I'm proud that the Clydesdale team is in New Hampshire, I could never stomach Bud in any version.
My state, Ohio, permits handgun caliber rifle bullets. The 'high power' rifles that you can use are prohibited. Your theory about relatively slow & heavy seems to be their thinking as well.
The 44 & 45 caliber handguns & lever guns have been used a long time to harvest meat.
Mechanical energy, as it pertains to ballistics (and as opposed to electrical energy), is really a measurement and not a thing, per se. It's a way for us to quantify what is happening with the mass & velocity of the projectile as it penetrates an animal and slams flesh, bone, blood/fluids, and air out of the way. That said, it is a very useful metric, but as you have explained only when we undertand everything that is going on with it (i.e. how what energy we have to work with is lost & conserved to make a cartridge a more efficient and humane killer).
Very interrsting and well presented as always! Thanks!
Glad to see a new video sir
You are so spot on. I've shot them in the heart with 300 win mag. and they've ran 200 yards. I had one move its head at the worst possible moment and blew its lower jaw off. Just a pitiful horrible sight. I try to always take out the lungs now. I can remember back in the 70's and early 80's the hunter safety courses taught in all places THE ELEMENTERY SCHOOLS that you was to aim for the neck. I don't really know when that changed but I'm glad it did.
Great vid, thank you for taking the time to make it and share your knowledge, much appreciated.
Matching caliber to game accordingly.
One wouldn't use a .22 in Africa
For Elephant "
(Not enough gun.)
It appears common sense is a Rarity these days "
Great vid.
I had a pneumothorax expereince where I had a lung collapse spontaneously. I can tell you it was painful, and when they cut between my ribs to shove a tube in the cavity, to get the air out, and let my lung recover and gain air again, there was a pressure difference, and it was unpleasant and strange. Could be the vacuum feeling you speak of.
I'm watching this February 2021 in Australia; almost Autumn. I can't wait. Foxes, (Eating lambs) Goats: eating pasture. Deer are spreading throughout the country' (Yay!!) Bring it on!!