meat loss? Help Please!

Bigger caliber at slower velocity. 44 Mag or hard cast 45-70 at a mild velocity.

I allus figgered, "Don't shoot 'em in the eatin' part."

Main thing is, I've never shot AT a deer. I always shoot at a specific spot ON a deer. Neck or cross-body heart shots are my preference.`

I'll take an angling shot if the buck is somewhere above average, but I'm willing to do a "maybe" on ruining a shoulder. But even there, ruination is not a given if I'm careful with the shot.

Ballistic tips shine at longer ranges or at lower impact velocities where other bullets can be expansion challenged.

Closer in at high impact speeds they're just one step tougher than varmint bullets.

Try a tougher projectile more noted for controlled expansion.




posted via that mobile app with the sig lines everyone complaints about

.308 with a 150 Nosler BT works for me. 7 rem mag at 50 yards with a 150 game king, not so much unless, like Art says, you avoid shootin' 'em in the eatin' part. My Roberts works well ( 100 grain .25 caliber at 3150 fps) so it don't have to be a big/slow bullet. Just avoid big/fast bullets.

Big/slow works, though. With a .50 caliber 385 grain Minie at 1300 fps, you can eat right up to the hole. Of course, it's a big hole.

Of course the right answer is the "stop shooting them where you eat"... A shot in the ribs will cure most of your problem, and useing a tougher bullet will cure the rest, if you insist on shoulder shots.

Here's a nice buck i shot with my 8x57 in the ribs, using 200NP's.

Entrance,



Exit,



DM

Of course the right answer is the "stop shooting them where you eat"... A shot in the ribs will cure most of your problem, and useing a tougher bullet will cure the rest, if you insist on shoulder shots.

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Of course, if you're shooting at a PIG, as i found out the hard way first pig I ever shot, and you shoot 'em in the ribs, all you're gonna get is guts. I finally got that pig after blood trailing it for 300 yards in heavy cover. When I caught up to it, it charged me from about 25 feet, but it was pretty slowed by the blood loss by then and I got a well placed shot on his head with a .357 magnum revolver. I shook uncontrollably for 10 minutes after that, but my drawers were clean.

NOW, pigs get it in the shoulder or head. Lose a little meat? No problem, just shoot more pigs.

Core-Lokt Pointed Soft Point.....................

yup, I see it all the time. I process wild game and the more shot up they are the easier it is for me to chunk the jello and still get he same price. 'Specially antelope and elk. The goats hind quarters usually get it on runnin shots and elk come in looking like Bonnie & Clyde's car. Next time you gut one look and see where the ribs are behind shoulders.

Its not necessarily velocity that is causing your problems (though its certainly part of the equation). Rather than looking soley at different bullet weights, consider switching bullets as well. Ballistic tips, as mentioned previously, don't hold up well at short range and moderate to high velocities. Perhaps something along the lines of a Partition would serve you better

I allus figgered, "Don't shoot 'em in the eatin' part."

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thats the answer. I shot my last two crop damage deer for the season last night. Two does at a bit over 300 yards. Gun was a 300 wby using barnes 180s. Shot one behind the shoulder and didnt ruin a bit of meat. Shot the other right through both shoulders and lost them both. I doubt it would have changed a bit if i was using a 270 or 06 using any bullet made for them.

That is a BT. Like RW said, they shine at long range but open up too quickly at close range. I don't worry much about losing a shoulder. That hit usually results in a bangflop.

Going with a tougher bullet will help. Nosler Partition, Speer Grand Slamnor some of the all copper bullets like the Barnes TSX, Nosler E-Tip etc will do less damage.

I am sure there are different bullets and/or calibers that will cause less damage but pretty much any bullet that is acceptable for deer is going to tear up the meat. Faster bullets, bigger bullets will tear up and shock the surrounding tissue. Ideally we want a standing broadside shot where the bullet can be placed behind the shoulder and just tear up the ribs but that is not always possible. Losing a shoulder is a small price to pay, IMO, if you get a clean quick kill.

Two years ago I took a doe on the last day of the season as a part of our unofficial management program. She was trotting through the pines and I made a bad decision that lead to the 30-06 165 grain bullet passing through both hindquarters. Not only did I get to watch her suffer until I could get in a follow up shot, (she dropped like a rock and tried to crawl) I was left with backstraps and shoulders which is what? 25% of the meat? Bad decision and one I hope to never duplicate.

There will be meat damage wherever you hit and whatever you use. Kinda hard to kill something by destroying it's circulatory or nervous system without going thru meat to get to it. Some claim head shots, but that target is small and a near miss there means a long and painful death for the deer. Yeah again, I know most here never miss that walnut sized target @ 200 yards, but it is possible. I worry more about a quick clean kill than I do about 2 lbs of sinewy hamburger from a front shoulder/leg. Shoot a deer thru the shoulders with an arrow, and you will throw away meat. If we can afford the tag, the gas to get there and the fancy smancy gun and ammo, ain't none of us gonna starve to death if we have to throw away a bloodshot shoulder.

shot placement. shoot in the pocket. if it is close shoot in the neck. but always accept that there will be some damage... there is a sticky at the top.

if you go in line with the back of the front leg one third the way up the body from broad side the bullet will do ribs on both sides... if the deer is stood square with its legs in the right position. if it has the back leg further back you will hit it. if you are close enough and you are confident in your shooting go through the gorget patch. or from the rear the atlas joint.

The ballistic tip at the moderate velocity you are shooting should not be too bad. You could try to step up the wieght and use a corlokt or hot core or interlock (little tougher) bullet.

Really its all good... your deer is in the larder. you didnt spend hours looking for it in the dark and pi**ing hard rain. the back shoulder is ruined... never mind.

interlock

To the OP - Better three quarters than no quarters. You might try the 8mm factory loads. They're down there around .32 Spl velocity, I think. Or since you hand load, load down to that level. Didn't you mention you have a .300 Savage? 180gr loads in that cartridge should work out.
Like just about everybody here, I think you oughta shoot them behind the shoulder. Thats what I do if I have the choice.

George

I butchered my deer yesterday, and lost one complete shoulder (off side), and half from the entry shoulder,

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Did the same thing for years. Then i stopped shooting deer in the shoulder: Properly placed behind the shoulder shots ruin almost no meat.

Ballistic tips absolutely grenade animals on impact. I use them because they are a good insurance policy for poor shot placement. I have shot many critters with rebranded Winchester Ballistic Silvertips and it is always the same result, pinhole entrance and 4 pounds of goo sluicing out a 4" diameter exit wound. I shot a pig in the dark two weeks ago with 150 grain ballistic tip .308. I couldnt tell head from tail in the dark so I flipped a coin. I guessed wrong but the ballistic tip gutted a 70 lb boar and he only ran 30 yards. Any other bullet and I probably wouldnt have had a blood trail.

Stop shooting them in the meat?

Broadside double lung shot destroys no meat with ANY caliber and velocity.

I don't worry much about losing a shoulder. That hit usually results in a bangflop.

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I'm the same way. I don't like to track deer, so I'll sacrifice one shoulder for them to be laying right where they were when I pulled the trigger.

It doesn't matter what caliber or what bullet you use, if you shoot them through the shoulders, don't expect to eat much of the shoulders. When bullets contact bone, a mess generally occurs.

RevGeo, You use 180 gr. bullets in a .300 Savage for deer? Man, We've used 150's for eons for deer hunting, never lost one yet. Behind the front shoulders always get them with that .300, bang-flop!

Most of the deer is shoot bang flop: None are shot in the shoulder. There has not been five pounds of meat lost in the last 25 deer i've killed.

I've got to agree. Hit them right about centerline just behind the shoulder. With anything .30-30 on up that's a dead deer. I've had exactly one deer take off on me and that was my fault. I rushed the shot and hit it too far back. I've got no problem killing an animal, but I also would like to keep it quick.