1st time hunting-question (handgun specifically)

[ARperson]

Today was firearms opening day, My husband and I were deer hunting for the first time. During the evening a deer came out of a corn field about 10 yards in front of my husband. He was hunting with 6" GP100. He took one shot at the deer. The deer jumped and ran about a 100 yards down the corn row where it stopped and looked back for several minutes. After I heard my husbands shot I left my position to see if he had gotten one. The deer spooked and nearly ran me over before crossing through a gully and field. We tracked the deer from the position my husband shot at it, and the point where it stopped. We could find no blood or evidence of being hit, the deer also seemed quite healthy as it bounded into and out of the gully and bolted on across another field. We lost it in that field since the grass was about 5 feet tall.

Since we could find no blood at all we are assuming he missed, buck fever and all. So the question is. How much blood might spill from the impact of a 158 grain jacketed soft point .357 on a deer at 30 feet? Would it leave enough to show evidence of being hit? We could find nothing at all.

 

[HSMITH]

If he hit it there would be blood for at least a little ways. The blood may not start for 20 yards or so after impact and may only last 20 yards on a gut shot but there WILL be some blood.

Look for hair as much as blood at the point where the animal was shot, lots of times there will be hair and no blood at the point of impact and the blood will start flowing later in the track.

 

[P95Carry]

Would tend to be a tad surprised at a hit with JSP from that range .. and NO evidence ... plus, the deer did seem in remarkeable health for some while after.

Even a casual hit in ''non vital'' would I imagine with that round produce enough damage for bleeding evidence. A bone hit too would almost for sure leave a deer running lame too .. which would be apparent.

If gut shot then .. whilst blood loss not immediately very easy to find ... the hydro dynamics of that round in the watery region of the gut would have produced considerable disruption IMO and thus not left what seems like a spooked but otherwise not too inconvenienced deer.

A miss seems unlikely at that range but .....

 

[mete]

If you get excited and pull a shot with a handgun you typically shoot low. A deer that has been hit will usually show some signs. If it showed no signs at all and you can find no evidence , hairs blood etc then it was probably a miss. If he stopped and looked back to me that was a miss.It's always best with a handgun to go for penetration, that lets more blood out for tracking and more air in if a chest hit. Entrance holes bleed little exit holes bleed more. The only round of mine that did not exit (44mag) was a good example . The first drop of blood was 50 yds away and the only 1/8" drops every six feet, though he only made it 75 yds....Did you ever run a test for flinching ? Have someone load the gun with one empty chamber or one blank without showing the shooter. If he is flinching it will show up when he drops the hammer on the empty chamber. TRy that.

 

[TallPine]

A seriously wounded whitetail will run with its tail down instead of "waving the white flag" as a normal spooked deer will do.

 

[OH25shooter]

I don't mean to be the bad guy here, but did you say he missed a deer at 10 yards (30 feet)? I hunt with a handgun and shotgun. I'm not sure how often you practice at shooting for accuracy, but if one misses a deer at 10 yards you may need to practice. Most handgun hunters can hit a 6" paper plate at 25 yards. The maximum distance for my 44 handgun is 50 yards (on a 6" plate). Maybe he did hit the deer, but from your description it sounds like a miss. Practice for a quick kill. You might consider a 180 grain Hard Cast bullet for the .357. Again, please don't misunderstand my comments. We all have to practice to get the big buck!

 

[mete]

" deer hunting for the first time" , that's why I thought a bit of excitment or buck fever or flinch which could easily cause a miss at 30 yds.

 

[ARperson]

but if one misses a deer at 10 yards you may need to practice.

Bit presumptuous, but, yes, we think it was a miss.

I contribute about 90% of the reason to excitement and lack of experience. This was our first time hunting.

 

[mete]

ARperson, I have seen people flinch where the muzzle drops 6" !!! But don't take the comments as negative We're trying to be constructive. There are many things you have to learn. I don't know your shooting experience but when I started I was very much involved in handgun metallic silhouette matches , that was wonderfull for learning and building confidence. Keep working at it.

 

[JShirley]

Don't feel bad. I've been deer hunting for almost 20 years, and I not only missed a doe with a pistol recently but because of my awkward positioning at the time I shot, I hit myself in the head with the barrel.

 

[keano44]

There are two types of hunters:
Those who have missed shots
and those who will, sooner or later, miss.