Average distance a well hit deer will run

[Greybeard]

Question: "I'm wondering what happens in real life." Previous posts show how incidents can vary. Last season my brother shot a little cull buck through both lungs with 30.06 165 grain Hornady Light Magnum (left over from elk season). Altho not much bigger than a coyote, it ran into and bounced off a barbed wire fence and covered close to 200 yards before piling up. I shot another one just about the same size with the very same load two weeks ago. 135 yards thru bottom of both lungs. It dropped on the spot, hardly even twitched. Go figure.

A couple of years ago, I shot a big boar running, quartering away, at about 100 yards with the same load. That bullet hit one of the ribs, blowing it up and taking out two more ribs and subsequently fragments of all of the above ripping up the heart. That 240+- pound hog still ran a typical 40 yards.

All of this, and examining many field dressed deer and elk, leads me to believe that how far even a well-shot animal runs can be highly dependent upon what the bullet strikes within the first inch of penetration.

 

[d2wing]

As for waiting, It's a stardard practice. If unchased a deer will often lay down, bleed out and die, but if you track too soon they will get up and run, some times the bleeding stops or they just don't die and you lose them. A deer can also hide very well and be very hard to find. I found one tunnelled under tall grass and another snuggled up to and nearly under an old log. Both took a long time to find.

 

[ssfeldjager]

Found this while surfing...

Tracking Wounded Deer
http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=571151

 

[d2wing]

Great link! thanks ss.

 

[Davek1977]

I've never had a deer run farther than maybe 25-30 yards. Of course, I use a 7mm mag, and tend to go for shoulder shots, and oftentimes take the spine out as well. I've yet to lose a deer, though I have seen deer that went down in a pile, and remained down for a few minutes, get up and run away when hit with what by all accounts appeared to be a solid shot with a .243. I know the argument is constantly raging about what constitutes "enough" gun for deer hunting, but its my opinion that the centerfire .22s and even 6mm/.243 are better left as varmit rifles. They simply aren't always up to the task of killing large deer quickly and effectively, from my personal observations.

 

[Art Eatman]

"...from my personal observations."

Yup. And everybody's different. I've tagged a couple-dozen bucks and killed maybe a dozen or so culls with my .243. None of them moved from where they were hit.

Which is why there ain't no "average" running distance after the shot on Bambi.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Which is why there ain't no "average" running distance after the shot on Bambi.

That pretty much sums it up. Shot placement,individual deer(size,state of alertness,etc) and least of all caliber of firearm/bullet weight(until you get into .50BMG territory),bullet performance, contribute to after shot run distance.

 

[dacavasi]

There are a few videos on the popular home-media sites that show boiler-room hits using a .50 BMG, and the deer actually runs 50 or 60 yards, with it's complete chest cavity blown wide open on the exit side. Don't get me wrong, I personally deplore that kind of 'sportsmanship', and won't get started on my opinion of the participants, but it just goes to show that there is no guaranteed DRT hit outside of a CNS...

 

[shaggy430]

I've found if a deer is already alert of your presence, then a heart/lung shot deer will tend to run farther than one that is calm.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

I've found if a deer is already alert of your presence, then a heart/lung shot deer will tend to run farther than one that is calm.

I have seen this as well. It does tend to make a difference.

 

[birdbustr]

I agree. If they are spooked, the adrenaline may make them go a little further. I've taken deer with a 30-06, 7mm-08, 7mm STW and a 30-30. I've never tried a neck shot, but if you hit in though the shoulders they go down right away with any of those calibers. If you shoot behind the shoulders, which I usually shoot to preserve the forward shoulder meat they run about 50 yards with almost anything. If you want them to drop break bones in the shoulder (scapula or spine). If you want that forward meat, shoot behind the shoulders or try the neck shot.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

how would you even consider average? even if a thousand people entered their experience, stlll, wouldnt mean squat....

 

[SleazyRider]

The stakes are even higher for those of us who are red/green colorblind---a full seven percent of the male population! I can't follow a blood trail across a mowed lawn; so unless there's snow on the ground, I can't track 'em. So it's important for me to drop them in their tracks, or very nearly so. I pass up a lot of "iffy" shots for that reason, and usually limit my shots to 100 yards, always aiming just behind the fronts legs.

 

[Kachok]

I must just be lucky, I have never had to track anything I have shot, and I usualy don't use a cannon just my puney little 6.5x55 (140gr SSTs). I would be so mad if I had to track the first one I shoot with my hotrod WSM LOL

 

[jetsfan-24]

I just shot a nice 6 point with a 257 wby mag took out both lungs and he still ran 30 yards like everybody says one will fall the next one will run

 

[RevDerb]

Run?

Two shots; two deer. Only had to walk to the place where they stood when I pulled the trigger.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

I've found if a deer is already alert of your presence, then a heart/lung shot deer will tend to run farther than one that is calm.

True as can be. Had them drop right there and had them run 100+ yards with no heart at all!

The stakes are even higher for those of us who are red/green colorblind---a full seven percent of the male population! I can't follow a blood trail across a mowed lawn; so unless there's snow on the ground, I can't track 'em. So it's important for me to drop them in their tracks, or very nearly so. I pass up a lot of "iffy" shots for that reason, and usually limit my shots to 100 yards, always aiming just behind the fronts legs.

Im pretty much red color blind (looks mostly grey to me) so I depend on the shine of fresh blood. It is rough to say the least since I bow hunt. It's why I am a firm believer in waiting 30 or more minutes at LEAST even on DRT shots that I can see the deer laying there. I have seen more than one get up and run after laying there for 10 minutes looking dead. I think some of them deer have opossum blood in them!

Like a few other have said, there really is no average a deer will go barring a CNS hit. I personally LOVE the high shoulder shot. Smacks the lungs and, more than likely, will get some spine shock to drop it right there.

 

[WTBguns10kOK]

In my experience, they run towards me, so there's no need to track. It's kind of like they know the game's up so they just wanna help.

 

[Ruger4Life]

My experience has been if you catch the deer unaware before any adrenalin builds up, a boiler room shot drops it right there or within 10 yards. Just bang.. flop.

If you get one that has the fight/flight response going a non-CNS or non-structural hit will let them run for a short distance.

A poorly placed shot in either case can result in some tracking.

Yup, I concur.

Shot 3 deer with my .44mag this season.

The gun: Ruger SRH 7-1/2" w/iron sights.

Handload: 310gr Oregon Trail Trueshot Hard Cast GC, over 21.0gr of WW-296, New R-P brass case, Fed Match Mag Primers, heavy roll crimp applied, approx 1250fps.

1st Deer: Shot through lungs @ 20yds. Buck didn't make it 10yds and collapsed in a heap.

2nd Deer: Doe shot @ 30 yds. Ran 20 yds and collapsed. Heart shot.

3rd Deer: Doe shot @ 25 yds. She smelled me and snorted, but went back to grazing before I shot her. Lung shot. After the shot she circled around where she had come from and made it another 100 or so yards and laid down in a pond to die. IMO, she was excited and pumped up with adrenalin before I shot her and that is why she ran so far. Only thing I can figure out. The blood trail was tremendous, and after field dressing it was amazing that she ran, stopped, and ran again for so long, and so far.