First deer with a rifle

[Timmypage16]

Growing up in a shotgun only state I have never shot a deer with a centerfire rifle. However, now being located in S. Dakota, I finally got the chance. I made a great shot with the .300 win mag. Nicked the back shoulder muscle but no bone going in (which destroyed the meat) and the bullet exited back around the stomach. Hit the heart and both lungs. All this talk about drt, I was excited to see a rifle make a deer drop in its tracks. That of course didn't happen. She ran 40 yard and died. Nothing more spectacular than using a shotgun or ML. Guess all this talk of deer falling I stone dead with rifles all the time made me have inflated my perception of shooting a deer with a rifle.

Just thought I would share how I was a little let down by seeing a deer run away and not just fall over dead. None the less the gun did it's job!

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

Hit them in the high shoulder and they won't take another step. Congrats on your kill

 

[ridgerunner1965]

yeah a high shoulder or center shoulder shot perfectly broadside with a bullet that transfers a lot of hydraulic shock to the animal often cause the drt thing.

a heart or lung shot will almost never dropp a deer in its tracks because the deer has to bleed to death first. that takes anywhere from 20 to 40 yrds of travel often.

a head or neck shot works but i dont really consider them ethical.too much room for error in my estimation.

i often use shoulder shots in thick brush or in a situation where i need the deer to drop rite away.such as close to a property line or where a deer could get onto a traveled road.

the down side is much more meat loss for sure than a heart or lung shot.

 

[Nico Testosteros]

The first deer I shot fell down right away. It was a lucky neck shot on a small doe. The next deer I shot ran a bit. That freaked me out. Since then I've found that even with good shot placement they can run a ways. It's common.

 

[Timmypage16]

Seeing her run kinda freaked me out. I thought I missed. She ran off looking fine and went down out of sight. I was just expecting her to drop where she was or within a few yards but she made it a good 40 yards. Anyhow, it was still exciting to get one with a rifle!

 

[LT.Diver]

I live in a shotgun state, and my last deer was taken with a 12 gauge sabot, which I guess is about like a rifle round. I was on a knoll and shot down through the spine and into the chest. The deer went down like it was dropped out of a helicopter.
The prior year I got a small spiker with a foster slug from a single shot 20 gauge. Same result. Hit the heart/lung area and it fell dead where it stood. I've been very lucky as I've never had to trail a wounded deer. I hope it stays that way. I'd hate to cause any undue pain for the critter, and I'd hate to have to track anything through the swamps where I hunt.

 

[Eb1]

All animals are different. Some drop on heart shots, but all will fall when the spine is broken.

 

[Davek1977]

Its unrealistic to expect a deer to drop on sight each and every time, regardless of weapon used. I've seen deer drop in their tracks with a solid hit from a .223, and I've seen deer hit in the vitals run 100 yards after taking a 160 gr Nosler from my 7mm. Shoulder shots breaking both shoulders, however, do typically result in deer DRT in my experience, but even then, NOTHING is guaranteed....spine shots tpyically anchor an animal every time, but isn't what I'd call a high percentage shot. Most of the spine shot animals I've harvested were actually a result of an upper shoulder shot that was a tad TOO high....regardless, they didn't go anywhere

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

You have to look at the situation. I have hit a deer with a 30-30 and seen it knocked down never to stand again, or to pass clean through and have to track it 100 yards. I have hit a deer with a Weatherby 7 Mag and seen it run 50 yards with a heart-lung shot,as well as seeing it get dropped dead where it stood at 400 yards. Remember this too, a 12 gauge is roughly a .72 caliber. Situation is going to determine what happens. Nothing is impossible, and nothing is guaranteed. Just be ready for whatever might happen.

 

[Ankeny]

Hit them in the high shoulder and they won't take another step.

Hit them too high (nick the shoulder blade but below the spine) and they will drop like a sack of rocks, get up and take off like nothing happened. I have done that on a Pronghorn and an elk. My brother did it on a mule deer.