Author Topic: Recovered bullets (Read 2284 times)

T.R. · « **on:** February 17, 2010, 03:57:57 AM »

This is the recovered bullet from a large red stag I harvested recently. The animal was facing me when I shot into the chest and this bullet penetrated entire length of body. It was recoverd in meaty portion of hind quarter near pelvis. Distance was approx 85 yards or so. I'm very happy with this stag and the bullet performance.

Let's see your recovered bullets!

TR

Dee · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2010, 04:30:59 AM »

T.R. that is way to big a game animal to be shootin with a 3030. The stag probably simply died of a heart attack.

Just kiddin! Great shot, and congrats on the stag. What did it weigh, is the rifle a Winchester, or Marlin?

Old Grizz · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2010, 04:48:14 AM »

Nice Stag and Winchester came through again. Congrats!!

Oldshooter · « **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2010, 05:23:54 AM »

Very nice Red Stag!

Glad to see someone killing big game with a 30-30. Was he DRT or run a bit?

I wish I could show some recovered bullets! I used my 308 last week to kill a couple of Axis bucks but they passed through. One was at 220 yards and I really thought I had missed until I heard the "wop" but it passed through as well!

T.R. · « **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2010, 06:09:12 AM »

Dee:

This is my Winchester 94 Legasy. Dad gave it to me in 1995 and its been on many successfull hunts. My daughter named it Meat-Maker after she took this huge muley. We hunted in Black Hills Nat'l Forest about 12 miles or so from Spearfish, South Dakota.

This red stag weighed approx 350 lbs or more. I'm going by my guide's estimate.

TR

Siskiyou · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2010, 07:54:06 AM »

T.R.

Good animal, a very good report on the 30-30 with the 170-grain Winchester bullet.

This post answered the question of what caliber, and what bullet you were using after reading your first post on the stag.

Sweetwater · « **Reply #6 on:** February 17, 2010, 08:09:37 AM »

Great stuff, T.R.!! You're making my morning!!

Regards,
Sweetwater

454Puma · « **Reply #7 on:** February 18, 2010, 02:00:44 PM »

T.R.
Well I guess that ends the discussion on wether the PP's are a tough bullet! By going through 4' of stag!!
Kind of surprised it didn't open up more? But it probably didn't hit much in the way of bone though!

Dee · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2010, 02:34:10 PM »

As much as I like my 3030, he talks in another thread about shooting the stag 3 times. The chest shot was the last shot. This was not a one shot kill, just a one shot recovery of one bullet. I would though it isn't possible, like to know what happened with the other two shots, other than the animal not going down. Was it bullet failure, or bullet placement? I don't believe it was lack of power.

fatercat · « **Reply #9 on:** February 19, 2010, 01:57:53 AM »

Dee, why do you want to put a neg. comment. on this mans post. wheres your red stag? do you think it elevates your standing? don't be a pig!

Dee · « **Reply #10 on:** February 19, 2010, 03:35:08 AM »

Quote from: fatercat on February 19, 2010, 01:57:53 AM

Dee, why do you want to put a neg. comment. on this mans post. wheres your red stag? do you think it elevates your standing? don't be a pig!

You need to do some checkin fatcat. And are you the class monitor?

Halwg · « **Reply #11 on:** February 20, 2010, 04:28:50 PM »

With the small deer we have in WV, I haven't recovered a bullet in many years. The ones I did recover had jacket separation.

T.R. · « **Reply #12 on:** February 21, 2010, 02:36:07 AM »

Dee:

I'm NOT offended by your question.

The stag was running full bore. I swung my carbine and fired when the crosshairs were even with his mane. The action was levered and I shot again with same lead. Both of these bullets crashed through the chest and exited out the far side. The animal stopped and turned toward me when the last shot was fired. At the shot, the huge stag wobbled and fell over. These events occurred within a few seconds.

Would a 444 have dropped the animal with one shot? This is a hypothetical question which deserves a hypothetical answer. Maybe.

I've hunted with various 30-30 carbines for about 40 years and have never lost an animal. It's an outstanding cartridge for my hunting style.

Good hunting to you.

TR

Dee · « **Reply #13 on:** February 21, 2010, 02:40:22 AM »

That was my point and not well explained until I edited. I wanted to know what the first two shots did. It sounds like they would have been fatal given a short period of time, but I would have continued to shoot, just as you did.

Sweetwater · « **Reply #14 on:** February 21, 2010, 06:35:07 AM »

+1 and it was a great harvest of a great trophy!

Thanks for the pics and DETAILS! It makes so much difference in presentation.

Great Job, T.R.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #15 on:** February 21, 2010, 07:50:44 AM »

Quote

Was he DRT or run a bit?

Never mind, I guess my question was answered!

BBF · « **Reply #16 on:** February 21, 2010, 09:27:44 AM »

Using a 444 sounds good to me, you will like the results

huntinhick · « **Reply #17 on:** February 21, 2010, 09:53:51 AM »

this is a hornaday leverolution 160 grain 30/30 from my 08 whitetail.

Dee · « **Reply #18 on:** February 21, 2010, 10:28:27 AM »

That bullet done it's job, although the 170 grain Winchester "power point" T.R. used did very well.

John Y Cannuck · « **Reply #19 on:** February 21, 2010, 12:54:43 PM »

As one who frequently hunts and shoots running game, I think the fact he kept shooting 'till the game was down is commendable. Something I always do.
Even on a perfect broadside shot, things can go wrong. Keep shooting until the game is down, regardless of your choice of cartridge, and your blood trails will be short.
With the 30-30 you won't waste much meat.
The Moose in my avatar, was a one shot kill with the 30-30, but that's only because he fell at the shot.

Dee · « **Reply #20 on:** February 21, 2010, 02:36:29 PM »

I couldn't agree more. If I were shootin a 4570, knowing they were goin clear thru, I'd keep shootin.
A friend of mine once got an invite to come to a West Texas ranch and shoot a buffalo. He had never shot one, and after the first shot the buffalo just stood there. He said there was no way it wasn't a good shot, and he started to shoot again. His son who managed the ranch told him to hold off. After less than a minute, the buffalo on the other side of the one he shot laid down, and rolled over. Then the one he shot fell.
When they drove over to the dead buffalo, all the others left. but those two. He had killed them both with one shot. Lotta skinin and field dressin.

Terbltim · « **Reply #21 on:** March 21, 2010, 08:20:11 AM »

Here are a couple photos and summaries;

First is a before & after photo of a 45/70 bullet recovered from a 9-pt buck this year.
Bullet entered the neck just rear and below the left jaw-bone and ended under the skin in the white-hair next to the anus, (fell out while field dressing.) Estimated penetration was 56-inches. Bullet left the 26" barrel at around 1600-fps [its one of our "pet loads"] and the deer was 82-steps distant. Deer dropped upon the shot. We never thought we'd recover one of these from a deer but...

Next is a photo of a 45 Colt load made specifically for deer hunting with the 454 Puma rifle made by Rossi and sold by Legacy International.
It is a 230gr Gold Dot with all the IMR4198 we could get behind it at a O.A.L. of 1.796"
for velocities right at 1400-fps from the 20" barrel, (the load gives about 925-fps from a revolver.)
This bullet was recovered from a doe that was uphill and about 45 steps distant.
The bullet struck low and rear of the ribcage, entering the stomach going forward, upward and across the body to exit just above the point of the shoulder. The bullet was "dangling" in the flesh and gut that was protruding from the wound which was about one-inch in diameter. The deer was knocked to the ground and nearly rolled uphill from the impact of this hit. It died on the spot.
We never guessed a 230gr Gold Dot would go this deep in a deer, about 16 to 18 inches (we think.)

Another view of the 230gr Gold Dot loaded and recovered:

Hope these images come through.
We need to start taking measuring tapes to the field with us.

BBF · « **Reply #22 on:** March 21, 2010, 10:46:37 AM »

I am surprised at the lack of expansion on that 405 gr Rem bullet cosidering you pushed it out approx. 300 fps faster then the factory loading. Not that a 45 cal bullet needs a lot of mushrooming in the first place.

Drilling Man · « **Reply #23 on:** March 21, 2010, 12:10:13 PM »

I REALLY like Nosler Partitions, and have been using them since the 70's. I prefer to have an exit hole on animals, and NP's do that pretty much every time, so i don't have a lot of expanded NP's to show.

Here's one that took out about 12" of spine on a huge whitetail at about 150 yards...

It's an 8mm 200NP, and the MV was 2,550fps... As you can see, the nose blew off, and the rear 2/3's stayed together... Just what i expect from an NP on big game...

DM

Terbltim · « **Reply #24 on:** March 21, 2010, 04:32:14 PM »

Quote from: BBF on March 21, 2010, 10:46:37 AM

I am surprised at the lack of expansion on that 405 gr Rem bullet considering you pushed it out approx. 300 fps faster then the factory loading. Not that a 45 cal bullet needs a lot of mushrooming in the first place.

We were surprised that the bullet stopped at all. Its a first for us, (after about 30 years of shooting these bullets.)
We have never seen any evidence of expansion from this bullet when used on little things like deer.
If there were just a few inches less deer to go through we'd never know what it looked like.

BBF · « **Reply #25 on:** March 22, 2010, 12:31:04 PM »

Very surprising for me as well considering the bluntness, very soft lead and thin jacket construction of that bullet.

kingstrider · « **Reply #26 on:** August 03, 2010, 06:23:11 PM »

Thanks for the pics. The first one reminded me of why the 30/30 is my favorite rifle cartridge.