Deflection
- Thread starter Sol
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Sol
Well-Known Member
Federal 100gr .243 but the rifle itself Is pretty short barreled, I believe its 16"? I'm not sure of the twist.
farrieral
Well-Known Member
As many have said, bullets do peculiar things when the hit tissues, bone etc.
I've started home loading 80 grain copper ttsx for my 243, largely because they penetrate so well. I've since taken a good few beasts with them from big rutting fallow bucks and plenty of red hinds and followers. The largest hind weighing 72kg lardered. Nothing has gone more than 20 yards.
Not wanting to get into the lead vs copper debate at all... but thus far, for me copper certainly is no hindrance to the humble 243
Sol
Well-Known Member
I cant say we've ever had issues this is the one time Its did it, Its did it twice.
I'm obviously the one that shot the animal I know the relative context, positioning, range, and how I shot it, I can also genuinely see the entrance wound and the hole Its left behind the 4th/5th rib, whilst there's a hole in the flank with lead fragments around it the reason Its not blown too smithereens because as expected with red deer It absolutely blew the rumen up hitting on that side absorbing a significant amount of energy.
The first shot whilst confusing yes makes a bit more sense, definitely a deflection however still without a doubt human error on my part as well for even hitting the animal there in the first place, my second shot however? I found this little whitetail diagram online, sure Its not a red deer but in terms of quartering its about perfect.
For all intended purposes my shot should be buried on the other side shoulder, except I'm apparently the most unluckiest women ever.
.
Norfolk Deer Search
Well-Known Member
Sol
Well-Known Member
Oh yeah I'm not beating myself up about it by any means, I've genuinely made this thread because Its such a weird unique circumstance.Nohappens, don’t beat yourself up about it, any stalker who has shot a fair amount of deer that say they haven’t had a deflection or misplaced shot is a liar!
Always remember that.
Like I pelvis shot a roe deer last year, and brisket shot another not that I talked about those particular deer here ever but whenever I've talked about them in conversation I say it willingly, I learned from those mistakes I haven't repeated either.
The pelvis shot buck was a genuine issue with me being a "gun noob" I needed height too get a shot off and decided too aim in the V of a tree completely forgetting pressure on a barrel Is a horrible thing for the harmonics of the barrel, whilst It wasn't a clean miss out of anywhere I hut I managed too by chance hit the one area that killed it outright.
I'm not sure why It killed it outright, being shot in the pelvis/spine you would of expected back end paralysis but It was genuinely just bang flop.
Friend was sitting there cheering me on and just internally I have an absolute pit in my stomach "How did I do this?" I felt so guilty until I realised, whilst yes I was the issue It was also a genuine mistake too.
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Jez you guys talk some sxxt, things happen beyond your control because they do, if you shoot enough deer you will see some strange things, I changed from 243 to 270 because I hated looking a couple of times a year for the odd deer, I still walked a couple of times a year for the odd deer.
It is quite a short barrel, and will have an impact on the velocity of the bullet, maybe the bullet is not going fast enough to be able to mushroom properly? Ballistics are not my thing so someone else with better knowledge of the subject may be able to answer that, but at the ranges you've stated, I doubt it would have any impact (pardon the pun)
Sol
Well-Known Member
Out of all the parts It was moving the head was the most mobile, I'm sure I could of however a botched headshot in an already weird situation I feel like would be more unethical than a chest shot that the moment of shooting I was under the impression would be fine.
The initial shot was no though, I've just gotten too the point of head shooting roe with the .222 I'm not gonna attempt a 100-120 head shot on a red on a gun I fire a dozen times a year, I'm not quite ready for that.
And same here ballistics arent my cup of tea either, but it could have an impact for sure.
Dunwaters
Well-Known Member
Here’s my two bobs worth.
Any shot with any caliber can go wrong, but when you use a less powerful cartridge you increase the likelihood of less than optimal outcomes because you have a smaller margin for error.
In this case the performance of the cartridge illustrates precisely why I don’t like the .243 for the larger species.
I know that tens of thousands of large deer fall to the .243 every year, I know that it works, but I also know that deer shot in heavy forest are lost because the shooter doesn’t even know it was hit.
On open ground it works, because you can generally keep the animal in sight until it falls over or lies down. Its also an accurate and easy to use cartridge, but it generally doesn’t exit and leaves little or no evidence at the shot site or blood trail to follow.
My recommendation would be to get a 6.5 and keep the .243 for smaller species, or learn to neck shoot.
You’ll still get failures, just not as many.
There is no perfect cartridge, caliber or placement, if there was we’d all know it by now.
Any shot with any caliber can go wrong, but when you use a less powerful cartridge you increase the likelihood of less than optimal outcomes because you have a smaller margin for error.
In this case the performance of the cartridge illustrates precisely why I don’t like the .243 for the larger species.
I know that tens of thousands of large deer fall to the .243 every year, I know that it works, but I also know that deer shot in heavy forest are lost because the shooter doesn’t even know it was hit.
On open ground it works, because you can generally keep the animal in sight until it falls over or lies down. Its also an accurate and easy to use cartridge, but it generally doesn’t exit and leaves little or no evidence at the shot site or blood trail to follow.
My recommendation would be to get a 6.5 and keep the .243 for smaller species, or learn to neck shoot.
You’ll still get failures, just not as many.
There is no perfect cartridge, caliber or placement, if there was we’d all know it by now.
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
The Federal 100gn bullet is a traditional cup and core bullet. They are soft, don’t hold together that well and tend to deform, break up and deflect of hard objects. They are not expensive, but you get what you pay for.
From a 16” barrel it’s probably only doing 2700 fps if that from the muzzle. By the time it impacts it will have lost further velocity. This will result in a limited wound channel with not a lot of hydrostatic temporary wound channel. Ie the only damage done to the animal is from the direct effect of bullet, rather than the shock wave.
On any thing other than a perfect broadside shot placement you will struggle on the bigger deer. Saying that many many Red deer have fallen to Federal 100gn bullets.
If I were you I would look at a Fox or a Barnes TTSX monolithic type bullet which will be going substantially faster and will punch through any bone and tough stuff. The bullet stays in one piece so doesn’t shed energy and keeps penetrating. And the extra velocity will give a greater hydrostatic shock wound channel which will give additional disruption to major organs and blood vessels.
Yes such bullets / ammo is more expensive than Federal blue box, but by the time you used a couple of follow up shots its six of one and half a dozen of the other
From a 16” barrel it’s probably only doing 2700 fps if that from the muzzle. By the time it impacts it will have lost further velocity. This will result in a limited wound channel with not a lot of hydrostatic temporary wound channel. Ie the only damage done to the animal is from the direct effect of bullet, rather than the shock wave.
On any thing other than a perfect broadside shot placement you will struggle on the bigger deer. Saying that many many Red deer have fallen to Federal 100gn bullets.
If I were you I would look at a Fox or a Barnes TTSX monolithic type bullet which will be going substantially faster and will punch through any bone and tough stuff. The bullet stays in one piece so doesn’t shed energy and keeps penetrating. And the extra velocity will give a greater hydrostatic shock wound channel which will give additional disruption to major organs and blood vessels.
Yes such bullets / ammo is more expensive than Federal blue box, but by the time you used a couple of follow up shots its six of one and half a dozen of the other
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Completely agree, as said, the 243 will kill everything in this country, but other calibers do it better.
You shoot them where you are happy to shoot them ..end of
Some are happy with head shots (myself included in the right circumstances) and some arent...we make our choices and must be prepared to deal with the consequences. Plenty of botched head shots that I have heard of.
The fact that you admitted to this and posted it to educate others is commendable ...I somewhat bet you wish you hadn't bothered now
Norfolk Deer Search
Well-Known Member
I’ve seen more messed up head shots than a man should!You shoot them where you are happy to shoot them ..end of
Plenty of botched head shots that I have heard of.
The fact that you admitted to this and posted it to educate others is commendable ...I somewhat bet you wish you hadn't bothered now
@Sol do what pleases you that’s the key
Agree fully on both points
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