I was watching a YouTube video and the hunter mentioned "I've never lost an animal that I've shot more than once" after he pumped several rounds into an elk (all good shots). It got me thinking about the times I have lost an animal and how those have only been 1 shot hits. I am firmly in the keep shooting till they stop moving camp now but what say you?
Losing Animals....
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Snake Charmer
Happiness is a warm gut pile
My mantra for a long time has been don't stop shooting until they fall down and that began when I began hunting elk . I realized that an animal that big has a lot of non lethal areas. My first elk was in Montana and my first shot was at about 500 yards and it was bad I saw the hit and knew I had a problen and kept shooting. I did anchor it but it took a few more rounds. A little more lost meat is better than a whole lost animal. I got two take aways from that lesson. Don't shoot beyond your known personal limit and don't shoot until you are sure you can take the animal down. I've never lost animal a big game animal because of that lesson learned.
Those are good lessons. I couldn't agree more with the "little lost meat is better than a whole lost animal."
I've unfortunately lost an elk that did hit the ground and I thought it was all over. Unfortunately, he got up an took off while I was trying to help a buddy also fill his tag. I'll always keep the scope on them for a good 20 seconds or so after they go down now.
That’s why I hunt with an ‘06. It picks up my slack when I need it to. Things aren’t always perfect in the field and can happen fast. I need that 180 grain to do what it does best.
I hit mine with .300 win. mag. 180 gr. High shoulder. Sometimes Elk just don't want to give it up.
Out of the 189million mammals that have met there maker ..I've never lost one ..not one!!...LOL.... remember the LOL part of my statement 16ers...
I have been lucky enough to have shot an elk. And found the .30 caliber projectile placed behind the shoulder (heart/lung shot) to be the most lethal way to harvest the beast.
Elk can run on three legs but can't go far if their pump or air tank is compromised.
Poking multiple holes is a plus.
Elk can run on three legs but can't go far if their pump or air tank is compromised.
Poking multiple holes is a plus.
I'm thinking a big 30 may get you a deer/pig that wasn't heart/lung shot. On an elk, no chance. I've also watched my dad with his 300wm take shots I wouldn't with a 270/6.5. Luckily a 300prc happened to show up at my house.
That said, I'm going to error on the side of more bullets rather than less.
It really bothers me when I lose rabbits and quail, I can't sleep at night when I lose dove, just one, more than one I have nightmares.
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Snake Charmer
Happiness is a warm gut pile
I wouldn't think that about a deer or pig. A bad bullet placement is a bad bullet placement no matter the species. If they can run they are gone bottom line. Caliber does not matter when it comes to lethal shots, You have to put the projectile where it disrupts the system that's the bottom line period if you want a one shot kill with no follow up....
While I generally agree, size does matter. Gut shoot a rabbit with a .223 then gut shoot a deer. The effects will be drastically different. While I agree shot placement is king, when a mistake is made and a shot hits the wrong spot having excess energy/trauma on tap will help in recovering the animal. That is what I was saying, not that gut shooting pigs/deer is OK.
Heavier projectiles carrying more energy and frontal diameter definitely have an advantage. This would be difficult to argue regardless of game. Good shot placement is king for sure. And poor shot placement can't generally be made up for with heavier calibers. Reaching vitals can be, though.
Just a meager opinion from modest field experience.
Just a meager opinion from modest field experience.
Snake Charmer
Happiness is a warm gut pile
Got it and no disagrrement. A one or two pound rodent hit with a fragmentation bullet from a sub big game caliber has little comparision against a 150 lb deer hit with a designed big game bullet those are two different things. Shot placement has little to do with a squirrel or rabbit hit with a high frag high velocity 223 round compared to a cervid hit with a quality bullet in the right spot. I've shot more vermin than I can count with high veloicty small caliber rounds and when you part the two different ends of the vermin apart they don't go far.
Larry shot deer on the side of the road that was injured ... with his trusty 380 auto (the one he packs for lion protection) in the back of the cranium...it worked..jus sayin .. Too soon??
..O .and I'm pretty sure he used a lead projectile...so that's prolly why it worked...I like lead .
Those odds are not able to be calculated with any know mathematical formulas.
I saw that firsthand this year in Colorado. One deer hit back with a 6.5 CM (143gd eld) and one with a 338L (285gr eld) both with identical shot placement. The 6.5 buck took follow-up shots, the 338 buck did not.