Got lucky in northern Michigan

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PEARL DRUMS

PEARL DRUMS

40 Cal
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I was fortunate enough to squeeze the trigger on a northern Michigan deer. .54 cal, 80 grains of 3f and PRB. 45 yard shot. No ribs touched and no pass through. I saw a bulge on the off side and cut out the ball. I wasn’t happy about that. Where I hunt it is all pine needles, moss and lichen as you can see. I appreciate at least some blood or it gets very tough finding animals, very tough. You can’t hear them run off and/or crash down to make it more difficult. But, it worked this time and I found him.
 

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PEARL DRUMS said:
I was fortunate enough to squeeze the trigger on a northern Michigan deer. .54 cal, 80 grains of 3f and PRB. 45 yard shot. No ribs touched and no pass through. I saw a bulge on the off side and cut out the ball. I wasn’t happy about that. Where I hunt it is all pine needles, moss and lichen as you can see. I appreciate at least some blood or it gets very tough finding animals, very tough. You can’t hear them run off and/or crash down to make it more difficult. But, it worked this time and I found him.
Click to expand...
GO BLUE
 
Congrats on your buck! 👍 Fine rifle too.

Was the shot quartering away? Just asking because the entrance point looks back a bit like a shot to quarter forward to the opposite shoulder...thus more body to traverse for an exit, which might account for no pass through. If broadside, then I'm surprised that with that load and distance it didn't go through and zinging around the woods on the other side.
 
Yes, he was quartering away about 20 degrees. Just got done putting him in the freezer. Interesting find was found. The ball somehow hit a rib and rolled around it perhaps. But, didn’t break it. can’t push a finger straight through the entry hole without wiggling around a rib. It’s a strange entry. The offside was stopped by the hide between the very front few ribs. No bone damage anywhere I could find.

GO BLUE! indeed, JTT.
 
Congrats !
PEARL DRUMS said:
I was fortunate enough to squeeze the trigger on a northern Michigan deer. .54 cal, 80 grains of 3f and PRB. 45 yard shot. No ribs touched and no pass through. I saw a bulge on the off side and cut out the ball. I wasn’t happy about that. Where I hunt it is all pine needles, moss and lichen as you can see. I appreciate at least some blood or it gets very tough finding animals, very tough. You can’t hear them run off and/or crash down to make it more difficult. But, it worked this time and I found him.
Click to expand...
 
First, congratulations on a fine animal. I've killed quite a few deer with my .54 and about the same load (although 2F), and I will say that I find your experience odd and not at all like mine. I realize it is hard to remember in the excitement of the shot, but did the shot feel or sound different, as if the powder might have been slightly damp, etc.?
 
Nothing sounded or felt odd to me. It was as quick as a flint lock will ignite and plenty of boom behind it. I had just loaded the rifle that morning before walking out to hunt. The rifle was kept outside under my cabin porch the night prior so it wasn't sweating at all. It worked in the end, but sure was odd.
 
Congratulations!! Sound like you did everything just right. That ball may well have exited with a little less powder...or if it was farther away. I have had the exact same thing happen several times on close deer. Seems odd that a slower ball will penetrate better, but it does as it stays round. The flattened balls likely do more damage, but a harder lead alloy will definitely penetrate more.
 
PEARL DRUMS said:
I was fortunate enough to squeeze the trigger on a northern Michigan deer. .54 cal, 80 grains of 3f and PRB. 45 yard shot. No ribs touched and no pass through. I saw a bulge on the off side and cut out the ball. I wasn’t happy about that. Where I hunt it is all pine needles, moss and lichen as you can see. I appreciate at least some blood or it gets very tough finding animals, very tough. You can’t hear them run off and/or crash down to make it more difficult. But, it worked this time and I found him.
Click to expand...
Yes sir u got it done!!! Congrats to you.
 
I think the higher speed of your round ball caused it to mushroom out and dump all the energy inside the deer. If your ball was traveling a couple hundred FPS slower, it probably would not have mushroomed as much and made a pass through. Although it's good to dump all the energy inside the deer, sometimes in thick cover it makes them more difficult to track due to lack of a better blood trail.
 
It took all he had to stay on his hooves at impact. That ball tossed him around like a doll and spun him 180 degrees. But, he managed to stay upright and "run" about 70-80 yards.

Thanks all for the kind words. It's nice to talk about things like this with fellas that know what they are reading about.
 

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