conical exit wound or a miss

[justafeedboy]

I started using conicals in my 50 caliber and have yet to harvest an animal with one. I was wondering what type of reation a shot deer would have with a conical. Today, the last day of deer season I spotted a group of deer 150 yds off headed away from me. I got excited, primed my pan with fresh powder, picked the whole and waited. There deer were on a path toward my truck. I watched them get where they could see my truck and like a pin ball flipper decided to turn around and head back in the woods back in play. Now they were headed toward me. I cocked the gun while they were behind trees and about 120 yards. They continue trot up the hill till they were 50 yds from me. I'm sitting with 6 doe in the sights they stop and start to feed in front of me. With the gun resting on my knee I pull the trigger and the gun goes off. The deer all stand there like nothing happened. I remained frozen expecting to see one drop over. After 30 seconds the deer disband and scatter in all directions. I found no hair, no blood is this common with a conical or should I expect a pass through shot. I did notice that my rear sight has some wobble in it and I plan to take it to the range to narrow down a miss. After 20+ years of muzzleload hunting I finally thought I was on top of hte learning curve. I value your resonses

Thanks

 

[flintlock75]

Having killed many big game animals with a muzzleloader, with both RB and Conicals, the reaction of the animals has been different each time. The moose i have shot using conicals have never run more that 50 yards after being hit and most have gone down after only a few steps. Deer i have shot have gone a little farther after a hit with both RB and Conicals. But all have had an immediate reaction to being hit.I would think that you missed cleanly if there was no reaction from the animal you shot at. Since your sight was loose that was probably the problem. A good hit in the vitals will put down any animal. Even a bad hit will get a reaction from the animal. I have used the Hornaday Great Plains Bullets in my .54 for 20 years and the exit wounds have always been extreme, lots of blood to follow.
Better luck next year.

 

[ohio ramrod]

50 yrds-no blood-no hair - NO HIT.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

Doesnt matter what the projectile is. You missed clean :haha:

 

[Dphar]

I started using conicals in my 50 caliber and have yet to harvest an animal with one. I was wondering what type of reation a shot deer would have with a conical. Today, the last day of deer season I spotted a group of deer 150 yds off headed away from me. I got excited, primed my pan with fresh powder, picked the whole and waited. There deer were on a path toward my truck. I watched them get where they could see my truck and like a pin ball flipper decided to turn around and head back in the woods back in play. Now they were headed toward me. I cocked the gun while they were behind trees and about 120 yards. They continue trot up the hill till they were 50 yds from me. I'm sitting with 6 doe in the sights they stop and start to feed in front of me. With the gun resting on my knee I pull the trigger and the gun goes off. The deer all stand there like nothing happened. I remained frozen expecting to see one drop over. After 30 seconds the deer disband and scatter in all directions. I found no hair, no blood is this common with a conical or should I expect a pass through shot. I did notice that my rear sight has some wobble in it and I plan to take it to the range to narrow down a miss. After 20+ years of muzzleload hunting I finally thought I was on top of hte learning curve. I value your resonses

Thanks

Deer would have reacted to the shot if hit.
Seldom will they just stand around if hit.

Dan

 

[PreglerD]

In my expirience deer fell down like hammerhit when impacted by a conical. I have seen this when hunting roedeer and weaker boars.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[Leatherbark]

I shot my first Muzzleloading deer in the early eighties with a Thompson Center Hawken with a 370gr Maxi ball at 125 yards. Doe was broadside, snowing heavily. Never shot passed 100 yards before So I guestimated.......Put the bead six inches over the top of her back and let loose.......When the smoke cleared she was kicking her hind legs like a bucking bronco..........I watched her do this for about 25 yards while I reloaded..........Then she flopped over, bled out through both 1/2 inch entrance and exit holes through the lungs...................Bob

 

[Capt. Fred]

Yup, sounds like a clean miss. I haven't used conicals in a while but when I lived in an area of Virginia that was very steep, we always shot them through the shoulder instead of behind the shoulder. This was to keep them from running off because they always ran downhill . I proabably shot 10 or 15 deer with the ML in the 10 years I lived there and I never had one that I hit in the shoulder take a single step.

These guns have a ton of energy up close and if you hit something thick or hard all that energy is transfered into the critter. I did shoot a deer that was jogging along slowly one time and hit it just behind the shoulder- it went about 50 yds.

 

[smo]

I have not shot conicals in 20 years or so But i have taken deer with both the Maxi Hunter & Buffalo Bullets and i don't remember any of them even taking one step when hit. As stated above these projectiles carry alot of energy on both ends. :shake: If i recall the Buffalo Bullets were around 435 grn. When you pulled the trigger with one of those loaded with 90 to 100 gr of powder you knew it. :youcrazy: From my experince you will start to see lead build up in the barrel if not properly cleaned, soap & water alone will not remove it :nono:

 

[David W.]

Back when used a Kodiak Double Express rifle in .58 using a Minie ball, I hit a deer at about 60 yards and it put a hole in him you could drive a freight train through. Lots of blood/hair.

You missed, sorry to say!

 

[boar]

I have shot deer with TC Hunters&Maxi-ball. If hit I had the deer. The ones that got away was because of a tree limp or stick. Dilly

 

[Rat Trapper]

From what you have written, it appears you missed. I have shot a lot of deer with conicals and never had one stand around feeding or looking around. Deer was either on the ground or may have made a short run, and then down.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

My son and I LOVE those 370 grain Maxi's! They are very accurate and at 125 yards yes you do have to "lob" them in to the game or the paper target.

No reaction is a miss in my book. You'll do better once the sight is fixed.

Dave

 

[Dphar]

I have not shot conicals in 20 years or so But i have taken deer with both the Maxi Hunter & Buffalo Bullets and i don't remember any of them even taking one step when hit. As stated above these projectiles carry alot of energy on both ends. :shake: If i recall the Buffalo Bullets were around 435 grn. When you pulled the trigger with one of those loaded with 90 to 100 gr of powder you knew it. :youcrazy: From my experince you will start to see lead build up in the barrel if not properly cleaned, soap & water alone will not remove it :nono:

This has to be a regional thing pertaining to the deer being shot.
I have shot a considerable number of deer with a wide range of calibers. They seldom go down at the shot.
2-3 years ago I shot 2 deer with the then new Hornady Leverevolution 45-70 325 gr at over 2000 from my 26" lever gun. SERIOUS deer load
Neither went down buck made 40 yards or so the doe made 100 (40 yard max shot) and got up again. But the bullets did not track straight on stiking the deer in either case.
But as I stated nothing knock them down in their tracks reliably except (I am told) a 25-06 with a light bullet. Then 1/2 the deer is bloodshot.
I shot a Mule Deer doe at 40 yards at the base of the throat with a 16 bore rifle 140 gr of FF Swiss, huge wound channel taking off the top of the heart.

Tissue and blood blown back out the entrance wound toward the gun.
Deer turned 90 degrees and ran 55 long steps.

Blood trail started where the deer stood

I have seen the same thing with everything from 45 cal RB to 7mm mag etc. White tail or mule deer.
Unless the spine is heavily shocked or the brain struck they only go down at the shot occasionally.
In my experience.
But a friend knocked a Wyoming doe down with a 45 RB at 120 yards. You figure it out :grin:

Dan

 

[zampilot]

"This has to be a regional thing pertaining to the deer being shot.
They seldom go down at the shot."

Regional? Maybe pertaining to shot placement?
I've only shot 6 deer but all but one dropped on the spot with a heart/lung shot.

 

[nkbj]

Different places have meant different distances, behavior and sizes. Little deer wonder around the yard. Big shy ones wonder around other places.

 

[larry wv]

I always shoot for the lungs. And if I don't want it to go anywhere I will take a shoulder out on the way in or out. Have killed a lot of deer Not one fell in its tracks with only a heart/lung shot. :idunno: What I am getting at if you are new to hunting check real close for sign of a hit. They don't fall over dead all the time. I shot a big doe in the lungs years back 30-06 150gr. It didn't move just stood there looking around for seemed like ever. Than sit down for a few seconds then fell over. It died in its tracks but don't think it counts Windy Larry Wv

 

[smo]

Dan, I always shoot for the front shoulder i have found out that it is extreamly hard for a deer to run off when you take out 1/2 of its running gear. And i have made a spine shot or two which will drop them in their tracks, But they will continue to flop around & spin and do flips for a while till they bleed to death or till you can ram another ball home and finish them of. Not a pretty sight :shake: :v