Ever use TC Maxi Ball or other??

[50flinter]

I use a T/C 370gr Maxiball and it works great. I shot over 20 deer with a roundball at various distances and always had to search for a long time because there just wasn't a good blood trail. I noticed at the 50 yd mark, the deer didn't run too far and it was easier finding them. But even out to 100 yds, the deer drop with the 370 gr Maxi. I dropped elk out to 88 yds with the 370gr also. I never got the Maxi Hunters to group well so I stayed with the 370gr. I want to try thr 320 grain Maxiball, maybe that won't tear the deer up as much.

 

[sidelock]

I have over about 60 years taken something around 200 deer (and several elk) with lots of rifles (BP & smokeless) and shotguns no bows.My brothers and hunting buddy about the same.We have had them drop like a sack of sand with all guns and had some go for long ways with all guns.Go figure.????? The TC maxie no different.However,I only load PRB these days because it seems to me to be just as good out to 100 yd.A short story---- I once had small doe run a 1/2 mi with no lungs after a 30-06 went through both and nothing left.Also have never lost a wounded one.

 

[Little Wattsy]

I recall having and hearing others talk of deer going quite a ways back when I shot centerfires,the hunting shows usually shows the deer taking off and going a ways before going down,there are just to many variables involved to make any absolute deductions about what will take a deer the fastest.

Well......To shut them down and drop them "RIGHT THERE" you MUST disrupt the nervous system. Damage the spinal cord or brain and they are NOT going anywhere! A heart shot critter can still live 7 seconds. A deer canb run 100 yards in 7 seconds.
The point is that MOST deer WILL run when shot vitally included UNLESS you break their back, head soot them, or take out the front shoulders.

 

[Trench]

I'd like to add to dropping deer in their tracks. I agree you have to hit the CNS or place a modern or high velocity projectile close to the spine so that the temporary wound channel compresses the spinal cord causing collapse.

Another thing to remember is that deer don't have an emotional response to being hit. People have been known to drop to the ground no matter where their hit. Deer just don't have that emotional reponse and will run until they physically can't anymore.

 

[DEWB]

Last week I killed a nice doe with a .58 rb at about 25yrd. Hit her right behind the shoulder and it went clear through her, but she was like the energizer bunny and just kept going and going. I'd say she went between 150 to 200 yrds before she gave it up.And she gave me some tracking lessons the way she switched directions on me.But we found her. So even if they are hit good they can still go along ways.

 

[rabjr]

Wow, my .58 so far has put em down pretty quick. Thats kinda hard for me to believe from what I have seen anyway. But I guess it is possible.

 

[larry wv]

Truthfuly I don't see much differance in a 30-06 a 12 gauge slug 58 prb or good sharp broadhead. If both lungs are hit. Some times the adrenalin is flowing and they get a good start. I have taken a LOT of deer. And have never knocked one down with a lung shot and no shoulder hit on the way in or out. This is not directed toward anyone. Just 50 or so years of my observations. 50-125 yards is what I see with most around 75 yards. But some deer are bigger or smaller in other states. Could be differant. Larry Wv

 

[rabjr]

Didn't realize what thread I was in when I posted, I've never used .58 maxi-ball only prb. However I've shot pile of em myself with various calibers and never had a double lung shot deer go over 60 yards that I can remember. Heart shot animals have always seemed to give me the most problem with running off and leaving little blood, so I try to avoid those as much as possible. Take their air away so they can't breath and they generally don't go far.

 

[larry wv]

Right Swampy heart shot deer don't bleed very well. The last deer I hit in the heart was a hornless buck and it ran 250 yards. It was shot with a 50 caliber maxi ball. Larry

 

[paulvallandigham]

sounds like you hit a bit high. You hit needs to be in the bottom 1/3 of the chest to hit the bottom of the lungs, and the aorta and other large blood vessels coming out of the heart below. BTDT.

 

[DEWB]

Could have been a little high.My rifle was sighted in for a longer distance than 25 Yrds. But I don't think it was way high. The deer was quartering toward me alittle and the ball went right behind the shoulder and exited a little farther back in the ribs on the far side. Found some little bits of lung here and there and the blood was bright red and a little spotty at first so I may have clipped the heart but I didn't look at it, it was dark when I dressed it.

 

[longcruise]

The deer was quartering toward me alittle and the ball went right behind the shoulder and exited a little farther back in the ribs on the far side.

It's possible, even likely, that you did not hit the far side lung or if you clipped the back of it it may have remained funtional long enough for the deer to cover some ground. It can be hard to tell in the dark.

 

[rabjr]

Yes and bright red blood usually means muscle. That deer may have been hit hard but not hard enough to put it down quick.

 

[DEWB]

Could be. I'm just glad we found her. I lost the trail about dark and my batteries were running low so my headlamp wasn't very bright. The conservation guy brought a mag light and a mule [the 4 wheel kind] and helped me find her. Then we threw her in the mule and got her out of there. It worked out good because I was way back there and nobody can take a vehicle back there except an agent. It would have took me hours to drag her out of there. I was very glad for the help.

 

[Snow on the Roof]

Right Swampy heart shot deer don't bleed very well. The last deer I hit in the heart was a hornless buck and it ran 250 yards. It was shot with a 50 caliber maxi ball. Larry

I don't dispute this just contrary to my own experience. The heart shot deer I've seen ran like their tail was on fire bleeding profusely leaving an easy to find trail. One note, the last heart shot deer I had was a big doe. I hit her on the run with a .54 PRB and 100 gr. FF. Like the others, she left an ample blood trail but at the end of the 200 yards I found her still alive requiring a follow up shot. A quick autopsy revealed a clean thumb size hole in the aorta. Go figure. The two deer I've killed with a conical both where heart shot and both traveled less than 50 yards. Conicals do work however, with exception of the above mentioned doe, my experiences with PRB has been just as positive.


John

 

[rabjr]

Right Swampy heart shot deer don't bleed very well. The last deer I hit in the heart was a hornless buck and it ran 250 yards. It was shot with a 50 caliber maxi ball. Larry

I don't dispute this just contrary to my own experience. The heart shot deer I've seen ran like their tail was on fire bleeding profusely leaving an easy to find trail. One note, the last heart shot deer I had was a big doe. I hit her on the run with a .54 PRB and 100 gr. FF. Like the others, she left an ample blood trail but at the end of the 200 yards I found her still alive requiring a follow up shot. A quick autopsy revealed a clean thumb size hole in the aorta. Go figure. The two deer I've killed with a conical both where heart shot and both traveled less than 50 yards. Conicals do work however, with exception of the above mentioned doe, my experiences with PRB has been just as positive.


John

You weren't by chance in a tree stand shoot downward were you? I found a straight on shot usually takes 50 or so yards before they bleed because the chest needs to fill to the point of the hole. But not always.

A quick autopsy revealed a clean thumb size hole in the aorta.

I did this once on a 140 lb hog dressed Doe, took us 20 minutes before the guy I was with was able to get close enough to finish her off as she staggered like a drunken Sailor. After close to 300 yards and the woods looked like a murder scene. That was a .12ga Foster slug, never seen anything like it before or since. :youcrazy:

 

[Snow on the Roof]

Swampy, I was up 10 feet up on a small ladder stand. Perhaps? Interesting to consider but it most likely was an exception rather than the norm. A friend was driving deer towards me and I shot her on a dead run at 15 yards. I always figured adrenaline was the reason for the long blood trail but you idea has credibility. :hmm:

John

 

[larry wv]

I always try for a lung shot the deer was chaseing a doe on the run. Due to old age and poor reflexs I got the heart A few times the lung shot deer had no blood trail. Double lunged a buck with a broadhead once no blood trail not even any blood in its mouth. Went about 50 yards. I was there and still find it hard to belive. Was bowhunting yesterday and paced off the hornless buck deal.225 instead of 250 my mistake. Larry

 

[tg]

I think a gentleman pretty much su,,ed it up when he said that be it 30/06/8mmmag broadhead/maxi ball or PRB, some Deer will go down quicker than others, due to pacement and possibly the stamina of the individual Deer, I find it anoying when I see guys without much range time lob balls out to 100 yds and make the statement"hit 'em right in the bloiler rom but I lost him" and of course it was the balls lack of stopping/killng power at fault, a yoyg friend of mine had that problem when he would not listen tt range limits the few times we practiced together and lost two deer on one day due to the low performance of the ball .54cal 80-90 yds he had no idea where he hit the animals. He decided to use a GOOD bullet and went the Sabot route and tossed pistol bullets out past 100 yds and lost a couple more the following week, it is really hard for some to grasp that ot is not the projectile, it is where you put it, there area lot of ML hunters and I use the term loosley that canot let go of modern bullets because they cannot either get close enough or shoot strait enough to make the ball work, I think the extended range is the attraction to the modern bullets and modern peep sights, I just don't see why one would want to use a ML if you are basicaly getting the performance of a large cal centerfire, having the hammer on the side or bottom doesn't really offset the modern gear at the terminal end of things to make it a traditional experience, a #1 Ruger will give the same results.Wake up and smell the powder, watch the mist wift through the trees and step back for a minute and enjoy the experience that dissapeared so long ago....or just go kill another Deer.

 

[lone hunter]

My son and I use TC maxi-balls exclusively with great results on deer, elk and moose. Cannot recommend the TC maxi-hunter. 54cal TC Renegade, 1-33 twist, 105gr pyro,430 maxi-ball. Good Hunting, Mike