I found out today that I was drawn for a public deer hunt in Texas. In mid December I'll get to chase whitetail, javelina, feral hogs, and hopefully axis deer for a few days.
I've seen an axis buck dead along a farm to market road in Texas but yet to have seen one alive. This will be my fourth public deer hunt where I could theoretically harvest an exotic during the hunt but the first where axis deer were a possibility. I've yet to see an exotic on any of those deer hunts and struck out on my lone exotic hunt despite seeing tons of nilgai.
what bullet was it?Took my first deer of the year today during Michigan Early Antlerless. This is my third kill with a .350 Legend. It's a very effective round, but I'm not at all impressed with the lack of blood trail.View attachment 224706
Winchester Deer Season XP 150 grain. For all three.what bullet was it?
The farther you shoot, the heavier of a bullet you'll want. I know this isn't apples to apples, but years ago I switched from 168gr matchkings to 200gr matchkings in my 30-06 and the velocity stayed about the same. The heavier bullet bucked the wind better, and hit harder. This has carried over into my hunting bullets too and I generally go heavier for caliber in anything I do now.Winchester Deer Season XP 150 grain. For all three.
Shot placement:
Deer 1: Trailing edge of shoulder, knicked the heart, pass through.
Deer 2: Double lung, pass through. Best blood trail of the three, but not great.
Deer 3: Leading edge of shoulder, quartering toward shot, no pass through, no extensive internal bleeding. Not surprised on the blood trail here specifically, I was surprised at no exit wound.
All three were shot within 75 yards and died within 50 yds of where they were shot. I'm happy with effectiveness of the round, but I'm suspicious of how much bullet expansion I'm getting. I've considered a heavier bullet to try and guarantee an exit wound, but I don't want to trade weight for range. I'm hunting primarily field edge, with the opportunity for longer shots.
Yeah, I just don't know what to make of it. I hunt with a .270 in Indiana and have always gotten a great blood trail, even on a bad hit. Prior to that I hunted with a shotgun, which of course always netted great blood. I agree on the rib hit producing a better blood trail.The farther you shoot, the heavier of a bullet you'll want. I know this isn't apples to apples, but years ago I switched from 168gr matchkings to 200gr matchkings in my 30-06 and the velocity stayed about the same. The heavier bullet bucked the wind better, and hit harder. This has carried over into my hunting bullets too and I generally go heavier for caliber in anything I do now.
All things considered, I think you got three good shots. The best blood trails I've had are from hitting a rib on the other side otherwise I never get much blood trail to speak of.
My first high power rifle deer in Indiana was with a 30-06 and it took more than one shot although every hit was a killer by itself the deer just didn't react to it that I could see. They're funny critters about how they die when shot. If I wanted a better blood trail I'd be looking for something 44 mag or wider like a 45-70 or 12ga slug, but then I'd got rainbow trajectory.Yeah, I just don't know what to make of it. I hunt with a .270 in Indiana and have always gotten a great blood trail, even on a bad hit. Prior to that I hunted with a shotgun, which of course always netted great blood. I agree on the rib hit producing a better blood trail.
I believe Hornady makes a 170 gr and I may try to find some of that. Ultimately the pistol caliber restrictions are a real handicap to hunting rounds and we just have to work around it.
I started with shotgun and then moved to .44 Mag rifle when those were legalized. I only ended up shooting one deer with the .44 and it dropped right there, but I've heard similar complaints regarding lack of blood. I moved to the .350 because I just don't care for the .44, I can't shoot it as well as I'd like and I don't trust it past about 125 yards.My first high power rifle deer in Indiana was with a 30-06 and it took more than one shot although every hit was a killer by itself the deer just didn't react to it that I could see. They're funny critters about how they die when shot. If I wanted a better blood trail I'd be looking for something 44 mag or wider like a 45-70 or 12ga slug, but then I'd got rainbow trajectory.
For a long time I was getting into black bear hunting and most of those guy go for a slower and wider bullet because so much fat on the animal helps seal up the bullet holes and you lose the blood trails.
All things considered, I look at blood trails as a "nice to have" thing, but if I don't get one I am usually finding the critter within 50 yards of where it was hit.
I get that. My 44 lever gun is the one I've got my biggest bucks with and for whatever reason is my lucky gun in the thick woods. For distance though, it's not the rifle I grab. The last two years I've popped small/medium bucks about 250 yards out with my 6.5cm.I started with shotgun and then moved to .44 Mag rifle when those were legalized. I only ended up shooting one deer with the .44 and it dropped right there, but I've heard similar complaints regarding lack of blood. I moved to the .350 because I just don't care for the .44, I can't shoot it as well as I'd like and I don't trust it past about 125 yards.
You might give the Winchester Copper Impact a try if you want to stay with the 150 grain load. By the reports I've seen, it expands and penetrates well. The new Barnes load would be a good option if you want to step up in weight, provided you can find it in stock.Winchester Deer Season XP 150 grain. For all three.
Shot placement:
Deer 1: Trailing edge of shoulder, knicked the heart, pass through.
Deer 2: Double lung, pass through. Best blood trail of the three, but not great.
Deer 3: Leading edge of shoulder, quartering toward shot, no pass through, no extensive internal bleeding. Not surprised on the blood trail here specifically, I was surprised at no exit wound.
All three were shot within 75 yards and died within 50 yds of where they were shot. I'm happy with effectiveness of the round, but I'm suspicious of how much bullet expansion I'm getting. I've considered a heavier bullet to try and guarantee an exit wound, but I don't want to trade weight for range. I'm hunting primarily field edge, with the opportunity for longer shots.
I wonder if we are spoiled by the blood trails our shotguns gave us. The 12 gauge is hugely over kill on a whitetail, but that's predominantly what we had to hunt with. I shot a buck once with a 12 gauge Federal Barnes Expander Sabot and it looked like a 5 gallon bucket dumped on the ground for the 50ish yards he went. I shot a doe at 12 yards or so with a rifled slug and it literally blew her off her feet. It is amazing the amount of energy a 12 gauge dumps into a target.Winchester Deer Season XP 150 grain. For all three.
Shot placement:
Deer 1: Trailing edge of shoulder, knicked the heart, pass through.
Deer 2: Double lung, pass through. Best blood trail of the three, but not great.
Deer 3: Leading edge of shoulder, quartering toward shot, no pass through, no extensive internal bleeding. Not surprised on the blood trail here specifically, I was surprised at no exit wound.
All three were shot within 75 yards and died within 50 yds of where they were shot. I'm happy with effectiveness of the round, but I'm suspicious of how much bullet expansion I'm getting. I've considered a heavier bullet to try and guarantee an exit wound, but I don't want to trade weight for range. I'm hunting primarily field edge, with the opportunity for longer shots.
Bullet selection and shot placement have much more to do with the quality of the blood trail than shotgun vs. rifle, IMO. I've lost deer due to non-existent blood trails from crappy sabots and have been lucky to find others despite the lack of a blood trail. The only poor blood trail I've had with a rifle was on my buck from last year and that was primarily because I had to aim above the weeds he was standing in and hit him high. Generally, the lower in the chest cavity and closer to the heart you hit the better the blood trail will be.I wonder if we are spoiled by the blood trails our shotguns gave us. The 12 gauge is hugely over kill on a whitetail, but that's predominantly what we had to hunt with. I shot a buck once with a 12 gauge Copper Solid Sabot and it looked like a 5 gallon bucket dumped on the ground for the 50ish yards he went. I shot a doe at 12 yards or so with a rifled slug and it literally blew her off her feet. It is amazing the amount of energy a 12 gauge dumps into a target.
So it makes sense that as we downsize the rounds we are using we are going to have smaller entry/exit wounds and a resulting smaller blood trail.
From my experience, I get the most consistent blood trails and shorter track jobs from archery equipment.