A little disappointing...

Doublezranch

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
1,363
Location
Texas
This year I was eager to fill my North Dakota tag with my 300 ultra. I spent a ton of time testing, tuning, and falling in love with the 230 grain Bergers.

When it came crunch time, the bullet ripped through that deer with tremendous force. To my surprise, the deer ran over 100 yards after the shot leaving in its wake a crime scene like know other. My shot sliced the heart and ripped a whole that I could put my fist into. Did I say it ran over a 100 yards after the shot?

That's the disappointing part. You would thing with that energy it would have fallen like a ton of bricks. Has any of you had this happen to them?

After this happened by the way, I had a chance to shoot my WY Elk with my 338 ultra. I shoot a 265 Barnes through it and I have never had to chase a animal yet. I shot my elk square in the chest at 150 yards and it flipped it on its back.

Any feedback is good feedback! Thanks everyone!
 
Yes. I "Think" more so with a heart shot. I prefer above the heart where the great vessels come together. With the pump intact it seems to me they bleed out, and lose pressure quicker. I could be wrong about the last part, but. I have marveled at the tenacity of more than 1 critter. If the day comes I don't think a 300 ultra with 230 grain Bergers is enough for deer I'll likely hang it over the fireplace, and call it a career. LOL
 
As I jest with my partner, you've been watching too many hunting shows on TV. :D

Seriously, I see more whitetail run for 100 yards with no heart than all other animals I've shot combined. I shot one last year with my 7mm Rem Mag at 85 yards, took off part of his heart and he trotted off 60 yards like nothing happened. It's just the norm with whitetails - they don't know they've been shot until they fall over.

Unless, of course, there's a TV crew filming. :cool:
 
So may I ask what more you would expect a bullet to do? I don't see what was not good?

And what was the shot distance on the deer please?

Jeff
 
I would agree that the bullet did ultimately did its job and I cannot complain at all about it. The shot was 200 yards, slightly quartering to me.

The disappointing thing was I figured that with the energy delivered at such a close range, it would have fallen over, not run away.

In every aspect, the bullet worked perfectly.
 
It happens............. no matter what you use, Sooner or later and all you can really do is make that first one count and wait for them to drop.
 
Hey doublezranch, i am from ND, Dickinson to be exact where are you located?

The reason the deer ran so far is if the heart is struck, it stops pumping and locks oxygen rich blood into the brain and muscles of the body. The lung shots drains the body of blood within a few short seconds. Allowing the dead deer to run for possibly hundreds of yards.

Do you have any details or pics of the damage on your wy elk you could share with me? Where in WY did you go? You can PM if you want so i dont take you thread off track. As you can tell from my username i am a Barnes Bullet fan also and used the 280 grain LRX with sucess in my 338 Lapua this season. Longest kill at 486, not very far to many on this site but my longest kill nevertheless.

Riley
 
I would agree that the bullet did ultimately did its job and I cannot complain at all about it. The shot was 200 yards, slightly quartering to me.

The disappointing thing was I figured that with the energy delivered at such a close range, it would have fallen over, not run away.

In every aspect, the bullet worked perfectly.

You would need to hit them with your truck then. Seriously.

Remembering the laws of physics, the force that hits them is the same as the force that hit you (recoil) because for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Since you weren't thrown to the ground neither was the deer. You have to think of it in that manner despite what force numbers your rifle or load may generate. There is no way that they can feel anything more than what you felt, except that you were anticipating it and have a much better way to absorb it with a recoil pad, etc.

As my 17 year old son says when he tries to playfully push me around, physics wins.
 
Last edited:
This year I was eager to fill my North Dakota tag with my 300 ultra. I spent a ton of time testing, tuning, and falling in love with the 230 grain Bergers.

When it came crunch time, the bullet ripped through that deer with tremendous force. To my surprise, the deer ran over 100 yards after the shot leaving in its wake a crime scene like know other. My shot sliced the heart and ripped a whole that I could put my fist into. Did I say it ran over a 100 yards after the shot?

That's the disappointing part. You would thing with that energy it would have fallen like a ton of bricks. Has any of you had this happen to them?

After this happened by the way, I had a chance to shoot my WY Elk with my 338 ultra. I shoot a 265 Barnes through it and I have never had to chase a animal yet. I shot my elk square in the chest at 150 yards and it flipped it on its back.

Any feedback is good feedback! Thanks everyone!
I had that happen to me a number of years ago in N.D. unit 4 E and also on a white tail (doe). I shot from standing at 50 yards through the lungs on her and she made the hundred yard dash with no clockwork faster than Husein Bolt. I wacked her with a 300 win pushing 165's out at 3300 fps. I watched some chap blow the baby making parts off of a mule deer buck on a bounce shot off the road about ten minutes after we got her loaded with a 264 win as we were driving down the road. The deer dropped like a sack of spuds and he shot it again at under 100 yards to finish it. Twas an odd day out for sure.
 
As for my experences with the berger bullets ive never had an animal leave the place it was shot unless it was rolling down the hill. Although i didn't get an elk this year in the past years they dont stand a chance. the old mule deer sure took it in the rear this year though. I too shoot the 300 ultra alot of times but i have been using the 190 gr Berger's. I like to normally if possible shoot anything i can in the high back/ spine area. Tends to stone them on sight. The mules we were bouncing back and forth on this hill side one the last day of season at 450+ yds were not having very good luck up against the 190s everyone who shot one that day with my rifle dropped on impact.

Kind of hesitant about changing to the 230s now..

Thanks for the info.
 
I have shot many deer with my 7 ultra with 150 grain Barnes and they dropped in their tracks. Whitetail, mule deer, antelope...it does matter. I guess I was just shocked when he ran like Olympic champ.
 
I have shot many deer with my 7 ultra with 150 grain Barnes and they dropped in their tracks. Whitetail, mule deer, antelope...it does matter. I guess I was just shocked when he ran like Olympic champ.

I would stop getting so close. The report from that 300 RUM at 200 yds would even scare a dead deer into running. :D Not to mention you will like the way the bullets work better the farther out you go. They are the best Long Range bullets around you know. :cool:

Jeff
 
I have shot many deer with my 7 ultra with 150 grain Barnes and they dropped in their tracks. Whitetail, mule deer, antelope...it does matter. I guess I was just shocked when he ran like Olympic champ.

Ya i could see why to be completely honest id probably be even more shocked if one ran off just because of my success with them dropping on site. But as another member had said it killed it and if it did the job what more could you ask for.

But not to degrade barnes at all they are also an extremely impressive bullet ive had great luck with the tsx 225gr in my 338 wm.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 12 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.
Top