.264" 135 Berger Classic Hunter: 1-for-1 blowup

[fremont]

Finally had a chance to shoot my 264 Win Mag in anger at a young muley buck. Just under 200 yds with about a 30 deg down slope. Right around 3100 mv with the 135 Classic Hunter. Had a solid prone rest, and, at the shot, the deer lunged, and I could immediately see he was essentially disemboweled with his innards almost touching the ground. I shot again and anchored him. My buddy got to him first and said "You won't like this; it looks like you gut shot him." I couldn't believe it, because the gun is dead nuts on at 200, and my rest and squeeze were both rock solid. We used the gutless method to dress him out, and my buddy, after skinning down the front shoulder, says "Oh, wait, here's your first shot" pointing to a hit exactly where I aimed at the armpit. The bullet squarely impacted a rib and angled down where it "exploded," ripping an 8"-10" incision in his gut.

Now, I get having a problem on an elk shoulder but a smallish deer's rib? Certainly gave me pause, wondering if I better go back to a 130 AB. I realize that many have nothing but good stories about Bergers, but this is my sample of one.

 

[lancetkenyon]

Finally had a chance to shoot my 264 Win Mag in anger at a young muley buck. Just under 200 yds with about a 30 deg down slope. Right around 3100 mv with the 135 Classic Hunter. Had a solid prone rest, and, at the shot, the deer lunged, and I could immediately see he was essentially disemboweled with his innards almost touching the ground. I shot again and anchored him. My buddy got to him first and said "You won't like this; it looks like you gut shot him." I couldn't believe it, because the gun is dead nuts on at 200, and my rest and squeeze were both rock solid. We used the gutless method to dress him out, and my buddy, after skinning down the front shoulder, says "Oh, wait, here's your first shot" pointing to a hit exactly where I aimed at the armpit. The bullet squarely impacted a rib and angled down where it "exploded," ripping an 8"-10" incision in his gut.

Now, I get having a problem on an elk shoulder but a smallish deer's rib? Certainly gave me pause, wondering if I better go back to a 130 AB. I realize that many have nothing but good stories about Bergers, but this is my sample of one.

If you were midway down on the chest cavity, and hit the rib at a 30*+ angle, the tapered side of the ogive seems to have hit the 30* bone, and you just skipped it off the bone after penetrating the skin. The skin kept it inside and trapped it during the downward angle until it curved enough to rip through. This is my guess without photos or a description of POI.

Does not sound like a bullet issue to me.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Finally had a chance to shoot my 264 Win Mag in anger at a young muley buck. Just under 200 yds with about a 30 deg down slope. Right around 3100 mv with the 135 Classic Hunter. Had a solid prone rest, and, at the shot, the deer lunged, and I could immediately see he was essentially disemboweled with his innards almost touching the ground. I shot again and anchored him. My buddy got to him first and said "You won't like this; it looks like you gut shot him." I couldn't believe it, because the gun is dead nuts on at 200, and my rest and squeeze were both rock solid. We used the gutless method to dress him out, and my buddy, after skinning down the front shoulder, says "Oh, wait, here's your first shot" pointing to a hit exactly where I aimed at the armpit. The bullet squarely impacted a rib and angled down where it "exploded," ripping an 8"-10" incision in his gut.

Now, I get having a problem on an elk shoulder but a smallish deer's rib? Certainly gave me pause, wondering if I better go back to a 130 AB. I realize that many have nothing but good stories about Bergers, but this is my sample of one.

I had the exact same thing happen, except that I was hunting pronghorn from an elevated ridge with a 7STW and shooting a 162gr A-Max bullet. Shot was 450yds and I could immediately see what looked like a sheet hanging between the antelope's legs. It took a few steps and fell over. It wasn't until I got to its location that I saw all of its entrails hanging out. Initial bullet impact was center lung on a broadside shot.

 

[257Tony]

If you got innards falling out, you either hit too far back, those 135's are truly "magic", or we've got another grassy knoll situation going on.

 

[cjl2010]

Sounds a lot like a dead deer.