338LM for Mule Deer?

[dkhunt14]

I have never experienced a hole like that with a Berger 300. I run them them 2993 in a Lapua IMP and the holes are usually in the 1 to 2 inch range on exit. I have not had much meat damage. All the bullets expanded and have killed real quick. We shot 7 Bucks and they were all 1 shot kills and 6 of the 7 were DRT. I don't like the solid bullets because of accuracy and the lack of BC to kill at longrange.

Rymart what bullet did that? It looks to me like the entrance hole is quite large and maybe hit something before the deer. Matt

 

[jmden]

I have never experienced a hole like that with a Berger 300. I run them them 2993 in a Lapua IMP and the holes are usually in the 1 to 2 inch range on exit. I have not had much meat damage. All the bullets expanded and have killed real quick. We shot 7 Bucks and they were all 1 shot kills and 6 of the 7 were DRT. I don't like the solid bullets because of accuracy and the lack of BC to kill at longrange.

Rymart what bullet did that? It looks to me like the entrance hole is quite large and maybe hit something before the deer. Matt

Good points and mirrors my personal experience.

How big is the deer in that pick? Doesn't appear too big to me, but hard to tell. The muleys I've shot I estimate to be between about 200lbs and a couple with big bodies up to 275 lbs on the hoof.

Did that hit a shoulder on the way in causing fragmentation? I've also had the opposite problem a couple of times with a 240 SMK once and a 300 OTM once where they penciled. No bullet is perfect in all situations. I've seen 180 Accubonds perform horribly for instance. Use a bullet long enough and enough varied situations where different shot angles present themselves differently (last years muley was butt on to me until he turned his neck to the right to feed, so I put one in his neck--or a steep downhill shot taking out the spine at the base of the neck due to shot/animal angle presented--I've done that on bucks a couple of times and bull elk once) and eventually you won't be happy with the performance.

 

[jmden]

deleted...sorry...double posted

 

[Rymart]

It was neither typical, or unusual for damage in my experience... If that makes any sense. It was an average sized mature 4x4 mule deer buck. Shot was a bit over 600 yards away. The picture was the entrance side of the wound. The shot was made at a steep downhill angle and I think it grazed some spine on the way in and fragmented. I'd call it a bullet failure, but dead is dead, and there was no lack of penetration. Haven't used the 338 LM for mule deer since, doing just fine with the 6mm AR. Another one for the 338LM overkill hall of shame: