Large Caliber/Heavy Projectile

[Long Time Long Ranger]

I killed a nice buck yesterday and it proved a major point concerning the effects slow moving, heavy projectiles. The range was point blank. I hit the nice buck with about a 72.0 caliber projectile traveling a little over 50 feet per second. It generated about 374,410 foot pounds of energy to the deer. The projectile did not penetrate the animal but the deer was dead right there instantly. Thank goodness the projectile did not mushroom at all and remained pristine. My wife would have been mad if I messed up the suburban. Heavy, large caliber projectiles work very well was my judgement.

The rest of the story; I was returning from antelope hunting and waited 15 minutes for a shot at a nice buck surrounded by 50 does but could never get any seperation and they went over a hill where I couldn't follow. Either a doe in front or back and could never get a shot. My wife has a deer tag in the unit and the season opens Monday so I decided to scout for her a nice buck deer. I found four in one field and drove up to the next field to look in it. On my return by the first field I was driving slow looking for the bucks when I suddenly found them. They bolted from behind some brush that came right to the roadside and one ran right into the front of my suburban. I had no chance. The deer hit the front of the vehicle before I could hit the brakes.

I was on the phone with my wife telling her about the bucks I had found for her. She heard the loud crash and asked what happened, are you OK. I said I just killed your buck I had picked out. She said thanks a lot! I will scout my own buck next year.

 

[Tikkamike]

HAHA You had my mind racing thinking what you used that was 72.0 and 50 fps. I was thinking homemade cannon or something haha. But it is a very good argument against those "Speed Kills" believers. I have a friend who is a devout weatherby guy and absolutly cringes when I talk about shooting a 200 grain bullet out of my 300 win. and 2750fps with the Lapua is just rediculous Any pictures of the buck??

 

[fj40mojo]

It's lucky you hit that deer with an older production projectile. Had that projectile been of the newer ilk it likely would have mushroomed in your face, failed catastrophically shedding pieces of it's jacket without penetrating at all and the buck would have run off wounded only to die of blunt force trauma and not been recovered. Good shooting.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Mike, I think you win that argument. I like your weapons with 200 and 300 grainers. They may not start as fast but they don't slow down either. At the range I shoot stuff they are probably going faster than the light ones.

FJ, It is a 99 Suburban. Crushed the deer and not a scratch.

Didn't have a camera to take a picture. Will have one of my antelope tommorow when I get him on the last day. Standards have dropped and antelope taste way better than unfilled tags. Length of shot is priority tommorow and not the size of the goat. When I find the right long range shot we eat antelope.

 

[HUAINAMACHERO]

Funny story.
Good luck with the antelope!!!