So what happened here?

[Mike]

The doe that I shot on 12/4 was about 50 yards away. The Remington Premier AccuTip sabot slug made a clean entrance and clean exit.

The doe from Saturday was only 10 yards away and made a massive entrance hole and did not exit. The heart was nearly split in two and there was some stomach contents present. I felt around the opposite rib cage and shoulder and didn't feel anything.

So, what happened? Did the slug shatter upon impact?

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

Skin 'er and we'll find out for sure!

 

[jagermeister]

That's weird. Sounds like the sabot fragmented big time to me. What was the angle of the shot? I don't think I've ever shot one that close and NOT had an exit wound....

 

[RedCloud]

Never seeing an entrance wound like that before I would have to say that bullet started to rip apart before it even hit her. Did you hit a branch you didn't see ? Seems a little odd to me to have such a large hole on impact and no exit at only 10 yards.

I would go back and look around and make sure you didn't hit a branch. Then I would check the barrel to make sure there is nothing in there. If both of those options check out, I would stop shooting those slugs.

 

[CJD3]

Maybe the plastic wad was still attached and caused it to tumble around.???

I have seen my wad bounce off the deer as the sabot went on through at 15-18 yards but it had barley separated.
I could be way off though. Let us know what you find inside.

The amo all come from the same box/lot?

 

[Mike]

She was broadside about 5 yards from being perfectly in front of me (I was on the ground sitting in my tractor tire). I didn't see a branch, but who does in that split second and it was first light. I believe the slugs came from the same box, but I'll have to check on that. When I walked up on her, I was pretty horrified at what I saw. She must have been dead before she hit the ground. At that moment, I wish I had my crossbow instead.

 

[Ohiosam]

Bullets are designed to expand at certain velocities. Sometimes at very close range the bullet is traveling to fast and can't hold together, especially if it hits bone.

 

[xbowguy]

From what I see if I am correct.....looks like you hit the shoulder blade (skinning should tell you more) I have a hunch you will not find all the blade in that shoulder..........Impact was so hard at that distance, it imploded part of the shoulder and made your hole bigger....just a logical guess, so let me know what you find out. Glad you got her.

 

[CJD3]

on second thought, the wad probably had nothing to do with it.

I believe Adam and Sam or on the right track.

What we have here is a ... Tunguska Impact

 

[hickslawns]

Horrified? It did it's job. Might not be the prettiest, but it was as quick, clean, and ethical as you can get. Just not pretty. lol

I agree, it does almost sound like it clipped a tree limb and began to come apart before it hit her, but as close as you were I would think you would have seen a tree limb. I dunno.

 

[Mike]

Horrified? It did it's job. Might not be the prettiest, but it was as quick, clean, and ethical as you can get. Just not pretty. lol

I agree, it does almost sound like it clipped a tree limb and began to come apart before it hit her, but as close as you were I would think you would have seen a tree limb. I dunno.

It was just that I hadn't ever seen that much devastation before. I'm over it. From what I felt, it didn't touch the shoulder blade but I could be wrong. I'm not processing her, so I'll have to ask when I pick up the meat.

 

[hickslawns]

Nice thought on the shoulder blade Xbowguy.

that is a fine looking deer cart you have there Mike! Looks like Huckleberry delivery service has enabled you to get some blood on it! Congrats again!

 

[brock ratcliff]

She had to be angled pretty good to get stomach matter and heart all mixed in there I would think. I have never had one with such a nasty entrance wound, but quartering shots often tear at an angle. Any chance it was a sharper angle than you thought? I shot a buck I would have sworn was broadside once. My arrow went in right on the money behind the shoulder, came out last rib on opposite side...no way he was as broadside as I thought! Even still, thats a nasty wound!

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

Hahaha, yea, nice deer cart! Forgot about that one!

 

[FredT]

My guess and that's all it is, is that at 10 yards the velocity really made it open up vise the deceleration of the earlier 50 yard hit.

 

[Mike]

She had to be angled pretty good to get stomach matter and heart all mixed in there I would think. I have never had one with such a nasty entrance wound, but quartering shots often tear at an angle. Any chance it was a sharper angle than you thought? I shot a buck I would have sworn was broadside once. My arrow went in right on the money behind the shoulder, came out last rib on opposite side...no way he was as broadside as I thought! Even still, thats a nasty wound!

Not sure, she could have been. She was more broadside than quartering I do remember that.

 

[Mike]

I just talked with the processor and she said it was all ribs. The shoulder blade was intact. :smiley_confused_vra

 

[Dannmann801]

I assume that was an easy tracking job.:smiley_bril:

 

[Mike]

I assume that was an easy tracking job.:smiley_bril:

She still ran 40 yards.

 

[Jackalope]

I'm going to say that bullet probably exited somewhere, and the massive wound is part of the blast from the gun.