Entry and Exit Holes


Canadian_Goose

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Wasn't sure if I should post this here or under deer-hunting, but I am sure a good mod can help me out ;)

Took a basket buck out of a shooting box near Duck Mountains, MB this fall. 200 yd shot with my 300 Win Mag. The buck ran 40 yds and dropped. Hit him high in the lungs and took out the top part of the heart. There was a 10 yd spray of hair from where he was standing too, so I am guessing the bullet retained alot of energy on the pass-through.

Here's the kicker. I hit him square broadside behind the shoulder, but as he was standing the entry wound is about twice as large as the exit wound, as far as the ribs are concerned anyways. Not that I am complaining about a dead buck, but I am wondering why this is. The bullet punched through the ribs on both sides and did not hit any other bone. And I don't think it was tumbling as at 200 yds, it would have been well off the mark I think.

I am not losing sleep over this, but I am curious.

P.S. Good to be back ;)

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I had this happen regularly when I used the Speer 170 grain flat point bullet (designed for the 30-30) loaded to 2600 fps in my 30-06 for shooting whitetails in the woods. The front part of the bullet which was meant to expand at 30-30 velocities expanded violently and disappeared but the rear of it behind the cannelure was rugged enough to hold together and completely penetrate the deer in most cases. It looked like a reverse wound channel like you describe.

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I had this happen regularly when I used the Speer 170 grain flat point bullet (designed for the 30-30) loaded to 2600 fps in my 30-06 for shooting whitetails in the woods. The front part of the bullet which was meant to expand at 30-30 velocities expanded violently and disappeared but the rear of it behind the cannelure was rugged enough to hold together and completely penetrate the deer in most cases. It looked like a reverse wound channel like you describe.

Great explaination, Gardner.

good luck to all

the dog

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The bullet most certainly hit rib bones on both sides, and I was firing a Hornady 180 gr SST, so it was definitely not a flat head.

The SST bullet is a pretty soft bullet to be shooting out of the 300 mag (high velocity tends to make them disitegrate). The front of it most likely blew up and created a massive cavity and what was left poked a small hole as it went out the other side. I shoot Barnes bullets in magnums so they don't come apart especially on the big stuff like elk. Deer are fairly easy to kill and conventional cup bullets like the SST will work especially in calibers like the 308 and 30-06.

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  • 2 weeks later...
The SST bullet is a pretty soft bullet to be shooting out of the 300 mag (high velocity tends to make them disitegrate). The front of it most likely blew up and created a massive cavity and what was left poked a small hole as it went out the other side. I shoot Barnes bullets in magnums so they don't come apart especially on the big stuff like elk. Deer are fairly easy to kill and conventional cup bullets like the SST will work especially in calibers like the 308 and 30-06.

I dont know but this sounds convincing

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