Author Topic: Backup for hunting. AKA Euthanizing Shot. (Read 729 times)

dougk · « **on:** May 25, 2005, 06:10:19 AM »

Yesterday, I had to put down an injured dear. I used my 9mm with 118gr FMJ and was very displeased with the results. Several head shots where needed to euthanize the deer. I will start carrying the .357 with 158 JSP , need to sight it in first.

Would a 9mm in 147 gr JHP have performed better?

My question is what caliber are you carrying as a backup/euthanizing sidearm and what ammo are you using?
Thanks,
Doug

knight0334 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 25, 2005, 07:16:49 AM »

Actually, I'm quite suprised that it took several 9mm rounds. Most of my family only carry either 32 H&R mag, 32-20, or 38spl with LRN, SWC, and plain 148gr wadcutters for such purposes when hunting. I cant recall a second shot ever being needed by any of them.

My uncle and myself carry .357mag and .44mags(depending on our moods). Handload(maxloads, 16.1gr BlueDot) .357 125gr JHP have been enuff as a primary firearm.

I'm sure though that 147gr JHP would have made more mush out of it's brains. But the FMJ should have done the trick.

...I think I'd just chalk that up as a bad day.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 25, 2005, 08:44:39 AM »

WOW, I have only used a 22 to do the job. :eek:

Paul S · « **Reply #3 on:** May 25, 2005, 12:47:37 PM »

:oops: One time one of my best friends had a beagle that was very old and very ill and he couldn't bring himself to put it down. He asked me to do it for him. I took him out to the farm with my 38 spc with soft lead bullets. From two feet away I hit him right between the ears and it exited in the throat area. I was digging the hole for his grave and you could imagine my horror when I looked up and he had walked over to me. A good 35 yards and laid down by me. I ran back to the truck to get my gun and when I got back he was dead. I have not volunteered to put any more dogs down since. It wouldn't have cared so much had it been a stray, but being a buddies pet it bothered me. Just one of those weird things I guess.

myronman3 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 25, 2005, 12:56:51 PM »

i had to put my rott down a while back. could have used the first round only, but instead used 14 .45 auto. i loved the dog and didnt want to chance her feeling any pain. so once the first one hit her, the other 13 followed really fast. ugly aftermath, yes. pain felt- highly unlikely. any job worth doing is worth doing right; especially when the stakes are so high.

dougk · « **Reply #5 on:** May 25, 2005, 01:20:17 PM »

More to the story.

When I walked to with in 20 feet of the deer she started thrashing, and could not stand. A buzzard was on the fence post next to her, and flew away as I approached. As she was moving I put 3 shot into her 2 in the head and one slightly below the head. Ash she fell she thrashed more so I put another 3 in her head, she was still moving so I put another 3 in her head. She did not move after that. I counted the head shots all 8 head shots where good.

I practice 1 shot drops and have been very successful with the rifle. I was totally displeased with the 9mm. So I am gong with the .357 until the wild pigs arrive. Then the .44 mag comes out.

Doug

jhm · « **Reply #6 on:** May 25, 2005, 02:34:14 PM »

Dougk : I am surprised myself as I usually have a 9mm vary close to me all the time and her we have dispatched several full grown head of cattle with no problem, as stated b-4 chalk it up it could have also happened with a 44

JIM

Mikey · « **Reply #7 on:** May 25, 2005, 03:54:48 PM »

dougk - sorry to hear about that. It is very disappointing when the first round doesn't stop the animal's pain. I have witnessed that same scenario a number of times on the NYS Thruway - the worst of it is that you have to wait for the State Police to come and finish the job (especially if there is someone around to get your license plate number) and they are simply not in any great hurry to get there and they are lousy shots.

As jhm indicated, the 9mm will do the job, but I have seen a number of different calibers fail at this task. I have some field analysis of wound channels on harvested game and have found that in some instances where head shots were used to euthanize the animal, round nose bullets, soft nosed bullets and some hollowpoints (not all from autos)may impact the skull but flatten and travel along the bone beneath the hide, exiting the hide beneath the jaw. This gives you the idea that the bullet has penetrated clean through, when it hasn't. This has happened to a couple of State Troopers - they thought the animal was 'done' (snap a tap from the Glock and she's done) after just one round and got miffed when we would have to yell for them to come back and finish the job, and it was never pretty.

I feel the best bullet you can use for that job is a semiwadcutter and the best place to put the round is right down through the top of the head where the skull is flattest. Trying to place it through the back of the skull may often get you a deflection due, in part to the shape of the skull and in part to the shape of the nose of the bullet. Failing a top down shot, which is often difficult on a thrashing animal, placing the shot through either side of the skull halfway twixt the eye and the ear is as effective as a top down shot. If you can get a straight on shot at either of the flat spots on a whitetail's skull most 9mm bullets should work for you. I know a few fellas who carry spare rounds or spare mags for just such situations.

Again, sorry to hear about that situation but am glad there was a man around to help ease that animal's pain. JMO. Mikey.

dougk · « **Reply #8 on:** May 25, 2005, 04:42:09 PM »

It was a very unpleasant situation. But when I saw the Turkey vulture, I knew it was close to being over for the deer. I just wanted to end any suffering.

I was shooting from the side, next time I will do the top down shot on the flat part of the skull.

Also, I will use flat nose bullets, the FMJ where round nose. I broke the code or so I think. The round nose will not break bone as easily as flat nose. My hypothesis is that hte round nose will take the path of least resistance and follow the bone. Flat nose have not where to go but through the bone.

Doug

44 Man · « **Reply #9 on:** May 27, 2005, 11:51:03 AM »

I think you are right. The key here was the round nose bullets. Any flat nose or H.P. (acts like a flat nose) would have worked better. Also, trying to shoot in the ear hole helps to. 44 Man

Robert · « **Reply #10 on:** May 27, 2005, 12:10:58 PM »

Last one I had to take care of was with a 20 oz framing hammer. No blood and guts. No risk of ricochet. Just happened to be what I had handy, and it worked fine. It did still freak-out the stupid onlookers though...but not nearly as much as if I would have pulled out a firearm. Just a simple carpenter doing his job.

Catfish · « **Reply #11 on:** May 27, 2005, 01:47:08 PM »

I`ve killed alot of hog, cattle and 1 deer with a .22 rimfire and none took a second shot. You have to put the bullet in the brain, you just did not do that. Get a hold of some animal skulls and look them over closely to see where to put the buller. There is a small area of the head that is actually a kill shot.