this normal??

[rickyp]

I just shot a small buck he was about 70-90 lbs He was shot just behind the shoulder at a range of about 10 feet . I was using 100 grs of true black powder barns 300 gr bullets.

the bullet hit home and made a nice big exit wound but no blood no hair no nothing if the buck didn't drop with in sight I would have never been able to find him :?. he did not miss a step at he shot just took off running and dropped about 50 feet form me.

I thought he would at least knock him down.

[slowfog]

This doesn't suprise me, it's happened numerous times to me. When shooting them behind the shoulder there isn't much in the way of resistance, deer are relatively soft and at the range you shot it, the bullet retained much of it's energy. Basically the bullet had no reason to open up, thus you punched a nice clean hole in one side and out the other. Unless you shot low in the body cavity much of the blood just settled to the bottom of the chest and didn't begin to come out until after it piled up. The no hair thing suprises me, but stranger things have happened. The deer was probably double lunged and ran until it was out of air. Of all the deer I have killed with a muzzleloader I have only knocked two off there feet and believe it or not it was with 180gr and 195 gr bullets.

[rickyp]

I couldn't find much of the heart or lungs just a bunch of "jello". the bullet did open up at least some it had a dime size entrance hole and the exit hole was about the size of a 50 ¢ piece

[Bob the Cynic]

I don't know that there is a normal when it comes to hit deer.  I've had lung shot deer drop in their tracks and heart shot deer run a 100 yards spraying blood like it was coming out of a fire hose.  I've found no sign of hits where deer were standing at the shot, no blood, no hair, no nothing only to follow up on them and find a blood trail that doesn't start until 10s of yards from where they were hit.  Ya nevah know...

[smoky]

My buddy shot one at the camp this weekend with the MZ.  Entrance was last rib quartering forward into off side shoulder, no exit.  Deer ran about 40 yards and piled up in sight.  Not a drop of blood was found. I think this was similar to what you experienced.

BTW the bullet was dug out of the off side shoulder.  Mushroomed perfectly.

Smoky

[Longcruise]

I thought he would at least knock him down.

If you consider that for every action there is an opposite reaction then there is no reason why even a 70 to 90 pound deer would be knocked down.  If the recoil knocks you down, then it might knock an animal of a weight similar to yours down :-)

[rickyp]

I thought he would at least knock him down.

If you consider that for every action there is an opposite reaction then there is no reason why even a 70 to 90 pound deer would be knocked down.  If the recoil knocks you down, then it might knock an animal of a weight similar to yours down :-)

if this was the case the bullet would strike the targer with the same amount of force it recoiled this would not kill anything.

[Longcruise]

if this was the case the bullet would strike the targer with the same amount of force it recoiled this would not kill anything.

Basic law of physics; for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.

The illusion of an animal being knocked down is usually the result of the bullet hitting a point in the nevrvous system that causes a muscular reaction in the animal.

Our typical hunting bullets, no matter how many ft lbs of energy they pack, will not knock an animal off it's feet.  I have hit animals with large heavy bullets and had them simply fall down toward me, not even away from the impact of the bullet.

[AndyHass]

quote]

if this was the case the bullet would strike the targer with the same amount of force it recoiled this would not kill anything.[/quote]

   Actually this is not true.  The bullet DOES leave the muzzle with approximately the same amount of energy as you feel in recoil.  Any difference is due only to inefficiencies like heat and friction.  The difference is you have a 180-300 grain bullet headed in one direction and a 8-10 lb gun headed in the other direction.  So the force you feel is less because the gun is so much heavier than the bullet and takes a lot more energy to move it any given distance.
   This explains why heavier bullets kick more if propelled at a given velocity.  It takes more energy to get them up to speed, so your shoulder gets more going the other direction!

[Old Cane]

But in movies a guys shooting a 9mm knocks his opponents back 20 feet! You mean they make that stuff up in the movies?

[Longcruise]

But in movies a guys shooting a 9mm knocks his opponents back 20 feet! You mean they make that stuff up in the movies?

Gosh no!  Everybody knows that a "9" will suffice if Bwana forgets his .600 nitro express

There is a story that I heard as a kid in the '50s about the .357 mag.  It was said that it was shot at the engine comparment of a car and the engine dropped out to the ground :grin:

If a .357 can do that then a 9mm can do it too.  Heck there's on .002 difference :grin:

[AndyHass]

Noooo....they always obey reality in the movies!

[Old Cane]

It was said that it was shot at the engine comparment of a car and the engine dropped out to the ground

I have experienced this first hand but it was Dodge Omni and no firearms were involved. So, I guess it is possible.