Chasam60

Spaniel-All the deer I ever shot with an XTP or Nosler,I never recovered a bullet.All wound channels and exits were impressive. my problem is with the SST. I shot 4 deer with them and recovered all 4. 2 went down and 2 ran a long way. The last I shot was a big doe shot quarter to me. The pics are posted on another thread here. I recovered the bullet (also pic posted). This deer ran a long way and I feel that the bullet did not expand until it hit the ribs on the far side.The internal damage was no where what I have seen with either XTP or Nosler bullets.This is only my experience,I know others have had good luck with them.Dead is dead however and I did recover all of them. My thing is some places I hunt(close to posted land) I have to drop them quickly. I can count on the Nosler to do that and I do nottrust the SST.

Charlie

spaniel

Wish I could locate that pick, now you have me interested...

If you absolutely positively need them to drop on the spot, I'd agree to try something besides an SST but not sure what to say...I have not tried the Noslers yet. I have tried 300gr hollowpoints that are supposed to open to the size of a quarter, and had a deer run 200 yards. Honestly, more important than the bullet is just to shoot them with ANY bullet high in the shoulder whenever possible. I've racked up an impressive number of bang-flops with the 200gr SW at all ranges. Two years and 7 deer with not a step taken by any of them. I just don't shoot low(heart shot) anymore.

I once shota button buck at 6 feet (yes, feet) with a hollowpoint 12-gauge slug -- didn't even shoulder thegun, just stuck the barrel out from the hip and fired (yes the recoil sucked!!). Blew away the top 2/3 of the heart and literally sent most of the lungs out the far side (sabot pieces were left INSIDE the deer). It still ran about 40 yards leaving a 6-ft wide stream of red.

Another year I shot two does on consecutive nights standing in the same spot where a trail emerged into a field. Same gun, same bullet (240gr HTP, predecessor to the XTP), shot from same location. Shot placement was as identical as physically possible, top half of the heart and low through both lungs. One dropped in its tracks, the other ran 100 yards.

This is why I say bullets are over-hyped and placement under-emphasized. I have yet to see a bullet that won't drop a shoulder-shot deer, or a bullet that will consistently drop a heart/low lung shot deer in their tracks.

lemoyne

I have tried a lot of bullets and take over 120 deer, and discounting the brain and spine targets where any bullet will drop them it still comes down to a certain amount of bullet placement, hitting the area over the top of the heart where the major blood vessels all come together, from the side this takes out both lungs to. Now the original SW 250gr would do the job here I am not so sure about the bonded ones or the new ones the reports since they changed them have not been good, the noslers and the Gold Dot 250 have been very dependable, with a proper hit the gold Dot in my opinion is the most reliable drop them on the spot bullet out the, and the fact that they are reasonably priced compared to the dollar or more a piece bullets don't hurt my feelings either. Lee

Chasam60

RE: Shockwave/SST Scorecard - 12/9/2008 12:22:00 AM

Spaniel the pics were posted for me by Cayudad showing inside and outside exit wounds and the recovered bullet

Charlie