Dobber1978

Just a quick question,

Would a deer go down slower or faster if shot with ammo designed for larger game???

Could I use my moose ammo on deer or better to buy some deer ammo?

Thanks
Jeff

Rebel Hog

What are you using for Moose?

EDIT: I have killed Moose with Norma6.5mmSwede and use it on Deer....

hazmat

It just all depends what you take out - i.e. shot placement. You could nail a small doe through the heart with a .338 win mag and have it run 300 yards or you could spine a 6 year old bruiser with a .243 and have him drop in his tracks. It just all depends where its hit and what organs you eliminate.

Also depends on the animal, some are tougher than others. Take out the heart and they could run 15 yards or 500 yards. Just never know.

Other than that you're just talking about bullet expansion (i.e.- taking as many organs out with one shot as you can), which would increase your likelihood of a quicker kill by broadening your affected areas with larger bullets (if they have a chance to expand quickly and do not exit the animal before becoming fully mushroomed).

Some loads will blast right through an animal(7mm mag for example)--especially at closer ranges, which most of the time I've found will lead to the animal running farther because the bullet went through it too fast and not expanding -- and some loads that do not shoot as fast (or when fired at longer ranges) lose some of that break-neck speed and end up creating more impact (allowing time for expansion), thus giving the round more "knock-down power." Even tumbling bullets can be your friend -- as long as they're accurate -- by increasing the impact area upon connection.

Think of the impact as a watermelon being hit by a pick-axe or a sledgehammer. The pick axe has a smaller surface so it will go right through, where as a sledgehammer( even if traveling slower) has a larger surface area, giving you instant watermelon-ade.

Hope this helps a little?

MadOtis

I agree with Hazmat's post down to the letter...

However, I hunt with a 7mm and have what I think (for myself) an acceptable solution to the "blast right through" problem (which does indeed exist)... I shoot ballistic tip bullets; especially when I am in the deep woods and making close-in shots (50yds or less). If I am in a field where I can get a 100 or 200+yd. shot, I will use "normal" rounds however. Only had one deer run off to where I had to really track hard for it and I attribute that one to a poor shot placement.

Cheers!
MadOtis

hazmat

Yeah, I hunt hogs a lot in thicker stuff so I end up taking close range shots regularly. Those ballistic tips really help me get something out of it though! Too bad they're so d@mn expensive. Ammo prices seem out of control anymore.

**Coincidentally, the reason why Full Metal Jacketed bullets are outlawed for hunting is because they do not mushroom and are therefore considered an inhumane method of harvest**

My round of choice is .308. Been shooting it for the better part of my life and I swear up and down by it. I like the reach of the 7mags but don't use it much just because I'm so familiar with the 308's ballistics.

Can't tell you how many times I've taken heart shots (quite successfully too, upon gutting) and had the animal run hundreds of yards before keeling over. Without a heart!!

cjwink

If you can take a moose down with it, aint no reason why a deer won't go down either.. I think the question you need to ask is. Should I use the same gun/caliber for Moose that I do for deer.. My answer would be NO.. I need 2 guns..