Lost deer...slug problems?

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  • bbarrows32

    Golf Guru
    Feb 25, 2013
    109
    Germantown, MD
    Hey guys,

    I've been hunting for 10+ years and have harvested many whitetail and never lost one...until yesterday

    I got my buck in archery along with two does and an additional bonus buck. Following archery I went out in firearm season with my muzzle-loader hoping to get one more medium sized doe for sweet sticks.

    Anyway...long story short I shot the perfect size doe at about 60 yards with a .45 Hornady sst with plastic sleeve. Shot was high but got good blood on both sides for 300 yards. (waited 2 hours after the shot because I knew it was a bit high) Blood stopped and no deer. I switched to the Hornady from .50 Powerbuilt in the off-season because I was getting better groups at the range. Now I feel like the slug never expanded and caused me to lose the deer.

    Any thoughts on these Hornady slugs? I am switching back to the Powerbuilt as of now.
     

    jmiller320

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 7, 2008
    1,892
    Havre de Grace
    Deer is proably dead and laying under a deadfall. I lost one one time that I hit good and found it several months later. It went down a small stream and crawled under a overhang. I shot on through the heart with an arrow and it ran over 250 yards in a circle. No blood for the last 50 or so.
     

    bigjohn

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 29, 2007
    2,752
    I would bet that she is dead not far from last blood. I shoot sat also and they don't seem to make them bleed as much as the power belts do
     

    byf43

    SCSC Life/NRA Patron Life
    Losing any animal is traumatic.


    TC "Shockwave" sabot rounds have worked beautifully for me.
    Hit like a sledgehammer.

    Go back to where you saw the last blood, and do a search in larger and larger circles.
    I'll wager that the deer is within 30 yards of the last sign.
     

    bbarrows32

    Golf Guru
    Feb 25, 2013
    109
    Germantown, MD
    Fortunately I work where I hunt so I am headed back out today when I get off to look again. Its been freeeezing outside so the deer will be good until the predators get to it. Hopefully find the deer and keep the streak alive.

    Happy Hunting
     

    Crow Bait

    Active Member
    Feb 9, 2013
    201
    Hollywood, MD
    Not trying to be a smart ass... but if you lost a deer it was because it was a bad shot. Deer are incredibly tough animals and inches matter. All experienced hunters have lost deer at some point in their hunting career, and it is something to learn from.

    A lot of time, we blame our equipment, but the truth is - if you do your part, the equipment doesn't much matter. Does some slugs outperform others? YES - but they all work fine if you place the shot perfectly.

    My advice is to use whatever slugs you are the most confident with... and remember that you have to do your part. I would say the same about arrows and broad heads.
     

    wilcam47

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 4, 2008
    25,976
    Changed zip code
    Losing any animal is traumatic.


    TC "Shockwave" sabot rounds have worked beautifully for me.
    Hit like a sledgehammer.

    Go back to where you saw the last blood, and do a search in larger and larger circles.
    I'll wager that the deer is within 30 yards of the last sign.

    :thumbsup: the deer I shot when I lived in MD with those rounds dropped dead in their tracks...

    as for the deer, was it a lot of lung blood or just regular blood? or just minimal blood to start with.
     

    Uncle Duke

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 2, 2013
    11,667
    Not Far Enough from the City
    Losing any animal is traumatic.


    TC "Shockwave" sabot rounds have worked beautifully for me.
    Hit like a sledgehammer.

    Go back to where you saw the last blood, and do a search in larger and larger circles.
    I'll wager that the deer is within 30 yards of the last sign.

    I'd make the same wager. And those circles are key.

    The tendency is to want to look faster and cover more ground more quickly. Don't do it. That deer crossed a circle from your last known blood somewhere.

    Find where, and you have a new lead and a new chance at finding that deer.......

    Good Luck!
     

    bbarrows32

    Golf Guru
    Feb 25, 2013
    109
    Germantown, MD
    :thumbsup: the deer I shot when I lived in MD with those rounds dropped dead in their tracks...

    as for the deer, was it a lot of lung blood or just regular blood? or just minimal blood to start with.

    Lots of regular blood both sides...hoping to get out there around 3 and look again...maybe i walked right past her.

    With this post I wasn't really looking for someone to tell me I took a bad shot or how to track a deer. I just wanted some feedback on the Hornady SST.


    Archery Buck this year...shot wasn't excellent but the deer fell after 10 yards. Go Figure
    photo.jpg
     

    bbarrows32

    Golf Guru
    Feb 25, 2013
    109
    Germantown, MD
    Not trying to be a smart ass... but if you lost a deer it was because it was a bad shot. Deer are incredibly tough animals and inches matter. All experienced hunters have lost deer at some point in their hunting career, and it is something to learn from.

    A lot of time, we blame our equipment, but the truth is - if you do your part, the equipment doesn't much matter. Does some slugs outperform others? YES - but they all work fine if you place the shot perfectly.

    My advice is to use whatever slugs you are the most confident with... and remember that you have to do your part. I would say the same about arrows and broad heads.

    Not blaming equipment just looking for feedback on the Hornady SST. Thanks!
     

    bbarrows32

    Golf Guru
    Feb 25, 2013
    109
    Germantown, MD
    The boolit is a good design.

    I don't recall seeing what your powder charge was, though. :shrug:

    With a light charge, the boolit might not perform as expected.

    Two triple 7 50 grain pellets. I guess i don't understand how the deer could take that much damage/blood loss and still run 300+ yards. Originally I was thinking the slug never opened at impact and just punched two .50 holes. I guess I am chalking it up to a poor shot causing poor results at this point. Most folks agree the slug preforms well.
     

    bigjohn

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 29, 2007
    2,752
    Deer are tought animals. I have tracked them much farther that you would think an animal spewing that amount of blood could go. It happens, don't get discouraged. You did all you could to retrieve the animal.
     

    zombiehunter

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 8, 2008
    6,505
    I think the biggest thing people don't realize, or simply don't consider, about animals is that they don't *know* they've been shot. People get shot and drop where they are because of shock and the "holy shit, someone put a bullet in me" factor. Deer are like "WTF? I'm outta here!" Look back at the thread about the bison with the third degree burns outrunning a bear. A person would likely die simply from the pain, that animal was outrunning a freakin' bear. Animals are tough critters.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,884
    Even in worst case , two .50cal holes are still plenty good , with reasonably decent placement.

    Odds are still with either dead deer ( requiring search method above ) or a "minor flesh wound" that bleed initially and then coagulated.
     

    danb

    dont be a dumbass
    Feb 24, 2013
    22,704
    google is your friend, I am not.
    It happens. Saw a deer recovered with a shotgun slug still in its shoulder once. By rights, that deer should have been down the first time. Good shot, powerful slug, one tough deer. Unfortunately the only way to know for sure is to find the deer. Hope you find it before the coyotes and foxes drag it off.
     

    mark71211

    Ultimate Member
    Sep 10, 2012
    2,234
    Edgewater
    Deer are tough S.O.B! Friend of mine shot a deer once with a frontal shot. We tracked the deer for ove 500 yards and the whole time we were finding large amounts of blood. When the blood trail ran dry we started to finding pieces of its intestines for the last 100 yards. When we finally found the deer the only thing left in him was his heat and lungs, everything else had been pulled out by brush as he ran through it. The bullet split him open from his chest to half way down his belly. Really no need to field dress him out cause there was nothing in him.
     

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